His choice for a career in logistics was one made early on. After a three-year course as a logistics manager, Bert-Jan met a business partner with whom he developed a small transport company into a company with 4000 m2 storage capacity. “I have been given responsibilities, learned a lot and worked hard,” says Bert-Jan. “We worked like entrepreneurs and had long days. I eventually went looking for more rhythm and structure in my work schedule, which I found at Versteijnen.’’
22 June 2022
Customer Excellence: always in search of the perfect balance
How to balance customer requirements with operational capacity? A question without a straightforward answer, as Bert-Jan Visser knows. His function as manager customer excellence requires Bert-Jan to contact multiple clients on a daily basis, all with unique needs. ‘’Looking for balance is the challenge of our work''
Bert-Jan’s position can be described as central in the organisation. He directs a logistics team and a transport team, all while keeping in contact with Versteijnen’s clients to meet their needs. ‘’Being in the middle of the operation means getting involved with a variety of projects. The tasks that emerge from these projects are then set out in the organisation.’’ The only downside to Bert-Jan’s position? ‘’Sadly, problem-solving capabilities or extra completed tasks that we didn’t account for aren’be measured while it’s one of the most important aspects of my position.’’
Ever since joining Versteijnen 22 years prior, Bert-Jan has been active on various departments: process, planning, and as manager customer excellence. His prior function as team leader planning proved to be useful. ‘’We initially intended to switch positions with customer excellence for a limited period of time to get a better understanding on each other’s positions – it wasn’t clear why particular choices and considerations were made. I ended up enjoying customer service a lot, a return tothe planning department was therefore out of the question. My past expertise as planner now makes me much more nuanced.’’
Bert-Jan’s nuanced perspective has been of good use lately: personnel changes and an overstrained market have demanded a lot from Bert-Jan and his colleagues. “The volumes have increased considerably, which was a challenge in combination with the training of new colleagues. Fortunately, my teams consist of enterprising employees with a lot of commitment to Versteijnen. It’s admirable to see how everything went through – the customer noticed little delay to none at all.’’
Bert-Jan has great confidence in the future. ‘’We’re not understaffed anymore and new employees provide fresh energy. Stability is restored, and we’re ready to maintain a high level of customer service. Operationally, we’ll probably have to deal with demanding situations in the future. But looking for balance is the challenge of our work.’’
