Love DO Week: Caring for generations

After 37 years as a dispensing optician, Tony Caffrey still loves helping people see clearly and feel confident in their glasses.

As a partner at Specsavers Dundee, he's cared for generations of families, supported colleagues to achieve their qualifications and helped build a culture where dispensing opticians are encouraged to grow. For Tony, investing in dispensing isn't just good for business. It's one of the best ways to support patients, develop future talent and strengthen the profession.

When you've been a dispensing optician for nearly four decades, you end up becoming part of the community.

Over the years, Tony has helped children choose their first pair of glasses, supported families through changing prescriptions and watched young patients return as adults with children of their own.

"Often, they'll come in and say, 'Oh my, Tony, you're still here,'" he says.

For Tony, that's one of the most rewarding parts of the profession. The relationships built with patients can last for years, sometimes even generations.

"It's always about relationships. When a patient has an issue, someone can step in and help resolve it."

While technology, products and services have evolved throughout his career, that focus on caring for people has remained the same.

Today, Tony is a partner at Specsavers Dundee, where he's passionate about helping others build rewarding careers in dispensing optics.

The store is home to a large and experienced dispensing team, including qualified dispensing opticians, trainee dispensing opticians and colleagues working towards qualifications at different stages of their careers.

For Tony, creating opportunities for people to learn and develop is a vital part of building a successful practice.

"We've always looked to allow people to progress."

Whether someone joins as an optical assistant or starts with ambitions of becoming a dispensing optician, career conversations begin early. Team members can see clear pathways to gaining qualifications, developing new skills and building long-term careers in optics.

"It's very good for attracting talent to the store when you can tell somebody, 'Look, we've got these people here who started off as an optical assistant and now are enjoying dispensing careers.'"

Tony believes investing in dispensing professionals benefits everyone. It helps patients receive support from skilled and knowledgeable teams, creates future leaders for the business and gives colleagues the opportunity to build meaningful careers doing work that matters.

Children's eyecare remains a particularly rewarding part of his role. Through dedicated appointments and specialist support, Tony and the team help young patients and their families find the right solutions for their needs.

Over time, those relationships often grow into something much bigger.

"You definitely get to know the families."

Some patients have even gone on to pursue careers in optics themselves.

"We have patients who are now optometrists with us. We've had patients who were little kids in our store who not only became patients but actually work for us."

After 37 years, Tony still spends time dispensing, supporting patients and helping solve the day-to-day challenges that make a difference to people's lives.

And when it comes to supporting dispensing opticians and helping them develop their careers?

"It's pretty much a no-brainer."