Jeané Bresler’s path through Shapeways gives her an edge so that our customers benefit from her experience, skills and insights. She doesn’t just answer customer questions, through her knowledge of the production process she translates technically complex information to simple, clear communication. “The ultimate goal for all of us is to serve the customer to the best of our ability.”
Jeané is a Customer Service Representative at Shapeways’ Eindhoven facility, but her path to the role — and the insight she brings to it — is far from typical. “About two years ago we moved to Eindhoven. I have a background in 3D design, so I just found that Shapeways might be a great fit for me. At that time, a role opened up in the distribution center, which I applied for.”
She got the job, but that was just the start. “During my time in distribution, I started to learn the systems and processes and got the opportunity to work a bit more in post-production. Then I moved over to pre-production, doing some planning. And then about three months ago, the job opportunity opened up in customer service. I thought it might be a good fit — I applied and got the job.”
Using experience that touches every part of the production process has allowed Jeané to shape how she supports customers. “It definitely helps… when a client reaches out, I understand the processes. I can give them a reason why something is happening. I feel it’s very important that when communicating to clients, not just to give them an answer but to give them understanding.”
A bridge between the customer and the factory
To many of us, ‘customer services’ is synonymous with people complaining, but that’s not true, explained Jeané. “Most of my time is spent behind the computer answering clients’ requests. But a lot of it is also spent running around the factory, reaching out to team members regarding specific client inquiries or orders, which is kind of fun.”
Every morning at Shapeways starts with an all-hands production meeting where the whole team can give updates and highlight any issues of note, which Jeané sees as critical to her role. “You know who to speak to, who’s doing what. It gives a really good overview of the whole day.” She also joins a brief management meeting to understand what’s happening in other parts of the business. “I’m a very curious person. It’s a good excuse to know what’s happening everywhere with everyone.” This curiosity and Jeané’s technical insight allows her to have a greater impact in her role.
Communication hub
Curiosity is just one part of the job. Communication and empathy are also key. “Putting yourself in the client’s shoes and problem solving is not always easy. Some people want their parts as soon as possible, but that’s not always feasible… you want to find that sweet spot to keep your team happy but also the client.”
And that communication goes both ways. “Sometimes I get an answer from my colleagues, but I don’t fully understand what they’re telling me. I’m comfortable enough to ask for clarification. And they have the patience to explain it so that I can go back to the customer with clear, helpful communication.”
Jeané’s experience and understanding of the production floor gives her an advantage, being able to flesh out answers and provide better context. Sometimes, by advising that a client makes a small change she can show how the rest of the process would be positively impacted.
That ability to translate technical complexity into clear, helpful guidance is what she sees as core to her role. “A lot of clients have their file, they submit it, they want their part, and they just want you to help them quickly. They don’t really care too much about all the intricacies involved in the process — that’s for us to deal with.”
“But some do; you get a feel from a client’s request about what level of information they want. It’s about reading between the lines… what they’re asking might not be exactly what they need to know or there may be additional information that would be useful for them.”
Team and human touch
“The thing I really like most is when you assist someone and they get it… if clients reach out to you regarding a specific project and say, ‘Because of you, our project was such a success’, that’s absolutely awesome. When something like that happens during my day, I go home and say I had such a good day.”
Working at Shapeways, Jeané sees a company where everyone shares a mindset. “I am in customer service, but the whole team really has such a service mindset… everyone has the customer’s best interests at heart. Because we all work towards the same goal, it really helps me in my job.”
And what keeps her excited to come to work every day?
“Mainly, I would say it’s the people. Every day there is something new to discuss. People are open, fun and interesting.” You can follow along with the Shapeways Team Spotlight series to find out more about the team behind the scenes.
