This month’s edition of the Oomiak Crew Spotlight series takes us to WA Customer Service team!
Our team is filled to the brim with enthusiastic, experienced, and skilled people – we’re excited to share their stories.
My Role in Oomiak
Part of the Oomiak team for over 8 years now, Gabriel has been a core player for Oomiak and very involved in the growth of our WA Customer Service team.
“I started with Oomiak back in 2016 as a Refrigeration Technician, back then the WA branch was smaller than what it is today – there were only a few of us but we worked hard and really developed the branch.
As we got busier and busier over the years, I began to help the (then) Service Manager more and more with varying responsibilities.
This eventually led to a new position being made for me as the Customer Service Supervisor WA,” says Gabriel.
Hitting the ground running, Gabriel begun making an impact from day one – really rising to the occasion.
“The core responsibility that came with this position was looking after our WA technicians, making sure they’re happy and have everything they need to succeed. And making sure the sites are running the best they can and that our customers are satisfied with our service.
The latest step in Gabriel’s evolution is his transition into the role of Customer Service Manager for WA.
Paring his previous experiences with a keenness to learn and grow, Gabriel is well-equipped to make this role his own and thrive within it.
“For me, this just felt like the natural progression for my career within Oomiak. In my role before as the Customer Service Supervisor for WA I was introduced to a lot of the responsibilities of the managerial role.
Combining this with my learnings from previous employers and all the training and resources Oomiak have provided have really set me up to succeed in this role of Customer Service Manager for WA.
Even though there are new responsibilities and things to learn, the challenge isn’t overwhelming, and I feel confident tackling them,” says Gabriel.
Never a dull moment, Gabriel’s day can be vast and diverse tackling a range of responsibilities and tasks.
“My day can be really varied and on any given day I can be working on:
- Setting up our technicians at a job site
- On the tools tackling maintenance and breakdown services
- Preparing quotes for potential and existing customers
- Meetings with our local WA customer base
- Participating within internal team meetings
It’s one of the aspects I like most about this job and the industry, it’s rarely ever the same day twice,” says Gabriel.
Working across a real spectrum of sites, Gabriel has had his hand across just about every site Oomiak tends to in Western Australia – working with brands like V&V Walsh, Aldi, Mt Barker Chickens, Foodbank and more.
Best Thing About Working at Oomiak
“It’d have to be the opportunities to grow, to move up and future-proof yourself,” says Gabriel.
Growing a real kinship with the crew and Oomiak as a company, Gabriel has enjoyed the relationships and the impact he’s made.
“It’s also really great to see others take these growth opportunities too and when apprentices and technicians develop their skillset – especially if I’m the one teaching them!
Watching the branch grow and knowing I’ve had a part to play in that is also a great feeling – looking back, it’s really something,” says Gabriel.
My Career Tips
“Working in the industrial refrigeration sector for over 20 years, the most impactful thing I’ve learnt is the importance of adaptability.
Adaptability is huge, the moment you think you know everything is the moment you start to move backwards.
Plans can change at the drop of a hat, whether it’s going to site to tend to a breakdown or facing some spur of the moment task, you’ve got to be open minded and adapt to new technologies,” says Gabriel.
Understanding the ever-changing nature of the industrial refrigeration industry, Gabriel’s emphasis on keeping his skills sharp and relevant is impressive.
“Everything is constantly changing from things like safety procedures to emerging technologies, laws and protocols and everything in between.
If you’re not keeping up, you’re going to fall behind pretty quickly therefore, we put a big emphasis on keeping our skillset and knowledge of all things industrial refrigeration strong and relevant,” says Gabriel.
The role technology has grown to play in our daily lives is paramount, learning the current and emerging technologies is a must for Gabriel and it shows in his work.
“Technology absolutely makes life easier, tasks that used to take hours can now be done in minutes.
With technology, we can now dial in, remote monitor refrigeration systems and much more – all to get industrial refrigeration systems up and running in a short time frame.
It can get challenging sometimes though, keeping up with the ever-evolving technology – but it’s something we’re excited to tackle,” says Gabriel.
Complementing this well-rounded arsenal is Gabriel’s exceptional communication skills, which sees him build and maintain great rapport with his local Western Australian client base.
All in the name of ‘customer satisfaction’, Gabriel prioritises communication to offer the correct and relevant services to each client’s unique requirements.
“My relationship with the client is very important, it’s one of the most important parts of my job.
There are some really key things that I do to help build this relationship from the get-go and this is to keep my word and do what I say I will.
Also, just being approachable too is a big thing, a lot of customers feel like they can call me whenever,” says Gabriel.
Well done Gabriel, we’re all excited to see you continue on this already great and impressive path!
