Independent Swansea opticians win national customer service award

An opticians in Swansea have marked their 40th anniversary year in style by winning a national optical award, recognising their commitment to outstanding customer care.

Stephen Evans Optometrists, on King’s Road, took home the Best Customer Experience Award at the Hakim Group awards, a ceremony celebrating independent opticians from across the UK and Ireland.

The team came ahead of over 200 practices at the event which took place at the University of Bolton Stadium, whilst being streamed simultaneously online.

This follows winning the Practice of the Year award at the same ceremony in 2020, where the team were honoured for their work delivering for their patients during lockdown.

And while the practice passed the milestone of 40 years in business this year, the team are hoping to celebrate properly once restrictions allow in 2022.

Practice Manager Henry Evans said: “The experience of every patient that comes through our doors is at the heart of everything we do, so to have this recognised makes all the hard work worth it.

“I think the customer’s experience has become even more important with everything that has happened in the past two years; for some of our patients their visits have been one of the few times they have left the house, so we have to make sure they feel right at home with us.

“It’s what really makes this practice what it is, and I think that personalised care and family atmosphere is what makes independents like ours special.

“This is something we have worked extremely hard on constantly improving, so I’m really proud of everyone in the team for their commitment in achieving it.

“It’s been the perfect way to round off our 40th anniversary, which we will hopefully be able to properly celebrate with our patients once it is completely safe to do so.”

Independent Swansea opticians wins Practice of the Year at national awards

An opticians in Swansea has been named Practice of the Year at a national optical awards, in recognition of their outstanding contributions within the practice.

Stephen Evans Optometrists, a family run practice located at Ethos on King’s Road, took home the prize at the Hakim Group Awards, a ceremony celebrating independent opticians from across the UK and Ireland.

The practice came ahead of over 150 practices at the virtual event, which was streamed live to seven countries around the world.

Despite lockdown restrictions throughout the past year, the team at Stephen Evans have been providing their essential service throughout the pandemic. This has included assisting the NHS with emergency appointments, as well as delivering glasses, contact lenses, solutions and dry eye treatments to the homes of those shielding and self-isolating.

Practice Manager Henry Evans said: “For everything that has happened in the past year, this award means the world to us and, personally, I feel very fortunate to work alongside a team of likeminded individuals who follow the same ethos.

“Everyone has worked so hard this year to still deliver for our patients in really challenging circumstances. Having said that, it was a certainly a surprise to win the award but we will absolutely treasure it; the recognition has really lifted our spirits.

“We would also like to thank our patients who have remained so loyal to us throughout this tough period; hopefully we will be able to celebrate together when we are able to.”

Stephen Evans Optometrists would also like to reassure patients that, despite new lockdown restrictions, the practice is still offering eye examinations to patients who need access to eyecare. Practice staff are all equipped with PPE and regular sanitation is carried out to ensure a safe environment.

Visits are by appointment only, and all patients must wear a suitable face covering at all times. To book your appointment, you can call the team on 01792 643823.

Stephen Evans Optometrists help to raise £37,000 for Action for Children

Team members from Stephen Evans Optometrists helped to raise £37,000 for the national charity Action for Children at a local fundraising event.

Henry, Stephen and Chrissy were the practice’s representatives at the Brangwyn Hall for the award-winning music quiz, Never Mind the Business.

The event gives businesses across Swansea and South Wales the chance to put their pop music knowledge to the test and enjoy live music sets while raising money for disadvantaged children and young people supported by Action for Children.

As a practice, we donated £600 for a table and also sponsored a round of the quiz which added an extra £250 towards the total.

All of the money raised will go towards helping Action for Children to continue helping vulnerable children and young people lead safe and happy lives across the UK. The charity has helped over 387,000 children, young people and families in the past two years.

The host with the most on the night was ex-Wales rugby captain Paul Thorburn, who is also a patient at Stephen Evans Optometrists.

Paul was also the host of the auction for the event, which also featured live music from 1984, a three-course meal and, of course, an amazing audio-visual quiz compared by Swansea Sound’s Kev Johns.

Henry Evans, Dispensing Optician at Stephen Evans Optometrists, said: “It was a pleasure to be part of such an important evening for the whole of Swansea and the surrounding area.

“We were delighted to contribute to the total money raised which we know will go a long way to improving the overall wellbeing of our young people, something we are always keen to promote at Stephen Evans Optometrists.

“All of us within the practice hope this just one of the many ways we can support our local area and the charities that help people less fortunate than ourselves.”