InHome Engineer
InHome Engineer
Department: Design & Deploy (InHome)
Works at our Amsterdam offices and from home
Lives in Leeuwarden
At VodafoneZiggo since 2017
"You get every opportunity at VodafoneZiggo to discover what gives you that 'buzz' in your work," enthuses Maurice Meijer. "And then to grow in that direction." He’s in a position to know. "I started at Customer Service in 2017. Five years later I became InHome Engineer – my current role." What steps did he take along the way? And what does he think of his job?
"Watch TV all day!" That’s what Maurice likes to tell people when asked what he does at VodafoneZiggo. "It’s a joke, obviously," he explains, "but there’s a certain truth to it." His team, the Video section of the Design & Deploy (InHome) department, is responsible for testing the IT equipment that customers have in their homes. Think TV sets, multimedia boxes and other, customised hardware.
"VodafoneZiggo doesn’t make the equipment," says Maurice, "but it does affect people’s experience of our services. We want to offer customers an exceptional experience, so we have to be sure that everything works according to spec." He spends a lot of his days testing video-related products. "Usually televisions, including their operating systems. Do they do what they’re supposed to do, without hiccups?"
There are many reasons why Maurice is so enthusiastic about his job. One is his fascination with technology and how the tests themselves work. "I also really enjoy the team dynamic. How easily approachable everybody is, the no-nonsense and open attitude. No question is too much and we all like to help each other out. That’s always nice, of course. But especially so if you’ve only just joined the team and are keen to learn quick."
Maurice started at his current department at the end of 2022, five years after joining VodafoneZiggo. "Shortly after completing my Communication and Multimedia Design course at college, I took my first job here as Advisor at Customer Service. While there, I was asked to sit on a panel tasked with testing a new IT system. I was impressed by the fact that VodafoneZiggo had a dedicated department to conduct tests internally. Perhaps it was something for me? I soon started to explore opportunities for growth outside of Customer Service."
Initially, Maurice remained an Advisor, a role in which he was developing rapidly. "I only worked on the telephone to begin with, but soon started offering advice via chat and email. The customer contact certainly gave me a lot of satisfaction, but after a while I started to realise that I sought more of a challenge – ideally something to do with technology and testing." He told his manager about his aspirations and not long after, while he was on holiday, she phoned. "'I can put you on loan for a year to the Design & Deploy department,' she said. I was ecstatic!"
"That was at the Data section of Design & Deploy," Maurice recalls, "which is concerned with modems, internet and connectivity." As a seconded team member, he did all kinds of things. Like validating modems, creating test scripts and being point of contact for the Tech Desk. "That’s the help desk Customer Service staff turn to when they need technical advice on a customer enquiry. I was cut out for that part of the job, of course, as I had been an Advisor myself."
When his secondment was up, Maurice wanted to remain in technology. "I was really glad to accept a position at the Tech Desk. I investigated customer issues and helped formulate standard advice protocols." He stayed for a year. "Until a vacancy became available at Design & Deploy – this time in the Video section. I was eager to grab the opportunity, so I applied very enthusiastically. Thankfully, that enthusiasm was mutual, as I still very much enjoy my job."
Next step? "I’m good where I am for the moment. There’s plenty of potential and I still want to get better at what we do here. Besides, I get all the opportunity I could wish for to develop myself. Whatever you want to learn, we have a platform called Unlimited Learning that offers an endless variety of courses at all levels. And I learn so much from my colleagues. The extent of knowledge and experience in my team is unbelievable; some people already worked here in the time of analogue TV sets."
Conversely, Maurice’s colleagues learn from him, too. "Everyone has different backgrounds and each is equally valued. Whether you’re new or have worked in the department for years. Some of us adopt a primarily technical perspective: does the data stream meet all the requirements? Others, like me, first put themselves in the customer position: is the equipment user-friendly and does it operate smoothly? So we all complement each other, basically. And it’s precisely that kind of cooperation that enables an exceptional customer experience."
