11Apr 2018

A Day in the Life Of: Rob Hawthorne – Sales and Estimating Coordinator

Posted in: News  –  By Patchett Joinery

a day in the life of-Rob HawthornePatchett Joinery have been manufacturingsliding sash windows,casement windowsandtimber doorsfor our customerssince 1840. We are proud to join forces as a team, working with you as a trusted partner and providing you with high-quality timber doors and windows,expertly manufacturedtoyour specification.

As a family-business based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, we would love you to get to know us better, so we’ve created a series of blog posts “A Day in the Life of…”, where you can get to meet our team members and craftsmen, from the office to the factory and install teams!

This week, we’d like to introduce you to our Sales and Estimating Coordinator, Rob Hawthorne. Rob hasextensive knowledge and experience and has recently celebrated 5 years working at Patchett Joinery.

This role is fundamental from the very first steps of your enquiry, through estimating, manufacturing, installation and completing your journey to the final finishing touches. Rob has may duties with his main responsibilities including overseeing and coordinate the general day to day operations, offering support and resource to our valuable customers along with other departments as required.

Rob certainly knows that when he gets up, there is always going to be a varied array work to be completed!

In timber manufacturing, theSales and Estimating Coordinator must be able to be actively involved in other related areas and departments, such as marketing and finance.

What does a typical day at work look like for Rob?

Take a look at thetimelineof an average day in Rob’s life, as a Sales and Estimating Coordinator:

8 am:Check any emails from the night before (enquiries, installation date queries/answers).

9 am:Meet with other members of the team prioritising workload, ensuring we meet deadlines and time scales.

10 am: Meet with members of fitting team to discuss current projects, progress made and future planning.

11 am: Maintain customer service, liaise with customers on current and future projects, this week’s installations and deliveries to ensure customers are communicated with and satisfied.

12 pm: Schedule all deliveries, booking any special loading equipment well in advance.

1 pm: Keep close eye on new installation and delivery dates.

2 pm:Ensure everything is in place for the rest of the week, all deliveries are booked and preparation for installation has been done to go ahead.

3 pm: Customer invoicing and payment schedules.

4 pm: Compile daily and weekly performance reports.

5 pm:Prepare to-do lists for the following day to schedule priorities that need to be addressed.

Daily, Rob is active in our Live Chat during office hours, providing great customer service and answering customer enquiries. Rob usually takes our customers on factory and showroom tour, to explain the manufacturing process and show them the whole journey of their products, from start to finish!

Questions & Answers with Rob

Q: What do you enjoy the most about your job?

A:I really enjoy being a valued member of the team. It is a great feeling and gives you satisfaction and motivation. My role within the company allows me to feel appreciated, as I’m responsible for coordinating the sales and estimating process. Especially since my colleague Chris joined our Sales team a few months ago, we can share the workload and exchange views on how we can improve our customer service more and more every day. Overall, my role is challenging and exciting, as not two days are the same!

Q: What education, skills and experience are needed?

A:The company gave me the opportunity to progress, as I started working in the factory with very little knowledge of the industry. Some important skills that an Estimating Coordinator should acquire are definitely attention to detail and multitasking! Possessing a great understanding of the products and the materials used in manufacturing, allows me to provide great customer service as I’m able to guide the customers on the whole manufacturing journey. My role certainly requires good telephone manner, willingness to help and of course outstanding customer service skills!

rob-day in the life

Q: What tools and technology do you use?

A: My role requires a great knowledge of all Microsoft Office packages and especially Word and Excel. As far as customer relationship management (CRM) software, I use Salesforce to keep all customer information up-to-date. Finally, to provide accurate product quotes, I use an estimating program called Calwin.

Q: Any misconceptions about your job?

A: The only misconception I can think of is that my role is not all about sales and estimating. It is a varied role that allows you to liaise with the other departments such as marketing and finance with the aim to deliver excellent customer service.

Q: What advice would you give?

A:My favourite quote is: If you meet your goals, set more! I’m proud to have progressed so much at Patchett Joinery the last 5 years and, from personal experience, my advice would be to never stop working towards your goals because one day you will be rewarded!

At Patchett Joinery, we specialise in the manufacturing and installation of timber doors and windows since 1840.Proud of our Heritage and the amazing projects we work on, we know a thing or two about wood windows and doors.

We are proud that we only use sustainable timber and environmentally-friendly processes to minimize our impact on the natural environment.

Why not view our range oftimber windows and doorsorget in touchtoday for a chat with one of our friendly staff?

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