Position: Full-Time Garden Centre Assistant
Location: Palmers Miramar, 69-71 Miramar Avenue, Wellington, 6022.
Contract Term: Permanent, Full Time, 5 days a week.
Start Date: End of February 2025
About Us: We are a family, locally owned and operated Garden Centre in the heart of Miramar. We love being a special part of the local and wider community and pride ourselves on our loyal and active customer base.
We have a large selection of suppliers that provide our products, and our staff are integral to providing the excellent customer service we are known for. Our staff are passionate about gardening, and have the experience to offer customers advice on a range of needs.
Purpose: Your role is to support the efficient and customer-focused operation of Palmers Miramar, providing excellent customer service, and upholding high standards of plant care and general store merchandising. Through maintaining strong supplier relationships (when eventual purchasing roles are created), responsibility around ordering of plants will become part of this role.
Your role is integral to ensuring the day-to-day tasks of the store are met, promoting a positive team environment and contributing to the overall success and reputation of the locally owned business within the community.
Key Result Areas and Responsibilities
- Supplier Relationships and Potential Purchasing Responsibilities:
· Build and maintain positive relationships with suppliers in your designated category (category size and responsibility area selected upon discussion of experience and interest areas with time)
· With training and experience be involved in the ordering process.
· Stay informed about changing market trends and customer needs to influence purchasing decisions.
- Customer Relationships and Sales
· Provide excellent service to customers through assisting with plant selection, gardening advice and product recommendations.
· Address all customer inquiries with a high level of professionalism and efficiency.
· Finalise sales through the ‘Advanced Retail’ POS system.
- Plant Care and Maintenance
· Ensure the continued health and presentation of outdoor plants through daily watering and general care when required (pruning, spraying etc).
· Maintain a high level of merchandising standards throughout the shop, to create an appealing shopping environment for customers.
- Team Collaboration
· Work closely with fellow team members to ensure successful day-to-day operations.
· Good level of communication upheld with all team members, indoor and outdoor to assist where required.
· Contribute to a positive and uplifting team environment by sharing knowledge and encouraging opportunities for learning and development.
- Operational Efficiency
· Manage your time effectively - using initiative - during both busy and quieter seasons, to complete a range of relevant tasks efficiently.
· Adapt to a fast-paced environment, handling multiple tasks with ease while continuing to display excellent customer service (2).
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Essential:
· Horticultural experience and a strong knowledge of plants and garden techniques.
· Physical fitness to handle lifting and carrying plants, pots, and bags of compost.
· Excellent customer service skills with the ability to engage and assist customers effectively.
· Resilience, adaptability, and creativity in problem-solving and decision-making.
Desirable:
· Experience in sales and purchasing, particularly in the horticultural sector.
Key Competencies:
· Strong communication skills for liaising with suppliers and team members.
· Adaptability.
· Time management skills.
Additional Information
Working Conditions: A love for the outdoors is necessary, as you will be spending the majority of your time in the garden centre. Your uniform will be provided, as well as a staff discount.
Training will be provided to enable the successful candidate to assist with plant orders and supplier communications, as well as the ‘Advanced Retail’ POS system.
Please email your CV and Cover Letter to miramar@palmers.net.nz as soon as possible. We look forward to hearing from you!
