Joy and cooperation as sources of success.
Which path led you to T-Emballage?
Previously, I worked as deputy store manager at Intersport. I enjoyed my job, but I had a hard time getting my life puzzle together. The combination of having quite young children and working evenings and weekends was a difficult equation to solve. At the beginning of 2019, I saw an advertisement saying T-Emballage was looking for warehouse staff. I applied and was hired after a quick process.
After working for about a year in the warehouse, I began to feel that I missed being in contact with customers. I applied for a job in the office and was hired as an indoor salesperson. In this role, I work in a team with the sales staff in the field. I have a dialogue with customers, place orders, send inquiries, create quotes, place orders with subcontractors and handle any complaints.
“My life puzzle has solved itself at T-Emballage.
All of us work closely and we cover for each other when needed.”
The office crew is a tight-knit team and we have a lot of fun together. I often leave work thinking of the fun I had during the workday. It’s a bonus to have fun at work, especially when a project has gone awry. Right now, for example, we are trying to locate goods that have not arrived due to delivery delays linked to the pandemic.
My life puzzle has solved itself at T-Emballage. All of us work closely and we cover for each other when needed. We have a high level of service and try to do everything we can to ensure that our customers are happy. I believe that our customers know that we do our best and that they appreciate it.
Going forward, how do you see the future development of the company?
I would feel very proud if we as a company become really bold in the area of sustainability. Recently, we created a concept internally – ‘total sustainability’. It covers both social and environmental aspects of sustainability. Our customers often buy products according to established patterns – products that they know will work. That is just human behavior, yet I think we can be even more proactive when it comes to presenting solutions or proposing alternative products that are better for the environment. Also, we should not be afraid to remove products from the range that do not live up to the idea of ‘total sustainability’.
“We must dare to propose alternatives that are better for the environment and remove products that are not.”
You are perceived as a spreader of joy, a person who gives a lot of energy to your surroundings. What do you think about that?
I get a lot of energy from giving energy. It sets off a positive spiral that makes the days more fun for all of us. I also get a lot of energy from being with my family, meeting friends and exercising. Until quite recently, I was a group training instructor myself, but right now I’m just a participant. I mostly participate in workouts such as Body Balance, Body Combat and Body Attack. Playing padel is also a perfect form of exercise for me as I get to combine meeting friends with exercising.
“I get a lot of energy from giving energy.
It sets off a positive spiral that makes the days more fun for all of us.”
When do you feel successful?
Learning new things – big or small – makes me feel like I have had a successful day. It is actually my measure of success. For now, I’m still learning a lot as an indoor salesperson. I have realized that caring for customer relations and maintaining a high level of service is my thing. My next step is to develop my skills in sales. My boss has told me that there are career paths within the company that are open to me and by which I can develop as soon as I feel ready.
It feels good to know that there are development opportunities open to me and that the company is keen on retaining its employees. Every new recruitment is a big investment in time, money and commitment. I think it is wise to invest in the employees you have and to create a work environment in which they can develop.