Kern Keeley

• Paid consistent attention to resident pets; monitoring of overall health, behaviour, food/water intake, and gut health throughout pets' boarding stay.
• Educated pet owners on best practices for aiding grooming, feeding, and exercise, offering examples of activities or methods used in our facility.
• Followed veterinarian instructions provided by clients on drop-off and followed care plans to administer medications or convalescent foods, trying different foods & methods to encourage appetites when appropriate.
• Comforted animals of all temperaments to reduce distress and improve pets' experience of our busy facility, hopefully improving their response to future boarding stays.
• Monitored food supply levels according to demand, rotated stock, received stock deliveries & checked off order list, reported low-stock items, and assisted in the creation of new stock orders.
• Maintained a high level of sanitation of all indoor and outdoor areas in all weather (including power washing exercise areas & outdoor runs using Anigene chemical to the appropriate dilution), taking pride in a standard of cleanliness for a very large boarding facility.
• Exercised dogs of all breeds/temperaments on walks or secured play areas & handled all types of cats, specialising in the care of reactive/aggressive cats and dogs with well-developed risk assessment.
• Provided temporary emergency care to animals while awaiting veterinary treatment.
• Communicated directly with clients regarding their animal on drop off & collection of pets and filled out intake forms, including communication with clients through email/phone/in person. Contacting listed Emergency Contacts when the need arose.
• Created & updated clients' profiles with up-to-date information including creating boarding reservations or altering existing bookings, created email templates, and handled & recorded cash/card payments both digitally and for paperwork.
• Provided compassionate care & support to clients requiring additional support including disabled clients, clients with communication difficulties, or clients going through difficult personal life periods (including pet end-of-life stages, pet/family death, upsetting diagnoses, and other personal struggles that can affect how the client may respond to information). Consistently sought out by my team to respond to pet death emails with thoughtful condolences or for any client complaints, highly praised for my patience and professional responses.
• Managed business social media pages, including photographing boarding animals for Instagram & Facebook.
• Kept my team updated frequently, reporting any concerns back to my team for discussion and escalating any major concerns regarding pet health to management for veterinary treatment.
• Taught Vet students, school work experience students, and new staff members the daily facility routine and correct methods of sanitation. Giving guidance on correct handling methods, how to read animal behaviour, and encouraging the development of risk assessment by offering demonstrations and detailed explanations of potential risks. Aiding in their confidence building through creating a supportive environment for learning and offering more in-depth handling opportunities when possible.
• Took potential clients for facility viewings, giving detailed information to reassure nervous pet owners unsure of boarding their pets.
• Finding alternative solutions for desperate pet owners who are not certain if our service is suitable for their pet or if we cannot accommodate the needs of said pet appropriately (Eg: Pet is recently adopted & highly anxious with the noise of other dogs, as our facility has 57 boarding kennels we are unable to guarantee noise would not cause excessive stress for a long-term stay. Recent adoption might mean new owners have not discovered potential coping mechanisms for their pet and the dog is still adapting to their new home environment. Potential recommendations include overnight trial stays, food motivation to build positive associations with staff members, boarding stays during quieter parts of the year to limit potential noise, or suggesting separate smaller local kennel we have viewed & recommend).

• Provided excellent customer service to a wide client base, offered helpful advice to best meet customer wants, and provided any additional assistance to disabled or anxious customers. Offered assistance with selecting merchandise, finding appropriate accessories, directing customers to the best product according to their wishes, and occasionally setting up purchased items for customer ease (Often for elderly customers).
• Accepted and processed cash, card, mobile payments, and processed returns.
• Used product knowledge, sales abilities, and customer relations skills to provide the best in customer service, de-escalating situations with confidence with the goal of customers leaving our store feeling happier.
• Consistent stock rotation, unpacking new stock & reorganising of new stock displays in accordance with Poundstretcher's Display Guidance.
• Theft prevention including monitoring of high-risk areas.
• Answering customer queries with in-depth knowledge of store products and holiday information. Regular communication with staff team & management, always working towards building a friendly and supportive work environment for all my colleagues.
• Highly praised and sought out for managing customer complaints with excellent conflict management skills.
• Worked energetically to maintain efficient store flow during peak operating hours.
• Maintained impeccably high standards of store presentation and hygiene through consistent cleaning & reorganising.
• Built lasting relationships with clients through customer service interactions.

Six-month SCVO contract offered me the opportunity to work for Shelter Scotland as a Sales Assistant.

• Provided service with a smile, offering courteous, helpful advice to best meet customer needs. Offering a friendly space for regular clients and encouraging sales.
• Entrusted with running the small shop on my own including delegating tasks to volunteers during the store manager's sickness.
• Intake & processing of donations, and sorting through donations to deem for sale or for recycling. Steamed or spot cleaning of donations prior to sale (setting electronic items aside for safety testing prior to sale).
• Evaluation of a wide range of donated items for appropriate pricing, occasionally searching item value to ensure the Shelter charity received appropriate funding from sales.
• Continuous maintenance of shop cleanliness & shop window display, regular rotation of window display items to encourage new interest with the goal of increasing client base.
• Theft prevention including monitoring of outdoor displays.
• Supported a friendly environment with management, coworkers, and volunteers.
• Handling of cash and card payments including processing of returns, end-of-day cash duties, transportation of money to the bank for processing, & updating appropriate paperwork.

Summer Job following Prince's Trust Team Program

• Verified all boarding pets received consistent food, water, and exercise according to care needs.
• Assisted in making up pet feeds in accordance with provided instructions.
• Checked security of kennels, cat pens, exercise runs, play areas, and main gates regularly to prevent risk of escape.
• Sanitation of dog kennels & cat pens including power washing of outdoor areas, maintaining a high level of cleanliness in all areas of the facility.
• Monitoring cat food intake twice daily, keeping an eye on general health/behaviour as well as monitoring litter trays.
• Exercising dogs of all sizes & breed types on walks or in play areas, reporting any issues to the management team.
• Administered oral medications under supervision.

12 Week Team Program

This program supports young people as they enter the workforce, teaching life skills including food safety, team building, communication development, and budgeting.

• Demonstrated proper food handling and safety standards.
• Collaborated and offered support with extra tasks to meet team goals.
• Worked on the Rosebank Allotment in Kirkintilloch with my team, including direct involvement in the installation of wooden animal sculptures in woodland areas, and light tree management in forest areas as well.
• Received Princes Trust TEAM Program reward upon completion.