Pros
I've worked for Clulows for a number of years, and I'll give an honest opinion on my experience: - Easy job -- the job itself isn't hard at all. For anyone fearful, questioning if optics is hard/difficult to understand, anyone with common sense, confidence, and an ability to speak to people in a client faced role can do the job. - Store Managers who care -- Store Managers who directly care about the individual stores performance . - Customer Relations/Experience - you'll find that in this line of work, you have a chance to meet some great people. The client base at most of the stores is very diverse, and you get a real mix of people, which keeps you on your toes. - Training -- for a newbie to optics, the training and onboarding is really second to none. You have monthly training modules to assist with professional development and you'll get to grips with dispensing etc quickly. - Flexible with leave -- decent annual leave (providing the store has sufficient cover). Often, if exceeded, you can negotiate unpaid leave, however will depend on your store manager. - Company Growth -- the company is a part of the wider umbrella Luxottica - which really is an industry leader. You'll have access to the best frames, best equipment, and state of the art lenses to dispense. - Commission Structure -- providing that you can sell, you'll make up an enormous amount of your take home pay in commission. Clulows have always been fair when it comes to commission, and are very transparent with their structure. I won't go into the details of how the structure works, but there are some great incentives such as £50 for every sale +£1500, £20 if you get a client signed up to a 2 pair subscription service etc.. If you know your stuff, you can double your pay in certain months.
Cons
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.