KILIÇ OPTİK
Trust and Quality Service
This year at Silmo Istanbul, we had the opportunity to visit the stands of boutique brands. We made agreements with new brands and incorporated them into our organization.
Hello Mr. Zeki Kılıç. First of all, let’s get to know you a little and talk about your story of entering the sector…
Hello… I am Zeki Kılıç, born in Sivas in 1955, married and father of three children. After graduating from Istanbul University Faculty of Literature, I received an optician’s diploma with the course opened by the Ministry of Health. In addition to my father’s profession of jewelery, I entered the optical sector by opening my store named Kılıç Optik in 1980.
Could you tell us about the establishment phase of Kılıç Optik? We know that you are a 42-year-old well-established store. How many generations have you been serving the sector?
We opened Kılıç Optik in 1980 and our establishment has always stood out with innovations. In 1982, our understanding of service and quality, which started by bringing one of the 10 stenciled Weco automatic machines coming to Turkey to Sivas, continues with the first stencil-free machine, the first machine with a drill, and most recently in 2022 with Essilor Mr. Blue Sport Edition, while our leadership in imaging and focusing devices, which started with Fotocentron, continues with Armani-T, Imotion Center and finally with Hoya Visureal Master, one of only two devices that entered Turkey in 2022. We serve with an understanding that prioritizes quality and innovation in frames and glass in the same way. As the first generation, our Sivas store continues with two branches, while as the second generation, my younger son has been serving the sector with Selçuk Optik, which we established in Balıkesir, Bandırma since 1993.
Do you stock products from every group in your store?
In order to provide better service to our customers and to meet more than the expected demand, we take care to have products from every group in our store. In order to offer sun and optical products suitable for all ages and tastes from seven to seventy, we are expanding our product range with original models and brands that are renewed every day.
There are many important optical stores in Sivas. Does this situation create competition? What measures do you take?
On the contrary, the presence of other optical stores allows us to better demonstrate our quality and difference. We do not find competition very ethical. We reached our forty-second year in the profession not by competing but by the mutual trust and quality service we provide to our customers. Unfortunately, companies that compromise honesty and quality for the sake of competition are damaging our sector day by day. This situation causes our sector to lose the prestige it deserves.
What are the most sold optical and sunglasses brands in your store?
We carry many brands in order to offer the right product to our customers. Burberry, Guess, Flair, Tom Ford, Lacoste, Alexander Wintsch, Motivum, Silhouette… For sunglasses, Prada, Oliver Peoples, Miu Miu, Persol, Versace, Franco Vital, 40 Million, Ermenegildo Zegna, Swarovski are among the most demanded brands that are liked by our customers.
Designer brands are very popular in recent years. Do you also receive requests from your customers in this direction?
We are constantly following designer brands closely. Since eyewear is in demand as an accessory as well as a necessity, in order to offer both together, we include the products of boutique brands that offer more original models in our store as well as worldwide designer brands that have proven themselves with their quality and design.
What are your after sales services?
As Kılıç Optik family, we aim for excellence in after-sales services. In accordance with our mission, we are always working to be indispensable for our customers with our after-sales services.
Street stores or being located in a shopping mall? What is your preference and what are the reasons?
We can better observe the diversity and intensity of our customer portfolio in high street stores. In this respect, we think that street stores have a more genuine potential. Being in a location that is easily accessible by our customers has always been our priority.
As someone who serves in the sector, what do you think about the rate and awareness of eyeglass use in our country? What can be done to increase the use of eyeglasses and who has a role to play?
The culture of using eyeglasses in our country has just started to settle. While more qualified glasses are used more widely and consciously in Europe, this situation is a little different in our country. Considering that one in every three children has a visual defect, we think that eye examinations should be performed at an early age and at more frequent intervals. Parents should be more conscious about this issue. Explaining to our customers the importance of eye health and the problems and diseases that may occur in their eyes if they do not use them in detail and informing them about the quality of glasses and lenses they should use depending on the condition of their eyes will encourage them to use glasses. This task falls to our doctors and us, the optical establishments, before anyone else.
Is the sales and training information provided within the sector sufficient? Do you organize training programs for your store employees?
It cannot be said that it is sufficient. Theoretically, we think that we are lacking in today’s developing technology. We support our employees to participate in online training programs and improve themselves.
Do you follow international optical fairs and sectoral developments abroad?
We closely follow international optical fairs and developments on the internet and social media. Because we think that fairs are of great importance for us to observe brands, collections, products, latest technologies and the latest trends.
What are your opinions and evaluations about Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair held between November 17-20, 2022?
It was a very enjoyable fair. As Kılıç Optik, we participated in Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair. It was a full fair for us. Since we have many world brands in our store, we had the opportunity to visit the stands of boutique brands with much different designs and lines. We made agreements with new brands and incorporated them to our organization. In 2023, we heard that the exhibition area will be built in a bigger area, and we think this is a very right decision. Since there is a lot of interest in Silmo Istanbul, we are glad to hear that the area will be expanded. We think the fair will get better and better in the coming years and we look forward to discovering new models and brands.
What are your views on 4 your eyes, which started to be published digitally as 2023?
We have been following your magazine with interest for years and find it very successful. Thanks to you, we have the opportunity to discover the developments in the sector, eyewear fashion and trends soon. We think it is absolutely the right decision to go digital. Publishing your magazine in digital media will make it more accessible in today’s world. The service you provide to our sector is really valuable. As Kılıç Optik, we thank 4 your eyes family and wish you continued success.
April 2023