Working in the Customer Care department at Medtronic offers a lot of challenge and satisfaction
In this blog I will tell you a bit more about Medtronic’s Customer Care department, the content of the vacancy, the different contacts, the induction process and the workplace of the company located in Eindhoven. Maybe it’s something for you? Enjoy reading!
I wrote this blog with the cooperation of Medtronic, namely: Ralph Essers, Manager Customer Care BeNeLux.
Daan: What can you tell us about the Customer Care department?
Ralph: The Customer Care department moved from Heerlen to the sales office in Eindhoven 6 years ago because of its central location in the Netherlands and interaction with the other sales departments. In Eindhoven, about 120 colleagues work in the inside and outside sales. Our office is 5 minutes away from Strijp which means that during our one-hour break, we can switch off nicely.
The Customer Care department consists of 6 enthusiastic colleagues. 2 positions became available in the department due to the departure of a Customer Care Representative and an internal promotion of the Supervisor. We would like to refill these positions within our department.
Daan: Can you tell a little about yourself?
Ralph: Yes indeed. I recently started working as Manager Customer Care for the BeNeLux. Before this I performed the role of supervisor in the Netherlands and not much later the role of Supervisor in BeLux was added. I have been working for Medtronic for 2.5 years now but before that I also worked for Medtronic for a long period of time in different countries. It gives me genuine satisfaction to see us develop products and therapies that truly improve the quality of life for all of us.
Daan: Who are you in contact with on a daily basis?
Ralph: We have daily contact with employees from, among others, purchasing and warehouse departments of hospitals and clinics. But it may also happen that a doctor or patient calls you. These are all people with different questions who would like to be helped. Of course, we cannot give a patient advice, but you will still need to speak to the patient properly. Furthermore, we are in contact with the field sales reps who have a direct relationship with the hospitals and clinics. We also have contact with the Warehouse in Heerlen, the Back Office in Poland and Order Entry in India.
Daan: What questions arise from those contacts?
Ralph: You name it. We get a lot of adhoc requests to figure something out. When a question comes to us, something didn’t go right somewhere in the process. Daily, we monitor via our mailbox new assignments to execute. Problems we solve are very different. Think: an order that hasn’t shipped; a price that is incorrect; a request for a copy packing slip, or an item that has the wrong number. Other examples: Clarity when products arrive; whether there is current inventory; products have arrived in the wrong quantity or how many products have been shipped in the last year.
In 2020, order entry, returns and credit of incorrect invoices moved to India. We call this internally the “factory. All orders arrive at the factory after which the orders are processed in our global SAP system. The errors that occur within this process come to us. We then initiate an investigation to uncover the problem as soon as possible.
We also get questions about stock. If stock is not available, we ask the sales field reps to arrange an alternative for the customer with our back office. Medtronic has many quality controls to prevent errors. However, mistakes are human, and they are bound to happen in the warehouse or at the carriers. Then we will find out from the customer, carriers or warehouse what went wrong and how we can fix it as soon as possible. If, through Medtronic’s fault, the product is not delivered on time or a hospital decides to advance an operation and has missed the ordering time. We will arrange for a courier to deliver the products to the customer within 4 hours.
It is important that we ask thorough questions to find out the exact question so that we can start the investigation internally. We are very service-oriented in this. With the internal organization we have a strong relationship and often help each other. It is important that we build good relationships with our clients and internal customers.
“We make sure that left or right products are delivered on time to our customers.”
Daan: A varied challenge with many contacts so?
Ralph: Yes indeed. That’s why it’s so important that we build good relationships with everyone to get something done that way. Problem-solving ability and the ability to move quickly are important criteria for us. The work is partly adhoc, but at the same time we try to bring an improvement in the process to our attention. We are a global organization. A matrix organization in which process improvements are done very carefully and viewed from different departments.
Daan: Where do you get the job satisfaction from?
Ralph: Some of the processes are really beyond our control to improve, but we are affected by this. The job satisfaction is mainly to do what you do, do it well and get satisfaction that you were able to help clients and colleagues with their problem. Here is also the excitement and dynamics and the fun of working together and getting things done. You should not get the joy out of changing big processes. It simply takes too long.
Daan: What can you tell us about the role of Customer Care Supervisor?
Ralph: The supervisor hangs over the processes and focuses on escalations and decisions that need to be made, off the beaten path, among other things. I find it important that a supervisor dares to make his or her own decisions and directs, coaches and supports the team as needed. The supervisor does not have to call in, but when it is busy or during the absence of colleagues he jumps in as a team member. You will deal with operational questions from the customer and the sales team. Complex questions or escalations often come from sales to the internal organization where the supervisor will analyze the process. As a supervisor, you will be involved in projects, product launches, process improvements, allocating products, making changes in working practices, timekeeping, leave requests, recruitment, coaching and training and performance reviews. Plenty to do. Don’t you think?
Daan: What does an onboarding process look like for new employees?
Ralph: Medtronic pays a lot of attention to thorough familiarisation processes to ensure quality and knowledge among employees. During the first month, you will walk from one training course to another and get to know your immediate fellow departments. You will also receive extensive SAP training followed up by “training on the job” in your position. Starting in the 2nd month, you will help in the operation. You look into the mailbox and see what the team is up against. That way you get to know your colleagues better and the problems they face and their impact. As a Customer Care Representative you then step into the process and as a Supervisor you slowly step away from the operation. You are going to coordinate the work more and bring complex questions to you to solve. You’ll soon be six months along before you know the ins and outs of our department, the Medtronic organization and the customers.
Daan: What are the development opportunities within Medtronic?
Ralph: When I look at our department there is more and more work coming in. Work from abroad is transferred to local countries.
During the development interviews, we also discuss ambition and expansion of job responsibilities to be further challenged. Medtronic is an organization that provides opportunities for everyone. Therefore, it is not surprising that colleagues apply internally with us.
Do you recognize yourself in the DNA of Medtronic’s Customer Care department and would you like to learn more about your career opportunities? Then check out the Customer Care Representative & Customer Care Supervisor position and apply! I’ll talk to you soon.
Thank you for reading!
Daan Crutzen
Talentfinder & Blogger
