Michael Thompson Email & Phone Number

Förvara is a UK based distributor and manufacturer of homeware products.The company represents a number homeware brands in UK, Europe and beyond including:-Elfa Shelving and Storage of Sweden-Nordic Houseware Group (NHG)-Yamazaki Homewares of Japan-iDesign-LEGO Licensed Products including the LEGO storage and LEGO lunch rangesFörvara represents LEGO's interests as distributor of the LEGO Storage and LEGO Lunch ranges as well as other LEGO licensed homeware products across UK and beyond.Not just for kids and toy stores, we distribute this famous brand's homeware inspired products into cookshops, department stores, gift shops, design-led homeware retailers as well as supplying educational establishments etc.Förvara is also the UK distributor for Elfa. Alongside working with both independent retailers and key national retail accounts, we supply 'entire building' shelving & storage solutions using Elfa and other storage product into hospitals, libraries, offices, apartment blocks etc. working with architects, interior designers, NHS trusts, MOD, local authorities, and construction cos. etc.

Wirral, England, United Kingdom

Manager of the Ellesmere Port branch customer services department. Duties included...- Overseeing all internal sales and operational activities for the branch.- Review each member of staff against company KPI's in order to monitor and improve sales focus, performance and operational compliance.- Restructuring business activities to increase speed and efficiency.- Establishing a positive culture of continues business improvement.- Enhancing customer services activities and implementing exceptional standards for all contact with customers.- Identify and provide sales and process training to increase employee effectiveness.- Supported branch director in all areas of sales and operational support.- Cultivated customer relations to maximise sales potential.

• Elected by my colleagues to represent their views as the lead BIG rep for CSSC Chester. Representing the views of 120+ individuals at a local and regional level. Keeping colleagues up to date with developments that affect them. • Gather and represent the views of local colleagues at Regional meetings with other lead BIG reps from other office locations. Ensure those views have been communicated to the appropriate level in the business so they can be properly considered.• Accompanied local colleagues to attendance, disciplinary, grievance and appeal hearings.• Holding open door sessions to gather the views of colleagues and constructively feed those views back to senior management.• Working with the senior management team, third parties and clients to implement changes and consider improvements in line with employee engagement surveys and results.

• Provide leadership, support and development through coaching to maintain and deliver excellent customer service.• Built on team strengths to deliver the best team performance to meet and exceed KPI’s.• Keep in touch with the service offered by my team, take ownership and monitor quality and drive results across all channels, making improvement where necessary.• Support the recruitment and training of all new starters.• Set clear direction for my team. Monitor their performance (behaviour and key performance indicators) through monthly 1:2:1’s and quarterly reviews. Formally performance manage underachievers.• Preparing and analysing weekly/monthly reports and managing individual’s performance against their deliverables. • Challenge poor service, policies and procedures that do not have the customer as a priority. • Managing absence/sickness/conduct/performance through Company Policies. • Ensure my team is up to date on all communication and change to allow them to be fully motivated.• Act as a role model for the department displaying M&S core values and competencies. Create an environment where people feel respected, valued and want to work.• Demonstrate a commercial approach to resolution of escalated customer complaints.• Maintain effective relationships across the business when and where appropriate.

• Deliver robust SLA management in CSSC Chester.• Proactively share resource across teams to protect the customer experience.• Provide insight into customer contact when higher or lower than forecasts.• Deliver all Service Delivery reporting to key stakeholders in a timely manner, providing context.• Manage all departmental IT issues.• Training new recruits in the Duty Manager role.• Identifying KPI variances and highlighting areas of poor performance.• Working with planning to determine appropriate staffing levels for the contact centre.

• Co-ordinate and delegate emails, reports and calls within the team.• Handling escalated calls and emails addressed to the board of directors and senior figures within the business.• Handling challenging cases including wrongful arrests and customer accidents/injuries in stores.• Respond to solicitor letters regarding personal injury claims. Look to defend the business and maintain a not liable response.• Liaising with other areas of the business including legal, press office, profit protection, technologists and Director’s P.A’s. • A detailed knowledge of all areas of the business needed to represent the highest level of escalation within the business. Need to resolve all queries once they have gone through their initial escalation channels.• Making business/brand recovery decisions which may go against standard policies and procedures.