Rubi Suarez

Working at The Thames Court, part of the Mitchells & Butlers chain, has been an invaluable experience that has allowed me to apply and further develop the sales and customer service skills I’ve gained throughout my previous roles. As a waitress, my responsibilities included greeting and seating guests, taking and delivering food and drink orders, maintaining a high standard of service, and ensuring every customer had an enjoyable dining experience. One of the most rewarding aspects of the role was the opportunity to upsell and recommend menu items whether suggesting wine pairings, promoting specials, or introducing new desserts. This experience reinforced my ability to engage with customers, understand their preferences, and confidently make recommendations that enhance their experience while increasing sales.Having previously worked in luxury and high-pressure environments, I was able to bring a polished, customer-focused approach to this role. I’ve learned how to connect with different types of customers, adapt my communication style, and use active listening to build rapport—skills that are directly transferable to a sales consultant position.Overall, working at The Thames Court has strengthened my ability to combine service with sales, manage multiple priorities efficiently, and maintain professionalism under pressure. These experiences have given me the confidence and versatility to succeed in a sales consultant role, where understanding customer needs, building relationships, and delivering results are key.

Caviar House primarily operated across all Heathrow and Gatwick terminals however additionally to this, at Ascot Racecourse once or twice a month and a week in June for Royal Ascot. I started this role in June 2022, the month of Royal Ascot. I had to quickly adapt to the demand and intensity, as this was the busiest period of the year for Ascot. It was an exceptional opportunity to utilise my past experience in sales but adapt it to a different environment with diverse clientele. Due to the dynamic and time sensitive nature of the racecourse environment, I learned to be highly aware of my surroundings and respond quickly. I learned how to swiftly evaluate customers' needs, provide concise yet persuasive product information, and close transactions while maintaining the luxury experience. This work helped me improve my sales skills by showing me how to add value through narrative, product expertise, and personal connections. I found the value of understanding customer psychology—knowing when to upsell, how to communicate exclusivity, and how to make each guest feel unique. Overall, working at the caviar bar at Ascot Racecourse improved my confidence, communication and sales strategy skills, enabling me to thrive in high-pressure, premium service environments.

Whilst working at Ascot Racecourse the managers recognised my desire to grow and better myself in the company and therefore offered me a position in Terminal 4 at Heathrow Airport to aid the success of their bar. In my role at the Caviar Bar, I provided high-quality customer service in a fast-paced, luxury environment. Responsibilities of this role included welcoming and assisting international travellers, taking orders, serving food and drinks. With the bar being inside of the airport, it meant that on top of standard health and safety rules, strict security procedures had to be taken into account at all times. Working in an airport also taught me the importance of efficiency and adaptability. Many guests were on tight schedules, so I had to balance delivering a premium experience with providing quick and seamless service. This developed my ability to read situations quickly, prioritize effectively, and close sales under time pressure, all while maintaining composure and professionalism. I learned to adjust my approach to each guest, whether they were familiar with high-end delicacies or eager first-timers searching for a memorable experience before their flight. Understanding each customer's needs, preferences, and level of knowledge allowed me to establish a consultative sales approach. Instead of merely presenting items, I learned to convey their stories, explaining flavour profiles, pairing alternatives, and origins which regularly resulted in increased sales and consumer pleasure. This role has been a valuable and unique experience that has significantly enhanced my sales and customer service skills.

As a Shop Assistant at a busy bakery, my role involved providing friendly and efficient customer service while maintaining high standards of cleanliness and presentation. I served customers at the counter, handling card and cash payments also ensuring products were prepared for display and sale. With this being my first job role, it was my first opportunity to identify my strengths, weaknesses and passions. Strengths I found I had included good communication, teamwork and the ability to work well during busy periods. These skills aided me in successful sales and building strong customer and peer relationships, which provided me with confidence and comfort within the company. Additionally, this role highlighted areas I needed to work on whilst providing me a place to practice and improve. During busy periods the shop would be hectic due to the amount of customers, I would be left feeling nervous, unsure how to handle unhappy customers and manage customer complaints. I understood this would only prevent me from being the confident and enthusiastic member of staff, which I aimed to be. So to improve during the busy periods, I would follow the process of listening patiently, staying polite, apologise if needed. If it was a situation that my knowledge and expertise didn't cover, I would ask for a supervisor's help when necessary to ensure the correct information is provided to the customer. One of the many lessons I learned from this workplace was learning company policies helps build confidence in responding appropriately. Ultimately my first job enabled me to have the desire to grow by teaching responsibility and a strong work ethic.