Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
Working at Home Depot has not only helped round my skills as an associate, but exposed me to a wide variety of skills that I have been able to grow and sharpen. I currently work as a service desk associate, managing orders and returns, answering phones and customer questions. My days are spent with my female-led team, handling tasks such as scheduling store deliveries, enforcing and explaining store policy, and putting the customer first. I've also had the opportunity to partner with our HR department; I assisted with our spring hiring season, campaigning to local businesses, libraries, and apartments, to bring fresh faces into our store. In addition to campaigning, I also designed a series of posters and car magnets to boost store morale and offer incentives for inviting peers to apply. I've had hands in a lot of different projects and assignments in my year at Home Depot, but being able to do so has allowed me to gain knowledge in a variety of ways. I've not only improved my customer service skills, such as working through some phone-call based anxiety, but I've also improved my digital skills, creating projects on Canva and becoming more Microsoft Office proficient.
I am currently working as a service desk associate. Along with handling returns and exchanges, I am also responsible for adjusting customer orders- such as adding or removing product, processing payment, and scheduling product installations. Working closely with our merchandising departments, I assist customers in finding the correct product for their project and the best way to get that product, whether it be in the store, a home delivery, or through our online ordering program.
In this role, I was our hiring and training manager. My responsibilities included creating and editing our interview packets, scheduling/conducting interviews, and drafting our schedules. I worked with a team of five other student managers, and we worked together to serve both hot food and a small convenience store. Previous to this position, I had little experience interviewing and hiring associates; this role allowed me to really dive headfirst into the more Human Resources side of retail, and I was able to build our system into something efficient and functional.
I was responsible for being familiar with our inventory, knowing calorie counts, ingredients, and potential allergens, and relaying that information to guests. During my time here, I helped stock, recommend new products for us to carry, and work one-on-one with guests to make sure they purchased the best possible product for their pet. We carried our house made dog treats, and I assisted with decorating trays of treats, piping details and sticking on low-calorie sugar eyes, and so on. It was a great opportunity to work with a locally owned business where I learned more than I could have imagined about customer service, pet care, and all the work that can go into a single treat.