KINGS HILL OPTICIANS - Key Persons
Kathy is our oracle - with us since our infancy in 2006, if there's something she doesn't know about Kings Hill Opticians, it really isn't worth knowing.
Her experience in eye healthcare stems from when she first left school and started working for an optician's in Sittingbourne, then another in Dorset when she got married. Following a career break to bring up her family, she returned to work in the retail sector for a prestigious jeweller's in Bluewater, and then at their flagship store in Sloane Square, London.
Since joining Kings Hill Opticians, she has always been the first to arrive and one of the last to leave each day: "I want to know that everything is set up so we can give the best possible service. But the things I love most about the job are the people contact, the fashion element and helping people feel happy with their new glasses."
Job Titles:
- Student Dispensing Optician
Lucy decided to join Kings Hill Opticians on a full-time basis after working on reception on Saturdays because she loves the team and the experience patients get. She is now training to be a dispenser, with a view to going to college next year. As one of the first people patients see, Lucy understands how important her relationship with them is: "I want them to feel welcome when they come in. And I want them to walk out knowing they have had the best health care and the best products."
Matt's aim when patients collect their glasses is for them to be wowed. With 15 years' experience, including cutting lenses from scratch, he has the expertise to know which frames suit which face shapes and which lenses work best in which frames. All of which means Matt makes sure our patients get glasses that look fabulous and work optimally.
Jatinder's aim is simple: "I want to make you look glamorous and gorgeous with glasses that are comfortable to wear - and I'll make sure you have fun in the process. After all, we're only successful if our patients leave smiling and recommend us. So my philosophy is always to do the best for the person sitting in the chair in front of me at that moment. We have to deliver on every appointment for people to leave us walking tall and feeling fantastic in their new glasses."
Jatinder is our safety net: "If anyone is stuck, they come to me. With 25 years' experience, I normally have a solution or know where to go to find one."
Job Titles:
- Principal Optometrist / See More
At Maidstone Hospital, Mr Shoker helps fit complex contact lenses and works alongside Consultant Ophthalmologists in Diabetic and Glaucoma clinics. He helps young children obtain the correct spectacles by testing their eyes when they are unable to be accurately assessed in the community.
At Kings Hill Opticians, Mr Shoker has many roles, including monitoring patients on behalf of the hospital when they are being treated for Wet Macular Degeneration under the CAMS Service. Mr Shoker is also employed by the West Kent CCG as an 'OPwSI's, an Optometrist with Special Interest in Ophthalmology. This role sees him looking after patients who have been referred by their GPs or optometrists for a range of eye problems
Job Titles:
- Practice Operations Manager & PA to Directors
Previously a legal secretary and PA in London for seven years, Zara applies her exceptional organisational and interpersonal skills to make sure Kings Hill Opticians runs smoothly for patients, suppliers and staff: "It's great being part of a team where they really do care about the patients. And they really do know what they are doing - I trust all of them."