Louise has been working as a Kitchen Designer at Benchmarx Kitchens & Joinery – a company in the Travis Perkins Group - for ten years now, meaning she’s been with us since our early years. In this time, we’ve grown our brand and have established ourselves as a major supplier to the UK’s building and construction market with over 180 Benchmarx branches. But all of this wouldn’t have been possible without colleagues like Louise who remind us how important it is to have a team that are dedicated and ambitious. Here’s her reflection on the last ten years working at Benchmarx:
“I joined Benchmarx because at the time there was a lot of hype about the company and I wanted to be a part of it”
11 years ago, Benchmarx began specialising in kitchen design and it was an extremely exciting time for all of us working here and the wider industry. At the time, Louise was already working in the kitchen retail trade in a design role, but she spotted an exciting opportunity for herself at Benchmarx. In 2010, she joined the team and brought with her the expertise she’d gained in the industry and her qualifications in interior design and 3D studies.
“The best thing about my job is it’s more than a job”
Louise loves that she gets to meet new people every day, all from different walks of life. As a Kitchen Designer, she gets to be involved in every part of their design project - guiding them, advising them and ultimately helping them bring their dream kitchen to life. She says that seeing how happy it makes people to design their own kitchen makes her realise that she truly can have a huge impact on their lives, and for her, this is the best part of her job.
“My days are jam-packed and it keeps me on my toes”
For Louise, there’s no such thing as a typical day. Each day shapes up differently from the last but if there is one thing that remains the same it’s that she’s always got something to do. Our Kitchen Designers are involved in every stage of designing a kitchen, so on any day Louise can be found making visits to customer’s homes, doing presentations, selling the kitchens and helping new customers who come in the branch. The variety in her role and the fast-paced nature of our business keeps her on her toes.
“Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my family”
Louise has four grandchildren so her family time is precious and she likes to make the most of her time off. She also loves to take a holiday and escape to the sun, but then who doesn’t? It’s really important for Louise to maintain her work-life balance and positive and we are pleased to be able to support her and our other colleagues achieving a positive balance. After all, taking care of your mental wellbeing has never been more important.
“It’s really rewarding and I can’t see myself working for any other kitchen supplier”
After being with Benchmarx for ten years, Louise says that she really feels a part of the family. She has a solid team who all get on well and Louise knows how important it is to come into work and have this support system. Together they’ve seen Benchmarx grow over the years and they’ve grown with us.
Aside from this, Louise says the benefits you get being a part of the Travis Perkins Group are great. All staff have access to over 1,000 retailer discounts with our My Perks platform, which Louise says is a great advantage, as well as lots of career development options.
"We might seem quieter in the showroom, but I'm definitely busier"
When asked about how things have changed in the showroom since the introduction of Covid-19 restrictions, Louise shares that business has picked up for her and her team. But you might not guess that if you were to walk past because in order to keep our customers and colleagues safe, we've introduce a maximum of one customer or couple permitted in the showroom at a time. For Louise, this means that not only is she able to keep a safe distance from the customers, but also she and her team can be vigilant with wiping down any surfaces that have been touched during a visit. Serving behind a screen and wearing PPE is something she's not experienced before but these have become a part of the 'new normal' and she's happy to do whatever she can to help customers feel safe and continue bringing their kitchen designs to life.
[NB: from 20/11/2020 our showrooms are closed to the public following the latest government guidance, with appointments carried out virtually]
“I can honestly say I love my job”
Her advice for anyone interested in joining Benchmarx as a Kitchen Designer is if you’re up for the challenge and want to be part of a great team then you have to go for it. Louise tells us that her positive mindset and ambition have been fundamental in helping her rise to any challenges. This is just the attitude that we look for when bringing a new member into the team.
Discover why a job with the Travis Perkins Group could be the best career move you make
We love to hear why colleagues like Louise enjoy coming to work every day and we hope you do too. To hear more about what it means to be a Kitchen Designer at Benchmarx, read Mark's story.
At Travis Perkins, we're extremely proud to have helped build Britain for over 200 years and to have helped keep Britain's homes, infrastructure and businesses safe, warm and dry throughout. The safety of our customers and colleagues has remained a top priority and that's why things might appear to have changed in our branch, store and showroom network. However, as Louise tell us, the role of our Kitchen Designers hasn't changed too much and they're still able to help customers build their dream kitchens. Whether you’re looking take on the role of a Kitchen Designer, like Louise, or find a job as a Branch Manager or in Telesales you’ll receive award-winning training so you can supply industry-leading advice to our customers on projects, no matter the scale. Browse our branch, store and showroom jobs here.
