Whatever the apparatus, we’ll get it sorted

Vatupassi’s Sales Director, and nowadays also the COO, Sampsa Tanskanen is a meticulous guy who exudes professionalism and the desire for further professional development. After a brief chat, we get to see that underneath that dynamic appearance is an easy-going second generation Vatupassi man, who is always good for a laugh. Sampsa first joined Vatupassi for a summer job in the early 2000s and has since progressed in his career with the company to become the Chief Operating Officer.

– I started off by cleaning machines and moving stuff around. I did maintenance and repairs and customer service too. It’s actually a really good thing for my current job that I have gone through all those stages, Sampsa recalls.

The best learning experience of his career thus far has been the opening of the Vatupassi Jyväskylä offices. Planning the operations from day one and managing the Jyväskylä staff taught him to take responsibility and to trust his own competence. That experience also helped him to understand what the most relevant things when dealing with customers are.

– Working in sales you need to have humility. You have to be able to adapt to the customer’s needs. Being talkative and sociable is good too, of course, as well as a relaxed approach. There is enough stiff formality and unnecessary self-importance around already. When faced with problems, it’s good to keep in mind that however much it might be nagging at you, these are just construction machines, after all. We have such fantastic guys working here that we can handle any kind of situation, Sampsa says.

All of a sudden, the phone rings and Sampsa starts sorting out a problem with a delivery address. At Vatupassi, the management team do not just sit up in their ivory towers, “directing things”. Instead, they all have their hands full of practical work too.

– I would argue that our best quality is that as a small company we are able to be truly flexible. Small business owners all know this. We are also valued for being fast and local. It’s important for many that all the decision-making is done right here, and not somewhere far away. We are only accountable to ourselves, and the money stays in the local area too, Sampsa ponders the essence of Vatupassi.

At Vatupassi, the customers’ needs are being listened to very carefully. The company has acquired a sufficient amount of equipment, so that they are able to respond to even some more urgent needs. Vatupassi also has a very good network of subcontractors, which adds to the agility of the operations.

– We know our customers well and we talk with them a lot. We are doing this for them, after all. Needs and requirements change and we keep meeting them. Whatever the needed apparatus, we will sort it out. And if the same apparatus is being asked for a second time, we’ll start thinking about buying one for ourselves, Sampsa laughs.

Published 12.2.2020.