1. Hi, Caro! You’re the Head of Seller Support at Kaufland e-Commerce – what does that job entail, and what do you enjoy most about it?
Here in Seller Support, we take care of our sellers, who are the business customers of our marketplace. Our sellers are responsible for a large proportion of our sales. That’s why it’s so important for us to provide them with good service, to be available as a point of contact and to support them with all of their questions and issues with their business on our marketplace.
A few years ago, I’d never have imagined I would be in direct contact with (business) customers. Over the course of the years, I came into this department more or less by chance and was surprised how much I liked it. I love the wide range of work in our department. I enjoy understanding sellers’ problems and working with many other departments to improve our processes and our products. And yes, it’s stressful sometimes. We’re the first point of contact with our sellers. But to be honest, I really like it when everything falls into place and creates a synergy. It’s a constant reminder of how we operate interdepartmentally as a large team and put our hearts and souls into our marketplace.
2. Kaufland Global Marketplace has brought us into the market not only in Germany, but now also Slovakia and the Czech Republic. What challenges does that involve for you and your team?
It’s the first time for all of us that we’ve opened our marketplace in different countries. We take care of sellers from other countries who list on Kaufland.de, but it’s a whole different experience to support the large numbers of sellers in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Neither country is familiar with Kaufland as a marketplace. That means that along with the challenges on one hand – like language and currency differences – it’s also an adjustment for us to deal with sellers who don’t yet have any experience with large e-commerce. And that really comes out in our phone calls with sellers from the Czech Republic or Slovakia. The Czech and Slovak sellers want more intensive guidance, as well as detailed, personalised onboarding discussions. And from our side, that means adjusting our processes and our resource planning accordingly.
3. You’ve been at Kaufland e-commerce for a long time. Can you tell us a bit about the journey you’ve had so far?
After I finished my studies in early 2011, I started as an intern at Hitmeister. I had a good gut feeling as early as the interview. I just knew right away that I would fit in here. It’s been true for the past 12 years, and in that time I’ve experienced and learned so much. Hitmeister turned into real.digital and then Kaufland e-commerce. And in that time, I was responsible for three different departments: Product data management, customer service, and finally our marketplace support. Because the company changed, and I had the chance to change departments, I never felt bored or that I’d learned everything there was to know. I’m still learning new things every day. When I look back, I’m still amazed by how our company has developed and what we have achieved together.
4. Last, but not least: After all these years, which moment is your favourite memory?
Frankly, I don’t have ONE favourite moment. Instead, it’s the time, the projects, results, events, restructuring and innovation that I’ve experienced with my colleagues, and the fact that I can just look back and know the years have been wonderful. I love the way people in this company stick together, the way my colleagues are so involved, and how everyone puts their heart and soul into their work. That, for me, is a sign that I’m working with like-minded people. When we’re going through a rough patch is when it’s even more obvious how much we stick together as a team. Those are the moments that make me proudest to be a part of it. Together, we can reach our goals.