Kalgoorlie Woolworths employee Dana Hogan awarded for dedicated service during crisis

Kalgoorlie-Boulder’s supermarket workers have been under significant pressure during the COVID-19 pan-demic, but one Woolworths employee has been recognised for keeping her cool.

Dana Hogan received the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Chamber of Commerce and Industry customer service award for March last week after being nominated by a local shopper.

Ms Hogan started working at Woolworths about two years ago but has been involved in the hospitality industry since she was a teenager.

“Gobsmacked” by the recognition, Ms Hogan said both she and her store manager had been unaware of the nomination.

“I had absolutely no idea until the photographer rocked up,” she said. “It blew me completely out of the water.

“I’ve had people come up to me in the street congratulating me ... I was joking with everyone at work that my ego would be too big to fit out the door soon.”

Ms Hogan said she had always been passionate about working with people, taking on roles at nursing homes, schools, police stations, volunteer emergency services and pubs across WA.

While the situation is constantly evolving, Ms Hogan said most customers had responded well to stock shortages and store changes because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Most people are generally pretty cruisy, despite what’s going on at the moment,” she said.

“It’s our job to put their mind at ease ... you just agree with them and say, ‘I know it absolutely sucks, unfortunately we don’t make the rules and we just have to go with the flow’.

“It’s all about how you approach people, how you read people.”

Ms Hogan said delivering good customer service did not have to be difficult. “Just do everything with a smile on your face, it’s not hard,” she said.

“You just have to treat people how you want to be treated.”