Tuning up our IT Service Desk
Corné Kortenhoeven, Coördinator Service Desk
At bol.com we know: new insights help us grow. Differences in culture, gender, age, interests and perspective increase our brainpower and expand our innovative thinking. That’s why we’re catching up with colleagues throughout the organisation in our ‘Talking Perspectives’ blog series. You’ll meet colleagues with inspiring ways of working, noteworthy backgrounds, and interesting views on life. One thing is for sure: we’re all unique. We have the same goal, but we each approach it differently. And that’s the way we like it.
Meet Corné Kortenhoeven. He’s a music lover through and through. Music has been in his life for as long as he can remember. Those memories go back to mixing his own cassette tapes and playing LPs at the youth club. Every now and then he produces his own music, too. He’s never bored. Since the start of coronavirus, Corné has a new hobby: gardening. Home-grown vegetables, that’s his aim. Corné’s interests are as diverse as his work. And he puts just as much energy into his job as Service Desk Coordinator at bol.com. He and his team are ready and waiting to solve all the technical problems that colleagues encounter — from broken laptops and network issues to noise-cancelling headphones to keep us all focussed.
Music to my ears
“Spotify tells me I stream 121,080 minutes a year. That’s about seven hours a day. I always have music playing. I started collecting when I was young. I used to sit with my cassette recorder next to the radio to record my own mix tapes. My music world changed completely around 2000 when I got my first MP3 player. I was hooked. After that I started DJing at the youth club and even made my own music. Those were the days. I could pick it up again, now that we’re stuck home because of coronavirus.”
“My passion for music comes from within, but I love the way music brings people together. Listening to music gives a sense of community, of belonging. It can really change your mood for the better. Each track brings back memories. When I hear an old number, I know exactly where I was and what I was doing the first time I heard it.”
Bol.com & office automation
“As Service Desk Coordinator, my team and I ensure all technical aspects of work at bol.com run smoothly. Basically, we take care of everything colleagues use for their daily work. If there’s a problem, we solve it. Over the phone, via chat, and at the counter: the service desk is the first point of contact for all bol.com employees. I’m also involved with the procurement of office automation equipment. That means I purchase laptops, headsets, phones, monitors and the like for the entire organisation. So I’ve got quite some responsibility working in office automation. Everyone in the team has their own tasks and we’re all equal. I talk to my team in the same way I talk to our senior managers. There’s almost no hierarchy and we have very short lines of communication. What’s more, everyone can work on their own projects and own ideas independently. So if someone has an idea for their team or the company, they’re free to work on it. That’s what I love about the whole culture at bol.com. Another aspect I love about this job is that I’m in contact with almost everyone in the company. That makes my work even more enjoyable.”
Putting music in the mix
“I’m lucky that my passion for music comes in handy for my work at bol.com, too. Recently we were looking for a solution to create a comfortable working environment for more than 2100 colleagues. They needed a place where they could concentrate without being distracted by the surroundings. It just happened that I was testing noise-cancelling headsets for the service desk. My colleague Rob Schenk and I then thought these would be great for everyone at bol.com. This was a fabulous project to work on! A chance to combine my passion for music with my work, and the headsets are a resounding success. I didn’t have to worry about being stuck with 1000 headsets, because the first batch was claimed by colleagues within 24 hours. Now that everyone is working at home, demand for these remains high as noise-cancelling headphones are ideal when you need to focus with noisy housemates or boisterous kids around.”
A cosy club feeling
“I go to work with a spring in my step and it’s still there on my way home, but bol.com doesn’t really feel like work. I’m glad we have an informal dress code, because three-piece suits are definitely not my style. The relaxed atmosphere here at bol.com suits me, the cosy club feeling motivates me. We’re a club of very unique individuals who can all be themselves and this, I believe, is the secret to our innovative strength. I’ve always had the feeling that everyone here has something to add so teams, and the whole company, can continue to develop and grow. That, combined with the social part, gives me a great sense of responsibility.”
Busy as a bee
“I find the culture at bol.com really motivating. I can be myself here and so I’m always busy. When I’m not at work, you’ll find me engrossed in my music or tending my new tomato plants. I’m not good at sitting still. I’m never bored, I just hope I don’t bore others!”