A desire to share the fascination of fashion with even more people, and lifting the spirits of the local community through GU.

GU Minami Matsumoto Store Matsuzaki

What is important to you at work?

That would be to enjoy work. When you’re busy, it's easy to focus on just getting that work done and you forget to have fun. If I can enjoy my work, I come up with good ideas and my customers pick up on it as well. Educating newly hired part-time workers is also important. Since they have limited experience, there are many staff members who don't have an idea of how their work impacts the store overall, so I make sure I educate them to where they have an understanding of the purpose behind each task they do. Of course I also follow up to ensure they’re completing those tasks and I support their development. I believe that learning to do even one new task can give a boost to motivation, so I focus on interacting with employees in a motivating way.

Your reason for joining GU

I'm married and have a child, and when I reached a certain milestone and felt like I could take a break from raising my child, I wanted to start working and encountered GU. I had worked at a clothing store before getting married as well, so I would be able to use my experience. I had also only worked with women’s clothing in the past, and this would give me a chance to work in men’s and kids’ fashion as well. I chose GU for those two reasons. Nowadays there are an increasing number of “select shops” (stores that carry multiple brands) that carry men’s, women’s and kids’ clothing, but I remember it being quite rare at the time. Once I joined the company, I was thrilled to be in an environment where I was able to negotiate my work days and hours since I was also raising a child and maintaining a household. I believe it’s because of this that I have been able to keep working here for over 5 years.

What's something you focus on doing to make your customers happy?

I always remember to smile and try my best to understand the customer's feelings when I interact with them. We have a specific duty assigned for each shift, but at our company even if you're working the cash register you could use the intercom system to get another staff member to cover for you so you can focus on helping the customer that's in front of you.

What gives you a sense of fulfillment in your work?

The number one thing is when I can make my customers happy. For example, hearing a simple "thank you!" from a customer after I complete a transaction as a cashier makes me happy. Another thing is when my effort is appreciated. My supervisor is really tuned in to every single employee, and when I received this Best Employee Award, my supervisor was really happy for me. And this award was earned not just by my own effort, but by the efforts of all the staff at this location, so I'm also happy that this served as a motivator for all the staff.

What are your dreams for the future?

I won't rest satisfied with the status quo, and I'll strive for an even higher quality of service. I want to share the fascination of fashion with even more people in the local community and foster a high-spirited community via GU.

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