A Paeroa local, Hannah Westbury, has won the national award for Checkout Operator of the Year at Woolworths.
Her exceptional service, enthusiasm, and positive attitude beat out over 180 competitors across the country. Judges particularly noted Westbury’s commitment to engaging with every customer.
Noticing that a regular deaf customer was finding it challenging to complete her shop, Westbury learned sign language on her own to help make the customer feel more welcome and create a more inclusive shopping experience.
She has been part of the Woolworths Paeroa team for four years and has become known for her friendliness and welcoming smile.
Westbury was over the moon to have won the highly competitive Checkout Operator of the Year award.
“I love customer service and making people happy. When I’m engaging in conversations with customers, I really enjoy getting to know them and finding things we have in common; I love making our customers smile,” said Westbury.
Woolworths Paeroa Store Manager David Ritchie was also incredibly proud of her work and was delighted to see her recognised with the Checkout Operator of the Year award.
“Our best checkout operators are those fantastic people with a friendly smile who can strike up a conversation but also pack and scan groceries quickly and efficiently,” said Ritchie.
“Hannah is the perfect example of someone who can do it all - she’s an asset to our team and the local community. We’re so happy for her.”
The competition for Checkout Operator of the Year began in July with in-store assessments. Checkout operators were tested on their uniform standards, scan rates, till cash balances, and, most importantly, their overall customer service.
First-place winners for each region competed in finals before the overall winner was announced at the awards ceremony in Auckland.
