Employee Spotlight for Dagmara Golonka

This month, we were delighted to be joined by Dagmara Golonka, the Ecommerce Executive at Ahmad Tea’s Head Office in the UK. Dagmara has been a long-standing member of our team and initially joined as a machine operator when we had a factory in the UK. She has flourished in various roles and now takes care of our online sales in the UK. We were delighted to share a cup of her favourite tea together and have her share her experience of working at Ahmad Tea. Over to you, Dagmara:

Please tell us about your job.

I started working at Ahmad Tea 12 years ago and have been offered incredible training and support to develop and excel within various roles. I now look after Ahmad Tea’s website and our Amazon channel in the UK. I plan the launch of new products and then liaise with different teams to process orders. It’s interesting to see what products are popular online compared to the products available via other channels. Our loose-leaf Earl Grey is very popular online because I think some consumers favour using loose-leaf tea as it is more sustainable.

What are the biggest challenges in your role?

Many of my biggest challenges are outside of my control. For example, sometimes we have delivery problems, and it can take a while to understand the issue and rectify it. Also, sometimes it is hard to come up with new and fresh content to share with our customers. However, we have a strong marketing team that creates campaigns which I can adapt to support UK online sales. Finally, one of Ahmad Tea’s USPs is its excellent taste, and often we have to think creatively about how we translate that to consumers online.

What are your favourite aspects of your job?

I love receiving customer feedback—sometimes the reviews from customers can be so heart-warming. On rare occasions, we receive negative feedback, and I always take the opportunity to change the system and make it better for future customers.

What trends are you seeing in the tea industry?

We’re seeing growth in decaffeinated and caffeine-free herbal teas. I also think that consumers are increasingly focused on how sustainable they believe brands to be and whether they support workers within the tea gardens.

Top leadership lessons or advice to your younger self?

When I was younger, I was quite anxious, but what I’ve learned—and what I’d like to share with others in a similar situation—is: don’t be afraid to speak out. People will listen, so don’t hold yourself back.

What’s your favourite tea?

I used to love English Breakfast served with milk, but now my favourite tea is a Blackcurrant Burst from our fruit black tea range.

Do you enjoy your job at Ahmad Tea?

I met my partner at Ahmad Tea, and now we have a child together, so it really is a fun place to work and a family business!