Help me somebody to choose between Sam's Club/Costco or Lens Crafters/For Eyes

[Johns]

I'm pretty sure if you were offered 23 an hour then they wanted you to be the optical manager. I'm not sure how WM operates in the east coast but here in the midwest there is only one or 2 sam's clubs(getting $14,000 to $21,000 a week) that can actually hire FULL time employees aside from the manager.

Damn johns can I work for you? lol. Anyway, got any tips for job hunting? Every place I call says they are fully staffed. I never know if it's the truth or if it's someone trying to save their job.

When you are hired as a licensed at WM, they will try to squeeze at much out of your license as possible. You may or may not be the mgr. but you will probably also be the trainer, and have the state maximum (sometimes more) number of "apprentices" working under your license as well. They hire full-time employees, but often don't keep them full-time.

I've got a ton of tips for job hunting. They include...

-NOT calling, but stopping in at offices.

-Dress for interviews when cold-calling.

-Build your skills and a list of accomplishments that add to the bottom line. I love seeing that someone got a sales award, customer kudos, or has a letter from a past employer stating they increased profits by a certain percentage.

-Join and stay active in your state's association(s). Great place to network.

-Get/stay active on optiboard. I've hired 2 optiboard people (one wasn't looking) from posts I saw that impressed me.

-Figure out what you want from your job. Is it a means to an end to achieve a monetary end? (I once had a commission job that I didn't like, but kept it long enough to pay off all my debts) Or do you want it to build your skill base and introduce you to new challenges?

-Write you employment goals down. I recently interviewed a man in his late 50s that said that he spent the first part of every day cold-calling optical. He had just moved to the area from down south, and in 4 days, he'd already had 5 interviews and 3 offers. He didn't take any of the offers, as they didn't suit him, but at least he had options. 20 cold calls in 4 days will do that for you.

-Stay positive

[spexguy]

stay with the independent's.plan on giving your life to walmart if you want to work for that mickey mouse operation.if you want prestige and glamour,try ecca.you'll probably get your $23 an hour if your store makes it sales goals every month.your coworkers will love you because most of them are making minimum wage.

[Quantrill]

If you are a salary manager with one of the chains, then you might get $23/hour (but not with 3 years experience). I have 7 years exp. and don't get anywhere close to $23/hr.

Private shops around here will pay 15/hour tops if you are extremely good.

I've been told that licensed states are very different (apparently ABO is not enough? Some sort of internship?) so maybe you'll do well in one of those states (NY, FL, and others).

I know someone at Wal-Mart that gets 45k per year, but that includes a 20 year resume. Your $23/hour times 2,080 hours in a year = $47,840. Highly unlikely with only 3 years in the business I'd think.

Whatever you do, good luck to you.

[optifabulous]

I don't think your income expectations are unrealistic at all. It is all based on how bad a company needs you that dictates what they will be willing to pay. After playing the game for 27 years I have at least learned that. :) Good Luck.

[fvc2020]

Out of the ones you mention I would recommend For Eyes. I worked for them in Norfolk, Va. I had fun, learned alot, and it would be the only retail I would ever work for again. Val Montheith was my district manager out of Richmond. She was great. She taught me to love my profession.


Good luck....




Christina

[hcjilson]

" ** (At that time AO and B&L, i.e., Bausch and Lomb, labs dispensed eyewear to the public at the behest of eye care providers, i.e., MD's and OD's."

Where did this happen? I was in business in the late 50's and was also an AO and B&L Branch customer in Springfield MA. Unlikely it ever happened there! :bbg:

[Hari S. Bird, LDO]

My experience occurred in the AO Chicago Region. The US Justice Dept. brought an anti-trust case against both companies in the early 60's. This ended their dispensing days. I have met numerous former AO Opticians who shared the same experience.

[CaramelCutie79]

cool thanks

[CaramelCutie79]

well some people on this thread reaction were like i was being unrealistic.

[LilKim]

Looked like ol' Sam Walton was taking a big crap right there on the floor in that pic...after which his employees probably had to lick it off of the floor.

Seriously, why in the heck would you want to start off at a chain? Like others have mentioned, your hours will suck, you'll get fewer paid holidays and NO half-days (I know a lot of our customers who work a half-day at least once a week). Some people do great at chains, others feel like they're chained to their chain. The majority seem to fall into the latter category.

There are plenty of Independents who NEED a licensed op!!! Negotiate! Don't just take the crap wages and limitations that the chains slop out and say, "At least it ain't any HAIRS in it! Mmmm-mmm!"

But I'll never forget what my father told me when I laid out the pro's and con's of an offer Cole National once made me (for about $4 an hour more working at a Sears). He said, "If you make a million dollars an year, you're underpaid if you don't like your job."

And well-said Johns!

[griffin]

My husband is a Lab Manager at Lc, there are only 3 full time employees at his location GM, Lab Manager and Retail Manager. All the other associates are part time. If sales are down the managers are required to fill the hours to cut costs, sometimes a 12 hour day, and this will last day after day. The training was good and the schedule is a little flexible, but not much.

I work wholesale for the big "Z" company, and love it. Monday thru Friday, usually no weekends. With the hourly employees we will most likely not accomodate your monetary needs, but the schedule would be great. We are seeing more and more "retail" applicants, due to the fact that most retails are cutting hours.

Of course with the economy being in the state that it is, you probably should just take what you can get. It took my husband 4 mos. to find a decent job in the industry after our relocation and he has 6 years experience.

[maggiemay]

Since you rarely want to work weekends you are better off going with Four Eyes, they are closed on Sundays and limited hours on Sat. All the other retailers will require you work weekend regularly.

[gunner05]

I really want to know how this turned out.

[eyeguy2015]

Sams Club-walmart paid the most, $20/hr. for dual licensed Optician, but hours weren't that good and very fast paced. You will have to do some pre-testing for Doctor. You must apply for health Insurance befor 90 days of employment or you will have to wait to beginning of year for benefits.
Lenscrafters was the most professional place to work of the three, but didn't pay as well-$15.00/hr to start. Also managers pushed you to sell products just to make the numbers look good to their bosses.
Costco is the best of the three. They paid well $22.00/hr, they didn't participate with any insurances, so no forms to fill out for patients, we didn't have to teach CL insertion and removal. Just sell and dispense glasses and contacts. The Costco discount was very nice also! Benefits are good
Good luck, eyeguy2015

[FVCCHRIS]

An Optician worth $23/hour wouldn't be asking these types of questions on this board. They'd be already out there making someone tons of money-- if they were worth that.;)

[optiarby]

I was in that pay range before I was laid off, but it took me 8 years and I was in management. I don't work in a licensed state either, so I know that can make a difference. Seems like a tall order to me, but I know it's out there.;)

Good luck in your search and let us know if you find what you're looking for.

[loose-screw]

Wow $23 an hour.... I have worked in a Chain Store as a Lab Tech Optician and as a General Manager and I never made that much (counting total hours as GM I made less then minimum wage LOL). Working in a private Practice where I was doing some refractions I didn't even make $15 an hour.

If you do find some place that pays that I would be interested lol

[eyeguystone]

Was an employee for three years at Lenscrafters. They always cut hours at the slower times...and try to get you to use your vacation time to augment your decreased hours. Also they paid me over your asking wage and had good benefits...B U T...the management are hired off the street and I think they check IQ s and take the low bid ( if ya know what I mean). I don't know if that was the general rule but it sure was in NC( that's a licensed state and I am) RDO s and RQC s ( their stupid-visors) really are a trial. Without them screwing things up, their company MIGHT be tolerable. With them...not so much. But then I am an old old optical dog and maybe it's just me!

[OptiStudent]

I have been licensed 2 years in NC and have found that 23+, in addition to commision, is easy to get in piedmont NC. Retail cannot operate without the "optician in charge." WalMart or the leaser NVI? NVI is better.