Name: Kalpesh Gore
Airport: London Heathrow
Store: World Duty Free
Position: Whisky Specialist
Kalpesh Gore, a Liquor Specialist in Heathrow’s Terminal
3, was originally inspired by the BBC’s Airport programme. He left
his job as a security officer seven years ago and started out as a
Customer Service Assistant with World Duty Free – a job that
gave him a very good grounding and a broad knowledge of our unique
business.
After about a year, my Manager gave me a chance to train for my
specialist role. I didn’t have any real knowledge of liquor at all
at that point, but the courses that WDF put me
through were great. It’s not just formal training either. I
got to go on free visits to various whisky distilleries, because
whisky is one of our biggest selling products. We learn all about
our suppliers’ drinks – from the start of the process, right
through to the final bottling. It was a fascinating experience that
really increased my knowledge and confidence when it comes to
selling the product.
I love working here. Every day is different and time absolutely
flies, even though I work quite long hours. There are some great
perks too. Last Christmas, we sold enough Cadbury chocolate to
cover 12 football pitches and were given a tour of their factory.
Needless to say, there was a lot of free chocolate!
A particular highlight for me was selling a couple of bottles of
Remy Martin Louis XIII Cognac. They were £1,299 each and were
bought by a businessman going to the US. On a day-to-day basis, the
thing I love is getting to know the customers. You wouldn’t think
we’d get regulars, but it’s surprising. Some people even know us by
name. The important thing is that you keep on top of the new
products and always know what’s going on. And of course impeccable
customer service skills are vital.