Aideen O’Hagan

Describe what a typical day at work looks like for you.

No two days are ever the same in this job, which is a good thing!  It always starts with a coffee, then I check my phone, emails and sales figures.  Providing I have no immediate issues to deal with the day will involve customer meetings, in some cases meetings at our head office but mainly they will be out in trade within my territory.  I have a large range of customer types, all with slightly different needs, which keeps it interesting.   Everyday will involve, customer visits, a lot of phone calls, pricing, admin and selling!

Who and what are you responsible for?

I am responsible for a geographical region and all Foodservice accounts within it, previously I was responsible for accounts within the North Down area, this included Restaurants, Cafes, Schools, Takeaways, Nursing Homes and Schools.  As from Jan 2017 I will be responsible for all Key Accounts within the North Coast Area, a new role and a new territory!

How does your team fit in to the Henderson Group?

As part of the sales team means I am linked to all departments of the business, I couldn’t do my job efficiently without the help of all of the departments, and Vice Versa.  We are responsible for maintaining and bring in new sales, as well as maintain customer relationships.  I deal with Telesales, Accounts, Transport, Trading, Pricing and Admin.  Telesales place orders for my customers, Accounts open accounts in order for me to place order, Transport arrange the deliveries, Trading arrange for the goods to be brought in to be sold, pricing and admin arrange for contracts and prices to be set up – overall it is a joint effort.

What are the best bits about your job?

I enjoy the mix  of tasks within my job, it involves a lot of customer face to face meetings, which I love as I get to meet a lot of people and have got some great customer relationships.  As well as that I have a large amount of administration work to do, which is a good mix.  Another advantage is that the majority of the time, you will get out of this job what you put it, which can make it very rewarding and worthwhile.

What are the best bits about your company (Henderson Foodservice)?

Although Henderson’s is constantly growing and is a huge company, there is a very “homely” feel within it, I could easily walk around our building and have a chat to most people I meet, this makes it a nice environment to work within.  It is also great to be part of such a successful company.

What is the best thing about your team?

As a team we all get on well and can work together easily.  We are all of different ages and backgrounds and experiences which is great  as we can all bring different ideas to the table.   I know that if I need help or advice at work, I have numerous people I can turn to, which says a lot about the team and the company.

What attracted you to the Henderson Group?

In a nutshell, I wanted to work somewhere that could offer me a long term career.

When not working, what can you be found doing?

You cant work in this industry and not love food, thus eating out is a big love of mine.  Along with Shopping, Holidays, socialising and very sadly…… cleaning!