Independent spirit
Independent retailers able to offer something unique have experienced somewhat of a renaissance in recent years, and the optical sector is no different.
Despite continued competition from multiple chains and supermarkets, independents in the profession are carving out their own niches and often able to adapt their business offering to the local patient demographic.
Young optometrists setting out to join an independent, whether from pre-reg status or later, can expect to learn fast in an ‘all hands on deck’ environment. But what smaller practices might lack in back office support compared to a larger multiple, they usually make up for in personality and bespoke customer services.
Nevertheless, there was a warning at this year’s Optrafair that independents cannot afford to be complacent or arrogant about their niche status. Adopting the latest technology, picking the right frames to stock and providing a comprehensive eye examination all contribute towards the badges of excellence all independent practitioners are striving for in today’s competitive retail landscape.
Jonathan Foreman, a dispensing optician and managing director of independent chain Observatory Wardale Williams, is passionate about breathing new life into the sector.
He says independents must learn from the multiples, where patients may not expect a personal touch, and this presented a key opportunity. ‘I would say that most of our patients value the very personable touch and we have to make sure we don’t lose sight of that. We mustn’t confuse really hard work with excellent customer service,’ says Foreman.
Beyond service, patients continue to be driven by price, which often presents a sticking point for smaller practice chains unable to bulk order spectacle frames, lenses and contact lenses. For this reason, independent practitioners need to be able to demonstrate a level of expertise that even the most frugal of patients are happy to pay a premium for.
Foreman adds: ‘This is a very competitive price-led and consumer orientated nation. Look at the recent refund law, this is simply not available to consumers in many other advanced economies.
‘That should be a good law for us independents though. We also have a clearly organised hierarchy for maintaining and raising the standard of optometry which sets the bar high, again this isn’t as clear cut in other jurisdictions.
‘These are challenges, of course, but are great for those that can meet and exceed them. I buy in expertise and that helps, the multiples have this expertise in-house of course, so you need to be a certain size independent to thrive I believe as you need the resources that enable growth in all areas.’
Foreman runs eight practices in Suffolk and Essex including the Optician Award winning Observatory in Beccles. One of the company’s optometrists, Will Norman, tells Optician that the independent setting is more varied and enjoyable, having also worked in a multiple setting where he was left to feel like a ‘testing machine’.
Norman says: ‘I also feel like I have more professional freedom, I can choose and stock the products I like and am actively encouraged to further my training to offer additional specialist services.’
‘I am much more involved in the decision making and am encouraged to take ownership of the practice which gives me an opportunity to put my own stamp on things. I know the owner is always on the end of a phone if I need him work related or otherwise. In 10 years of working for multiples I never once met or even spoke to the MD.’
Moreover, enhanced services are growing in importance as the optical sector looks to take the strain from pressurised NHS services. Norman welcomes the development of these schemes and believes they represent a chance for independent practices to further differentiate themselves.
He adds: ‘I think this is an exciting time for optometry as we see a big increase in shared care/referral refinement schemes. As independents this is something we should embrace as it gives us a chance to showcase our skills to a wider audience.
‘It is also great to offer other areas of specialities whether they be optometry led such as colorimetry or dry eye clinics or dispenser led such as bespoke varifocals or frame advice. Getting involved in the local community is also important it is a good way of getting your practice name out there.’
He would not hesitate in recommending a career in the independent sector for budding professionals but has also gained from working in different environments.
‘Although I cannot fault the training and support that I had working in a multiple when I was newly qualified, I found after a while my role in the practice became very monotonous and there was an increasing emphasis on sales,’ he says.
Therefore, those eye care professionals looking to work in independent practices must marry up sound clinical excellence with the ability to communicate well with patients – making them excited about visiting the optometrist. For those who can deliver this, a fulfilling independent workplace awaits and in some instances without as much time pressure.
Finally, it is well worth weighing up the success and future potential of any small chain before applying for new opportunities. Does the business model suit your skills, and if not can you adapt? There is the opportunity to climb up the career ladder quickly at an independent for those happy to accept more responsibility and think strategically.
Foreman adds: ‘I have differentiated from other independents by doing what the multiples do well. I want to merge the best of both, there are a lot of skilled and talented people in multiples, but perhaps multiples have lost sight a little of why we wanted to be opticians in the first place.
‘I believe the only way to differentiate is to demonstrably be an expert in optometry, lenses, frames, fashion, communications, customer service and marketing. There are many independents doing this, and they are quietly being very busy and successful.’
Multiple mindset
Continued consolidation in the optical sector has resulted in a distinct big three in standalone optics, often referred to as the multiples and consisting of Specsavers, Vision Express and Boots Opticians.
The largest of these high street goliaths, Specsavers, has expanded dramatically since being founded by husband and wife Doug and Mary Perkins in 1984. It now has around 2,000 practices across the globe and employs around 3,500 optometrists and dispensing opticians.
While Specsavers’ growth has been primarily organic through new franchise partners, Vision Express has expanded its reach through acquisitions of independent chains Conlons and Rayners Opticians in recent years, and Boots took over several hundred new practices through the buyout of Dollond & Aitchison six years ago.
Some of the main advantages for young optometrists and dispensing opticians starting their career with a multiple include back office support, a ready-made marketing machine, training programmes, salary and the chance to become a franchisee.
Nina Hodgkiss, senior optometrist at Specsavers Darlington, tells Optician Workplace that variety is what she enjoys most about her role.
‘I still very much enjoy examining patients, many of whom I have seen on a number of previous occasions,’ she adds.
‘Specsavers stores are busy, there’s no doubt about that but it creates a real buzz that the whole team feed off. We have lots of consulting rooms and lots of support staff so we can be busy without service levels dropping. The staff love being busy, providing high levels of care is very rewarding and it makes the day pass very quickly.’
In her senior optometrist role, Hodgkiss is also involved in pre-reg supervision, training and appraising her professional team, together with monitoring NHS compliance and delivering enhanced optical services such as minor eye conditions service schemes.
‘No two days are the same and it’s certainly never boring,’ she says, adding that Specsavers Darlington has an enormous number of patients who return year in, year out and will ask to see the optometrist who carried out the previous eye examination.
‘We have a large team of optoms in this store as well as a large number of DOs on the shop floor so we can offer the highest levels of clinical care. When combined with the value for money we offer it’s a pretty compelling proposition for patients.’
She would ‘absolutely recommend’ working for a larger chain to a newly qualified optometrist or dispensing optician, saying: ‘Even after passing their final exams, the newly qualified love being able to knock on the doors of their more experienced colleagues and pick their brains. We are also able to run regular peer discussion sessions in-store as a team which are provided by our professional training department. I think that, as healthcare professionals, we are all aware of the risks of working in clinical isolation. That’s never a concern in a large chain.’
Once fully qualified, becoming a franchisee is another potential route for workers at the multiple – and perhaps without the hassle of going completely independent.
‘Specsavers is not a traditional franchise, but is a joint venture partnership. I’m not a partner myself but I can see that my directors are able to concentrate on the day to day running of the business and looking after their customers. I imagine that in a non-franchised business the owners must have to devote much of their time to issues such as marketing, dealing with landlords, legal issues. My directors are lucky in that they receive a great deal of assistance in these areas from the support offices.’
Meanwhile, there are different promotion prospects and career paths without taking a direct stake in the practice.
‘I’m a good example,’ continues Hodgkiss. ‘I started 17 years ago on the shop floor while studying optometry. Since then I have risen to senior optometrist in charge of a large team of optoms. I supervise pre regs, carry out enhanced services and plan to start my independent prescribing qualification next year. I have considered going on Pathway, Specsavers’ in-house director development programme but I’ve got three young kids so I’m just too busy at the moment. Friends of mine have completed director training and are now running their own Specsavers’ stores.’
Over the years, Specsavers has also demonstrated its commitment to students with short term work placements in addition to pre-reg opportunities. A total of 550 optometry students completed month-long summer placements ahead of their final year of university studies, and 400 recent graduates commencing pre-reg positions at Specsavers practices from September.
Specsavers’ head of graduate recruitment and development Louise Iredale says: ‘It’s been a pleasure to welcome all our students to the Specsavers family and very much hope they enjoy their time with us. These are the next generation of optometrists and we are committed to investing in their future with these great opportunities.’
Each summer placement includes a programme of work experience including six modules covering practice areas such as paediatric optometry, contact lenses and pre-screening ophthalmology, the company pledges.
The students gain experience of shadowing eye examinations, carrying out dispensing tasks, using the firm’s tablet-based dispensing technology, spending time in the lab and seeing the retail side of the business.
She says: ‘Our work placements offer a very rounded experience of life in an opticians. They are very store focused, but also clinically focused and will have really enhanced their practical skills ahead of their final year.’
Meanwhile, the multiple’s pre-registration optometrists all take on two-year contracts in a bid to drive loyalty among new starters.
‘We are confident that all our pre-regs will wish to stay with us beyond that and develop promising careers at Specsavers,’ she adds. ‘Likewise, we very much hope to see many of those on summer placements come back to us as graduates seeking pre-reg positions next summer.’
In many parts of the country, young talent is being brought into practice before the university years begin. For example, Specsavers St Austell, Cornwall has brought four members of staff through from Saturday staff into full time optometry.
It recruited four A-level students with high grade predictions in science from local colleges, before supporting them through university and the ophthalmic pre-registration scheme. The store wants to continue this search for local talent by calling on students in the area to consider training to become optometrists, which is a career in high demand for rural South West communities.
St Austell-born store director Eric Barkhuysen says: ‘A business is only as good as its people and at Specsavers we pride ourselves in recruiting the best talent out there. As a store, we have a history of providing young students from local schools a chance to develop a career in optics.’
Meanwhile, Specsavers figures show that as a qualified optometrist there is potential to earn more money working in Cornwall than in capital city London.
One of the optometrists having benefitted from the support, Lizzy Osborne, adds: ‘I started working as a Saturday girl at Specsavers St Austell and the store director, Eric offered me the chance to train as an optometrist.
‘I was very grateful for the opportunity to study and put in a lot of hours to achieve my goal of becoming an optometrist. It was a fantastic feeling to finally graduate.’
Supermarket setting
Two supermarket chains were positioned within Optician’s Top 10 Optical Chains this year, as Tesco and Asda Opticians demonstrated how convenience, longer opening hours and customer loyalty plays a big part in winning over patients.
Tesco had reportedly grown to reach 1,410 employees at 205 practices, while Asda Opticians had 1,701 employees at its 145 practices. Each thrives on high shopper footfall and the ability to be strong on price.
Tesco Opticians launched in the late 1990s through a tie-up with Cheshire-based Galaxy Optical Services, which manufactures and distributes prescription glasses, while Asda Opticians is owned by US retail giant Walmart.
Embarking on an optical career within the wider supermarket setting does not come without its demands, but those looking to roll their sleeves up and see patients regularly will thrive.
Indeed, Meena Ralhan, optical compliance manager at Tesco Opticians, argues that supermarkets offer the most unique working environment that exists in optics.
She says: ‘You’ll never be short of patients to see and there’s a great variety of customers. Also you don’t have to wait two years to see your patients again, they’re in store every week so you can really get to know them. Supermarkets are a great community to work in and you are valued as a professional in that group. There is also great flexibility in working hours, and ensures you can achieve a healthy work life balance.’
Ralhan says Tesco is the place to be for ECPs with ‘the desire to get on or do something different’. Roles there include lead optometrist, head office team, pre-registration supervisor, pre-registration manager and expert trainers. Staff were also able to move out of optics and into general management should they chose to take on something different.
‘Our stores are no busier than any popular high street optician,’ she adds. ‘Test days are similar although in Tesco there is an added benefit of 20 minute aftercares which is helpful as you don’t worry about running behind. Colleagues are fully trained to manage diaries and managers and optometrists work closely together to ensure patients are given the desired time for the type of appointment they’re having.’
At Tesco, individual colleagues engaged with the wider store team to promote the opticians department within the store and community. This particularly applied to working with pharmacy staff, who were on hand to support in the majority of stores where eye care staff can cross-recommend products and services such as eye drops, blood pressure and cholesterol checking.
Every appointment at Tesco is a minimum 20 minutes, she adds, and for those that are elderly or have special requirements, longer can be given. Pre-tests are completed before the test so the patient experience might last up to 40 minutes, with 20 minutes or more with an optometrist.
It seems optical staff at both multiples and supermarkets are guaranteed a busy time, while many independents and also filled to capacity in local community. Only by spending time working at each type of practice can eye care professionals conclude which setting suits their skill and personality best.
Therefore, whether this criteria includes levels of independence, clinical responsibilities, remuneration or training and support, approaching a new workplace and patients with an open mind will help create the ideal home.