James Dawson is described by his colleagues as a ‘walking encyclopedia’ of knowledge about lenses, frames and fashion.
Indeed, beyond his primary role as a locum dispensing optician in the Midlands, 2015’s Optician Awards Dispensing Optician of the Year has managed to take on a variety of other roles in the profession including as an AOP council member, practice and corporate consultant, educator and marketer of frames.
Dawson started his career as an optical assistant with Dollond and Aitchison before training as a dispensing optician. He went from there into management for independent, multiple and supermarket retail optical stores.
‘My heart was always in dispensing so I decided to go back to my roots and become a locum. This gave me a greater insight into opportunities and allowed me to pass on my knowledge and set up to add consultancy to my CV,’ he says.
On the awards evening itself, all-rounder Dawson was taken aback to finish ahead of formidable competition among his peers.
He tells Optician: ‘To be honest I was amazed and flabbergasted. I had absolutely no idea I would have won this year as my fellow finalists were very strong and I was certain that I knew who the winner would be and it wasn’t me.
‘It sounds cliched but I was very humbled and proud, to know that my love of optics and what I do within the industry is not only valued but judged to be worthy of the award. Even now I still smile to myself when I see my trophy, and I’m thankful to be doing what I enjoy.
‘The evening was great; we almost didn’t make it to the awards due to family illness, so to actually arrive late and then come away with the award was fabulous.’
Just to be nominated was a real boost to Dawson, who is setting out to constantly impress both patients and peers in the workplace.
He adds: ‘It’s sometimes easy to forget what we do for our customers and colleagues and take it for granted without realising that you have made a difference. If they appreciate it enough to nominate you then you are doing something that deserves to be recognised.
‘For me, I think it’s important to assess every customer as a new case or opportunity, not to presume you know everything about them but to interact and build a relationship to allow them to trust you. Listening is crucial, taking tips from what they say and using that as a way to explore further.
‘You need to think out of the box and actually look at the customer, not just to glance at face shape or hair colour but to truly look at them as a whole, assess their posture, their facial symmetry, even how they face you, this may give you clues about why they may have struggled in the past and help you avoid any potential problems.
‘Talk to them with knowledge of their occupation and hobbies and if you don’t know, don’t be afraid to ask.
I like to give each patient a consultation and find out what I really need to know so I can tell them what they need to know.’
Dawson was credited by the Optician Awards judges ‘for championing dispensing and bettering optics as a whole, working across high street and community services, implementing a phenomenal amount of knowledge about frames and dispensing’.
He fought off the opposition in a highly competitive category thanks to specialist knowledge of lenses and sports vision. Dawson even has his own range of designed frames, which can be customised to individual patients and he is known to take referrals from other opticians encountering unusual prescriptions needs.
Meanwhile, being involved in the frame supply side of the industry means Dawson is well-equipped to use his expertise to find the right spectacle solution for each patient.
He adds: ‘I have a very keen interest in fashion and I love it when customers go out chuffed with their new look. As I also run a frame agency I have to value and enjoy that side of the business.’
Dawson’s achievement shows how working across the profession in a variety of roles can produce award-winning results and boost enthusiasm for the core DO tasks.
Furthermore, Dawson offered a ringing endorsement of the event itself, with entries for the Optician Awards 2016 opening soon.
‘The guys from Optician were fantastic. Not only did they excel and provide a great evening, entertainment and meal but they were very kind and helpful and put themselves out to ensure we all had a good time.’
Winner: James Dawson, Serendipity Consulting
Shortlisted
Alistair Barrett, Mondottica, London
Louise Barrington, Barnaby’s Opticians, Bournemouth
Luke Smith, Specsavers Nottingham
Andrew Oliver, Tompkins, Knight and Son Optometrists, Northampton