Mireille Dekkers
Team Leader Customer Care Center
What makes you keen to work at Vattenfall/Nuon?
'I find the Customer Care Center a very nice place to work. Why Vattenfall/Nuon in particular? Energy may seem like a dull product, but that's not at all true. I realised this very quickly after I started working here. There's so much involved that you don't know about, there's always something new to learn. It's also a socially aware company that gives people opportunities and where nice things are organised regularly for the staff, from small presents to great parties.'
What do you like best about your work?
'Satisfied customers and a satisfied team, and being able to achieve this our own way. Thinking outside the box is necessary fairly often in the complaints team where I work. Fortunately, we have trust and the freedom to find good solutions, even for very complicated complaints, although they sometimes depart from the rules.'
What do you find important for achieving good results?
'Motivation! You can have all sorts of nice reports and systems available, but if motivation is lacking you will never deliver good results. How do you keep people motivated? That starts with recruitment, where you have to rely on your intuition; a good education and experience are not always a guarantee of success. Attitude and mentality may say a lot more about an applicant. In addition, creating a good, open atmosphere in the department is very important. You have to be open, be honest and give other people a chance.'
Why did you decide to work on customer complaint issues?
'Before I started working for Nuon, I had jobs that focussed on customers or guests, so the transition to customer service in Nuon was very natural. Working in an service provider environment appeals to me and fits me. It gives me a good feeling when I can make someone happy or at least help them. The work is always interesting because every situation or customer is different.'
Do you have the feeling that you can pursue a career within Vattenfall/Nuon?
'That is certainly true. I have experienced this myself, and I have also seen people around me make nice career moves. People from my own team have moved on to other good positions, either higher up or in other areas, and I enjoy helping people with this. I also see this regularly outside my team.'