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Resolving complaints

Clinical adviser to the Optical Consumer Complaints Service, Richard Edwards, on developing pragmatic ways to resolve complaints

Richard Edwards

Describe your current role in the profession

I am the clinical adviser to the Optical Consumer Complaints Service (OCCS). I work with the resolution managers to seek a mediated solution to optical complaints.
 

What is your professional passion? 

I enjoy developing proportionate and pragmatic ways to resolve complaints that work for the consumer and the clinician. I actually think optics does this quite well – but we can be better.

What advice would you give your younger self?

To stop worrying and enjoy the journey.
 

What is the one thing you couldn’t live without?

My iPad.
 

How do you manage your work/life balance?

Badly. I have nobody to blame but myself. I am in the fortunate position where I genuinely enjoy what I do – the problem with that is it can take over.
 

What do you do to unwind?

Holidays, walking with friends and listening to music and a bit of photography, which is where my interest in optics as a career started.
 

You have won the OT lottery. Describe how you would spend the £1m jackpot?

Give it to my daughters. Life experiences in recent years have given me a very different perspective.
 

Where are you going on your next holiday?

My wife and I are going away to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary with some very good friends. We are spending 10 days in a villa in a small Spanish village called Benahavis – very peaceful and amazing restaurants. Heaven.

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