IKEA (Customer Relations)

I had the opportunity to work in IKEA's customer relations department in the checkout and after-sales departments. My main role was to welcome, inform and direct customers, as well as to register items at the checkout in a reliable and efficient manner. I also took part in directing customers to the most appropriate checkout to reduce waiting times, and proposed and organized activities and workshops in line with the sales calendar.

As a member of the after-sales department, I also had the opportunity to deal with customer comments and complaints, and to find solutions adapted to their needs. I also took part in checking merchandise before it was handed over to customers or carriers, scrupulously respecting the procedures in force.

This experience at IKEA enabled me to develop my skills in customer relations, communication and project management.

In addition to my daily tasks, I also had the opportunity to train new team members. I enjoyed this experience of sharing my knowledge and skills with others, and enjoyed accompanying them in their learning. I'm convinced that this training experience has enabled me to develop my leadership skills.

At first, IKEA was simply a student job for me, but over time, my vision evolved thanks to the discovery of the company's values, the people I met and, above all, the development opportunities I was offered. This has enabled me to discover the importance of service quality, team spirit and customer satisfaction for the company.

After almost two years working in the customer relations department, I decided to move towards a career more in line with my business studies. So I applied for a number of jobs in the commercial field.

Noteworthy fact: a reduction in customer waiting times in the after-sales department

I have developed a spare parts management system that has considerably reduced the waiting time for after-sales service.

My idea was simple: I digitized a cabinet with all the room locations on an Excel spreadsheet and integrated a search bar. The result displayed the name of the part, as well as its physical location on a plan. I found that almost 70% of customers who visited the after-sales service department only wanted to pick up a spare part. The average waiting time was then 2 minutes and 30 seconds, the time needed for the employee in charge to find the parts in the cupboard behind him.

Thanks to my system, this time has been reduced to around 20-30 seconds. By extending this to a full day, it has reduced staff workload and improved customer satisfaction thanks to shorter waiting times.