Margarita likes driving and actually finds it relaxing, which is good news, because as Northern Division Director, she is responsible for sales and operations of our Leeds office. That involves being out on the road visiting clients from Nottingham and Leicester, up to the Scottish borders. We caught up with her to find out more about her day at work and her talented music background.
How do you start your day?
Depending on how far I need to drive that day, I usually get up about 7.30am. I have a small dog, so we go for a short walk (she only has little legs) before I get home for a coffee. I check my emails and then catch up with my teams to see if there is anything they need. It’s then a final check on the traffic before I head off to my first appointment.
What’s the first job of the day?
When I arrive at my first client appointment, I check that nothing urgent has come in while I’ve been driving. I’m visiting a client in Manchester this morning to quote for a ductwork clean and kitchen deep clean.
I really enjoy problem solving that arises with many ductwork cleans. Questions around how ductwork is going to be accessed and cleaned are all part of the job. Then from there, it’s on to the next appointment. I usually see up to three clients a day, however if there is a group of urgent quotation appointments, I try to accommodate as many as possible. I think once it was seven! I actually quite like driving though. So being in the car a lot doesn’t worry me.
I get to meet lots of interesting people at some fantastic locations.
Do you eat lunch on the go?
I usually find somewhere to stop and will eat lunch in my car. I don’t often eat breakfast, so finding time to grab lunch is important. I have to have coffee in the morning though. That’s a definite!
What does the afternoon look like?
More client appointments in the afternoon. Today I’m heading up from Manchester to Liverpool to see a client who has asked us to provide COVID-related disinfection treatment. I have a fantastic team working for me and throughout the pandemic, they have been so flexible. We’ve supported our clients in the ways we know how, offering sterile fogging and additional cleaning services.
When I finish in Liverpool, I’ll check my emails again and make any quick calls I need to. My final visit today is in Leeds. A client unfortunately suffered a fire at their premises and I’m going to take a look. Often, our specialist cleans enable clients to get their premises back open and functioning again without too much delay.
When does your working day finish?
Once I get home, I try to avoid doing any paperwork. I always like to have that done before I walk in the front door. I get help from our head office when it comes to an admin support and for that I’m so grateful.
My crew is very hard working and we all take our jobs seriously. If we get fantastic feedback, I want my teams to know that before the end of the day. And on the occasions we miss something, we look at why and the quickest way to rectify it.
My day job finishes in the evening, but I’m always on call as my teams work throughout the night in some locations. If they run into a problem at a deep clean for example, they know they can always call me. I’m fortunate that those incidences are few and far between, but they do happen. I think it’s important they know I’m there at the end of the phone.
What do you do in your spare time?
Well, I’m actually a graduated pianist and trained singer. Music brings me joy and lets me relax. I used to have a band and perform regularly, but now singing and music is purely a hobby. I still perform at our local pub sometimes and I just love it. I’m so glad my parents encouraged me to play the piano, because having that skill enabled me to travel and live in some fabulous countries. I think the travel inspired me to learn languages too. I speak four now and that’s something people may not know about me.