What are your responsibilities and what engages you most in your role at Eyesite?
Sophie Johnson Training of staff really engages me. It’s humbling and exciting watching new team members develop from trainees to more senior positions in the practice. I really enjoy visual merchandising, which is a big part of what I do. One of my other key responsibilities is buying for the branch. To do this successfully I have to predict eyewear trend patterns each season. I also head the sales team.
How did you get to your current role in practice?
SJ We are a family business so I started doing office work at age 15 on a Saturday morning. I then became a lab assistant and worked on the shop floor through college and university. Upon graduating I took a full-time position and went back to university to do the dispensing course on day release. I then worked up to a managerial role, which I have been doing for five years.
Why did you choose to establish your career in Beverley?
SJ Beverley is a bustling and picturesque market town. It’s exciting to be involved in a fashion-led practice in a vibrant area. I was thrilled with the opportunity to develop and build on what has already been established here. As part of our business development process we have recently moved the practice and are now in a much more prominent area of town. I love the work ethos and values of our team. Each member of staff possesses different strengths which, when combined, compliment each other.
Do you think dispensing is a good career path for young people?
SJ It’s a challenging career with room for progression. I like the mix of fashion retail with optics as the technical elements keep the job interesting. You constantly learn as new technologies evolve and brands bring out new designs.
As an experienced DO, how have trends changed?
SJ It’s interesting to see how trends have changed from clients wanting a much more narrow and discreet frame to a much bolder style. People always wanted something you could hardly see but now take more risks with so much colour and choice available. Anything goes at the moment in terms of shape – cat eye, round, chunky, square – so it’s great to see people really show off their personalities through their eyewear.
The Eyesite branch in Beverley
What do you think makes a frame a ‘must order’?
SJ We have to be responsive to the market along with paying attention to the needs of our customer base, and most importantly strike a balance between the two. The fit of a frame is so important as we want clients to feel great and have comfort in what they are wearing.
What key things make your first suggestion of a frame stick for a new frame buyer?
SJ In my opinion it doesn’t necessarily have to be the ‘first’ frame. The process of picking frames can take time, with the client trying different styles before getting a feel for what they want. It is important to offer expert opinion as this creates confidence for the buyer. The key result from my perspective is that it fits well and the customer feels great wearing them.
Have you been involved in product promotions and marketing?
SJ Yes, I really enjoy the creative side. With the rise in popularity of social media it’s essential to constantly keep engaged with your followers. Through keeping up-to-date on the website through blogs, posting exciting pictures on Instagram, and engaging customers on Facebook and Twitter – the possibilities are endless. Celebrities are constantly in the spotlight creating hype with their pictures wearing eyewear they endorse, so we need to let people know we are up to date with trends and have products in store ready to supply.
What do you think of the range of CL products on the market?
SJ There are so many options out there. It’s about asking the right questions and finding the best solution to fit our clients’ lifestyles. For example, with children it’s important to judge whether they can deal with the responsibility of contact lenses at this younger age. I would say 10 years or more is appropriate. This can be achieved through talking to their parents, but it is essential that you engage with the child directly. If you treat them like a grown up they are more likely to take responsibility for themselves. On the other side the older generation may need the option of multifocal or monovision lenses. This is more than likely a compromise as the vision may not be as clear as a pair of glasses. Offering advice and expert opinion at all stages is essential for delivering the right solutions for customer needs.
In future how do you see your role in the practice changing with refraction tools becoming portable?
SJ I think the change is positive and I see it already happening. It’s great to be able to bring an iPad to your customer and show them how their varifocal design looks for example, or what different colours a frame comes in. Dispensing is becoming much more advanced. We have a portable measuring device which takes more in-depth measurements, this creates more of a bespoke, tailored dispense. This can only develop further as technologies improve.
From a clinical perspective I think DOs have enough responsibility. Working in a busy practice there are so many aspects to the job and it’s important we concentrate on what they are and follow them through well. It’s vital to have someone on the shop floor with that in-depth knowledge and experience and that works great alongside a strong optical team and optometrist. However, as a manager and DO in terms of responsibility I find the two roles tie in well together.
