Consumer Innovation Shout Out: Warby Parker Elevates CX with Digital Technology

Warby Parker innovates with Customer Experience by streamlining the online eyeglass procurement process.

As a consumer, I think about Customer Experience (CX) from a Procurement Chain perspective. For example, my 5-year old nephew is into robots, and I need to find a gift for him; my Procurement Chain includes researching toy options, then suppliers of the selected toy (including price and lead time considerations), purchasing the toy, securing peripherals (e.g. batteries, gift wrap) and wrapping the toy and delivering it to him. A fair amount of logistics and activity is included in that Procurement Chain. When retailers think about impacting their customers’ experience, this is a lens to use – what is the consumer’s process and how can it be made easier and more fun?

Warby Parker continues to innovate in the CX space. They pioneered buying glasses online with free at-home try-ons and now they are disrupting the model again by offering frame recommendations using virtual recognition tools. Warby Parker’s mobile app has a “Find Your Fit” feature that uses face recognition technology on the iPhone X to map a customer’s face and provide personalized recommendations for which frames look best. This feature helps customers feel more confident in their frame selections and helps to expedite the process by reducing the order and return cycles.

Another mobile feature is a Prescription Check app that allows customers to validate and renew their current prescription at home without a trip to the optometrist. The app guides a customer through a sequence of tests on a digital device to assess their vision in the glasses they’re wearing. Test results are reviewed by a doctor and if there is no change, an updated prescription is written and new glasses can be ordered.

Way to go, Warby Parker, for relentless focus on CX and for taking time-consuming steps out of the eyeglass Procurement Chain and making the once-painful process of buying eyeglasses quicker than the wink of an eye.

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