Chris Heap has been a member of staff at Crest since August 2013 and has been our Warehouse Supervisor since he started. He used to a be volunteer before securing the role on a paid basis and was once voted Volunteer of the Year. Here’s what he has to say about working at Crest Co-operative and a chance for you to learn more about the man behind the job!
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m getting on in years! I’m getting close to retirement age even though I don’t want to retire. I live in Llysfaen and have done most of my life but I was born in Bolton. I got married in 1985, in my younger days I did a lot of youth club work, played football, did mountain climbing and canoeing.
What’s a general day at Crest for you and how long have you worked here?
I’ve been here for six years. I came to Crest through tragic events – our manager Barry passed away, so through his passing, I was offered the position to help our the Electricals Department. Before then I volunteered for around 10 months, mostly in Mochdre. I was Volunteer of the Year and got an award in an event in Llandudno for my services. Nowadays, my day can vary – we collect faulty white goods from other sites across the UK such as Irlam to help repair and resell them into our shops as stock, I sort out the pink bags that get donated to us which has any number of small electricals, separating what can and can’t be reused and recycle them, I also PAT test items that get put aside for reselling in our shops. I also feel like the Thunderbird Two, or the Crest emergency service – I help other staff such as the van drivers when they’re behind in their work! No two days are the same, there’s no routine!
What are your work experiences and background?
I used to work on cars and work in a car shop. It’s not a big jump, you still serve customers and fix things so not much has changed when it comes to that!
What do you do in your spare time?
Drink whiskey! My football days are over unfortunately, my mind’s willing but my body’s not. So nowadays me and my mate we try different whiskeys to see what they’re like… whiskey testing if you will! We might make a blog you never know!
Can you describe yourself in three words?
Soft, trustworthy… and honest!
Any funny stories inside or outside of Crest that you want to mention?
Life’s funny! We once had a phone call, and the customer asked for “Chris”. When I spoke to the customer he said “Are you Chris Crompton?” and I replied “No, I’m not.”. It turned out that the customer heard our Receptionist say “Crest Co-operative” and somehow translated it into “Chris Crompton!” The phone call had nothing to do with me at all! We still don’t know who Chris Crompton is!
And finally, what do you know about Crest and what do you hope to achieve in your time here?
The future for me is concentrating on the end of my working career. I hope Crest continues for a long time. There’s a lot happening at the moment and for the future and it’s exciting. I still want to be a part of that. I hope Crest continues to do what it’s already doing because the idea of Crest is brilliant – to help people who can’t afford to buy new or to help those who are in a bit of a sticky situation. The things that Crest set out to do happen because I do feel that Crest are pioneers when it comes to doing what we do. Hopefully Crest continues for many years to come.
I’d also like to thank the entire Electricals Department team including Steve, Ralph, Sharon and Tommo, and to give an extra special mention to our amazing volunteers Julian, Lee, Gerry, Nigel, and Vince, we couldn’t do what we do without them.
Thanks for your time Chris and thanks to you, the reader!