Kiwis invited to nominate Checkout Operator of the Year

Kiwis invited to nominate ‘People’s Choice’

Checkout Operator of the Year

11 July 2016: For the first time Countdown shoppers can nominate their favourite checkout operator for the coveted title of Checkout Operator of the Year.

More than 400 checkout operators from Countdown stores around the country will soon be vying for the title in regional competitions, and will face rigorous testing and interviews to claim one of 12 spots in the grand final.

One spot in the final has also been saved for the first ever People’s Choice Award. From 11 – 17 July, customers can nominate their chosen checkout operator via Countdown’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/countdown.

The People’s Choice Facebook nominations will go into a draw and the winner will be fast tracked to the Countdown Checkout Operator of the Year Award finals, to be held in Auckland on 3 August. The person who nominates the People’s Choice Award winner will receive a $250 Countdown voucher and an additional $500 voucher if their nomination takes out the title in the grand final.

Brett Ashley, Countdown’s General Manager Operations, encourages shoppers to nominate their local checkout operator and have their say in who takes home the crown this year.

“Countdown checkout operators serve the vast majority of our 2.7 million customers a week, and they’re passionate about what they do. Our customers are the ones who experience this first hand so we want to hear who they think does it best,” he says.

“Our team are a humble bunch and sometimes we have outstanding checkout operators who don’t put themselves forward for the competition. The People’s Choice Award is a great way for our customers to tell us who goes the extra mile for them and makes life that little bit easier.”

During the final showdown, finalists will be judged on a range of criteria, including product knowledge, packing skills, customer service and conversation during a checkout test.

Finalists will scan 60 items ranging from fresh produce, alcohol, meat/deli and chilled foods. The checkout operators will face hidden challenges to catch the finalists off-guard, including cracked eggs, unusual produce and damaged packaging that competitors will need to identify.

The Checkout Operator of the Year competition is run across several stages. Each of Countdown’s 184 stores will have one winning checkout operator who moves into regional finals until eventually the pack is whittled into 12 finalists who will attend the national final on3 August.

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