In the spotlight: Danny van Essen

Another month, another Flash Employee in the Spotlight! In this monthly column, we want to introduce the people behind the organisation and ask them some fun questions. Today, we present Danny van Essen. Keep reading to find out more about Danny’s daily work!

Danny, what’s your role at Flash?

“As a Technical Driver at Flash, my main task is to deliver, collect and exchange equipment. In practice, this means preparing rental orders, issuing rental orders in FLASH (back office application) and collecting returned rental orders. I’m the customer’s first point of contact, so naturally I hear a lot about what’s going on in the workplace. I hear the good things but also the things that sometimes go awry, so it’s nice if I can solve things right away. I’m also responsible for programming two-way radios, carrying out small installations, solving first-line breakdowns and giving advice.”

How long have you been doing this work?

“For almost twenty years now! I first worked in defence for six years and was always interested in communication. When I returned from Bosnia, I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to do the under-officers’ training. Many colleagues quit and I opted for a job at a telecoms company. After a couple of years, I flipped through the classifieds and I saw a great job at Flash in Europoort and I thought: that’s for me!”

Which part of your job do you enjoy the most?

“I love working with customers and the personal contact in particular is great! I’m told I’m a good conversationalist and have been in contact with some customers for almost twenty years, so you do develop a relationship. I just like to listen to customers, no matter if it’s about work or not. Also, I really like the dynamics of this job: one day I’m on a building site, the next I’m in a stadium or at a festival, and that makes it a lot of fun. Of course, I do a lot of driving and usually cover some 60 to 70,000 kilometres a year, criss-crossing the Netherlands and Belgium.”

What has changed in the past few years?

“The great thing about my job is that it’s constantly evolving. A lot changes every year, everything is becoming digital and there are many innovations. Of course I want to know everything because I want to be able to provide the customers with good answers. We receive regular training and updates on equipment, new technologies and innovations.”

Finally, what do you like the most about Flash and why?

“It feels like a family, even if it’s a big company. Our owner-director Simone van Putten is very involved with the staff and that’s something you don’t see very often anywhere else. It just feels very good.”