This Georgia Practice Has Made a Name for Itself Thanks to Careful Attention to the Patient Experience

First Class Eye Care, Duluth, GA

OWNERS: Drs. Christina Phan and Adam Young; URL: firstclasseyecare.com; FACEBOOK: facebook.com/firstclasseyecare; INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/firstclasseyecare; TWITTER: twitter.com/firstclasseye; FOUNDED: 2020; Opened featured location: 2021; AREA: 2,600 sq. ft.; Buildout cost: $60,000; ARCHITECT AND DESIGN FIRMS: Kristy Chanel Interiors; TOP BRANDS: Etnia Barcelona, Talla, Moscot, Ørgreen, Vuarnet; EMPLOYEES: 2

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FOR HUSBAND-AND-WIFE duo Drs. Adam Young and Christina Phan, the past two years have been a busy, challenging and rewarding blur of personal and professional milestones, with the opening — in peak pandemic conditions — of First Class Eye Care in northeast Atlanta in December 2020 and their wedding in August the following year … just three days after moving into their new home.

The two met in optometry school in the mid-2010s and became a couple after graduation. Prior to opening First Class Eye Care, Young worked in a corporate setting and Phan spent five-plus years at an ophthalmology practice in Northern Virginia. “We both learned a lot from those experiences and built some great relationships along the way, and it helped us formulate a vision of what patient care should be,” shares Young.

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A proudly minority-owned private practice, First Class Eye Care opened its doors with a mission to provide exactly that — first class service — to the local community in Gwinnett County, the most diverse county in the Southeastern U.S., and routinely ranked in the top five or 10 in the country. “One of our goals was to settle in an area where patients could have doctors who look like them,” says Young. “We believe it’s important to earn the full trust of our patients, and sometimes that can mean connecting through language. Dr. Phan speaks Vietnamese, and our staff consists of members who speak Spanish and Farsi.”

First Class Eye Care’s bright, modern and inviting optical space routinely draws compliments from patients, with wood shelving hanging from floor-to-ceiling ropes and a “green” wall complete with water fountain flanked by photos of the doctors. The sound of the water also contributes to a warm, soothing environment.

Young asserts that “the customer experience is everything” at First Class Eye Care, quickly backing up the claim with an impressive list of next-level personal touches, from answering the phone with “Thank you for calling First Class Eye Care, this is Dr. Young, how can I help you and your eyes today?” as well as live online scheduling and patient intake forms using a tablet, to sending handwritten thank you letters signed by the entire team, not to mention customized boxes for shipping patients’ glasses and contact lenses. In the exam lane, the emphasis is on state-of-the-art equipment and improving overall health through education, prevention and early detection.

The careful attention to detail extends to First Class Eye Care’s carefully curated selection of 100% independent frames sourced from near and far. Lines from France, Spain, Africa, Japan, Italy and Denmark sit alongside one created by a colleague based in Atlanta. “Supporting independents is what we stand on,” says Young. Their top line at the moment is Etnia Barcelona — “shout out to our amazing rep Shamar Collier” — with Ørgreen and Blac also becoming patient favorites. “We have also added a new sunglass line called Anwuli Eyewear that we really love.”  Shamir lens products are a stalwart, with Autograph Intelligence the practice’s go-to progressive. “Patients have a great experience with the customization of the lens design,” says Young. “For contact lenses, our best relationship is with CooperVision; we love the MyDay family and appreciate the support from our local rep, Richard Baker. No one comes close to how supportive they have been to us.”

Online, First Class strives to avoid the “cookie-cutter” feel, sharing news about the office in creative ways such as customized videos using a variety of different music to spotlight particular frames, and promoting the doctors with “personal quotes” to help build connections with potential new followers. “We promote life moments of our staff such as weddings. Our approach is not to spam and blast our followers’ timelines, but to have posts that are impactful and memorable,” says Young, who handles the social media himself, always bouncing ideas off Phan.

As owners they foster a friendly team environment where learning and serving others is fun, respectful and family-like. To this end, they support staff by paying them appropriately “because without them we would not be able to build trusting relationships within our community” and encouraging further pursuit of credentials such as COT, ABO, NCLE, LDO, and reimbursing them when they pass their testing. “We have had holiday dinners together, and we always celebrate their wins such as being mentioned in Google reviews, their birthdays, and anniversary work dates.”

As a newer business, First Class Eye Care is focused on working hard to build long-lasting relationships, Young says. “We look forward to more opportunities to put our stamp on being a major pillar in the community, but also in the optical world as well.”

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Five Cool Things About First Class Eye Care

1. SWEET SPOT. Patients are offered drinks and snacks: Pepperidge Farm Chessmen Butter Cookies are a particular fave.

2. CLASSY TOUCH. Eyewear is dispensed on custom wooden trays engraved with the office’s name.

3. ART HOUSE. The office is filled with artwork blending diversity and eyewear. Every portrait has a unique image/display showing someone from a diverse background wearing eyewear.

4. PARTING GOODIES. Patients leave with a gift bag filled with lens cloths, lens spray, and Ferrero Rocher chocolate.

5. GIVING BACK. In cooperation with non-profit Boy With a Ball, First Class provides free comprehensive exams and glasses to underprivileged people, many of whom have never had an exam before.

PHOTO GALLERY (20 IMAGES)

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