Support Centre Case Studies
Andy – IT Helpdesk Manager
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I am Andy, I joined Pets at Home in November 2001 working as part of the IT Department based at the Support Centre in Handforth near Manchester, since then I have seen the team grow along with the business.
As Helpdesk Supervisor I am responsible for making sure that the varied computer systems across Pets at Home are repaired at the right time, by the right person..... and now with over 200 locations the right place! As part of a large IT Department I am responsible for making sure that each employee has the tools to do their job in the most efficient manner possible.
I enjoy working at Pets at Home; I get to work with some of latest technology and some of the friendliest hard working people I have met. There is always something interesting going on that I can get involved with in addition to my daily duties which is important to me as it allows me to keep learning and get better every day.
In my time at Pets at Home the organisation has continued to grow and I have been allowed to grow within the business making for an exciting time here so far.
Flo – Senior Buyer, Aquatics
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My name is Flo, I joined Pets at Home in October 2005 as a buyer from Morrison’s Supermarkets where I bought Household products; previous to that I bought Confectionery at World Duty Free and before that I worked at B&Q plc after graduation in 1997.
My current role as Senior Buyer for Aquatics, Reptile and Pond offers a unique challenge to that of mainstream retailing. At Pets at Home, the buyers will have a direct input into most of our product ranges through working closely with our suppliers to get the very best product for our customers.
Pets at Home are different from any other company I have worked for because we listen. We listen very carefully to our customers and pride ourselves on delivering great service not forgetting the buyers at Pets at Home are customers too so we know what we would like to see on our shelves.
The buying department is a young and creative team, one where we can experiment with new ideas and concepts; although we work hard we play hard too! We’re constantly busy so there’s never a dull moment with lots of opportunity to learn and develop.
Sue – Data Management
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My name is Sue and I have worked for Pets at Home now for the past 15 years and have enjoyed most of it!
When I started here there was only 1 store in Chester and I have seen this company grow to now having 200 stores. I previously worked for a firm of licence stock takers and brought my knowledge of stock file integrity to the business.
Following on from this, the need arose to have someone in the business to deal with promotion setup and price changes so my new role became Data Manager. I am now responsible for activating all promotions and ensuring that they work through the store tills and also to ensure that all price changes requested by the buying team are implemented also. We also ensure that any barcode changes that are required are met to make sure that store transactions are not affected.
My teams’ other responsibility is to ensure that any queries from stores and our direct store suppliers are answered, so we never have two days the same.Our department is a very busy one as we are effectively the hub for stores when any queries occur and we strive to help them where ever possible.
Anna – Management Accountant
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I joined Pets at Home in April 2006 as the Management Accountant as it was a fantastic opportunity to work for a fast growing retail business and develop my skills further.
I manage a team of five people, who are all a different levels of studying towards their accounting qualification.
The team are responsible for producing the Management accounts after the end of each period, and various other reports, such as: Store Performance Packs & Pet Performance Packs. These reports show the performance of the company as a whole and also by store level, providing the business with current information to aid in decision making. They also highlight how stores are performing against their targets, giving the business key performance indicators to enable people to focus on the relevant area’s to move the business forward and continually improve performance.
In addition to the ‘period end’ reporting, I am involved in the budgeting/re-forecasting process, providing key analysis to various departments in the business and adhoc projects which keeps my job interesting as there are always new initiatives going on at Pets at home for Finance to get involved with.
This role keeps me challenged everyday and making continuing progress in my career in an exciting environment.