How we are the eyes and ears of our customers
Steve de Hoog & Boye Faas - Customer Support Officer & Customer Support Officer
Once the contract is signed, the work of our customer support officers begins. From that moment on, they are the first point of contact for our customers around the globe. Perhaps even more importantly, they become an extended part of our customers’ daily routine.
Steve de Hoog began working for Aeronamic in 2011 and Boye Faas in 2016. They are our customer support officers in Almelo responsible for the supply of OEM and MRO parts and components. In this blog, Boye and Steve share with us how they act as the eyes and ears of our customers and how the human touch always comes into play.
Then and now
Steve: “Through the years, we’ve seen automation bring about incremental change. Nowadays, we log directly into our customers’ systems through so-called customer portals. This means we can synchronize our workflow, enabling us to act and respond more quickly. For, as we know, timing is the key to an effective workflow.”
Boye: “Also, working closely together with customers has always been our forte at Aeronamic. Even when automation became more common, we found ways of keeping tabs on our customers’ needs. One of the pillars of our way of working is to be attentive and responsive in an ever-changing world – a mindset for a more customer-specific production environment for which we have always received positive feedback. We’ve created a dynamic way of working that completely serves our customers and their needs, in both actions and timing. And this is true for all Aeronamic locations.”
Example
Steve: “The actions we take are based on a customer’s chain of supply and demand. Whatever we’re doing, we always seek the perfect fit with their workflow. For example, every morning I call our MRO customer in Singapore. These calls can last five minutes or half an hour, depending on the workload we have for that specific customer. By checking in daily, we can find out what they need and anticipate upcoming requests. It’s one example which applies to all our customers.
“We also deal with other challenging requests, such as customers with older aircraft who need spare parts no longer in stock. Together with our team, we always look for the best solution possible. In the end, it often boils down to assuring customers that we can deliver on time. And, in the process, we do it in the most sustainable way possible, through measures like consolidating transportation to minimize our carbon footprint.”
Recipe for success
Boye: “There are four main factors necessary for carrying out effective customer support. First, keeping in close contact with customers – they need to trust us. Second, working as one great team from our locations. Of course, for this to work, we as colleagues need our workflow to be functioning properly from our side. Third, we have to be flexible as a team, able to adjust quickly to changes of plan. And finally, fourth, it helps a lot that our company has a flat organizational structure. The managing board can easily tag along, not to take over but to be involved in a healthy manner; to help facilitate the customer journey and get results. The recurring theme in all of this is the mutual trust we have with our customers. They can rely on Aeronamic to get the job done. This trust has also resulted in new challenges, again giving us the opportunity to push limits. Because we always meet expectations, customers approach us with innovative, extraordinary requests confident that we can fulfill them. But none of this would be possible without first having a close relationship.”
We are always excited about the possibilities of automation in better serving our customers. But just as important is the way we will always incorporate the human touch, even if it’s through a video call. After all, relationships are about people not machines, right?