Wing Chow
Store Manager
How long have you been with The Body Shop, and what did you do before?
I’ve been with The Body Shop for over six years. Before I joined, I had done other retail and office jobs.
What challenges have you faced at The Body Shop?
With retail you face different challenges every day. But the managers and colleagues at The Body Shop seem like one big family. Everyone helps each other grow.
What helped you grow and overcome these challenges?
First, keeping a positive attitude is very important. Support and encouragement from managers and coworkers is also key. The company actually provides a lot of useful tools in its training and resources - whether it is personnel management or data analysis skills - these tools help me to solve work-related problems.
Could you share some memorable, happy experiences ?
I’ve been able to put the skills I’ve learned to good use. Once I once turned a complaining customer into a loyal client. Now this customer frequently seeks out my professional opinion when making purchases. And after I had a baby, the she came to the store just to check and congratulate me! This truly made me realize that having a service attitude that comes from the heart, along with a professional approach, helps to build excellent customer relationships.
After working for The Body Shop for so long, what has changed about you?
The biggest influence is the change in my life values, which has given me more respect for people’s dignity. I’ve also come to understand objective analysis when dealing with people and matters. The positive values of The Body Shop have not only influenced me, they’ve also been extended to the values and lifestyles of my family and friends.
What have you learned about work that you can pass along to others?
I think the company’s promotional system is very transparent and its goals are clear. So long as you maintain a positive attitude, continue to learn, and follow instructions, it’s not really that hard to reach your goals.
Cobee Lau
Shop Manager
How long have you been working at The Body Shop?
I’ve been working at The Body Shop for about seven years.
How did you become an ambassador in the Community Fair Trade Programme?
When I first heard that the company sponsored coworkers to visit Community Trade partners in India, I knew this was a great opportunity. I’ve been very interested in the Body Shop’s Community Fair Trade Programme ever since. I thought that as an Ambassador, I could get a deeper understanding of the Community Fair Trade Programmes operations and personally experience the life of a local farmer. So I decided to join.
What have you learned from being a Community Fair Trade Ambassador?
The trip to India really opened my eyes! It helped me understand the benefits and assistance that Community Fair Trade brings to local communities. Working with India’s Teddy Export cooperative for over 20 years, the Community Fari Trade Programme has provided local farmers with a stable income. This has enabled them to be self-sufficient and helped them set up community service facilities such as HIV education centres. All of us who’ve grown up in developed societies take these things for granted, but these things are very hard to come by for rural communities. As a Body Shop employee, I am proud of this programme.
How will you carry out your Ambassador mission in the Community Fair Trade Programme?
I will be on a one-year mission as an Ambassador in the Community Fair Trade Programme. Whether I’m with internal colleagues or external clients, I will always proactively share stories about the programme. This will give others an idea of the contributions that this programme makes towards communities and how it helps communities develop.