My name is
Rita Cran; I’m a Sales Consultant at Storage King Greenacre. Something you wouldn't know is that my maiden name is Szekeres. I was born in Hungary but
came to Australia as an eight year old child. My family fled the
communist uprising and arrived in the lucky country in 1960 as refugees,
brought out on a ship by the Red Cross and the Australian Government.
My tale isn't uncommon in Greenacre – a melting pot of ethnicity, rich in culture,
tradition and epic stories of adventure, love and loss in making Australia
home. The suburb is located 17 kilometres south-west of the Sydney
CBD. The facility hides amongst the hustle and bustle of the colourful
industrial area and stands as the Grand Bazaar of the storage world. Covering
3,930 square metres with 312 units on offer, Storage King Greenacre captures
the exotic local trade and migrant residential sprawl.
Storage
spaces are bursting with everything you can imagine, from the holdings of
plumbers and electricians, muddled with people’s personal belongings from
divorces and office relocations, to the more ornate silk clothing, traditional
carpets, and exotic oriental imports. The Greenacre storage facility is the
ultimate cultural experience.
As of the
2011 Census, almost half of Greenacre residents were born outside of Australia,
with top countries of birth being Lebanon and Vietnam. With this said, three
quarters of people speak a language other than English at home. Knowing this
and my own story, it helps put things into perspective when serving customers.
Not being quick to judge and lending an ear that is kind to accents reveals
more than the need for simply storage space. Whilst I hand-pick a cubicle to
house and protect my customers goods and guide them through the merchandising
display; in exchange they navigate their wallets, pulling out photos of loved ones
still parted by seas, often taking me on an imaginary journey as they tell me
with pride personal stories and the rich history of their countries. Often, my
customers spoil me and tantalise my senses by brining traditional sweets and
fresh baked breakfasts, making their stories come to life.
Good
customer relationships are not only something that has helped me in my role,
but has also made it interesting, enlightening and enjoyable.