The BeStore Award was launched by MIDO to reward the best optician’s store in the world. The award is divided into two categories: BeStore Design and BeStore Innovation. The first is dedicated to optician’s stores which offer an unmissable shopping experience thanks also to the shop lay-out, materials used, furnishing and design; the second is for optician’s stores which are innovative in their customer service, interaction with suppliers, digital and traditional communication, as well as in their story and personal/emotive aspects. This year’s BeStore Innovation award was won by Megaoptika.
We met its owner, Taras Proniv.
You won the Bestore Innovation 2023: what does it mean for you?
It is a great victory for Ukrainian innovations and an opportunity to tell the world about our capabilities which our specialists in ophthalmology and optometry possess.
Also, the award is an important confirmation of our high level and status by the most authoritative jury, as well as a great honor for our team. We are aware of the great responsibility before the world optical community, therefore, with our daily activities we confirm and innovatively develop the optical culture of Ukraine, even in difficult times of the struggle for the right to freedom of our country. We dedicated our victory to all employees of our team, who create and develop the company every day, to all patients of Megaoptika and to our country.
As you are operating under extremely risky conditions due to the ongoing conflict in your country: how do you manage to work under such risky conditions?
Ukrainians are an indomitable nation. Participation and victory on such a large-scale platform is an opportunity to draw the attention of the world community to Ukraine and emphasize how strong our people are, and the business continues to develop and provide quality service, despite everything. In just the last 10 months, despite all the threats of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, we took risks and scaled — the team grew by 30%.
Our sphere is very responsible, therefore, every day we accumulate strength, improve ourselves, despite the daily rocket attacks, and continue to help Ukrainians to see better. We sincerely thank our Armed Forces of Ukraine, who give us the opportunity to work on our front, bringing our joint victory closer.
Would you describe your optical center to us?
It is the unique concept which combines a vision center and glasses supermarket in the single space. We spend advanced vision diagnostics, treatment of ophthalmic diseases, and we also offer patients the largest selection of glasses in all of Ukraine. Our goal and mission is to help people see better and reveal the visual potential of each person.
Megaoptika Vision Center is 3 years old, but our team had 20 years of experience in the optical industry. It is the biggest optic in Ukraine and such the exclusive format allows us to offer patients professional services and a wide variety of products in one large space. It provides several types of diagnostics: express diagnostics, professional diagnostics, extended and for children. We work according to German optometry quality standards, and have developed our own multi-level quality control mechanism.
Service and customer orientation are very important for us. A whole team works with each patient: an optometrist, a consultant and a master optician. The main one is the optometrist, who carries out diagnostics and coordinates the work of others. In difficult cases, we hold concilium - gatherings of leading Megaoptika specialists headed by a medical director to find the best individual solution for the patient.
Our diagnostics aims to deeply understand the vision problem and explain it to the patient in an accessible way, clearly tell about the solutions and form a treatment plan. Specialists of the Megaoptika Vision Center are a kind of psychologists who help overcome the fear of wearing glasses or contact lenses. We feel co-responsible for people who put off vision tests or are afraid to start wearing glasses, because we know we can help them see better. That is why we remain in systematic communication with each of our patients and encourage people to undergo free express vision diagnostics with us.
We care about patients being satisfied with our services and products, that is why we have a quality department that collects feedback from patients. After a visit, each of them receives a request in Telegram to leave a review and evaluate the quality of the services provided. We also use the QR code system: by scanning the code, you can make an appointment or leave a review. 98% of Megaoptika ratings are five stars. Every day we receive from 5 to 15 reviews about the Vision Center and the work of our specialists. The implementation of modern technological solutions at various stages of our work: from diagnosis to communication with patients after admission - improve our service and work in general.
We work every day without a day off. Seven days a week, patients can get a consultation, undergo the necessary diagnosis, get a treatment plan and choose individual glasses or contact lenses.
Currently, Megaoptika employs a professional team of 79 specialists - optometrists, ophthalmologists, master opticians, consultants, marketers, designers, call center specialists and other specialists, who together provide quality services with an individual approach to each client.
The Megaoptika Vision Center was able to combine the treatment of ophthalmic diseases, advanced diagnostics and a wide selection of products. The company's work continues even in difficult times, which Ukraine experiences every day. And what distinguishes Megaoptika from other organizations is inventive entrepreneurship. All these important characteristics were mentioned by the MIDO president, which could become key reasons for the jury before awarding our team the highest award.
What were the reasons that led the Jury to award you the prize?
The award is a world recognition of Ukrainian service, innovation and the quality of the services and goods we provide. This award is given to the best opticians in the world for innovative work approaches, professionalism and a high level of customer service, and we are sincerely grateful to the jury members and organizers for the trust and recognition of our achievements at the international level. Service and customer orientation are very important to us. We constantly implement modern technological solutions at various stages: from diagnosis to communication with patients after admission. Therefore, for us, this is an opportunity to show the world the high quality and technological innovation of the world of optics and optometry of Ukraine, which we provide to our patients every day.