Graham Selby – Customer Sales Representative

“I like working here and I enjoy coming to work.”

For film enthusiast Graham Selby, spending time in an environment where he is surrounded by thousands of films is ideal. Graham has a part time job at the Blockbuster shop in Blackpool and had already made a good impression with managers before he even started work.

Graham has Down’s Syndrome but this didn’t stop him from completing two successful periods of work experience at the store while he was still at school. He proved that he had the potential and enthusiasm to be a successful employee and is now employed as a part-time customer sales representative.

Employer’s story

Blockbuster shops rent and sell DVD films and games so an interest in films and media are amongst the key requirements for a customer sales representative. “An outgoing personality is also important” says Matthew Hardaker, Assistant Manager. Graham meets the requirements for the job but offers more than just the ability to do his day to day duties. “He’s eager to learn new things” says Matthew, “and he’s not afraid to ask if he needs help”. Graham shows initiative and without any prompting will approach customers to see if they need assistance.

His main duties are to record customer rental information on the computer and to ensure that DVDs are filed properly. When he first started to work at the store, Danielle Heckman, an employment officer with Progress Recruitment, an agency in Blackpool that helps disabled people find jobs, provided on-site support for Graham to help him develop his filing skills. But he also improved his skills by practising filing at home with his own collection of videos and films. “Graham’s skills have improved significantly since he started working here” says Matthew.

Good progress

Graham has made such good progress that he no longer needs any support to do his job. Danielle Heckman from Progress Recruitment says: “I provided on-site support for Graham for twelve weeks but because he was doing so well, I started phasing it out.”

Employee's story

“Graham has always been keen to work” says his mum Louise Benson. Before finding permanent employment, Graham worked hard on his regular paper rounds. He also enrolled at a local college and has already gained qualifications in Maths, English and Animal Care.

“I like working with people and I like computers” says Graham. He understands that good customer service is an important part of his job but also believes that good presentation is essential. He says: “My uniform and my hair have to be tidy at work”.

Louise knows that there are certain things Graham cannot do because of his disability but she does not think this is an issue that is unique or specific to Graham. “Everybody’s got something they can’t do” she says. Louise also knows that there are many things Graham can do and can offer as an employee. His success to date with Blockbuster proves that she’s right.

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