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MERCHANT FOCUS: RISING STARS


MOHSIN AHOUCHI Job title: Management Trainee, Graham Plumbers Merchant


What’s your role?


I am a management trainee at the Horsham branch of Graham Plumbers’ Merchants and currently my role encompasses everything from serving customers to returning stock and picking orders in the warehouse to Perpetual Product Inventory (PPI) checks. I also help at other branches where they need additional staff, so I get to work with other teams too.


How did you get into this industry? I was looking for a field where I could hone my problem solving and customer service skills and I have worked previously in construction and design. One of the main reasons for joining this business is Saint-Gobain’s core ethical policies.


What might a typical day for you at work be? A typical day for me might start with helping out at the counter with the morning rush. This will usually go on to about 10am at which point I may help with deliveries and picking items for delivery. Depending on where I am needed, in the afternoon I might return to the warehouse or the counter to help. At approximately 3:30pm I try to get away from the day-to-day routine downstairs and head upstairs to my desk to check emails and complete a course or two on Boost - our staff training platform.


What were you doing at work last week? Besides the usual work for the day-to-day operation of the branch, we had a big delivery arrive so I spent quite some time sorting the products into their correct locations. At least one day a week I try to work on something not connected to the daily branch tasks. Last week I was working on a longer term project set by my manager.


What are your big challenges in this role? As with any new job, in my role I have met a lot of new people and had to find ways to form relationships with them. I enjoy meeting new colleagues and the opportunity it gives me to find out more about them. I think my kind, light-hearted nature puts me in good stead. Of course there are other challenges as well, for example learning the systems in place, but I believe if you have a good relationship with those around you they will offer you their help and knowledge when you require it. I don’t think I would be where I am now if I had not accumulated as much knowledge as I have from my colleagues.


What do you love about your role?


My personal ethics align almost perfectly with those of Saint-Gobain. I love coming to work in a place where I feel like the things that matter to me also matter to the company as a whole. This has not been the case in some of my previous jobs and it can make it a much less enjoyable place to work. I


May 2020 www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net


also look forward to one day working with my own team. Ever since I ran a small business for ‘Young Enterprise’, a scheme run by HSBC, I have wanted to manage people.


What do you think has been your biggest achievement so far in your role?


During my time so far, I have been asked to cover in other branches, which I have always enjoyed. On one occasion there was another branch that was under-staffed and needed someone to fulfil the role of Branch Manager. I was given the opportunity to take up the job for a day, which was great. I really enjoyed the experience and it gave me my first taste of what it’s like to run a branch.


What would you like to achieve next? The training course is 18 months long and I am just entering month 10, I believe for me to be speaking about future achievement is a bit too soon. However, in saying that, I hope to one day be able to have the knowledge some of my colleagues have with regards to the industry. I am using the tools provided to work on this but there is a lot to learn. I have found that a lot of the time you learn more by getting stuck in and doing the job. I believe a lot of my knowledge has been, and will be gained from watching my colleagues and talking to customers.


What advice would you give someone new to this industry?


Don’t stress yourself, there is an awful lot to learn, but there are mediums provided to help in the process. Above all, respect your colleagues no matter what position they hold, if you do this, I am sure they will be more than happy to assist you should you need help. Ultimately, do not be afraid to get stuck in and make mistakes – often this is the best opportunity to learn.


What would you say to someone thinking about a career/getting a job in the merchant industry? Go for it, even if you don’t have the industry knowledge or any trade background. Speaking from personal experience, you will quickly pick up what you need to know, especially if like with Graham, your employer actively invests in training. Also, if you are a people person sometimes the most rewarding thing is going home every night knowing you have helped people and solved issues they may have, and at Graham we strive to achieve this on a daily basis.


What are the changes you foresee the industry making in order to survive the future? As with every industry, technology is already having a huge impact and that will only continue in the future. Merchants like Graham have already made steps into the online market but this will need to be at the forefront of all of our minds.


MANAGER’S VIEW


Kelvin Rudd, Branch Manager


Mohsin has integrated


exceptionally well into Graham life and is now 10 months into his management training program with the Graham brand. He has established himself within the team and gained valuable on- the-job experience alongside his training program, which has given Mohsin the opportunity to network and share experiences with colleagues from across all of the Saint-Gobain brands. Mohsin has done well and shown particular interest in cultivating customer intimacy working closely within the sales office and trade counter area experiencing and understanding the many different types of customers and their bespoke requirements. Mohsin has


expressed an interest in innovation, design and technology to further his career within Saint- Gobain following his completion of his management training program.


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