Debbie works within the Ravago Building Solutions UK customer service team to support our customers on the journey from order to delivery.
How long have you worked for Ravago, and what have been the highlights to date?
I started my role with Ravago on 23rd March 2020, which was the same day the UK went into lockdown. On my first day, I came in to collect a laptop and had a mini-induction and was then working from home. Due to my new colleagues being mostly on furlough it was basically straight in at the deep end, and I was trained remotely by our colleagues in Budapest. It was a very intense first few weeks, but the training was excellent, and I was able to work with most of our customer base in one way or another.
During the first few months, I set up an order log for the CSRs so we could easily see how many loads per day we had to go out, thereby avoiding overbooking loads for any given day. The open order log has since developed and as well as being very useful when covering each other for holidays etc., I can now use this to produce monthly/quarterly and annual reports on our freight costs, load capacities, orders, etc.
Tell us a bit about how this role differs to your last position?
My last role was with a non-domestic energy provider who specialised in renewable energy, one of the main differences is that I did not work directly with the customers as we do at Ravago; nearly all the business was portfolio based and the portfolios would be managed by a broker or third party. We also liaised with other industry parties regarding the customers supply, such as Data Collectors, Meter Operators and Distribution Networks, on a daily basis.
Having said that, my key account in my previous role was Saint Gobain and they are now one of my accounts here at Ravago.
What, for you, is the most satisfactory part of your role?
For me, it is definitely working directly with customers. This is something I really missed in my last role. Working directly with customers means you can build relationships and trust. It also means that you also get to understand their needs and how they work and, by doing so, provide a service that is in a lot of ways is tailored to them. I also enjoy the data analysis I produce, as it enables us to have a good overview of how we are doing now and provides us with insight into how and where we can improve our service to our customers.
What are your main interests/hobbies outside of work?
This is going to make me sound really old, but I crochet and have my own little Etsy shop. I have even designed and written my own patterns but am not brave enough to sell those yet. I also love walking, like a good book or movie, and have a passion for cooking.
Debbie.Brooks@ravago.com
03300 606 016