Honest opinions:
- The company is massively understaffed -- unsure if this is due to hiring budgets, or an inability to manage rotas efficiently, however from a retail POV this is a serious issue. You are often pulled out of your home store to assist other stores (be mindful of this!), you are often overworked, tired, and feel as if you are doing multiple jobs at once.
- Retail employees undervalued -- there is a corporate side to the company (HR, manufacturing, education, marketing etc), and a retail side. It is the retail staff that primarily drive sales revenue. However, corporate staff have access to a wide range of company benefits (Private Health Care etc) that the retail staff don't, which is a real shame. Being a part of the same company, your benefits should be the same.
- Outdated paper system -- (i think this is changing) However, being a part of the largest optical company in the world, it is insane that all patient files are paper. We are in the 21st Century and should be at the forefront of the digital systems. Aside from this, technologically the company are getting it right.
- Poor Base Pay -- sadly, (in spite of a great commission structure) all Optical Staff are paid a base minimum wage, and loyalty is not rewarded. This is really sad and another reason contributing to why employees may feel undervalued. The only wage increases you'll receive are in line with inflation.
- Inability to be autonomous - being a part of a wider company, its hard to be independent in your work, and make your store your own. HR, Merchandising, Marketing, all want to have a say in how you run the store you work in (even when they have never set foot in it)
- Little to no progression - if you work in retail you are pigeon holed. The most you will ever arise to is a Store Manager, and the company does not know how to reward their hardworking employees. There are people with real knowledge in the company, yet feel as if their ceiling is only a Store Manager.
