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Customer & staff spotlight interviews

Staff Spotlight, Brooke French, Contract & Warranty Advisor

In this edition of our Staff Spotlight, we sit down with Brooke French – someone who’s worn many hats during his time at WG Davies. With over two decades of experience, Brooke brings a sharp eye for detail, a perfectionist’s approach to his work, as well as a healthy dose of humour to the team. This is a chance for everyone to get to know him a little better.

 

 

What’s your current role and what does a typical day look like?

“I manage the work in progress (WIP) at Swansea and handle all the contract and warranty claims. It combines two specialised functions into one role, there’s no official job title that covers it but I’d call myself the WIP Manager and Contract & Warranty Advisor.”

Managing the WIP is no small task, it ensures the smooth running of the business day to day and plays a role in cash flow too. “At the start of each month, we prioritise the big jobs so we can process them and get payments in quickly. Sometimes jobs get parked, maybe a job card hasn’t been completed and when that happens I’ll track it down, find the tech responsible and push for the right notes to make sure it’s ready to claim.”

“It is a bit of a race against time,” Brooke admits. “There’s always pressure but I try to stay ahead of it. Daniel makes it all look easy, though to be fair, he’s emailing at 10pm, so he’s putting the hours in too!”

What do you enjoy most about your job?

“I love staying on top of things; hitting daily targets and making sure everything’s in order. I take real pride in getting it right the first time, especially with the warranty claims. If something’s rushed or not quite right, it might get rejected and that can mean delays of up to two weeks.”

Brooke’s perfectionism pays off, “There’s a KPI we need to hit for first-time claim approvals and I always aim to be in the green for that. I think the business gets a bonus for that too.”

No two days are the same and his role requires him to work with multiple departments too. “I am dealing with the depot manager, service reception, parts and technicians. I love it, I’ve been with WG Davies since 2002 and honestly, I can’t imagine working anywhere else. It’s fantastic. Everyone’s got each other’s backs and more than that, we’re friends. You couldn’t ask for a better team than the one we have at Swansea.”

How did you come to join WG Davies?

“After school, I got a job at McDonald’s just while I looked for something more permanent. My Mum told me she didn’t want her son as a bum, she said “You get a job or you are out of here!”, so I got a job!”

“I had two options for my apprenticeship and the guy looking after us advised me to go for WG Davies, saying it was a more supportive, family-run company. He was right, it’s been brilliant.”

Who has mentored or inspired you?

“Mike Harris originally mentored me when I was doing my apprenticeship. Then it was Andrew Dyer, who I’ve worked with the longest and he has always been really supportive. More recently Daniel’s been incredibly good to me – I feel like he recognises how valuable I am to the business. Everyone here is approachable, even Roger takes time to listen and he always asks after my Dad – he’s a true gentleman—approachable, humble and always ready with a thank you.”

 

 

How do you spend your time away from work?

“My daughter is my world, the love of my life. She’s 10 now and into football and dancing, we have every other weekend together. Last weekend, we hit the trampoline park and Swansea’s LC2 waterpark—she loves the lazy river, we must have gone down it 20 times! 

Tell us something about you that not many people know?

 “I once boxed in front of 3,000 people – and I won! WG Davies even sponsored me. I trained for six weeks, dropped three stone and got into the best shape of my life. We did a Boot Camp which was brutal; sprinting up the local NCP car park, Boxercise and sparring at 6am, but it was amazing too.”

“They put me on first but when my song came on I didn’t walk out because my trainer was still telling me what to do – my mum was really worried about what had happened to me. When I eventually did walk out and got in the ring, the guy who I was going to fight looked at me like he wanted to kill me and that really got me going – if he hadn’t given me that look he might’ve won that night!” 

These days, Brooke keeps active with the occasional morning run around the WG Davies site, “There’s a 1km loop around the site and a group of us do a few laps before a quick shower here and then we start work. It’s better than nothing.”

How would you describe yourself in three words?

“Funny, kind and outrageous.” I think we can all agree with those!

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

“Live for today. You don’t know what tomorrow will bring.”

Brooke shared this perspective after talking about how his father had become ill very suddenly. “It’s been tough but I stay positive. I don’t want to bring others down and the truth is, life goes on. You’ve got to face it the best you can.”

Brooke, thank you for your honesty, energy and positivity. We’re glad you chose WG Davies all those years ago, we’re lucky to have you.