What you need to know about being an Optometrist Store Manager
Becoming
an Optometrist Store Manager is always a great step forward and a major
milestone. It’s your chance to put your stamp on the store and create an
environment where your team can thrive and win together. We care about our
colleagues and customers, so we want our Optometrist Store Managers to have all
the tools they need to be successful. But wherever your talents lie, we pave
the way for
exceptional opportunities.
You’ll
be able to pursue your vision, bring our
brand to life and help make your Vision Express store the best that it can be.
The role also means allowing your colleagues to have their say on how to make
customers feel as welcome as possible.
If
you’re keen to learn about what it’s like to work as an Optometrist Store
Manager, then you’re in luck because we’ve spoken to one of our colleagues, Hasnain.
He shared his story and experiences of life as an Optometrist Store Manager at
Vision Express.
Training comes first
We
always value training and getting as much experience as you can. It’s the best
way to help you learn the trade and build your confidence before taking the
leap into one of our stores. Firstly, Hasnain explained how he came to work for
Vision Express:
“I
started in my store in February, so very recently. Before that, I was training
for two months in another store in Chisholm. I have managed teams before, as an optical manager, so I know what it takes
to be a good leader.
But
that was mainly Optom teams which is a bit different in an OSM role because
you’re dealing with the retail side of things in this role as well. It’s not a
completely different ball game – however, it’s very different to what I was
used to but the skills are transferable.”
Life as an Optometrist Store Manager
As
an Optometrist Store Manager, you’ll need lots of energy, great ideas and the
ability to solve problems. It’s a varied role and there are different
challenges depending on the store, but it can be a great experience for the
right person.
“First
off, it's a small store, so I've got three members of staff and we're still
recruiting. My first patient starts at 9:00, so I’m testing straightaway. But,
in between patients there are always things to do. For example, making sure
that the appointments for the next day are being called, and catching up on
your emails from the regional manager and your team.”
“Doing
all of that in-between get very busy, so I've set aside some admin time of two
half-days a week. That gives me enough time to just take a step back and look
at what needs to be done in-store and focus on that.”
“I'm
new to Vision Express, so I’ve had to learn all the processes and the
operational stuff as I go along. So, if you have staff that already know how to
do that and just need your guidance in what to do, it makes it really helpful.”
How do Optometrist Store Managers differ from traditional Optometrist roles?
Optometrist
Store Manager jobs do differ from the traditional Optometrist role. You’ll be
far more concerned with the bigger picture and what’s happening around the
store. So, rather than just being in control of the test room, you will be
running the whole store and making sure our colleagues are striving to deliver
the best customer experience.
“It’s
basically like running your own practice. You have that freedom. You can change
things around how you want to, but the support is always there.”
“You
look at the store as a whole. You manage its finances, you look at your KPIs
every day see where you can improve as a store. As an Optometrist, you’re just
testing and you’re in control of just the test room, but as an Optometrist
Store Manager you’re in control of the whole place. Anything that goes on out
there, even though I’m in here [the test room], I’m still responsible, so I
just make sure that I’m on top of it every single day.”
“One
thing I've really liked about Vision Express as an Optometrist Store Manager is
the support you get from the Central Operations team. You send an email to
anyone and it gets actioned straight away.
“The
support you get to run the store itself is really good. You shadow another
manager for two months and that gives you a real insight into what it's like
and you learn a lot of the processes as well. I've never seen a company pay
someone their full wage whilst shadowing someone for two months. I can see
people doing that for a couple of weeks, but I was really surprised by that,
actually. That was really good.”
What skills do you need?
“The
main thing is interpersonal skills with your staff. As a new manager, you need
to understand them. You need to know how to relate to people and communicate
with people who have different personalities.
“You
need to respect your existing team, and not make too many changes straight away.
Just assess things and observe things, see how they work. Then slowly, slowly
make changes like we've done here, keeping the staff involved with it.”
Overall,
you’ll gain a breadth of knowledge as an Optometrist Store Manager and be able
to build yourself up as a leader. You’ll get the chance to build relationships
with various people, mentor your colleagues and continue to move your store in
a positive direction.
Are you looking for a new role as an Optometrist Store Manager?
We’re
committed to helping you thrive in your role as an Optometrist Store Manager.
Our team cares about your career and we want to help you move forward and
create joy through your work. If you’re interested in finding out more about
becoming an Optometrist Store Manager, apply to one of our jobs and get in
touch with our friendly team for further information.
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Share in our stories
Everyone has an important part to play in our continuing success – whatever their role, their experience or their area of expertise. We’ve chosen some colleagues to give you a brief insight into what life’s like at Vision Express.
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