The Retail Appointment Magazine September 2017 TRAP_Sep 2017_DigitalEdition | Page 23

From Saturday girl to Section Manager Bernie has been with M&S her whole working life – rising from Saturday Assistant to Store Manager, and now working as a Section Manager. She took time out to let us in on some (early morning) Food Hall secrets. Aged 16, Bernie started at M&S as a Saturday assistant in Wood Green. Back then, she believed it was the only place to be. 24 years on, and over 10 stores later, Bernie is still proud to put on the uniform each morning – currently as a Section Manager at the M&S Cheshunt store. “The first thing I start with each day is the section takings,” she says. “So at 5am I’m checking to see if any of those areas need to be looked at. Next, I’ll allocate some of the team to do a date-check on the fridges and fill them. Then I’ll walk the hall with my second-in-command to make sure any risk areas we’ve highlighted have been addressed.” Bernie works with colleagues in the M&S Operations team to ensure stock gets to the right place on the sales floor. She’ll also help her own team with ‘packet perfect presentation’ and clear any clutter so that the floor looks tidy and inviting for early-door customers. “Later on, I’ll take team members on a section walk with me so that they can see what the customer sees. During the last half of my shift we’ll do careers.marksandspencer.com Sect Bernie, io n M ana ger standards checks, pulling stock forward ready for filling, date checks and top-ups. It takes a lot of work to make the fridges look so good all the time!” A Section Manager’s role also involves finding time for coaching, training and development. Then there’s a management meeting every day at which Bernie and her colleagues examine food safety findings, performance scores and – always at the top of the list – service and making every moment special for customers. Having been a Duty Manager and a Store Manager, Bernie took on a Section Manager role as it was better suited to her family commitments. She appreciates the work/life balance that it gives her, and also pitches in to make her team’s lives easier. “I wouldn’t ask them to do anything I wouldn’t do myself,” she says. “You’ll find me on the sales floor filling fridges alongside them if that’s what’s needed.” Bernie’s loyalty to the team is clearly returned. “They delivered an excellent Christmas last year. Some of them even volunteered to work through the night in December so that the day teams could keep the shelves stocked for customers.” We asked Bernie if she had any words of advice for potential new joiners. “Just give it a go. You won’t know what it’s like unless you try it.” Interested in joining Bernie as a Section Manager? Visit careers.marksandspencer.com/section-manager to find out more.