There are lots of aspects to your role
Yes, there are! I’m a full time resident Optometrist at our St Albans store, Hertfordshire. Alongside this, I’m a Regional Optical Lead which means I work closely with our regional manager to ensure the customer journey in stores is flowing correctly. I’m able to support with developments from a clinical perspective and make sure stores in our region are performing the best they can. I’m also a Professional Development Tutor for pre-registration trainees from the University of Hertfordshire, and I support the Public Relations Team to help raise awareness of eye health.
What do you like the most about working at Vision Express?
I really like helping and supporting people where I can. Whether that’s through customer interaction and solving problems that could concern someone’s eye health or supporting pre-reg trainees on their Vision Express journey.
The culture of the company is so nice, whether I visit our support office in Nottingham or I’m working in store, it’s always felt like one big family to me. We hire people based on the Vision Express behaviours, (passion, welcoming and seamless teamwork) and it really shows.
What one piece of advice do you always give to pre-registration trainees?
The person sitting in front of you is the most important person at that time, you should do the best eye test you possibly can, every time. We all have bad days and we shouldn’t ignore that, but our customer doesn’t know that, and we should provide a service that is individual to them. I treat customers as I would my family. If my mum visited a Vision Express store, I would expect her to be treated with care and as an individual.
How do you think Vision Express has evolved while you have worked here?
Over the decade, our focus has certainly grown around our customer journey. We now offer free Retinal Photography as part of our eye tests and our mission is more than just selling glasses. We genuinely care about eye health and providing a great service to customers, and I’ve seen that commitment develop over the years, especially with campaigns like Eye Tests Save Lives. We regularly highlight customer stories where routine eye tests have resulted in the diagnosis of serious health conditions, including brain tumours. As an organisation, Vision Express has shown me how important my role is in the customer journey.
How did you plan your career progression with Vision Express?
I actually didn’t plan anything! Over time everything just fell into place. I suppose I was always open to trying new things and supporting where needed, even if it was a challenge at first, like supporting PR and speaking on camera! Nothing ever grows in a comfort zone and I’ve had great support along the way.
How do you keep a work life balance?
I don’t check work emails after 7pm, which can sometimes be a challenge! I generally keep very busy outside of work though, so it ensures I get to switch off from it all. One of my biggest passions is training in Taekwondo (I’m going for my black belt soon!)