In the third part of our meet the team blog series, we stay with the sales team but move over to the office to catch up with Steph Sutton, one of our hard-working sales administrators. Here’s what Steph had to say:
Tell Us A Bit About Your Background, Steph, And How You Find Working At Broder Metals Group!
I’ve been at Broder for almost 3 years and I enjoy it, we have a good team here. Before coming here all my previous jobs were in retail, so I don’t come from a technical background, but I became fed up with retail and wanted a complete change of industry and role. This sector appealed to me and the job sounded interesting, so I applied!
Can You Walk Us Through Your Job Role And What a Typical Day Entails Please?
I’m a sales administrator supporting the UK and export sales teams, so I deal with a range of customers and their orders. I start my day at 7:30 AM (which took a bit of getting used to, but I enjoy it now), grab a coffee or tea, and run through the day’s tasks before the sales teams log in at 8 AM. Every day is different, but my priority is getting new orders entered onto the system as quickly as possible. On average I process five or six new orders a day.
I normally work from the Broder office, although I was home-based for a while during lockdown. My job covers the admin and order processing side of sales, including order entry, booking couriers for materials, dispatch etc. It’s a very sociable role. Most of my time is spent liaising with the salespeople, managers, and warehouse team here at Broder, as well as our customers and the delivery companies we use.
How Does The Dispatch Process Work?
We generally get the jobs sent back to us from the warehouse. These go for a certification check and then come to me to raise the despatch note, invoice, and so on. I make sure all the paperwork is prepared for each order, ready to be sent to the customer, and also arrange delivery itself with the courier. We use several different couriers through an automated system that checks for the best prices and availability, which makes it very secure and convenient.
Would You Like To Get More Involved In The Technical Side Of The Business?
Yes, I would like to get more involved in the technical certification side of things. My colleague Cecilia (in the international sales team) did a course in metallurgy and I think that’s something I’d be interested in. I did an introductory course on metallurgy when I first started and I found it really interesting.
In the course of my role, I have built up a good knowledge of metals which I didn’t have when I started, and I still learn something new each day. I was already used to dealing with customers and suppliers in retail, so I bought these skills to the job, and as an administrator you must be very organised and manage your time effectively.
What Do You Like Doing On Your Breaks And Between Assignments?
We are a close-knit team, everybody gets on really well, and there’s always someone around to chat with. The favourite topic seems to be football, and everyone has different teams, so the banter gets quite lively! I don’t have a team but I just enjoy getting involved. Other than that, I definitely snack on chocolate all day. My favourite is peanut butter Kit Kat chunkies. Yum!
If You Could Swap Jobs With Someone Else In The Company For One Day, Whose Would It Be?
If I could do anyone else’s job in the company, it would be Andy’s (sawman in the warehouse), because then I could eat his lunch (sausages and eggs!).
About Broder Metals Group
Broder Metals Group are one of the UK’s leading providers of premium grade metals to manufacturers in a variety of sectors. To discuss your requirements or request a quote, please get in touch with one of our technical sales team today.
