Trainee Customer Operations
Discover Trainee Customer Operations
Works in Utrecht and from home
Lives in Zwolle
At VodafoneZiggo since March 2025
Happy customers. Cheverney Nijman explores new areas, spends an extra day shadowing a technician, and grabs plenty of coffee with colleagues. All with one goal: discovering how VodafoneZiggo can serve its customers even better. The Discover Traineeship gives her plenty of space to do that.
"Recently I was sick at home for a few days. Taking some distance is sometimes good, but I also felt ready to get back to work." She had just started her out-of-comfortzone project, where she trains her colleagues, among other things, in building GPTs (generative AI tools). "In my traineeship, the customer is the focus, but in the out-of-comfort challenge, I also step outside my own field. Now, I’m helping colleagues move forward, which gives me new insights."
Cheverney quickly discovered after her International Management studies which direction she wanted to take. "In my first job in the ped food sector, I developed solutions that helped customers move forward, and that gave me a lot of energy." As a trainee in Customer Operations (COPS), she also works closely with customers. "During my first project, I investigated how we could directly transfer business customers to the right team within Customer Service. I spoke with colleagues from different teams, analysed reports, and mapped out the customer journey. The team could implement the results right away."
And who is the customer? Cheverney discovered that early on during her onboarding. "I stood in our store in Zwolle and joined a technician for a day on their service rounds. That’s where I got to see where customers encounter challenges and how we help them: from setting up a phone correctly to ensuring perfect WiFi connectivity. I was so enthusiastic that I decided to spend an extra day with a technician. I remember one customer who wanted to livestream church services but couldn’t install the app himself. The technician stayed until everything worked perfectly. Stories like that are really unforgettable."
Coming up with solutions works best when you’re allowed to experiment and try new things. That’s something Cheverney truly appreciates. "Everyone encourages you to be curious, ask questions, and learn from mistakes. For example, during my first project, I found it challenging to translate my findings into concrete solutions. What if I made the wrong choices? My project manager motivated me to take my own path and reassured me that making mistakes is okay. That gave me confidence."
In addition to her projects, Cheverney is working together with other trainees in the Discover Innovator Accelerator programme on a strategic case. "We’re exploring ways to make it easier for customers to renew their contracts via the app or website." The program is perfectly suited to her. "It’s truly a pressure cooker: within six months, we need to deliver a concrete plan. Plus, our solutions impact the entire organization. We’ve only just started, and I’ve already learned a lot. Every trainee approaches the question from their own perspective, which is very instructive."
"What do I know the least about?" That question guided Cheverney's search for her out-of-comfort project, a project outside her own field of expertise. Her answer led her to Technology, in the Data & AI team. "I wanted to challenge myself. Tech was unfamiliar territory, so it was a great area to grow in." She joined the tribe responsible for AI solutions, including VZ-GPT, an AI tool for VodafoneZiggo employees. "I teach workshops on new features and help colleagues build their own GPT." She admits it was nerve-wracking at first. "During my first workshop, I was so nervous. But I’ve received lots of support from colleagues and already learned so much about AI."
Her enthusiasm for AI has only made her want more. For her third assignment, Cheverney is now talking with teams that develop AI solutions for call-centre employees and technicians in the field. In the future, she envisions herself in a role where she bridges the gap between business and technology. "I’m good at making that connection. Maybe as an AI lead. It would be amazing if I can work towards that."
