Susan Dunn from Spar Carnoustie was named Employee of the Year at this year’s SLR Rewards, and has just enjoyed a fabulous five-star break in Glasgow. We caught up with her to see what she’s been up to since winning, and discover what she believes makes a great member of staff.
Being named Employee of the Year means you must be excelling in every area of your work and that was certainly the case with Susan Dunn from Spar Carnoustie, who took the Reward at this year’s SLR Rewards in June.
In addition to the plaudits that go with such an accolade, Susan won an overnight stay at a luxury hotel. After carefully considering her options she chose to come to Glasgow with husband Ben and stay at the five-star Blythswood Hotel.
“We had a great time. It was good to get a wee break”, says Susan. “We’ve got two kids and everything you do revolves around them, so it was nice to get some grown-up time!”
She and Ben chose Glasgow for a specific reason too. “The hotel was amazing and we used to stay in Glasgow, so we got to explore the city and see some of our old haunts.”
Susan is a hugely impressive member of staff, with an ambition to match her workrate and dedication. Having started working as a part-time early morning member of staff, Susan became a senior supervisor at the store, where judges commended her highly professional attitude and focus. She’s also a community councillor, which has helped her relationship with shoppers.
Since winning the Reward, Susan has changed jobs – in fact she got a new position with CJ Lang the same month. She is now a Training Advisor for the company, and visits company-owned stores to carry out training and audits.
“It’s the best move I’ve ever made,” she says. “I love it. I miss my old store and talking to customers, but I still get to spend a lot of time in stores so I enjoy that aspect of it.”
And spending time with customers is what Susan says is one of the important things anyone working in local retail can do. “You have to get to know your customers – whether you’re the store owner or staff. We’re lucky in local retailing that most of the customers will live nearby, so it’s important to be part of that community.”
