In this interview, Lisa Beardmore, Customer Excellence Manager, provides a captivating glimpse into her 35 years at NVS. With candid reflections and heartwarming anecdotes, she discusses what has changed over the years, shares memorable moments and explains the familial bond that keeps her rooted at NVS.
What was your role when you started at NVS, and what is your role now?
I initially started working for Willington Medicals in May 1989, at their warehouse in Govan Road, Fenton. I was still studying at college at the time, so it was part-time evening work, picking and packing in the warehouse to give me a bit of extra ‘pocket money’. When I finished college, I was asked if I wanted a full-time role and I worked in the warehouse until I became pregnant with my first child, at that point I moved over to work in the offices.
When we became NVS, the business decided to create two separate teams, splitting out the order-taking and customer services roles. I initially worked in the Customer Service Team, working my way up to Customer Service Manager, before switching over to take up the challenge of heading up the Orderline Team. My current role is as Customer Excellence Manager, which encompasses aspects from both roles, and we are in the process of multiskilling our call takers across both departments to create one team and ultimately one point of contact for our customers.
What were your first impressions about the business?
I still clearly remember that first interview I had when I was a student. I arrived at the building around 3pm for a short interview with the Warehouse Manager. The interview went smoothly, but I was taken aback when he concluded by saying “Can you come back at 5 pm this evening? And we’ll get you started”. I like to think I’d made a good impression, but realistically, I think they were just really short-staffed!
Starting out on the warehouse floor felt quite overwhelming at first. However, looking at the size of our current facilities, I realise that the Fenton warehouse was actually really small.
What can you tell us about some of the changes you’ve seen along the way? Especially in regards to technology.
When I think about the changes during my time at NVS, the most notable thing for me is of course how we receive and process orders. In the early days, it was all telephone orders or faxes. I still vividly remember the excitement of receiving our very first electronic order, which came from a practice called Oeppens in Hanley. It seemed amazing at the time, but now we receive 90% of our orders electronically. It’s quite hard to remember when we started using all the different technologies, but a quick Google tells me that the World Wide Web was actually invented in 1989 – the year I started at NVS, so a lot has changed in that time!
I’ve had a front-row seat to watch the business evolve over the years. It’s just grown and grown, starting with one warehouse unit when we moved to Talke. Then we needed more space, so we moved into the adjacent warehouse, which was used for bulk products. Later, we added the mezzanine floor, but of course, we outgrew that space too, hence the need for Spitfire House and the purpose-built space that we now have, which allows us to grow even further.
Despite the business growth, there are actually a lot of practices that we still work with from when the business first started, and I love that I still get to talk to some of those old customers. Over the years you develop a real relationship with them and get to know them on a personal basis too.
Additionally, I’m still in touch with some of the staff from the original Willington sites which were scattered up and down the country. Many of them have transitioned into roles as reps for the different manufacturers and brands that we stock, so we still work with them too.
Can you recall any particularly memorable events during your time at NVS?
Both warehouse moves were pretty memorable. The move from Fenton to Talke was literally all hands to the pump, a real team effort. All the medicines and products were moved by HGV, but we boxed up everything in the offices and loaded up our own cars to take them to Talke. And that was literally everything and anything we could fit in a car, from boxes of files to our desk chairs! It was a very long weekend moving everything and setting up the warehouse, but I remember the company provided food all weekend and everybody really pulled together to make sure it all got done.
The move to Spitfire House was memorable, but for completely different reasons. It was more the fact that we’d been told for so long that “we’re moving” and we really needed to, as we had completely outgrown Talke. So, when it actually happened it was such good news.
Since moving into Spitfire House, what are some of the things you like best about the new facilities?
It’s so much better. Firstly, it’s closer to home for me, so I spend less time driving to and from work. The open-plan office means there is lots of open space and It’s nice to have plenty of windows and natural light. Despite it being open plan, the office is set up in such a way that it’s actually less noisy than before as my team sits separately from the call takers. We also now sit closer to the buying team, which is great for helping with product-related questions and queries.
The other big thing I like about the new building is that it feels like there’s a lot less separation between the office and the warehouse teams. We all come into the building the same way and share the canteen/break-out space.
What has motivated you to stay at NVS for 35 years?
Well, firstly, it doesn’t feel like I’ve been here for 35 years; it feels more like 5 or 10 years – time really does fly! A big part of that is the fact that I love my job and I’ve enjoyed every different role that I’ve had over the last 35 years. It’s very rewarding when you can help a practice that’s desperate to get certain products or medication for an urgent case. We have such a great relationship with a lot of the customers that they’ll come back to you and say thank you and let you know how the animal is doing. Plus, no two days are ever the same, there’s always a new challenge that comes up somewhere.
NVS has been a huge part of my life, it isn’t just a workplace; it’s become like a second family. Over the years I’ve seen a lot of people come and go, but there are also quite a few, who, like me, have stayed for a long time. And, like any family, there’s been lots of big life events that we’ve shared, from weddings and becoming parents to the more challenging times too. As we’ve grown as a business, it feels like we’ve grown as a family too and I don’t see myself leaving that family anytime soon!
How has your life evolved outside of work during your 35 years of service?
I’ve been happily married for 31 years and have two children who are now aged 30 and 25, so all of that has happened whilst I’ve been working at NVS. My husband is also part of the NVS family, working as a Stock Validator. We work slightly different hours – he starts his day at 6.30am and finishes at 3pm, while I work 8.30am till 5pm, but we’ve found a way to make it work and I think we make a great team.
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Read more in our blog post series:
Looking Back: Lisa Rosson and Carrie Breeze, Replenishment Team – celebrating 25 years at NVS
Looking Back: Andy Bingham, Driver – 35 Years with NVS
Looking Back: 25 Years with Phil Bate, Transport Operations Manager
