Since we have opened we have had an “Eco” range with the Sea2See specs at the core - frame made from ocean plastic waste. In addition to those we have had frames made from various bioplastics - which score well on a sustainability scale if where they are produced takes a life cycle approach. Neubau in Austria now make their own castor oil plastic and have (they say) a negative emissions factory.

Of course specs are not single use plastics ans there are some other products, but their producers behave ethically - so, we are going to instead have an “Ethical Spectacle” range instead. This could therefore potentially include our Scottish made frames, from Banton. We might even start up an online shop for this range - in the current climate online businesses seem appealing. We’ll keep you up to date.

We’ve had three new people start working here in the last few months and they are all a delight. Alice is an optometrist who shares our values and loves the fact that she is given the time to do her job properly – she’s from Sheffield. Katie has taken over from Alison and worked in optics in Ottawa before moving to Sheffield last year. She loves the friendly people of our city and not having to up-sell stuff. Araxie has just started and is great with people and quickly picking up skills too.

I prepared a bit of training for them both and realised that it was great to have an opportunity to re-fresh my thinking on what we’re all about. What struck me was that what I said to them about how we approach our service is that it wasn’t that different to how I’d explain it to the public too. That made me feel good, as that suggests a transparency in our motives. For example, the starting point was to state we’d like to be an “ethical optician, with loyal customers who recommend us to friends and family – where staff enjoy working, get paid fairly and the business makes a decent profit”.

Then I highlighted some of the things that can help us deliver on this:

1. Friendly, honest and competent staff.

2. Up-front, transparent and easy to understand pricing.

3. Unhurried, informative and enjoyable eye tests.

4. Fairly priced products selected individually by us for quality and style.

5. Sustainable options prioritised.

6. Give people better than they expect from their optician.

I also emphasised that it is vital not to assume what people do, or do not, want and how much they do, or do not want to pay – try to engage, listen and inform. One of my final points was that an optician is a shop, but it is a shop where people can come in who are worried that they are going blind or that that they have a brain tumour. That sounds a bit heavy, but, we do pick up conditions that will lead to the loss of sight and ones that threaten lives. So, a friendly, relaxed and informal approach does not mean we are not deadly serious about getting things right.

Which frames suit my face shape is something we get asked quite a lot. We tend to say that we don’t think like that. We encourage people to try on as many frame as possible and take a good look in each.

What do you like?

What don’t you like?

How’s the colour?

The shape?

The material?

I know we are getting Brexit done, but there are still some things we can learn from Europe. With regard to having spectacles they just can’t believe that British people pick on pair for 2 years. Why would you wear completely different clothes/shoes for work, rest and play and always the same specs?

So have some fun. You might not want a red frame, but try it on anyway.