What is your greatest challenge and how do you tackle it?

Our greatest challenge is to convince the good folk of Kirkintilloch that this is the best place they have to shop. We do that by asking customers what they like and dislike, and from that the team produce an action plan. Everyone works to make it an excellent place to shop and we continue to work on our customer service. We also have staff who shop here to evaluate the service and look at it through the eyes of the customer. We can then see what changes should be made and how we can improve.

What makes the store so successful?

I believe 100% that the customer service we give here is second to none. We also have a good selection of fresh produce, which we believe is better than our competitors'.

What do you do in your spare time?

I play badminton and tennis. I also support the Glasgow Rangers football team and I occasionally go and watch them play.

What is the best thing about being a store manager?

The best thing is seeing the results of the staff working together as a team. Winning something like this is a fantastic achievement for the store and it's down to team support across the store. Successes like this aren't down to any one individual because everyone pulls together. It's things like this that make me proud.

What are your plans for the store?

The company is planning to look at development across Scotland and I believe Kirkintilloch will be part of that in the future. However, there are no plans for the store at present as it was bought four years ago and was then refitted.

How did you get into retail?

I left school at the tender age of 16 and tried working in factory jobs. I didn't enjoy it at all and went back to the careers officer and said I wanted to work in a retail environment.

Now years on, I have been in this store as general manager for nine months.

Topics