Hans van Brussel is our Customer Happiness Manager at vPlan. His goal; nothing but happy customers. Hans achieves this by ensuring good onboarding for customers, providing support for inquiries, and continuously optimizing customer processes. Hans collaborates extensively with our Sales and Product Owners.
What was your journey before becoming a Customer Success Manager at vPlan?
"I've been working full-time at vPlan for 1.5 years now, after completing my degree in Technical Business Administration. Before that, I had various jobs alongside my studies, ranging from teaching at primary school during my PABO period to loading trucks at a logistics company.
Actually, I've been with vPlan since its inception, but of course not in the role I currently hold. During my studies in Technical Business Administration, I was looking for an internship. Eventually, after a good conversation, I ended up at vPlan, which was quite a peculiar choice.
An IT company typically isn't directly aligned with my field of study, but it does have many parallels. Even in an IT company, there's production involved. Although the product isn't physical, there are numerous processes to manage.
After my internship, I was able to join vPlan part-time. This allowed me to further develop my understanding of the subject matter and the company's operations alongside my studies. I undertook various internal tasks, from support to sales assistance. In my opinion, everyone must prove themselves first. Perform first, develop yourself, and then you can progress internally."
How long have you been working at vPlan?
"I've been with vPlan for over 3 years now. I started as a part-time Inside Sales, mainly performing supportive activities. After completing my studies, I made various considerations. vPlan offered me a permanent position within the organization. This opportunity aligned well with the direction in which I wanted to further develop.
In my current role, I'm involved in customer implementations and relationship management. During implementations, it's crucial to translate processes and requirements into visualized solutions. Often, these projects involve integrating with ERP systems. It's very interesting to visualize source data effectively in vPlan."
What gives you the most energy in your work?
"Making customers happy is my biggest motivation. It's something I focus on during implementations and ongoing relationship management. Users should be delighted with vPlan. It saves them a lot of time and provides more clarity. It makes the job of a planner more enjoyable.
By reading books and sharing experiences with connections in similar roles, I constantly strive to improve myself.
Additionally, I derive energy from the versatility of the work. Not only are implementation processes different for each customer, but they also often involve IT-related matters. There's something new to learn every day, and I enjoy that. Through my work, I've gained a lot of knowledge about the workings of various ERP systems and business processes, which greatly interests me.
Lastly, I draw energy from our fantastic team. We work together tirelessly every day towards the same goal. Since day one, I've been involved with vPlan in some capacity, witnessing its growth into the product it is today.
It's been a beautiful, enlightening journey that I've been fortunate to experience, and one from which I continue to learn. Working together with the team to make vPlan an even greater success gives me a lot of energy."
What do you find most challenging about your work?
"I find challenge in the situations I encounter (weekly). Each customer's situation is unique, providing more than enough challenge with every implementation.
Sometimes I have to work with the customer to figure out how we can optimize vPlan as effectively as possible. Other times, I work with the customer to identify what needs to be adjusted in the ERP system to align better.
Or I might be acting as an advisor in a discussion between two departments at a customer's site, aiming to satisfy both departments as much as possible. These situations create healthy tension, which I thrive on."
Ultimately, it's about providing that extra something for customers. Give 'em the pickle! It's a great example of customer management."
If colleagues were to describe you in 3 words, what would those words be?
"Sociable, lively, and driven."
What do you enjoy doing most in your free time?
"That varies a lot. Most of my free time is spent with my girlfriend, friends, and family. Whether it's enjoying a beer at the pub or taking a leisurely walk in the evening.
I also enjoy sports. I train for football every Thursday and play matches on Saturdays and/or Sundays with a fun, small club. Additionally, I play tennis or squash regularly, although I don't win as often there.
Furthermore, I love adventurous trips. About a month ago, I went on a trip to Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro.''
Send Hans a message or connect with him on LinkedIn