Lots to learn. Minimal/ rare progression, normally internally. You need to be willing to put extra hours/ stay behind and come in early. Targets to work on, can be competitive. Sometimes focused on sales target instead of actual clinical needs.

Pros

Good team

Cons

As above.

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Over worked under paid

Lab Technician (Former Employee) - Harrow - 22 January 2023

Over worked under paid Always short staffed, no right to air any grievances a thoroughly unpleasant experience all round. The Only people who stay in Specsavers long term are rich directors and highly paid optometrists.

Pros

Free glasses

Cons

Over worked

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Insights into Specsavers

Based on 450 survey responses

Areas for improvement

Fair pay for job
Energising work tasks
Sense of belonging

Shouldn’t Have Gone To Specsavers

Expected To Do Bloody Everything (Former Employee) - UK - 20 January 2023

The sole saving grace of this workplace are your coworkers. Great people who can have a laugh - unless it’s that one individual who can’t take a joke or who interpret things in the worst possible way and then run to management. Training was initially good until the tasks started loading up. One director, who I will say was super sweet, did try to teach me something but it went really fast. Most of my training came from co workers explaining things to me. I was asked what I needed help with, I mentioned a specific thing, and then was later penalised for not being able to do the specific thing I asked for help on. As if I had not already voiced lacking confidence in it.Tasks will pile up. There’s no nuance for ability such as dyslexia or processing issues. You *must* fit a role. If someone else who has been at the role for 6 years can do it, so can you, you who has been there a few months. It doesn’t matter how helpful you try to be and if customers appreciate and like you a lot. If you aren’t doing everything from banking to cleaning to answering *every single call that comes in* then it’s not good enough. One would think in 2023 we’d be more conscious of differences in employee strengths and that a store that makes bank each and every single call week might be able to afford more staff to help but apparently not. It’s all about the cash.Made to feel bad about being sick when stress is making people sick. No sick pay. Rest assured I’m over the moon to be receiving other opportunities and I’ll never return there, as a customer, employer or otherwise.

Pros

Great co workers.

Cons

Minimum wage, high workload, lack of training.

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Fun, exciting place to work

Optical Assistant (Former Employee) - Hereford, Herefordshire - 17 January 2023

Great place to work, no two days are the same! Everyone is friendly and always happy to help each other. Lots of support from management and great training.

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Sales based so expect that to be the focus

Optical Consultant (Former Employee) - New Milton, Hampshire - 13 January 2023

See above...... sales based and this is made very clear everyday. Pressured to sell expensive items. Always busy so you don't get time to spend quality time with the customers. Good training, but have to push for it to be offered. Basic salary, with minimal commission

Pros

Basic salary

Cons

See above

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Fun workplace

Lab Technician (Former Employee) - Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire - 12 January 2023

Very good company to work for, staff and managers are very friendly and supportive.Good atmosphere,can be really busy sometimes even overwhelming.Company is very customer oriented.

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Get out what you put in

Trainee Optical Assistant (Former Employee) - Stroud, Gloucestershire - 11 January 2023

Enjoyed my time working for specsavers, plenty of room for progression, and training is very much something i felt the company focused on. If you like a customer facing role and want to advance up the ladder, you could do worse.

Pros

Free training courses

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Not all specsavers it’s specific one that is in Islington specsavers

Optical Assistant (Former Employee) - Islington, Greater London - 11 January 2023

Being specsavers in Islington for 4 months I have been observing the environment in the store might not work out for everyone which in my case it didn’t this is how I felt apart from staff main issue I had with was the store manager and the optoms I felt they didn’t treat the staff including me equally no appreciation no supports and looking down on the staff and treat them like there are cleaner were all the staff had to clean the bin every day and worst person is the store manager no understanding or approachable always with negative feed backs and also mocking other staff to it’s a very horrible place to work in I was very depressed and stress full

Pros

None

Cons

None

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Dispensing Assistant

Dispensing Assistant (Former Employee) - Consett, Durham - 3 January 2023

The main management at Specsavers weren’t supportive, was made to feel not appreciated for a days work and felt intimidated. The team of girls who I worked with were always eager to help me learn new parts of the role. Staff were treated badly were accused of looking scruffy, were told to wear make up unwillingly and not being professional enough. Worked every Saturday in 4 months or was made to use a days holiday to have one off.

Pros

Didn’t work Sundays

Cons

Had to work every Saturday

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Meh

Optical Assistant (Former Employee) - Welshpool, Powys - 29 December 2022

I don’t know how I feel about this, I feel like some days were amazing and some awful! You’re expected to do a lot for minimum wage- also no commission when making the company a lot of money

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Worst place to work

Sales Advisor (Former Employee) - Bath - 19 December 2022

Stressful toxic work place, management are their own pack hungry wolves who pretend to be nice to the rest of the team when all they do is lie. The opticians are bossy and you have to do all the cleaning. It doesn't matter if they say it's shared, you will find your self stressed and without help.

Pros

Sometimes snacks

Cons

Long hours, poor pay, untrusting management, bad team ethic

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Very fast and stressful environment

Dispenser (Current Employee) - York - 18 December 2022

Directors and managers sometimes extremely difficult to approach and talk to about issues. No benefit of working there- no matter how long you have been there, no bonus, no extra holiday days for long service. Can get the same job role at another optician and get paid more plus a bonus system.

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Needs restructure a lot of loop hole for exploitation

Apprenticeship (Former Employee) - Kingston upon Thames - 11 December 2022

I can’t recommend the job The franchise runs by few people literally no one to complain about the working conditions, no promotion, busy most of the times always understaff, bonus scheme is down to the managers it means you might not have anything at all you might have no lunch breaks and no fixed travel money refunds. Technically speaking no proper rights

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Workline, fun team

Senior Optical Advisor (Former Employee) - Winton, Dorset - 11 December 2022

A very short review would be you are just a number, management will offer the world but when you come calling you'll be told there's no budget but when you give your notice you'll be told the budget is limitless.Otherwise the team is good but very undertrained with no intention of development which is a concern considering we're responsible for people seeing.You will also and this is important, never leave on time you finish at 5.30 you won't leave until at least 6.00 i very often left at 6.30

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Can be a great place to work, it depends on your store Directors

Store Director and Contact Lens (Former Employee) - Washington - 10 December 2022

Can be a great place to work with lots of training/development and career progression if that's what you're after. However as each store is owned by the store directors your experiences will very much depend on the store directors that you have.

Pros

Pension, flexi hours

Cons

Ver busy

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Very hard work

Sales Assistant (Former Employee) - Uk - 3 December 2022

Hard work which can be stressful. Not sure it's worth the stress for minimum or apprentice wage . If you can get on a course then there's potential for career growth.

Pros

Chance for higher learning

Cons

Relentless pace

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Cliquey

Apprentice (Former Employee) - Hinckley, Leicestershire - 30 November 2022

Interview went really well however by the time I started the manager that interviewed me had left, I found the other managers and staff all very cliquey and felt that I didn't fit in due to being working class

Pros

Break times

Cons

Boring

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Over worked and underpaid

Optical Assistant (Former Employee) - Bexleyheath - 29 November 2022

Not very well paid for the amount of work that you have to do. It is not easy to develop your career at specsavers. A lot of extra studying is needed for very little increase in compensation

Pros

1hr lunches

Cons

Not very good compensation. Not easy to develop career wise

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Okay

Staff Member (Current Employee) - Llanelli, Carmarthenshire - 24 November 2022

It’s okay to work here, staff nice, comfortable hours, pay is good, efficient training. I have been here for several years and look forward to many more

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Fab place

Admin Assistant (Former Employee) - Solihull - 22 November 2022

Loved this job, the role itself. Very busy place but with lots of opportunities to learn and develop. The place in general can be quite cliquey but if you're there just to work that isn't a problem.

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Okay

Optical Advisor (Current Employee) - Edinburgh City, City of Edinburgh - 22 November 2022

OK place to work. A lot of knowledge required for the job. Minimum wage and bonus structure is in place but only if the store meet their targets then you get bonus.

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