A dedicated Aberdeen Asda worker has been put up for a customer service award due to his “big smile” and “eagerness to help”.
Stephen Brown, 41, has worked at the Bridge of Don Middleton Park store for 21 years and has become a “real favourite” among his colleagues and customers.
Mr Brown has learning difficulties but this has not held him back, and he has now been recognised with a nomination for the Asda Service Superstar award.
His mum Janice, who takes him to and from work, said her son has become much more outgoing since joining the team at Asda.
She said: “The team at Asda Middleton Park always go above and beyond for Stephen – they’ve been fantastic. It’s great that everyone in Asda helps him and they are always looking out for him. They have been like that since he started there 21 years ago.
“He’s definitely more outgoing since he joined and his confidence has really grown too.
“He doesn’t mind which days he works, he just enjoys coming to Asda. It gives him a purpose.”
Asda worker always ‘comes out of work smiling’
Mr Brown – who also lives with dad, Tom, and brother, Stewart – left school at 18, going on to study at Aberdeen College where he learned social skills.
After college, Mr Brown told his mum and social worker about his dream of collecting trolleys at Asda, who just so happened to be looking for someone and so he applied and has been there ever since.
Having started out as a porter gathering trolleys from the car park, Mr Brown soon began suffering from seizures which meant he could no longer be outside along.
Management soon came to his aid and set him up with a job indoors, collecting baskets etc.
His mum added: “He feels that he’s helping. He always comes out of work smiling.
“On his 40th birthday last year he got a lot of gifts from colleagues and the management team, and he was fair chuffed. They think a lot of him.
“With him being there for such a long time he knows a lot of people. He’ll come home and say, such and such a person has been asking for you mum.”
‘Stephen is an integral part of Aberdeen team’
Asda Middleton Park store manager, Grant McHardy, said: “Stephen loves working for Asda because he has so many friends here and likes catching up with everyone.
“The best bit about the job for Stephen is getting the baskets for customers and clearing the coat hangers and tags during his shift and helping his team at front end, being as efficient as possible.
“He’s an integral part of the team, and all our colleagues and customers always look out for him when he’s working.
“He was delighted to be nominated for an Asda Service Superstar award for delivering great service.”
Conversation