Get to know our Warehouse and Bookstore Sidekick Hannah in our Behind the Scenes series, where you will meet the Heroes responsible for getting New Zealand's largest range of awesome books to your door overnight, anywhere in New Zealand.
Hi, I'm Hannah! I work as a Warehouse and Bookstore Sidekick at Book Hero, which means I get to help out across both sides of the business, which is something I really love. One moment I might be shelving books in the warehouse ready to be picked and packed, and the next I could be helping someone in the bookshop find their next great read. I really enjoy being able to see both the behind the scenes operations and the customer side of things - it makes every day feel different.
When I’m working in the bookshop, I start my day putting my music on the bookshop speaker. At the moment I have been playing my "bookshop Summer" playlist most mornings - Olivia Dean, Laufey and Brooke Fraser.
Working in the bookshop means lots of great interactions with our customers. Recently I was really excited to help a customer track down a very specific car manual he had been searching for everywhere! We happened to have it, which was a great moment and also a testament to the incredible work Marnie does running our book finding service.
My desk is usually covered in sticky notes. I am constantly writing little reminders to follow up on things, so if you visit the bookshop you will probably see a flurry of small yellow notes scattered across the desk waiting to be sorted.
When I am working in the warehouse I do a lot of picking, so the most satisfying moment of the day is seeing all the runs hit zero left to pick. That feeling means every order is ready to go and customers will get their books on our overnight delivery service, as promised. One of the best parts about working with the Book Hero team is knowing the lengths we all go to ensuring customers get their orders on time.
One small win I had recently was helping a customer who told me they "don't read" find a book they were genuinely excited about. Even if someone is not a big reader, they usually have a passion or hobby, and there are books about almost every topic imaginable. It is always rewarding helping someone discover something they did not expect to enjoy.
Something that surprises a lot of people when they visit the shop, is that Book Hero is not just a warehouse. We actually have a full bookshop here in Hobsonville that anyone can visit - and we’re now open 7 days a week! People often come in expecting to see only shelves and boxes, and instead find a beautiful bookstore full of books, games and toys. I love watching the surprise on their faces.
I’m fortunate that I live around the corner from Book Hero, so on my walk to work I often listen to The Daily. It is not exactly light listening first thing in the morning, but it helps me keep up with what is happening around the world. I also sometimes run into neighbours or people walking their dogs along the way and stop for a quick chat, which always brightens the morning.
When the workday finishes, I usually switch straight into university mode. After dinner I spend time doing my readings, working on assignments and planning what topics are coming up next for my psychology studies.
If I had one tip for customers wanting to get the most out of Book Hero, it would be to follow us on Instagram. Apart from our newsletter, it is the best way to stay up to date with what is happening - from weekly bestsellers to competitions and giveaways. And of course, come visit us in person. Lizzy runs the bookshop most of the week and has an incredible ability to recommend the perfect book, even for the most niche request. On weekends you will often find myself or Eve in the store and we always love chatting with customers about their favourite screen-free activities.
Outside of work, I absolutely love swimming. During summer I spend as much time as possible at the beach, and throughout the rest of the year I often go lane swimming at the university recreation centre after class.
Looking ahead, I am really excited to see Book Hero become even more of a community space. Bookshop Day was such a fun event and the whole place was buzzing with people and activity. I would love to see more events like that bringing local book lovers together.
At the moment I am rereading The Human Mind: A Brief Tour of Everything We Know. I am studying psychology at university, so it is a great reminder of why I find the subject so fascinating.