Wiktoria has a heart of gold, which shone through over the last year when coronavirus took hold. She has supported elderly residents at Pegasus Court throughout the crisis. “At Christmas and the summer holidays we put together a hamper of Co-op products or send them flowers that are going out of date,” she says. “They come over here as well. They find it hard to cross the road or do their shopping on their own, so we help them.”
She explains that a personal touch was required when many elderly were forced to stay indoors. “Most of them weren’t allowed to come out during the pandemic so they’d ring us and tell us what they need on the phone and we’d do their shopping for them and take it over.”
She has also been working hard on developing a close relationship with the local authorities. “The police come here quite regularly,” she says. “At first they came in to check up on us, then we started giving them free coffees to get them through their shift. Now they come in four times a week. It doesn’t really cost us anything and it makes their day a bit better. Me and my manager Jess brainstormed the idea.”
In addition, she has been showing the shop’s support for the NHS. As well as leading the Clap for Carers last year, she and her colleagues decided to get creative. “Outside of Spies Lane there was a dull wall made for POS posters, which we never used to receive, so we decided to paint something for the NHS - a Thank you poster,” she explains. “A lot of customers said how good it looked and it stands out and it’s nice to do something for the NHS.”
Wiktoria is quick to praise members of her team. “If someone does something well in-store that you appreciate we’ve got little cards where you can comment who it is and what they’ve done for you,” she explains. “I enjoy doing them because I know a lot of people appreciate feedback. We always have open and honest conversations with colleagues. They know they can trust me and I trust them as well. It’s nice because everyone is so close - you can talk to everyone.”
All the while she has been at the store, she has been keeping her Co-op colleagues up to date via regular Twitter posts. “Everything that I’ve done I’ve tried to show it off on Twitter - not just for me, but for the team,” she says. “Last year, everyone was really busy with covid, but I took time after my shift to write something positive. I’ve posted about warehouse and store standards, Pegasus Court and the PCSOs coming to visit. Colleagues might see the posts and take inspiration to do it themselves.”
Find out who wins the Sales Colleague of the Year category at The Convenience Awards 2021 by booking your ticket here!
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