To customers in his Richmond store, he’s known as the “sports announcer guy.” To his colleagues, he’s just “Brandon.”
Suffice to say, Brandon White – a cashier at the Rona store on Elmbridge Way – has caught the attention of quite a few people with his deep, booming voice when using the PA system.
Whether it’s store-closing announcements or SKU checks, White’s PA style has become so popular that some customers have taken to social media to talk about it and ask who he is.
One such thread on Reddit, titled “Rona store voice guy,” has one admirer referring to White’s “super exaggerated tones.”
Replies to the post talk of the cashier’s “hilarious” announcements and even one person who says he goes out of his way to be served by White.
The Richmond News caught up with the “Rona store voice guy” this week and asked where his entertaining tones came from.
“To be honest, I’m just trying to make it sound loud and clear,” said White, 33, who has been working at the store for six years.
“I’ve been to many other stores where this announcement comes on and I’ve no clue what they’re saying.
“It’s not a conscious decision to sound like a sports announcer or anything.”
In fact, when he first started using the PA system a few years ago, White said the words were coming out with weird, unintentional accents.
“I’m really not sure why. I think I was just trying different voices and (the accents) would just slip out.
“It was kind of British, I think, and people would then ask, ‘oh, where are you from.’ I was like, ‘Vancouver.’
“They thought I was from South Africa or Britain or Australia.”
White said he’s aware that some customers enjoy his PA style, with many suggesting he should be working on the radio or doing voice-overs for TV and the movies.
“I just smile and laugh…it’s uncomfortable sometimes, but it’s all good,” he said.
