Assistant Store Manager / Dispensing Optician

M&S Opticians; Oxford; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK optical retailer is seeking an Assistant Store Manager to oversee daily operations and enhance customer experience. This role involves driving sales performance, leading a team, and delivering exceptional service. The ideal candidate is a qualified Dispensing Optician with strong leadership and communication skills, motivated to ensure compliance with industry standards while fostering a supportive environment. Join our team and contribute to business growth while providing outstanding customer care.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in an optical retail role, preferably as a supervisor or team leader.
• Professional and customer-focused approach to service.
• Understanding of practice operations and industry regulations.

Responsibilities

• Deputise in the absence of the Opticians Manager.
• Lead and manage a team effectively.
• Drive sales performance and maintain customer service standards.
• Promote M&S Opticians and manage store KPIs.
• Provide exceptional customer service and handle queries efficiently.

Skills

Strong leadership skills

Excellent communication skills

Customer service focus

Education

Qualified Dispensing Optician

Job description

About the Role

As an Assistant Store Manager at M&S Opticians, you will play a key role in ensuring the smooth operation of the Optical and Hearing businesses while delivering exceptional customer care. Supporting the Store Manager, you will oversee daily operations, drive sales performance, and enhance customer experience. With a focus on leadership, business development, and financial management, you will help grow the business and ensure its continued success.

As a Dispensing Optician, you will ensure that every customer receives exceptional service when visiting our store. This involves understanding customer needs, explaining our products and offers, creating a welcoming environment, and dispensing single vision and varifocal lenses from the leading lens manufacturers. You will also dispense and fit glasses to both adults and children, working from prescriptions provided by optometrists.

Your role will include advising customers on lens and frame choices, including style, weight, and colour, as well as providing guidance on how to wear and maintain their glasses. As a qualified Dispensing Optician registered with the General Optical Council (GOC), you will bring a high level of expertise and customer care, ensuring every customer receives the appropriate dispensing advice.

Key Responsibilities

• Be able to deputise in the absence of the Opticians Manager
• Lead, motivate, and manage a team on a daily basis
• Drive sales performance while maintaining excellent customer service standards
• Promote M&S Opticians throughout the store to increase awareness and appointments
• Conduct training and performance reviews for sales advisors
• Ensure a seamless and professional customer journey, addressing enquiries and concerns
• Manage store KPIs, ensuring profitability and business growth
• Drive brand awareness through in-store marketing activities
• Assist or carry out any additional tasks as required
• Provide excellent customer service, booking appointments efficiently and advising on frame and lens choices
• Interpret optical prescriptions and dispense low vision aids where necessary
• Confidently advise the customer on the features and benefits of a range of lenses from leading manufactures, as well as discuss a variety of contact lenses where required.
• Handle customer queries and complaints efficiently and effectively
• Fit and supply the most appropriate spectacles based on the customer’s vision, lifestyle, and vocational needs
• Take frame and facial measurements to ensure a correct fit and positioning
• Order lenses and verify them upon delivery to ensure they meet specifications
• Assist the Store Manager in the effective running of the store while supporting the team in all dispensing areas
• Promote in-store offers and maximise all sales opportunities to meet Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Assist in training and on boarding new sales advisors
• Maintain accurate patient records and complete administrative tasks
• Ensure compliance with General Optical Council (GOC) Standards of Practice and data protection regulations

About You

You are a motivated and organized leader with experience in optical retail, looking to take the next step in your career. With strong leadership and communication skills, you excel at inspiring teams, delivering outstanding customer care, and driving business growth. Your commercial awareness, and passion for customer care make you a valuable asset to the team. To be successful in this role, you should be a qualified Dispensing Optician registered with the General Optical Council (GOC) and passionate about providing excellent customer care. You will be a natural communicator with a friendly and approachable manner, ensuring that every customer feels valued and supported throughout their journey. You’ll be customer focused and commercially aware, able to make the most of sales opportunities. If you are enthusiastic about optical dispensing and want to work in a supportive, customer-driven environment , we’d love to hear from you!

Key Requirements

• Proven experience in an optical retail role, preferably as a supervisor or team leader
• Strong leadership and team management skills
• Professional and customer focused approach to customer service
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities
• Understanding of practice operations, industry regulations, and business development