Inspire me

Say welcome and mean it! Christina Toimela gets inspired by people with a positive can-do attitude

I stopped at the Sussex Square petrol station on my way home from the gym. I was sweaty, hungry, tired, and not ‘with it’ at all. All I wanted was to buy petrol and disappear back into the rain. But when I opened the door, a lovely, fragile yet so energetic old lady welcomed me in with a big smile.

Not a big deal, you might think. But this lady actually made me feel welcome. For a moment I forgot how I felt, and just smiled. I felt this person actually wanted to cheer me up and enjoyed putting a smile on my face. I kept going back for more of these enlightening moments with this cheerful lady. I had to know who she was and whether she ran the place.

Prize winning
It turned out I had met a lady who has won several customer service prizes and who has worked at the petrol station for the last 27 years. Luckily for all of us she was happy to share her story.

Elaine Leaney was born 81 years ago in Bristol to an ex-Aston Villa player father and musician mother. Elaine’s dad was a strict sportsman. Her mum gave up her career in singing and playing piano to get married, but brought Elaine up with music. At the age of seven Elaine and her parents moved to Birmingham.

Elaine changed her career and study plans so many times that in the end her father decided that further studies were not for her. At 14
years old, Elaine started her career in customer services instead.

In her first customer service job at ‘Louise’s’ in Birmingham, Elaine was so successful that the manager struggled to pay all her commission. Elaine and her manager came up with an agreement that Louise’s would only pay her commission every month, while her basic salary would be paid every three months. This way they could afford to keep her!

Elaine enjoyed her customer service job because serving people was in her nature, and she was also able to spend all her tea and dinner times singing.

Little Shop OF horrors
Today, Elaine says she doesn’t feel like she missed out on anything. She considers herself a Jack-of-all-trades, master of none. She wanted to do other things, like dancing, and at the age of 17 she went to Elizabeth Thompson mannequin school for a year. When asked about the length of her hair, Elaine just lifted her hat and let her long blonde hair drop to her waistline. She was immediately booked for shows and an ‘A’ certificate.

Despite mannequin jobs, Elaine carried on working hard within customer services. Even her father paid attention to his daughter’s hard-working attitude and suggested she work for herself. When Elaine was 30 they bought a grocery shop next door to their home.
When her dad died, Elaine was forced to sell the shop and her mother had to sell their house. Together they moved to Brighton.

At the age of 40, Elaine opened a sweet and tobacco shop at College Place, but the setbacks continued. Due to the hotel next door making space for parking, mice were on the move. And what could have been a more appetising place to move into than a sweet shop? Elaine described the horror of realising that the mice came through the foundations. They were everywhere, and destroyed absolutely everything.

Elaine’s bank account was frozen because the bank thought it was an immediate case of bankruptcy. Forced to sell everything, including the house and furniture, Elaine and her mum were left with just £30.

Try & Try again
Actress Dora Bryan used to own Claridges Hotel by Brighton seafront. Dora accommodated Elaine and her mother for £10 per week, and after a while, Brighton and Hove City Council heard about Elaine’s case and offered her an affordable house.

Elaine’s attitude towards work becomes clear when asked about work-life balance. In her opinion, working is something we are put into this world to do and we should do the best we can in everything. If you don’t have work, Elaine advises you to remember the things that money can’t buy: your family and memories. She continues, “Trying and making an effort is better than not doing anything. At least you tried. Then you just pick yourself up and think that tomorrow is another day for you to try again!”

“Elaine considers herself a Jack-of-all-trades, master of none”

Elaine has been working seven days a week for 26 years and only last year cut down her hours to six days a week.
Being open minded and the joy of working with young, enthusiastic people has kept Elaine going.

She has a few words to say about today’s customer service: “I’m afraid it’s not up to my standards.” Elaine gives an example from her own experience when she stopped for petrol in a spotless and lovely place, that is except for the abrupt staff behind the counter. “That little extra makes a world of difference to the customer. If you’ve got a rude attitude, they will not go back.”

Her advice on excellent customer service is very clear: “Don’t be abrupt. Say please, thank you very much, good morning, et cetera. You’ve got to be interested in other people. Offer something extra. Help, advise and gain a smile by saying: ‘What can I do for you?’”
Say welcome and mean it!

Do you know any people who have really inspired you in Brighton?
We’re not looking for celebrities.
Not ordinary, but extraordinary.
Contact Christina: christina.toimela@gmail.com