Sue Stone joined Dinghams, Winchester as manager in 1999. She recently won the Excellence in Housewares Retail Employee of the Year Award. Housewares News puts five questions to 2018’s champion of the shop floor:
What do you like most about your job?
“Helping customers and fulfilling their requests, and working with all the staff here.”
How would you describe good customer service?
“Acknowledging customers when they come in the door with a smile or greeting but then letting them browse at their leisure. Then approach them to see if they need any help. The worst thing is when someone comes up to you the moment you walk into a shop to say, “Can I help you?”
How do you deal with challenging customers?
“Try to get them to leave smiling. Try to understand their problem and deal with any fault. Be pleasant – you want them to come back.”
What do you like most about housewares?
“I love selling knives – I know how important good knives are. I also enjoy selling cast iron because I have used it all my life and know it’s going to last and be useful. Next is bakeware as I’m a keen baker. But I love it all really!”
What is your best piece of work related advice?
“Never put saucepan on a high heat – always a medium heat and be careful when cleaning oils out of your pans so the surface doesn’t carbonate. Make sure you buy a sharpener with a knife and don’t put knives in the dishwasher.”
Top: Dinghams Winchester
