- August 14, 2024
Please could you talk us through your background in Facilities Management and your career journey at SBFM?
Hi! I’ve been in Facilities Management for around 10 years in total. I joined SBFM in 2021 and since then, I’ve had an exciting journey marked by significant development and progression.
I began as a Helpdesk Manager, overseeing a large team of Account Executives. My role involved ensuring fantastic service for our clients, maintaining their satisfaction with our services and managing the communication between SBFM’s account team and our frontline colleagues.
My dedication to always putting the client first and going above and beyond to meet their needs was recognised early on. This focus on client satisfaction led to my promotion to Account Manager and then to Senior Account Manager for several of our market-leading high street retail clients.
In these roles, I managed day-to-day operations, frequently visited stores, and implemented continuous improvements. My commitment to client satisfaction was consistently praised by both SBFM and our clients. This recognition culminated in my promotion to my current role as Business Unit Director for high street retail.
What are your main responsibilities as Business Unit Director for high street retail?
My role involves building strong relationships with clients and directing our teams to ensure we are delivering high standards of service across our national retail portfolios. I monitor contract and team performance and strive to exceed expectations with our clients – always looking for potential areas for innovation, efficiency, and added value. My passion is to deliver the best possible service and build long lasting partnerships with our clients.
What are your personal highlights and proudest moments at SBFM?
Throughout my career at SBFM, I have been recognised for my approach by clients and the leadership team and have achieved several promotions as a result. Progressing to a position where I am now responsible for SBFM’s success in the high street retail sector is a massive personal achievement, and one that I am incredibly proud of. It’s amazing to work closely with such significant names in high street retail, engaging and collaborating with them to help their stores be the best they can be and supporting their customers to have the best experiences possible.
I’m also proud to have won two awards at SBFM, one at each of our annual Impact Award celebrations. The first was for customer excellence, due to continued client satisfaction, and the second was the “Helen Nicholson” award. Helen was our HR Director, who sadly lost her life to cancer in November 2023. The award embodies all the qualities that made Helen so special, and all the values at SBFM, so receiving that award was a huge honour and a moment I’ll never forget.
I’m happy to say I’ve had a hugely rewarding time with SBFM so far, with hopefully many more memorable moments to come.
What are the key considerations within high street retail FM?
Enhancing the end-customer experience and upkeeping brand reputation is key for high street retailers. Our clients require stores that are clean, hygienic, and presentable, because that forms a huge part of the overall experience for their customers.
These high standards need to be consistent throughout the entire purchasing journey. From the store windows, the entrance, the flooring, changing rooms, mirrors, to the checkout desk – every part of the store needs to be pristine to ensure a good experience, entice purchases, and encourage repeat visits.
We’re proud to deliver services of the highest standard to some of the biggest names in high street retail, including for their flagship stores. These brands require a cleaning partner who shares their commitment to quality and who will uphold and maintain their brand image. We align completely with that focus, understanding how important a consistently clean store is to the customer experience.
What sets SBFM apart?
We have grown significantly in this sector over the last few years and seen many renewals and contract extensions. I would say the main factor for this is our focus on client-centric solutions and striving to improve and add value throughout the lifetime of a contract. We aim to build long lasting partnerships through strong client engagement and working collaboratively to shape our services to perfectly meet the needs of each client and each store.
We are quick to innovate and quick to adapt to ensure we are aligned with our clients’ needs and overcome any challenges throughout the partnership. If we believe an innovation or new idea will enhance our service delivery or the client experience, we pursue it. Strong client collaboration facilitates the sharing of best practices for clients in this sector, enabling us to deliver exceptional services to all our clients in this business unit.
What’s next for SBFM in the high street retail sector?
We are in the process of mobilising a number of new retail clients and have some exciting opportunities upcoming in the pipeline. We already serve some of the UK’s most recognisable high-street brands and as we continue to expand, we look forward to welcoming new clients and new colleagues to SBFM.
Thank you, Rachel.
If you are interested in learning more about SBFM’s services, please get in touch!