Role: Centre Manger
Company: Abbeycentre
Track Record: Originally from Antrim, Mark has been married to Amanda for 26 years and has three children, two sons (Jamie and Nathaniel) and a daughter (Victoria). After graduating from the Universi-ty of Ulster, Mark started his career in retail as a trainee manager
6.15AM
The alarm is usually switched off before it sounds as I always wake before the time set. I am first downstairs to let the dogs out and feed them. I make a light breakfast for myself and watch the BBC news. While eating breakfast I will check my phone for any overnight emails. I will make a mental note of anything impor-tant which needs immediate attention.
6.45AM
My turn for the bathroom and to get dressed for the day while the family prepare their breakfast.
7.20AM
Quick chat with Amanda. We go over the day ahead. This usually includes the kids’ plans and our plans and who has to be where and timings —it’s like a military operation.
7.30AM
I usually aim to leave for work no later than this time.
8AM
Arrive at Abbeycentre, although much of the team’s day will have started even earlier. The cleaning team will have started at 6am. Over the next three hours they will carry out an in-depth clean of all the internal public areas and facilities. The maintenance team will have started at 7.30am and will be retrieving the retailers’ waste materials for recycling and disposal. Security is present 24/7 and by
8am they are engaged in the opening proce-dure and supervising retailers carrying out routine fire alarm testing. Overseeing this will be the assistant manager Mark O’Neill, who will be my first contact on arrival. Mark will relay any problems and we will routinely inspect the centre before opening.
9AM
Time to welcome the rest of the staff who arrive at the centre. This includes office administration, customer service and additional mall security. Patricica McCourt our office administrator, who has worked at Abbeycentre for 25 years, also arrives. She is a crucial part of the team. Her experience and wealth of knowledge is invaluable. Much of my time during the first two hours on site is spent listening to issues being raised by the personnel involved in the various fields of operation across the centre and prioritising what needs immediate attention and what, if anything, requires a more detailed solution. I have a quick check in with the Ticketmaster booking facility at our customer service desk. We have been offering this service for a few months now and it has been very well received. We are currently the only shopping centre in Belfast to offer this service.
11AM:
By now I am usually absorbed in answering any emails. These usually fall into three categories — those which can be responded to immediately, those which require a more considered response and those which require a degree of research in order to respond adequately. Then, importantly, I grab a much-needed coffee.
11:30AM
A significant part of my role is reporting on the performance of the Abbey-centre. Any report is only as good as the quality of the information being submitted. Good relations with the on-site retailers are fundamental to acquiring credible information and I think my background in retail facilitates an appreciation of the day-to-day challenges which the retailers face. A good deal of time is taken up acquiring and processing the information necessary to report to Colliers International, the management agent, and also to New River Retail, the owner of the centre. This information provides an insight into the scheme’s strengths and weaknesses and is critical in the establishment of the centre’s business strategy.
1PM:
The rest of the working day varies from day-to-day and is anything but predictable. This may involve regular meetings with on-site service providers to ensure standards are maintained, consultation with contractors in relation to repair and maintenance resolution, administrative duties such as processing invoices for payment for works undertaken and on-site and cost analysis to monitor expenditure against budget provision. These tasks in themselves are carried out to ensure that best value for money is being achieved when it comes to running the centre.
1:30PM:
Lunch is taken at my desk usually while working on one of many reports on my laptop. Running a busy shopping centre such as Abbey-centre means having to make decisions on health and safety, customer service, facilities management or marketing is-sues all within a very short time frame. Retail is a fast-paced and ever-changing industry so the ability to be able to think on your feet is all-important.
2PM:
Time to meet up with the traders and our marketing agency regarding the pro-motion of Abbeycentre this Christmas. Abbeycentre has to under-take marketing initiatives to maintain its public profile and to place it front of mind as a shopping destination. Part of my role involves working with our marketing agency, Madison-Soho, in developing appropriate advertising initiatives and evaluating their effectiveness. During the meeting we have a presentation from the marketing agency, discuss the key activity, as well as ensuring we are on message including over 70 stores, free car parking and Wi-Fi. We also discuss our PR and event activity. On the agenda is Santa’s arrival which will also feature activity with our charity of the year — Marie Curie Cancer Care. Then we move onto any other business which may affect the centre.
5:30PM:
Managing a shopping centre that only closes for two days of the year and has personnel on site 24/7 means prioritising my time. Tomorrow is another working day so I try to make a point of leaving no later than 5.30pm. However, even when off-site the mobile is never switched off and frequently calls from the centre will come through seeking clarification on issues.
6PM:
I try to get to the gym on a regular basis during the week. Aside from that I am duty-bound to do my share of the taxi runs to drama and Irish dancing lessons for our daughter Victoria.
7:30PM:
I grab a bite to eat with my wife and the boys before back out on the taxi run for our daughter.
10PM:
It’s time for a bit of ‘me’ time. I enjoy reading, listening to music and a good TV drama.
11PM:
Usually time for lights out