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1951

COMPANY PROFILE

[ 1979-80 Representative at work ]
[ Silhouette Style number 2, 1964 ]

[ Team - National meeting 2013 ]

Paul Ponton, a sales rep at COS for INTERGENERATIONAL KNOW-HOW In 2016, Robert also embraced
40 years recalls, “He’d ask us how we COS’s reputation was built on product e-commerce. Today, customers
could improve certain situations or quality, after-sales service and can place an order in 16 seconds.
our sales. He never reprimanded us. customer care. The current CEO, Sales reps can manage and create
His comments were always positive. Robert Hochstadter, and his son a “favourites” Web tool to see their
He was highly disciplined, a Amir, Vice-President, both learned customers’ preferences and discuss
distinguished man with a lot of the ropes at COS by working in them. The app ‘’mobile rep assistant’’
empathy. He understood the work almost all aspects of sales, shipping, allows them to place orders,
of a travelling sales rep. He was purchasing and customer service manage inventory and establish a
really detail-oriented. To promote when they started out. They both profile for each customer. Judith
Silhouette, Mr. Hochstadter focused understand the ins and outs of the and Fred’s grandson, Amir, looks
on the quality of the product, family business. after purchasing and sales and
comfort for the person wearing works with the rep team.
them and the new trend of eyeglasses In the 1980s, Robert introduced A noteworthy fact: COS employees
as a fashion accessory. Silhouette information technology to the are so content working for the
created the concept of esthetics and company. “Service never fell behind. company that several have broken
fashion with their evocative slogan, My mother had so many good records in terms of years of service!
billing and customer service
‘Enjoy Wearing Glasses.’” procedures, so IT was easy to Yann Leduc, a sales rep for 23 years,
Silhouette was COS’s flagship introduce. The same applied to the succeeded his father who was also
product, but the Hochstadter management of customer relations a representative. “You get a good
family’s company never stopped that my father adopted way before feeling in this company because of its
offering other brand-named frames it existed in business administration human dimension. Robert and Amir
to satisfy its vast Canadian market schools,” said Robert, who studied Hochstadter are always available
of over 2,000 customers in the early economics and administrative to talk. Amir is so enthusiastic and
1970s. Robert Hochstadter said, sciences. During the 1990s, with the doesn’t hesitate to congratulate us
“Over time, we imported other huge success of Silhouette’s pierced when we make a sale. It’s a very
brands like INFACE and NIFTIES lenses, Robert opened the COS Lab stimulating environment.”
and designed models for our to ensure the highest quality in the It took many years to build COS’s
inhouse brands like Fitson and mounting of Silhouette’s pierced reputation and the company plans
Code to tap into the trends that the lenses and curved lenses for Adidas to hold on to it. As for the future,
Silhouette brand didn’t touch.” sports eyeglasses. well, it looks extremely promising! E

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