Meet the team responsible

Introducing Emma our Cambridge store manager. It was soon obvious to us that Emma was an invaluable member of the SageBrown family. After her initial 6 - week induction, she single-handedly managed the shop on her own for 2 weeks due to unforeseen circumstances that couldn’t be avoided. This was during one of the busiest times of the year, but nothing seemed to phase her, and she just got on with the job.

Her attributes are in abundance; she is hardworking, keen to learn, polite, responsible, reliable, intelligent, articulate, and creative too. As a key figure in the store’s success, here we ask her what she likes most about her job.

"I have always enjoyed retail, particularly conversing with customers, so I would say that what I mostly enjoy is having a very social job. It’s nice to strike up a conversation with customers. We meet some really interesting people from all over the world visiting Cambridge, and it is always a joy to see them in awe of the products we display and helping them find the perfect handbag or wallet."

Introducing Rebecca, our assistant manager. Right from the get-go it was obvious that she was quick and eager to learn all aspects of the job. Within a very short period of time Rebecca has become a key component in the smooth running of SageBrown Cambridge. She is bright, efficient, organised, friendly, reliable, hardworking, and responsible. Don't be fooled by her calm demeanour as she is a force to be reckoned with and a shrewd sales person.

Here's what she has to say about why she likes working at SageBrown.

 About Cambridge Bid

Cambridge is a global city at an important time in its development - seeking to balance the fast-growing business sector, its place as a prime visitor destination and its role as a great seat of education and learning. Its challenges include moving people in and around the city, managing air quality and ensuring it remains a great place to live and work for all. Cambridge BID plays a key role in responding to these challenges.

What is the project?

Cambridge BID facilitates two mystery shop visits to participating businesses giving them a unique opportunity to understand how they are viewed by their current and prospective customers. The project provides businesses with a comprehensive breakdown of the mystery-shop via de-brief sessions as well as opportunities for staff to take part in training that are common areas for improvements.

There are different categories such as cafes, restaurants, hotels, leisure and retail to name a few and each category has a winner and runner up who receive prizes at the BID Awards evening, which was held in January 2022.

We have recently had feedback from our secret shopper and are absolutely thrilled to say we got over 90% in all areas that include, products, image, service, sales, local knowledge and overall impression.

Here are some of the feedback highlights.

I walked into the store and was instantly given a very warm welcome by a member of staff who was behind the counter. They said hello and asked me how my day was going, which was a very nice personal touch. I began to look at items in the store. As I was browsing the same server came over to me and offered me assistance. They asked if there was anything in particular I had in mind. I said I was just passing and I could do with a new wallet and saw some in the window that attracted me in. They begin to ask me questions on what type of wallet I required, for example whether I used coins, or notes or just cards. I said I was not really bothered about a coin compartment, so they began to show me their most classic design. I was asked if there was any specific colour I had in mind and was shown a few options which they had. As I looked through, there was colour that really grabbed my eye and it was a red and black wallet.

The server began to talk me through the different benefits of the wallet - for example it had a magnetic tape inside so that your cards couldn't be copied and it was their more quality leather which had a really luxurious feel to it. They said over time that it would look a little dull but you were provided with a pad which would restore it, and it would always feel smooth I then raised my objection to the price and said that I was looking for something more around the £80 pounds mark. It was great the level of knowledge they had about the cost of the items and what was available as they managed to find something similar for that price level, they also showed me other colours which were available just at this lower price.

They also then showed me a different design around this price which was a more modern look and had a note clip as we made general conversation about cash and how people were using less since the pandemic and I said personally I was using less so actually a note section probably wasn’t needed. Again the benefits of this wallet were explained to me too.

I said I needed to go away and have a think about the purchase and they offered to write down all of what they had shown me so that I would be able to find it online and come back at a later date with the exact information I needed. I thought this was a great example of a member of staff going above and beyond to help customers.

We are really overwhelmed by all these lovely comments. We genuinely do care about every single customer whether they shop online or in-store and value them as people not just purchasers.

Come and pay us a visit and discover for yourself that customer service is still well and truly alive.

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