Could this be the coolest boss in town?
A North-West Jeweller thanks his staff in a unique way
How would you expect your boss to say thank you – a handshake, a pat on the back or perhaps an internal email acknowledging your hard work?
Well an award winning North West high street retailer is going one better and throwing a party for his whole workforce. Not that unusual; but Peter Jackson the Jeweller is also closing all five of his stores the following day to enable his team to let their hair down without having to worry about getting up early for work.
“I don’t think this has been done before,” said Peter adding that the real reason was not to set a precedent but to thank his staff. “Our business is nothing without our great team and I wanted to express my thanks for all their hard work.”
“These last couple of years have been tough for retail. No matter how wonderful your stores and customer service, no-one has been exempt from the effects of the recession. Now that we seem to have turned a corner, I wanted to express my thanks for all their hard work and the party followed by a day off will be great for team spirit.”
So on the evening of Wednesday 15th July, the Peter Jackson the Jeweller team will head for the magnificent Leighton Hall near Lancaster and the following day (Thursday July 16) all the company’s stores (Blackburn, Bury, Carlisle, Preston and Southport) will be closed.
“I don’t know of any other business that has done this” added Peter, “It was actually my son who suggested the day off. To begin with I thought he was crazy, but the more I deliberated, the more I loved the idea!”
Retail is notorious for high staff turnover, averaging 50% in the UK, however of Peter Jackson the Jeweller’s 40 employees, 24 of them have been with the company for over five years and indeed 8 of the team have been with Peter for more than 15 years.
Peter explained; “Not only does that buck the trend in the retail sector, it’s also a vital part of our success. Our team has fantastic product knowledge and very strong customer relationships. I think when you build a culture of trust, respect, and balance from the start and work hard to maintain it, you build a high-performing team with great morale and excellent employee retention.”
He continued; “I am confident our customers will understand my reasons for the day’s closure and join me in feeling that the team deserve a treat. All of our products are still available to buy online at peterjackson.co.uk and, of course, we will be open again the following day feeling refreshed and raring to work!”
Peter Jackson the Jeweller is a family owned and operated business and has been one of the UK’s leading jewellery retailers for over 30 years. The company currently has five stores – Blackburn, Bury, Carlisle, Preston and Southport . Peter Jackson the Jewellers is the winner of a number of prestigious retail awards, and in 2012 Managing Director, Peter Jackson was also awarded an MBE for services to charity.
For further information:
Tel: 01772 566380
Email: peter@peterjackson.co.uk
Web www.peterjackson.co.uk