Our Gerben proudly tells...

Twenty years ago, Gerben Vriends started as a jack-of-all-trades at Elektrolas. He has since become coordinator of our product team. In this position, he is responsible for purchasing, arranges the daily planning and leads the team. Gerben explains how he and his colleagues ensure that customers get the best service.

‘Sometimes customers' questions are simple: they order a welding helmet, we deliver it. But much more often there is more to the question than just deliviring a product. It is precisely with those questions that we try to make a difference.’ Gerben and his team are the first point of contact at Elektrolas for a large number of customers. With good service, they can make an immediate difference. Gerben continues: ‘If the welding helmet is meant for a new employee, they probably also need gloves and protective clothing. We can also clean used helmets in an ultrasonic bath. That saves the customer money, while the helmet is like new. In addition when it comes to accommodating a production peak, they can immediately rent a machine from us. They can then use that for as long as needed.’

This way of thinking along distinguishes Elektrolas from other suppliers, according to Gerben: ‘Against the prices of online shops, it is difficult to compete. Therefor it is crucial to have a trust voice of confidence. Someone who thinks along with us, gives advice and calls back when asked. A webshop can't compete with that.’

Product knowledge 
Giving good advice is only possible if you know what you are talking about. That is why product knowledge is very important. Gerben explains how he and his colleagues keep their knowledge up-to-date: ‘If a supplier launches a new product, we take a training course. We often do this together with a few partners, so they can see for themselves what the latest developments in the welding world are. We brush up new colleagues immediately, so that they know what they are talking about right from the start. This way, we give every customer the best possible advice.’

Sometimes Elektrolas takes this a step further. Gerben continues: ‘We regularly organize inspiration sessions to inform customers about developments in the industry. That always provides new insights. In addition, our welding demonstrators can show customers exactly what the advantages of a product are. After a demo, they know even better which products are a good fit for their operations and can make an informed decision.’

Keep innovating
Product knowledge is not the only thing the team is working on behind the scenes. Gerben talks about the innovations Elektrolas regularly implements: ‘We are always looking at how we can improve ourselves. The aim is to spend as little time as possible on peripheral issues, so that we can pay as much attention as possible to providing good service. A simple example is our phones: we traded in our landline phones for smartphones so that we can switch faster when we want to check something in the warehouse. We are also in touch with customers via WhatsApp and Teams.’

In a fairly traditional sector, Elektrolas is doing all it can to stay ahead of the times. Gerben continues: ‘When I started here 20 years ago, we were still working with written receipts. We checked everything by hand. Over the years, we digitised that more and more. Recently, we switched to a new system that allowed us to automate even more tasks. For instance, orders and invoices are linked automatically. And we can link the customer's purchasing system to our portal to make ordering even faster and easier.’

Logistics and delivery
Elektrolas is also continuously making improvements in logistics. Gerben: ‘Last year, we created a new routing for the items being picked in the warehouse. This gives us a better overview of the logistics process. Also, we are currently investigating how to improve our delivery. The customers' wishes are central to this. We now deliver orders within a 30-kilometre radius of Waalwijk with our driver as standard. He drives on fixed days. With a bit of bad luck, an order can then take a few days. Most customers do not mind, but we now want to give the option to have it delivered the next day via DHL.’

In the latter case, Gerben is still exploring additional service options. He continues: ‘If you order something as a private person, you automatically get updates when your order is on its way. For business orders, this is not yet common. We are now looking into implementing this. That will save the customer another phone call to ask when the order will arrive.’ 

Keep making a difference
Looking to the future, Gerben hopes Elektrolas can continue to make a difference. He concludes: ‘We want to make our customers' lives easier. While we are working on automation, we also keep the traditional way of working. For example, the warehouse remains open for customers who come to pick up something on the spur of the moment. We are there for everyone.’