Natco’s Sarwar Mughal believes in a broad range of skills for his team
Developing a team where every member can turn their hand to a range of jobs in the depot is one of the keys to success, says Natco Cash & Carry trading director Sarwar Mughal.
It appears to be a successful philosophy because since Mughal took charge of the depot in Hayes, West London, in April 1998, turnover has grown from less than £9m to top £22m.
Teamwork means that every member of staff can operate the tills to ensure customers are never kept waiting, and it also means that staff are given experience of the different departments within the depot.
Mughal says: “Moving people keeps them fresh and interested in their jobs and also gives them knowledge of everything in the depot.”
He believes communication is crucial so
everyone in the team knows what is expected of them. And communication is a two-way process which means listening to staff and to customers. Mughal and his team always make a point of stopping and talking to customers in the depot and making them feel welcome.
He says: “Customers’ views are important, finding out if there is anything they are looking for that we don’t have or how we compare on price with our competitors.”
The C& C is a member of the Nisa-Today’s buying group and one way it provides competitive prices is by pre-selling the group’s promotional offers to top customers. By arranging with customers so they pick up stock on the day it is delivered, he is able to order far more than the depot could accommodate.
Communicating with customers also extends outside the depot, with Mughal and his team visiting customers’ stores. He says if a customer is having a problem, or just needs a fresh set of eyes to look at his store, they can visit and offer their professional advice.
In Mughal’s case, that advice is based on a wealth of experience in wholesale. Prior to joining Natco he worked for another wholesale company, TRS, and he also spent more than 10 years with another major wholesaler, Bestway.
“They were both fantastic companies to work for, but the opportunity to come and work here for Natco was too good to miss,” he says.
Developing a team where every member can turn their hand to a range of jobs in the depot is one of the keys to success, says Natco Cash & Carry trading director Sarwar Mughal.
It appears to be a successful philosophy because since Mughal took charge of the depot in Hayes, West London, in April 1998, turnover has grown from less than £9m to top £22m.
Teamwork means that every member of staff can operate the tills to ensure customers are never kept waiting, and it also means that staff are given experience of the different departments within the depot.
Mughal says: “Moving people keeps them fresh and interested in their jobs and also gives them knowledge of everything in the depot.”
He believes communication is crucial so
everyone in the team knows what is expected of them. And communication is a two-way process which means listening to staff and to customers. Mughal and his team always make a point of stopping and talking to customers in the depot and making them feel welcome.
He says: “Customers’ views are important, finding out if there is anything they are looking for that we don’t have or how we compare on price with our competitors.”
The C& C is a member of the Nisa-Today’s buying group and one way it provides competitive prices is by pre-selling the group’s promotional offers to top customers. By arranging with customers so they pick up stock on the day it is delivered, he is able to order far more than the depot could accommodate.
Communicating with customers also extends outside the depot, with Mughal and his team visiting customers’ stores. He says if a customer is having a problem, or just needs a fresh set of eyes to look at his store, they can visit and offer their professional advice.
In Mughal’s case, that advice is based on a wealth of experience in wholesale. Prior to joining Natco he worked for another wholesale company, TRS, and he also spent more than 10 years with another major wholesaler, Bestway.
“They were both fantastic companies to work for, but the opportunity to come and work here for Natco was too good to miss,” he says.
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