- Camping
- Walking
- Cycling
- Cooking
- Wildlife
- The outdoors
- Spending quality time with family
JONATHAN CHARLES
Bournemouth
Summary
Results-driven professional with 25 years in retail, food service, wholesale distribution, and seafood sales. Built customer loyalty and resolved issues to drive sales growth. Collaborated effectively with customers, suppliers, and operational teams, utilising strong communication and problem-solving skills to enhance customer satisfaction and support business growth.
Overview
30
30
years of professional experience
Work History
Customer Relations & Sales Advisor
Country Fare
03.2024 - Current
- Consistently achieved or surpassed sales targets.
- Built and maintained customer relationships with food-service and hospitality clients, enhancing loyalty and satisfaction.
- Identified customer needs through effective questioning and recommended appropriate products.
- Act as key contact for enquiries, product advice, and order support.
- Deliver responsive customer service through telephone, email, and in-person interactions.
- Handled customer queries and complaints professionally, swiftly restoring satisfaction and fostering trust.
- Resolved customer issues and complaints with quick-thinking problem-solving.
- Listened intently to customers to identify upselling opportunities.
- Built exceptional customer satisfaction by delivering friendly service.
- Collaborated with team members to share best practices and improve overall sales performance.
Food Preparation Assistant
Country Fare
05.2023 - 03.2024
- Maintained exceptional food safety, hygiene and quality standards.
- Prepared, packed and labelled products accurately to customer specifications.
- Completed work to agreed standards and specifications.
- Collaborated with production team to streamline processes and improve efficiency. within the production team to achieve daily operational targets.
- Developed extensive knowledge of Country Fare products, production processes and customer requirements.
- Contributed to a positive work environment, fostering high staff morale.
- Joined Country Fare to enhance expertise in wholesale food operations. to return to the wholesale food industry and develop wider food-service expertise.
Customer Service Representative
LV=
03.2023 - 05.2023
- Provided outstanding customer service for motor insurance customers.
- Maximised customer satisfaction by resolving service issues promptly.
- Managed inbound customer service calls, efficiently resolving queries and complaints to uphold satisfaction levels.
- Resolved customer issues whilst maintaining regulatory and company standards.
- Addressed customer service enquiries promptly and accurately to ensure customer satisfaction.
- Handled policy enquiries, provided claims support, and generated new business quotations to enhance customer experience.
- Oversaw customer account inquiries, accurately providing information to resolve service complaints and guarantee customer satisfaction.
- Assisted customers with product-related questions, feedback and complaints.
- Demonstrated empathy, attention to detail and strong digital system skills.
- Maintained detailed records of customer interactions to facilitate efficient follow-up and continuous service improvement.
- Guaranteed first-class customer service, enthusiastically anticipating and catering to customer needs and requirements.
Market Street Fish Manager, Fishmonger & Butchery Support
Morrisons
09.2018 - 03.2023
- Managed stock control, product presentation, and food safety compliance while reducing waste and ensuring availability.
- Provided specialist fishmonger expertise alongside support within the butchery department.
- Delivered exceptional customer service within busy fresh food retail operations.
- Built customer loyalty through specialist product knowledge and personalised service.
- Supported department sales performance and key operational targets.
- Led and coached colleagues while maintaining high standards of teamwork and customer experience.
- Managed inventory control, reducing waste and ensuring optimal stock levels at all times.
- Developed and delivered training programmes that enhanced team skills and performance.
- Monitored staff performance and developed improvement plans.
- Conducted performance reviews, identifying areas for development and rewarding high achievers.
- Optimised workforce scheduling, balancing team workload to prevent burnout and maintain morale.
- Oversaw compliance with regulatory standards, achieving successful inspections with no violations.
- Cultivated work environment focused on personal responsibility, continuous improvement and delivering high-quality results.
- Supported employee morale and well-being by developing positive practices centred on career development and individual job satisfaction.
- Advised senior management on facilities needs and delivered ongoing operational support.
Senior Sales & Customer Relations Executive / Branch Buyer
M&J Seafood
09.2001 - 09.2018
- Exceeded sales targets and won a company incentive holiday to Palma in recognition of outstanding sales performance.
- Managed and developed customer accounts across independent businesses and national customers.
- Built long-term relationships through exceptional customer service and account management.
- Developed strategic client relationships to enhance collaboration.
- Monitored customer satisfaction and KPI performance to identify commercial opportunities.
- Delivered high level of service to customers in an effort to build upon future relationships.
- Communicated effectively with customers, suppliers and senior management.
- Oversaw operations to ensure alignment with organisational targets.
- Cultivated industry relationships to promote services and enhance business operations.
- Supported branch purchasing and stock control while ensuring quality assurance and waste management compliance.
- Maintained compliance with food safety, BRC and quality standards.
- Kept organisation in compliance with regulations and internal requirements.
- Established company targets based on previous performance and predicted forecasts.
Processing Manager
Okeford Shellfish
05.2000 - 09.2001
- Ensured compliance with food safety, quality, and health & safety standards, safeguarding product integrity.
- Managed shellfish processing, ensuring quality control, batch traceability, and efficient distribution.
- Maintained customer relationships, meeting delivery expectations for nationwide clientele.
Harvesting Manager
Othneil, Poole Harbour
02.1996 - 05.2000
- Planned harvesting schedules and optimised operational processes to maximise yield and minimise downtime.
- Managed harvesting and depuration operations in Poole Harbour, ensuring quality and compliance with regulations.
- Led operational teams, coordinated equipment usage, and enforced health and safety protocols to safeguard personnel and operations.
Education
National Higher Diploma - Fish Farm Management
Sparsholt College
Winchester10 GCSEs - including Maths and English
Corfe Hills Secondary School
DorsetIntroduction to Developing Personal Study Skills -
National Open College Network
Corfe Mullen, DORCity & Guilds Level 2 Adult Numeracy -
City & Guilds of London Institute
London, ENGOCR Level 2 ITQ -
Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations
OxfordOCR CLAiT Plus International Certificate -
Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations
Orford, SFKCity & Guilds Accredited Telesales - Seafood Masterclass
City & Guilds of London Institute
London, ENGSkills
- Customer Service Excellence
- Customer Relations
- Customer Engagement
- Complaint resolution
- Upselling techniques
- Sales tracking
- Account Management
- Client relations
- Sales driven
- Retail Operations
- Stock Control
- Inventory control
- Stock management
- Quality Assurance
- Quality control
- Regulatory Compliance
- Team Training
- Teamwork & Collaboration
- Team collaboration
- Digital Communication
- Communication Skills
- Responsive listening
- Creative problem-solving
- Problem Solving
- Customer retention
- Relationship management
- Communication
- Merchandising
- Selling techniques
- Responsive listening
- Customer retention
Interests
Timeline
Customer Relations & Sales Advisor
Country Fare
03.2024 - Current
Food Preparation Assistant
Country Fare
05.2023 - 03.2024
Customer Service Representative
LV=
03.2023 - 05.2023
Market Street Fish Manager, Fishmonger & Butchery Support
Morrisons
09.2018 - 03.2023
Senior Sales & Customer Relations Executive / Branch Buyer
M&J Seafood
09.2001 - 09.2018
Processing Manager
Okeford Shellfish
05.2000 - 09.2001
Harvesting Manager
Othneil, Poole Harbour
02.1996 - 05.2000
National Higher Diploma - Fish Farm Management
Sparsholt College
10 GCSEs - including Maths and English
Corfe Hills Secondary School
Introduction to Developing Personal Study Skills -
National Open College Network
City & Guilds Level 2 Adult Numeracy -
City & Guilds of London Institute
OCR Level 2 ITQ -
Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations
OCR CLAiT Plus International Certificate -
Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations
City & Guilds Accredited Telesales - Seafood Masterclass
City & Guilds of London Institute