Caring and calm: Patrick’s recipe for success in retail

Catherine Barth

11.11.2024

Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson

When things get hectic during Black Friday week and the run-up to Christmas, one person’s steady as a rock: Patrick Biedert, our Store Manager in Zurich and Kriens. He told me how he bagged the job, what his secret is for keeping calm and what his craziest moments in retail have been so far.

Patrick, how did you end up in retail at Digitec Galaxus?

I’m actually a trained multimedia electronics technician. I did my apprenticeship in a small company with seven employees – apprentices included. After completing military service, I wanted to try something new – preferably in a sector I was familiar with, but still different to the trade I’d learned. Besides, is there anything cooler than working at Digitec Galaxus (laughs)? So I started working at the checkout at the Digitec store in Basel. Nine months in, I was given the opportunity to move up to Supervisor. That was amazing! This made me the first point of contact when employees needed help.

So you were promoted to Supervisor relatively quickly and then went straight on to become Deputy Store Manager?

That’s right. I’ve always been ambitious and like to set goals for myself. My first goal was to spend a whole day without asking anyone for help. I learned a lot that way, tried out new things and was later also able to pass on what I’d learned to others. As Supervisor, I also gained leadership experience. And as Deputy, I’d have to fill in for the Store Manager. That was also the time when I became interested in continuing my education to be better equipped for those roles and any new ones that might come up in the future.

What did that involve?

One of the things I did was take a leadership training course with an external provider. Then I went on to study business administration. I was working full-time and doing the courses in the evenings or at the weekends. Although that was stressful, it was important to me.

These days, you manage two of our stores: the one in Zurich and the one in Kriens. What do you like best about this double challenge?

Although they’re both Digitec stores, they’re very different. Take the teams, for example. Their team dynamics are different and the employees have different needs and interests. Then there are the customers. In Zurich, things are busy and fast-paced. People know exactly what they want when they’re at the store. In Kriens, on the other hand, we spend more time talking to clients, answering their questions and helping them figure out which product meets their needs. Customers enjoy taking their time to find out more about the products. Those are interesting differences.

How has your role changed since you started?

Back then, I was mainly working at the checkout or in the warehouse. Today, as Store Manager, I manage my employees, numbers and targets, as well as projects that we implement in the stores. But I also still help out at the store, provided I have the time. It’s important to me to know what’s going on at the store as well as to be in touch with our customers. That way I can be hands-on and support my team.

What advice would you give an employee who wants to take their next career step?

Think carefully about what it is that you want to do. It may sound obvious, but there will come a point when you’ll be looking for a change. If you know where you want to go, you can proactively start further training or take your first steps to pursue your goals. Obviously, I’m not going to force anyone to develop, but as Store Manager, it’s important to encourage and support my employees as much as possible.

What has your work in retail taught you?

My tolerance levels have increased significantly (laughs). In retail, you learn to put yourself in the customers’ shoes and deal with all kinds of situations. This has proven quite helpful in other areas of my life, too. Let’s say you've missed the bus. You can either get really annoyed and make the situation worse, or simply stay calm and catch the next one. Keeping your calm and being understanding is the be-all and end-all. Both at work and in life in general.

So not taking things too personally?

Exactly. I’ve definitely learned that over the last ten years. In the beginning, difficult situations would weigh on my mind. But you learn to deal with them over time. No matter what happens, we always give our all and try to find the best solution possible for our customers.

Is that your life hack?

I’d say so, yes (laughs). If you can change a situation, it’s on you to do that. If you can’t do anything about it, don’t let it get to you. There’s no point and it will only bring you down. I try to put this into practice every day and hope it rubs off on my team. If I stay calm in stressful situations, my employees also stay calm and do a good job.

And finally: what’s the craziest thing you’ve experienced in retail?

Black Friday 2017. We had a special deal on mobile phone plans: 50 per cent off a new phone if you take out a new plan. The idea was for customers to take out a plan for 24 months. But our customers are smart cookies. So instead, they were buying the plan, which had no minimum term, bagged the phone at half price and then cancelled the plan right after. Word got around that day and we had queues of up to 70 people in front of the store all day. Some even brought the whole family. Years later, people were still asking if we were going to have the sale deal again (laughs).

Thanks Patrick for the interesting insights.

Would you like to join us in retail? Click here to find out more about our job openings.

Catherine Barth

Communications Manager

Catherine.Barth@digitecgalaxus.ch

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