Optical Assistant of the Year

Having joined Grey St Optician within the first six months of the business opening its doors, Laura Taylor has risen to the challenge, playing a key role building the practice’s reputation

Laura Taylor has not looked back since joining Grey St Optician seven years ago with no significant optical experience, and now works across the varied role of optical assistant, frames specialist and contact lens manager. 

As part of a growing business, with a customer base of over 20,000 patients, Ms Taylor admits that she is always looking for ways to improve customer interaction in the practice and has recently been involved in initiating personal consultations. This involves offering tailored advice on both frame and lens options. Discussing the initiative, Ms Taylor said: “These appointments are particularly important to ensure customers feel well-informed and supported.”

During the consultation appointments, Ms Taylor likes to take time to get to know the customer as both an individual and a consumer. “I understand the pressure that people feel when choosing eyewear and know that it’s important to provide guidance and support in a friendly manner,” she said.

Extending this service post-consultation, Ms Taylor added: “It’s also imperative to maintain this level of service after collection. I use social media to keep in touch with customers. This enables me to build a closer relationship with them, as well as being on hand to offer advice should they need it.”

However, for Ms Taylor it is not just about supporting patients, but also her colleagues. She explained: “Over the past year I have provided guidance for our two newest members of staff. They are now valuable members of our team and I am proud to say that I was integral to their career development.”
For Ms Taylor, who considers herself to be “an eyewear enthusiast,” the best thing about being an optical assistant is “being involved in curating Grey St’s collection.”

As a result, Ms Taylor regularly attends Paris trade show Silmo where she takes pride in bringing the best products back into the practice. “I find this part of my job fascinating,” she said. 

“Being able to introduce our customers to the most innovative eyewear in the world is a pleasure,” she concluded.

Runners up: Leightons Farnham and Stewart Taylor-Paterson