Customer service is no assembly line work

Nikko Rantanen, who started his Vatupassi career as a summer worker at the company’s Jyväskylä store, is passionate about learning new things and won’t shy away from any kind of job. And that has also earned him the title “Employee of the Year” in 2019. Nikko’s calm and contemplative manner, together with his Social and Public Policy studies have in turn earned this hard-working guy the nickname “Tohtori” (“Doctor” in English).

– It’s mostly the Joensuu gang who use that. It dates back to the times when I joined Vatupassi for a summer job, and Sampsa and Mika started calling me by the name “Tohtori”. Already that first summer, I noticed how great the atmosphere here really is. Even though I was a seasonal worker, everyone took me in straightaway. There have been many personnel changes in the Jyväskylä team since those days, but the spirit has stayed the same, Nikko muses.

“Analytical” is a good word to describe Rantanen’s approach to his job. There is always something new to learn in the tool and equipment rental business, and according to Nikko, the best way to improve yourself is to ask for advice from the more experienced colleagues.

– I want to become better at my job and always learn something new. It’s not enough, trying to figure things out in your own head, if you can’t take advice from others. Being able to ask for advice is the single most useful skill that one can have. It’s also up to yourself what you dare to take on at work. I try not to delegate stuff to the others. Instead, I try to learn to do them myself, Nikko says.             

His calm and firm approach, as well as the great customer service spirit, have not gone unnoticed at Vatupassi, and Nikko has been chosen as the Jyväskylä office Employee of the Year. The man himself thinks the fact he’s not one to shy away from work might have had something to do with that.

– I’ve been used to working hard ever since I was little. I don’t avoid work, and will do any job or task that comes my way. I also try to lighten the workload of my colleagues as much as I can. When it comes to the customers, I believe that it’s important to provide personal customer service. If you act as if you were working on an assembly line, people do notice it, straightaway. But if you plan the whole thing together with the customer, you’ll get a result that everybody is happy with.

In his free time, Nikko relaxes by doing many kinds of different sports. In addition to floorball and ice hockey, his hobbies include cross-country skiing and cycling. The man who likes his peace and tranquillity often spends weekends at the cottage. Not that he needs to recharge his batteries or anything, as Nikko truly enjoys his job.

– As Vatupassi is a well-established family company, they have also established their own way of doing things. They have managed to hire the right kind of people and created a great, close-knit atmosphere. We’re all pulling together, and there is no room for acting out of self-interest. People are flexible, and there are no pointless disagreements. Even though there is plenty of work to get done, it’s always a relaxed atmosphere here, “the Doc” concludes his analysis.

Published 23.3.2020.