Liam Cunningham

For the online store assistant side of working at Re-wrapped this part included learning and managing multiple different online store platforms. This could range from correctly updating and categorising the product listings, producing marketing images with consideration of how best to appeal to an online shopper as well as general customer service with online queries or order issues. The warehouse assistant side included day-to-day activities from packaging up customer or wholesale orders, unboxing and organisation of new stock being delivered to the warehouse, regular stock checks and general cleaning and tidying of the work areas.

Re-wrapped itself is an eco friendly wrapping paper and cards retailer with a focus on producing high quality, artist commissioned designs made from biodegradable recycled materials. Due to the nature of this business this includes working over very busy and flexible holiday periods such as Christmas, that meant though my work tasks generally stayed the same the amount could double or triple in size at times. This meant working with a team and learning on the spot how to manage situations and having to understand the goal of my tasks completely to act efficiently while also still producing a high standard product that myself and my employer would be proud to send off to a one of our stockists or customers.

During late 2019 I moved to Devon for a few years for a complete life change, I had the opportunity to purchase a beach kiosk which apparently are a rarity and don't tend to be available very often. The first year meant running the business as it always had been, which was a basic ice cream offering and a variety of hot food and drinks. This was a very hard year of adjustment and navigation not only being self employed and running a business for the first time but also working in the fastest paced role I've ever had. Due to how seasonal the business was, working on the beach during the summer period is a tad busy, sometimes to the point it felt unmanageable. The basic tasks included hygiene and health and safety checks obviously being food establishment, tight stock management to cater to a large customer base as well as menu, pricing and marketing monitoring.

With being self employed this also meant learning to manage financing and accounting which was a very new task for me, this side of the role lead me to never really not be working though exposed me new skills to developed with efficiency. When opening at the beginning of the off season though their wouldn't be many tourists around so this meant relying on local trade, to build this customer base I established approachable relationships with my customers not only to offer a good service but to make the customer feel respected as a person not just another order, this often would lead to repeat visits.

The second year I made the decision to completely renovate and modernise the business that hadn't been touched since the 2000s. I made this to created a much more manageable working environment with a much more focused view point, aesthetic and offering. I focused on products sourced from local businesses or that were made in within Devonshire area. Though from working standpoint I'd made my day to day tasks more efficient, in ways the role becoming somewhat more stressful as now there was passion behind what I was doing

In the end after running business for four seasons I made the decision to move from Devon as it didn't feel the right place for me to look to settle. I value this time though as not many people get to experience running their own business in this way, more so being someone of my age so I'm very fortunate to have had this venture, I took a lot of pride in it and was glad to see it succeed and take the new skills I'd learned with me.

My first role happened to be a service adviser when I was in my teenage years so when moving back to my hometown and needing work I secured a role in a retail business I knew well. Once I began working the role was second nature and I soon was on the level of the duty managers, often being relied upon to manage the store solo in emergencies and going out of my way to make the store a more efficient working environment as I noticed things that could be improved, not only to make my role easier but also my colleagues.

During October 2018 I was practically given a management position when one became available which was amazing feeling that my work had been noticed. This change in role still included the basic retail work I'd done up until this point but now included bigger responsibilities from opening and closing the store, admin duties, staff shift management, highlighting areas that could be improved managing, mentoring and developing team members while still undertaking day-to-day tasks such as deliveries, stock management, declaring tills and liaising with other stores and senior and area management. I appreciate my time in this role as it prepared me for my future endeavours and showed that working hard had a benefit for both myself and others.

This was the first time a role that was very high pressure and stress with learning to adapt in a working environment quickly and effectively. Obviously being a medical field this meant ensuring that I fully understood the regulations with regards to working within medicine from advising regular products for aid to over the counter products and then any queries about prescribed medication. This role was hard due to my lack of knowledge or experience, this was my second job that I was surprised I was offered but I learn quickly and have a desire to perform well. Other actives included liaising with suppliers and managing stock levels and by ordering medications either over the phone or on the computer system which I had to learn utilising correctly. In the customer service aspect I needed to make sure I was as polite and approachable as I could be, more so in this type of role. Customers would be needing advice with very personal issues or conditions that aren't always the most comfortable to talk about with a stranger. Then I'd have make sure I was educating myself regularly on products so I understood the regulations when advising customers on particular treatments and explaining the benefits and any possible side effects. The hardest part would be dealing and managing expectations on prescription requests and incomplete or unreceived prescriptions. Due to the nature of the business some customers could become aggressive with me when things were working in the ways they expected. Being quite a calm and relaxed person I managed to navigate these situations well to relieve tension as best I could but at times it was hard and easily one of the hardest customer service roles I've done but I'm glad for the experience both in a working and general life way.

This was my first job where I worked as a cashier in a petrol station so this had the added aspect of authorising forecourt fuel requests with general store work. The role itself being a first time job was mostly the basics of learning to engage with customers, encouraging up-selling, keeping shelves and displays tidy, store cleaning and stock management.

During school, I completed a two-week work experience program at a garden centre this introduced me to dealing with a wide range of customers while also developing my confidence and then learning about the workings of retail environment.