A peek inside... Eyesite Opticians & Hearing Care Reading

From practice manager at Reading, to operations and marketing for the group, there is not much in the practice that does not benefit from Hallett’s attention to detail.

Hallett spoke to OT about her journey in optics and the day-to-day of the practice.

What is your role?

Reading practice manager and group operations and marketing.

What do you recall from your first week in practice?

I had worked at Specsavers when I was 15 while I was doing my GCSEs. They asked if I wanted to do the dispensing optician course, but I wanted to do my A Levels – once I had finished, they offered me the course again. I did the first year of my dispensing optician (DO) course with Specsavers.

At the time, Eyesite was ‘the’ place to work in Reading. Everybody who was in optics wanted to work for Eyesite. It was, and still is, a really forward-thinking independent with a high value on customer service, lovely products, and had an established contact lens business. It was quite a progressive business.

A role was advertised and I applied. In my first week, part of me was thinking, ‘This is brilliant. I’m working for this fabulous place.’ What is interesting is that I came out of my previous role thinking I knew everything about optics. When I moved to Eyesite, it became apparent that there was a lot that I still needed to learn, in terms of learning it in more depth and technically. So, while part of me was really excited, it was also quite a change. Eyesite sponsored the next two years of my DO training.

How do you see your role in the patient’s journey?

For Reading, my role is all encompassing. It’s every part of the journey – from ensuring we’ve got the right people here to look after our patients, to making sure we have enough clinics running to be able to fit our patients in, and making sure our optometrists are the best in terms of clinical care and looking after patients.

In running a practice, I think you’re responsible for every element. What does your window display look like – are patients going to walk in? Are the frames all merchandised well? Are you using the best lenses in your spectacles so that people are happy with their vision?

I’m a detail person generally, and I do believe it is all in the detail. In Reading, we’ll run up to six clinics a day. If there are lots of people in the waiting area, it’s about knowing why they are there, who they are waiting for, are we running to time, are they being looked after, and can someone else see them if this person is running late? It’s juggling all the details all the time and being aware of what is going on in the practice.

What is one thing you love most about the practice?

Definitely my team, I think managing people can be the most challenging part of my role but also the most rewarding. Everybody is so completely different, and you have really got to try to get to know and understand them. I’ve learned recruiting the right people is key. It’s also finding people who believe in the same values as me and the business.

I feel so passionately about it because it’s important that I feel I can make a difference. For me, it is about trying to be the best we can be, all the time, and always trying to improve. We’re fortunate that we don’t need to externally market any more – we grow by recommendation. That’s why it is super important to me is that we’re looking after our patients and our people.

What is your favourite moment of the day?

I like the start and the end of the day. Our huddle starts at 8:45am so I’ll be in the practice at eight o’clock so I have time to prepare and plan the day. I enjoy that because it’s like the calm before the storm. I think it's important for the team to see that we know what’s coming ahead.

At five o’clock I’ll go up to the shop floor and often I’ll cash up. That’s when people have finished with their patients, it has slowed down, and people tend to gravitate out onto the floor and chit chat. It’s nice because the team come back together. I get to know how the day has gone and check that everybody’s okay.

For me, it is about trying to be the best we can be, all the time, and always trying to improve

What is one lesson you have learnt from someone in your team?

Everybody is so different that you can’t assume one person is going to think the same as someone else, or that one person will perceive what you said in the same way as another person. You have to adapt and think all the time about who you are talking to and how you put things across. It is the same for patients and staff – it’s just people in general.

I’ve always been reasonably confident, but I would say that I’m now much more considered and probably a bit calmer. Something I have learned, and I’ve passed on to my leadership team, is that for every decision you make you have to ask yourself: ‘Was I fair?’

If you could have one wish for the practice, what would it be?

To stay as successful as it is. After 42 years Eyesite, Reading is still growing. I would love to see the practice stay successful and to still be here in another 20 or 30 years’ time. Remaining successful is all about attracting the right staff and patients.

Eyesite Group

The leadership team

If you could help your community understand one thing about eye care, what would you say?

There is a perception of independent practices that they are just expensive in comparison to multiples and online. It’s educating people to understand the difference.

We have a lot of loyal patients, and I think the people who do come back to us do understand the benefits. In our practice, all of the pre-screening is done by the optometrist and our Eye Examination are very comprehensive – so what patients really value is the time that they get with the optometrist.

Independent practices aren’t making loads of money because the lenses and frames perceptually are more expensive. The cost of running a High Street practice to buying glasses online is massively different and that’s what customers need to appreciate.

Something I have learned, and I’ve passed on to my leadership team, is that for every decision you make you have to ask yourself: ‘Was I fair?’

How is wellbeing prioritised for the team?

One of our values is that if we look after the staff, they’ll look after the patients, and then the sales will come. It needs to be in that order.

Everybody has something going on in their life so it’s important that you’re checking in with them regularly. I think you need to know your team inside out so you can support them. We have our morning and end-of-day check in and it’s important people know they can come to you about anything.

On a Friday we open later so have a longer morning meeting or training. On occasion we have taken wellbeing walks and held our huddles in the park. At Christmas we’ll go for breakfast.

As part of the Hakim Group we have SimplyHealth access with a 24-hour helpline. It’s important for the team to know support is always available.

What is one thing you are excited about?

It’s exciting to make sure we’re keeping up with all the new developments. There is the Meta technology and how that is going to change eyewear. Then myopia management, which we’re very involved with at the practice and is only going to get bigger.

The most important thing for us is to be aware of everything as it’s happening and decide, as a business and practice, what we are going to do about it. It’s better to be excited about change than daunted by it.

How would your practice team describe you?

I have so many hats and I’m responsible for so many things that I think the team would probably describe my role as ‘a bit of everything,’ and me as generally able to stay calm even when many things are going on at once.