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INTERNATIONAL. The Moodie Report and sponsor Lacoste are proud to present a selection of the latest nominees in our The Front Line feature, which has appeared in The Moodie Report e-Zine since its launch just over a year ago. The Front Line allows retailers around the world to nominate sales staff they consider worthy of special recognition, and thus provides a showcase for the best exponents of customer service within our industry.
“We’re delighted with the positive response we’ve had to our Front Line feature, and have received some wonderful and inspiring nominations,” said The Moodie Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie. “As the first point of contact with the travelling consumer, sales staff are truly at the ‘front line’ of our industry and have an important ambassadorial role to play. We want to honour and promote that role. We encourage retailers from all regions to get involved by nominating the staff that are making a positive difference to their business every day.”
Devanlay Lacoste International Travel Retail Director Catherine Bonelli added: “Lacoste believes in providing the best possible service, both to our retail clients and to our end customers. As such we are very pleased to support the values expressed in The Front Line and to help recognise and reward the highest achievers on the shop floor. We invite all travel retailers to send their nominations and help us promote the highest standards of customer service.”
To nominate an employee from your company, email Martin Moodie at martin@themoodiereport.com with the following details:
– A picture of the employee (preferably in a work environment)
– Their job title and length of service with your company
– A short description (no more than 500 words) of what makes them exceptional
– A quote or comment from them (optional) on their approach to customer service.
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Nurbek Turdubaev |
WEEK 37
Employee: Nurbek Turdubaev, Luxury Sales Associate
Employer: Dufry Sharjah
Time in job: Ten months
Employer’s comments: At Dufry Sharjah we endeavour to appreciate and reward excellent customer service and sales staff performance on the shop floor. Luxury Sales Associate Nurbek Turdubaev outperformed himself in May 2012 thanks to his impeccable sales skills.
Nurbek always manages to convert walk-in visitors into “˜happy customers’ passing through Sharjah, and is skilled in dealing with customers from a wide range of countries – such as the Gulf States, Russia, India and many more. Apart from sales, Nurbek is a truly hard-working and dedicated employee who makes good use of the quieter periods between flights to organise, replenish and merchandise the shop.
We have a star rating system at Dufry Sharjah whereby our sales associates are awarded with a star each time they do something that goes above and beyond the call of their work. Thanks to his hard work and dedication Nurbek has been recognised as Star of the Month.
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Armen Unusyan |
WEEK 38
Employee: Armen Unusyan, Maintenance Supervisor
Employer: Dufry Armenia, Zvartnots International Airport Duty Free
Time in job: Five years
Employer’s comments: Armen Unusyan is responsible for a wide range of duties relating to customer service, and in particular supports the work of our cashiers – including training, evaluation and supervision. It is down to Armen’s devoted work and efficient multitasking that the store as a whole can provide such a good level of customer service.
Armen’s philosophy: “I’ve been working for the company for over five years because I enjoy my job; it is very challenging and stimulating, and I’m continually improving my knowledge and performance day by day.
“Of course there are sometimes difficult situations when you must be flexible and be ready to make quick and responsible decisions, but it’s very challenging and motivating. I like studying issues from a practical perspective and I enjoy working with people. I try to share my knowledge and approach with others. Providing a good service and getting positive feedback on customer satisfaction is my reward for the work I do.”
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Carrie Wong |
WEEK 39
Employee: Carrie Wong, Origins Beauty Advisor
Employer: DFS Group – Sun Plaza Galleria, Hong Kong
Time in job: Eight years
Employer’s comments: Carrie joined DFS in 2004 as a Sales Associate in our Ralph Lauren boutique, quickly demonstrating her commitment to our customers and winning awards for her work. In 2007 she decided to bring her personal touch to our Beauty World, and joined Origins as a Beauty Advisor. Regardless of her position, Carrie plays a key role in the Galleria team.
Not only is she consistently the top sales performer, she is also passionate about building customer relationships. She develops a level of trust that results in customers returning specifically to see Carrie, and coming back to DFS for life. Leading and coaching peers is another area in which Carrie excels. For example, on her first day back after a recent Beauty Advisor seminar in Seoul, she asked if she could brief the entire team, to share with them what she’d learned and improve their understanding of her brand.
Carrie’s enthusiasm and leadership are the keys to her personal success and are a tremendous contributor to our overall success at Sun Plaza. Carrie’s passion and professionalism have been recognised by the Origins Global High Performance Leadership Award and also in December 2011’s Employee of the Month award. She is a frequent contributor to our Success Story scheme, and for 2012 she has been accepted onto our elite Journeyman Development Program to further enhance her skills.
Carrie’s philosophy: “I treat all my customers as friends, and try to see things from their point of view at all times, so that I can anticipate and more than meet their needs. I surprise customers with my enthusiasm.”
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Jian Feng Lu |
WEEK 40
Employee: Jian Feng Lu, Senior Sales Assistant
Employer: Dufry Shanghai, Omega boutique
Time in job: Two years
Employer’s comments: At Dufry Shanghai we have lots of room for our talented sales staff to grow. Jian Feng’s outstanding performance meant he was promoted to Senior Sales Assistant after being with the team for only 12 months, and he was moved from a multibrand store to our Omega boutique.
Jian Feng is a highly energetic and self-motivated person, with a constantly cheerful demeanour when dealing with customers, enabling him to gain their trust. He shows his professionalism in sales, but he also provides excellent customer service and makes every effort to help his customers.
Jian Feng likes to share his experiences with fellow team members, to train them and help them to grow. And he shows a keen awareness of his customers’ needs. On many occasions he has sacrificed his own time to accompany customers to the brand service centre if they have any questions about the products we offer.
We thoroughly appreciate Jian Feng’s contribution to Dufry Shanghai. His hard work has made him a company treasure and a great role model for all our front line staff.
Jian Feng’s philosophy: “We don’t just sell products to customers; we help them to select the correct one. Attitude determines altitude; hard work brings good luck.”
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Jose Rodrigo |
WEEK 41
Employee: Jose Rodrigo, Sales & Service Specialist
Employer: World Duty Free Group, London Gatwick South Terminal
Time in job: 15 years
Employer’s comments: Jose has worked in a number of different departments since joining World Duty Free Group 15 years ago. Starting in replenishment for our smaller satellite shops, Jose moved into the Liquor, Tobacco and Confectionery department two years later as a Customer Service Assistant, and was promoted last year to Specialist within the same department.
He embraces product knowledge, seeing this as the key to great customer service, and he has participated in many internal and brand-led training programmes. Jose delights in sharing his knowledge with customers and colleagues. Jose is the ultimate target seller. He thrives on incentives and in his career with us has been awarded “˜Employee of the Year’, receiving his prize of a trip to New York from the CEO.
He is positive, very energetic and always happy and professional. One highlight was serving Pippa Middleton after last year’s royal wedding, but Jose gives the same exceptional level of service to all his customers. Despite the high regard in which he is held by colleagues, customers and the company, he is not conceited and simply loves his job. We are very lucky to have Jose at World Duty Free in Gatwick South.
Jose’s philosophy: “I love retailing at the airport. One day I’ll be wearing a kilt, the next a football kit, and the next I’ll be cheering for the Jubilee. We celebrate it all in this business. The opportunity to meet thousands of passengers every day and learn where they are going, what interests them, what they like taking back to their country of origin”¦ all of it fascinates me.
“I have learned so much since I joined World Duty Free Group. The company has provided me with trips to Scotland to understand how whisky is made, masterclasses in wine tasting, tobacco school, and all kinds of brand training to expand my knowledge so I can share it with customers. I love the satisfaction on peoples’ faces when they learn something new and which prompts them to buy the product.”
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Arjun Tyagi |
WEEK 42
Employee: Arjun Tyagi, Area Manager
Employer: LS travel retail North America, Boutique iStore, Vancouver International Airport
Time in job: One year
Employer’s comments: I have had the pleasure of working with Arjun since July 2011, writes LS travel retail North America Regional Director Danny Rodgers. Since day one Arjun has been the leader and role model or customer service excellence in the Boutique iStore. His exceptional knowledge of technology, outgoing personality and passion for interaction with customers are the key ingredients in his outstanding and consistent customer service.
Arjun creates an instant connection with each customer by taking the time to ensure all their questions are answered and that – whether a purchase is made or not – they leave our store having had a “˜wow’ experience. All of this is validated through customer comment cards, mystery shoppers, feedback from airport management and the airport’s employees, exit interviews with customers and e-mails to me from customers wanting to express the exceptional experience they have had with Arjun.
We have repeat customers who make the Boutique iStore a destination when travelling through Vancouver Airport, specifically to seek out Arjun – either for information, to make a purchase or just to say hello.
Arjun’s philosophy: “Customer service is unique in that understanding of it and expectation can be different for each customer. We aim to ensure our decisions are always made ethically; we live our values through team spirit; we act with utmost professionalism; we innovate and – most importantly in my book – we do all of these while having fun. This is what I believe is “˜going beyond’.
“Our goal, simply stated, is to “˜create a signature experience’. When we are able to create this moment for a customer, whether they make a purchase or not, we have created a customer for life. “In our world of travel retail, with competition literally across the hall in many cases, it is with customer service that we can truly differentiate ourselves.”
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