Kriscel Lee on opening her store in Cairns Earlville

Kriscel Lee has always been passionate about supporting people with their hearing needs.

“Helping people improve their hearing and learning about and watching the introduction in new technologies to help improve people’s hearing – as well as the science involved with it – has always been fascinating to me,” she says.  

Born and raised in the Philippines, Kriscel studied for a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy at the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, before undertaking her master’s in Clinical Audiology.

“My initial plan was to follow the footsteps of my father and become a doctor, however, I participated in a session at university around audiology and I remembered my father, an ENT specialist, had mentioned this field to me years before and it really intrigued me. When I started working as an audiologist, I knew I had found my passion, and 11 years later I am still doing what I love!” 

Kriscel says while her passion for the clinical side has never wavered, she quickly began to notice the industry was changing.  

“I love being an audiologist but over the years it felt like the hearing industry was becoming less focused on the customer and more focused on KPIs. I wanted to be able to have that clinical autonomy, to do what’s right by my customer and provide affordable hearing aids to customers without compromising the quality,” she says.  

It was this realisation that led her to Specsavers and started her on the pathway to partnership.  

“I knew that Specsavers offers more competitive prices on hearing aids. It also prides itself on a customer-centered focus, no KPIs, and being able to have more flexibility with work, providing better work–life balance for partners,” she says.  

“As I learned more about the business and started my training, I knew immediately that I had made the right decision in joining the Specsavers team. As I was learning more about the business model, the clinical pathway, I felt that this was where I should be. I knew that I could provide better service for my customers here.” 

Kriscel, who has opened her store in Cairns Earlville, says the location brings together everything she could have wanted.  

“It has the benefits of being located inside a shopping centre (Stockland), which provides great marketing advantages as well as ease of access. The beauty of Cairns is that it is basically a tropical getaway where the rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef. With so many options on my days off, it feels like work is the last thing on my mind. On the days that I do go to work, the staff and team are all welcoming and supportive of one another. Their professional and friendly attitude not only provides a comforting environment for customers but also helps their fellow staff to have a great day. I am proud to be part of the Earlville team,” she says.  

“The Specsavers approach works because it is already an established company and so everyone is familiar with the brand.  It has a large database which means it already has existing optical customers coming into the store, who are potential customers for hearing, which means I am really set up for success and plenty of opportunities to grow my clientele.” 

She says the “highlight” of becoming a Specsavers partner is being able to support her customers, no matter what their budget. 

“When customers come in, it’s usually because they have heard about our hearing services, exceptional customer care, and learning that we have affordable prices for hearing devices. I appreciate it when customers have a positive experience in the store that they tell their family and friends about their journey with us, it makes me feel like we’re making a real difference in the community.” 

And her advice for other audiology professionals? 

If you are looking for professional growth, genuine customer-focused service without the pressure of KPIs, not to mention be able to provide customers with an affordable price without compromising on its quality, then you should look into Specsavers and what it can offer.”