Alliance customer assistant celebrates 40 years

Known for always having a smile on his face, his love of Alliance sausage rolls, and a trademark woolly hat that he wears to protect himself in the freezer department, staff and customers were keen to thank and praise him for his service.

The 56-year-old started helping with store deliveries at the age of 16 following work experience, before moving to the store’s freezer department 38 years ago.

‘It’s been a long 40 years but it has been so lovely and fantastic – words cannot express my appreciation,’ Mr Parsons said.

‘I just want to say thank you for being with me for the past 40 years and I know it will be another 20-30 years. I love people and I love helping customers, as that is what it is all about.’

During his anniversary shift, Mr Parsons enjoyed a staff party, decorations and a couple of gifts, including a tropical-themed mural for his home and 40 sausage rolls, but his first thought was checking the freezer’s inventory.

‘My favourite moment has probably been getting the new state-of-the-art freezers this year as the old ones you had to turn them off to thaw,’ Mr Parsons added.

Other big changes were the tills changing from tardis-like cashiers to their present style as well as Alliance growing from a ‘simple wholesale store’.

Colleagues joined Mr Parsons to celebrate as customers were quick to congratulate him on social media for the past four decades. A post from Alliance had more than 300 likes within two hours.

One customer commented: ‘Amazing Kevin, always a smiling face and a cheerful chat.'

Another added: ‘Congratulations Kevin, well deserved. It's a pleasure coming into the store to see your smiley face and pleasant attitude towards the customers.’

Alliance’s commercial director Laura Gordon said that it was clear to see how much joy Mr Parsons brought to the store.

‘He is just amazing and we are only as good as our staff. It sticks with the DNA of our business in terms of local staff and local customers, and it shows as we retain that talent.’

Mr Parsons had been working at Alliance for a decade before the new chairman Chris Fish took over the company in 1994.

‘What a great member of our community he is, we value him so much and we do not know what we would do without him,' said Mr Fish, who joined in with the party in the store.

'Kevin provides a great atmosphere and is always wanting to help people be it through raising money for charity or in store.'