Abstract:

The current conditions of the optical and optometric services market pose to marketers the challenge of permanently updating their marketing strategies. Aligned to the rapid development of the information technology, the customer relationships must become more interactive, more anticipative, more in tune with their needs and preferences. On the other hand, all professionals in the field of primary eye care, be they manufacturers, distributors (agents) or prescribing professionals - opticians, optometrists or ophthalmologists, form an interdependent relationship having as final goal a highly customised mix of products and services. In practice, most part of the visual correction equipment is represented by made-to-measure individual optical devices (corrective glasses), configured based on a stable relationship between its components - the ophthalmic lenses are mounted on spectacle frames that can support them, and their role is to create an adequate relationship with the wearer, the individual that will have a role in his/her relationship with himself/herself and the group he/she relates to. It is an entire relational universe in which terms such as clarity, stability, continuity, performance, satisfaction and comfort define customer loyalty and strengthen a long-term relationship. The journey of the six “I”s of relationship marketing ends with the intention of a unique relationship, an aspiration that translates into return, revisit and repurchase.
This article seeks to identify the elements contributing to the development of a long-term relationship by applying the principles of relationship marketing in the optical and optometric services sector. The study will use the conceptual framework of the relationship marketing, emphasizing the three theoretical perspectives: behavioural, network theory and managerial. Applied to the optics and optometry field, the relationship capital embodies important aspects of all parties involved in this exchange, factors that this sector could not continue without and form future strong connections. All the actions of a specialized eye care services provider are designed to convey to the consumer a relevant competitive advantage: the professional management of the eyesight capital.