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      IOLLA reviews

      A Hell Regimented by Chthonic Gods - Optical Stylist IOLLA Employee Review

      2.0
      4 May 2022
      Optical stylist
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      -Fantastic showroom (shop floor) teams -Incredible and empathetic supervisors -Managers generally listen to shifting requirements (e.g inability to cover certain days, university, etc)

      Cons

      (1) Absolutely no HR department whatsoever. (2) Apathetic senior management: slashed our hours in half before Christmas, then the co-founder told us to "stay positive" and "look forward to Christmas", even though many of us could scarcely even pay rent with our demolished hours. Tone-deaf and clearly out of tune with their own workers. (3) Low pay for an emotionally draining role. (4) Likewise, lunch break (30 mins) is too short for such an emotionally taxing role (8hr shift filled with talking to every customer that walks through the door). Could use some breaks. (5) Training was incredibly rushed and many staff aren't reliable for optical knowledge; have to keep asking the manager for advice. Even a staff member got glasses and they looked quite clearly an awful frame choice for her prescription; even as staff we hardly know what to look out for when picking frames. (6) Lack of respect from upper management.

      avatar
      IOLLA Response
      3y
      Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We welcome all feedback, whether positive or negative. We are committed to challenging the status quo and continuously improve. You're right - we do have fantastic showroom teams. Thank you for recognising this! Unfortunately, the list of 'cons' has some inaccuracies that I am keen to address. 1.We now have a HR department. As the head of this department, I recognise how welcomed I have been to IOLLA. 2. Our senior leadership team works incredibly closely with the showrooms on a daily basis. 3. IOLLA is a proud Real Living Wage employer as we believe in a fair days pay for good work. 4. We are advocates of rest periods and down time - we all need this to be productive. 5. Our training is extensive and the pace is tailored to suit individuals needs. 6. We treat one another with the upmost respect - no matter what role we work in. If you would like to discuss your feedback in more detail, I would welcome an opportunity to do this. You can reach me through email directly - clairebrennan@iolla.com Thank you, Claire Brennan HR Manager

      Explore other reviews about IOLLA

      5.0
      17 Sept 2025
      Summer temporary sales assistant
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      I worked as a temp at IOLLA and really enjoyed my time there. I am self employed but wanted to join this great team temporarily as have missed working in retail. the company is great, the full training is very clear and detail buyt you also get lots of support and help. I felt very welcomed and encouraged at all times. Would definitely recommend, especially the location I was at in Manchester.

      Cons

      I didn't see any to be honest! but there is a lot of knowledge to absorb so not everybody.

      5.0
      4 Jul 2024
      Stylist
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      Free glasses and good discount (50%, 25% for friends and family); truly kind, uplifting team in the showroom; well paced training; reasonable expectations of work (e.g. no unfair sales targets or commission, nobody expects you to remember 100% of optical training, lots of help) Customers are great and lots of good chat that makes the day go fast.

      Cons

      I wanted a minimum hours contract to balance with my other job, but the contract terms could be brutal (if they chose to take advantage of them) for someone looking for something more stable. If you wanted to climb the ladder from showroom to the office it would probably be a really long shot, but that’s true of retail in general.

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