H
interlander
APRIL MEI 2017
KWARTAALNUUS UITGAWE 2
INSIDE: 3 Retail tales 4 Etiese notas
Rediscover what
matters – with Hinterland
ticipants also had time to bond with their
colleagues during team building activities
as well as enjoying the entertainment of
popular musician Jay.
“As a retail business we are custom-
er-focused and the new trends all point
towards a more customised approach
which makes the customer feel even more
special. Which is why our customer’s needs
have to be our number one passion,” said
MD Daan Bronkhorst. “The conference
environment is perfect for igniting passion
and focus, while at the same time
strengthening our bond as a united
team.”
Several delegates shared their
experience of the conference.
E
arlier this year, on 7 and 8
February, Hinterland’s depart-
mental heads got together at
Stonehenge in Parys for a conference
which was themed – Rediscover What
Matters. As you all know, this is also our
new logo pay-off line which encapsulates
the combination of platteland hospitali
ty and efficient service. The conference
sub-heading was “My passion… my
customer’s needs,” and delegates were
treated to presentations on effective client
service in the new agri-retail climate. Par-
6 Nuus van ons takke
Yvonne Gagiano, Branch
Manager at Kroonstad said:
“It was an incredible experience
for me to see how we can work
together as a team and have fun doing
so. I also learned some valuable lessons
and techniques as to how to get your
team behind you to achieve your goals.”
Schweizer Reneke Store Manager, Arlene
Barkuizen, said her take-away from the
conference was that “it is important to
make customer service a matter of para-
mount importance. And not just a once-
off - it has to be a constant approach. You
can never satisfy a customer 100%, but
the way you deal with them can make
them feel special and turn them into a
customer for life,” said Arlene. “I learned
that satisfied clients are the most import-
ant asset of a business that is completely
dependent on cuctomers and it is not the
other way around.”
Louise Theunissen, General Clerk
at head office, had one suggestion to
make the conference better. “It was an
awesome experience. However, I wish
everyone wore name tags so we could
interact more freely with our colleagues.
It was great to experience management’s
open door policy and to learn that even
your colleagues are your customers and
to approach them with the same passion
and respect. In the context of the theme
of the conference it was important to be
reminded not to judge a book by its cover
when dealing with customers.”
Amanda van den Berg, Product
Manager Assistant at head office, said the
conference was very insightful for her. “I
discovered that my understanding of what
actually happens at the branches is not
the reality of what they experience. They
experience a lot more pressure, precisely
because they work directly with the cus-
tomer. I have to make sure that I forward
the correct information to the branches
and make sure that the information on
the system is current and correct. It was
also wonderful to put faces to the voices
you interact with daily at the branches.”
Hantie Wolmerans, Warehouse
Manager at Ottosdal, said the conference
was fun and insightful. “I learned that the
competition out there is getting stronger
and they do not stand still. We should be
fully active in the area where we fit into
the bigger picture of the business so that
we all play our part in achieving success.”
AFGRI Town&Country, FarmCity en Senwes Village is handelsmerke van Hinterland
AFGRI Town&Country, FarmCity and Senwes Village are trademarks of Hinterland