My Last Day

Day 9

Today i pulled out lots of record cards, for patients that were coming in for appointments, i also helped my teacher Ms Holroyd pick a really nice pair of D&G glasses.
Then, i tidied the case cupboard, and added a wider variety of cases to give customers more choice.

Case cupboard

 I decided to dedicate the rest of the day to improving my blog, and worked out how to add videos.
The video below is me being interviewed before i started to hand out leaflets to promote the business.

Also, today a customer came in with a Goodlooking Optics rap, i thought this was very thoughtful, it was a good rap aswell.

My 8th Day At Work

Gary unexpectedly arrived at the shop today, so we all had a staff meeting. We spoke about what we think the most important things in life are, the most common answers were: love, fun, career, family and friends. Gary also taught us that an ounce of discipline is worth a tonne of regret.

Me on the phone to customers

After the meeting, i called up some of our existing costumers and checked if everything was okay with their glasses, and to ensure that they weren't having any problems. Mostly everyone was happy with their glasses and didn't have any problems, however someone had dropped their glasses, and broke them, so i advised them to pop in at any time and we would get them fixed as soon as possible.

I then called up ColorClips, and had a walkthrough on how to send an email to themselves. After writing our a step-by-step guide, their program wouldn't load, so Charlie said that we would do that tomorrow instead.

Time management audio

After lunch, i listened to the audiotapes about time management. Time management is important because the key to being successful, is being able to do what a non-successful person would be able to do in a significantly less amount of time. I learnt some valuable lessons, such as:

"One minute of planning saves 5 minutes of execution"

"Success - tonnes of discipline" 

"Being neat makes you a more efficient human being"
                                                         
  "Be early and be relaxed" 

I also learnt a good strategy to self development...

Step back, and look at your work area (desk) or even bag. Think about what type of person would work at this desk, or use this bag. This helps you to analyse yourself, and then better yourself, which is key to self development and personal growth. 

Day 7

After having monday off, i returned to work on tuesday. Garry called an emergency meeting because Specsavers were leafletting right outside our shop. This was out of order, and we took a big pile of leaflets and handed them out across the road, so that people would get our leaflets before they reached to where specsavers were handing theirs out. We took the remaining ones, and put them in the civic center.

Then, when we got back, Ms Holroyd was there ready to interview me about how my work experience placement was going. I explained how i was really enjoying it, and spoke about the valuable skills that i've been learning. I used some of them skills to book Ms Holroyd an appointment for a sight test on thursday.

We went to the shops a few times, and picked up some essentials for the shop, such as: Air freshener, Saline solution, toilet paper and hand soap.

Saturday

Because me and Kobby got to go home on monday, we offered to help out on saturday. I was exited to see how the business worked on the weekends. In the morning, i called and texted everyone that had contact lenses ready to be collected. And in the afternoon, me and Kobby halved the amount of customers with glasses ready to be collected, and called/texted them. I also took details of new patients and met some interesting new people, such as a historian who writes his own history books. We was talking about the civil rights movement, which i am doing for GCSE history, so i learnt new information that would help at school. All in all, i had a productive day, and completed all the tasks that were set for me.

Chace Community School - Careers Fair

Today we went to a careers fair at Chace Community School, which is my secondary school. I didn't like being back at school, but doing the actual careers fair was fun. I explained the role of opthamologists, optometrists, dispensing opticians and technicians. And the salary, and grade requirements for each. I also explained why each job was important, and i hope this inspired people. Hopefully we also promoted the business and next week we will be quite busy

Lydia, Lucia and me at Chace Community School's careers fair

Kobby, Gary and me at Chace Community School's careers fair

Day 4

Today was quite a busy day at the shop, i continued making phonecalls and booking appointments.

Also, we wrote on lots of leaflets to take to Chace Community School's careers fair. We did around 250, my hands were aching afterwards.

Then, we had lunch break, and there was a lady giving out free K.A's, i took loads!

My Third Day At Work

Today was quite a quiet day at Good Looking Optics, because it was the optometrist's day off, which meant no sight tests. However, other important things still needed to be done, such as dealing with orders of contact lenses, pricing glasses, and informing customers that their glasses are ready for collection.
We also listened to an audio called '100 ways to motivate yourself' which had some weird strategies, such as..
"talk to yourself"
"drive a library"
and "get small"?
But it was still interesting to listen to

After lunch, we then got set a secret mission- to spy on other opticians, so basically market research.
I thought i made quite a good spy, as no one guessed i was from Good Looking Optics.
Here's a sneaky picture i took of the outside of one of the opticians we inspected..

From this, we realised that Good Looking Optics are BY FAR the most interesting and friendly opticians around, and has 10X better costumer service than anyone else. Specsavers  didn't even come over to us.
Gordon Thomas Opticians, were very serious, and didnt have any music playing atall. The shop was so quiet. It wasn't very colourful either, and reminded me of a hospital more than an optician.
All in all, today taught me alot about how important being unique is, and that every little thing that happens in a shop, making a big impact on customers opinions.

My Second Day At Work

Because Gary was at the shop today, we all had a staff meeting, where we told each other a bit about ourselves, and explained where we would like to be in 5 years. It made me realise that i didn't actually know what i want to do as a job when i'm older, and made me start to think.

We then was all taught how to answer the phone professionally, and what to say in certain situations.

Then i was delegated the job of helping Charlie, who is the technician, so i went upstairs and sorted out lenses. I had to put them in boxes depending on whether the patient was long or short sighted, and also the strength of the lens. After that, i thought that i would help Kobby and Lydia out with decorating the cards envelopes, because Good Looking Optics sends colorful cards to all customers. 

Here are some of the envelopes that we decorated.

Whilst i was decorating envelopes, the extension phone upstairs rung many times, and i was asked to bring down patients personal files.

After lunch, i used a website called 'BoomSMS' to text customers telling them that their glasses are ready for collection. Whilst i was doing this the phone rang and i used what i had been taught earlier, to book a customers appointment to have their eyes tested using a program on the computer.

We was then sent to promote the business, by posting leaflets to houses.

When i got back, i found out that my glasses were ready, i was very happy with them and i got a glasses case aswell. 

Then, there was a bit of a crisis. Someones glasses had been confused with someone elses, and had been put in the wrong tray; we all helped to fix the problem, and it got sorted out. This was important because it showed me what happens when things go wrong, and i hope nothing else like that happens.

Later on in the day, i also took customers details before their eye test, and help them choose a frame after.

I really enjoyed my second day on work experience, and can't wait to go in tomorrow.

My First Day Of Work

I wasn't that nervous for my first day of work, as i had met, and spoke to most of the staff at my interviews.
I got the bus to Enfield Town, and arrived to work at 9:00, however, Dora told me that it would be better to arrive 10 minutes earlier the following day.
When all the people doing a work experience placement at Good Looking Optics, had arrived, we all went through the customer service policies, and the company requirements. We also got shown our work expierence objectives.
Then, i had the oppourtunity to get my eyes tested, but whilst I was waiting for Kobby to finish his eye test, i dusted the glasses shelfs with a cloth, to help keeping the shop clean.
My eye test was very important, as it turned out that i needed glasses, only a small prescription though.
After my eye test, Dora said i could have a half day; so i worked through some of my work experience objectives at home, and started this blog (which was one of the objectives.)
All in all, i had an enjoyable first day, i enjoyed meeting new people, and being in a business environment.

Second Interview

When Good Looking Optics sent my school the job description, it included work hours, and uniform requirements. It also stated that i needed another interview. I then called Good Looking Optics, and arranged a date and time. I was then told, this interview would be slightly longer, and i would need to come smartly dressed with a CV.
I then printed off the CV i had wrote for my citizenship coursework, and looked in my wardrobe for smart clothes. I realised I had a smart blouse, and smart shoes, but no trousers.
The next day, i went shopping and bought these...

I was all set for my interview.
During the interview, I got taught how to file costumers personal files, and how to look for them in alphabetical order. I also took down the details of someone who was about to have their eyes tested.
All went well, and it give me an insight into what work experience might be like

First Interview

I called Good Looking Optics and asked for an interview in the next week. They said that was fine, so, to prepare, I researched the company by looking on http://www.goodlookingoptics.co.uk/

I then found out some interesting information , such as: Good Looking Optics' vision, is to be the worlds best optician, and also they were the only London finalists in the best new business of the year award.

 My interview was quite brief;  I was asked about my qualities and what i knew about the company (which i could answer because of my research). I also talked about what i could bring to the job, and what about the company interests me. After answering and asking questions, I had been accepted for the work experience placement.

Introduction

In year 9, Good Looking Optics came in to my school and did a presentation for careers day. I liked the sound of the company's morals, achievements and aims. Then in year 10; when the opportunity to do work experience had arisen, i thought it would be a perfect opportunity to spend my work experience placement at Good Looking Optics.