(Courtesy of Guest Blogger Fred Holmes, HGR’s eBay Auctions Department supervisor)
What does your department do?
eBay Auctions Department lists and sells small, high-value items with strong market demand, Our department is expected to find the hidden treasures in Deals that could easily be missed.
How many people work in your department, and what are their roles?
Five people. We have two full-time eBay clerks who inventory; one full-time UPS shipping person; one floater/teardown person who pulls parts from machines, helps in UPS and incoming; and a supervisor who tries to find the best items, fixes problems and coordinates with the customers.
What qualifications do you need to be successful in your department?
You need to be very detail oriented, mechanical with strong typing skills and have an eye for value. We do Internet research, and you must be willing to learn every day.
What do you like most about your department?
Constant learning of different types of tech or machines and finding new items the we have never seen before.
What challenges has your department faced, and how have you overcome them?
We have a lot of challenges from eBay itself. eBay always is adapting and changing its website, and we must constantly improve to keep up with them. We have challenges with product flow and types of product, and we work together to figure out what we are selling. The team has adapted by taking on more responsibilities, when needed.
What changes in the way your department does business have occurred in the past few years?
Very little. There have been minor adjustments to our listing styles, but, overall, it’s stayed the same.
What continuous improvement processes do you hope to implement in the future?
You can’t improve perfection! J We always are stressing the importance of accuracy and speed — always striving to be more efficient.
What is HGR’s overall environment like?
It’s a work environment that gives you the flexibility to be your best. Everyone gets part of the profits, and everyone has opportunity to better himself/herself and the company.
What is your perspective on manufacturing, surplus, investment recovery/product life cycle/equipment recycling?
It’s a valuable business for small companies to buy from and for large companies to liquidate assets. Recycling what we can’t sell is good for the environment and our natural resources.