18123_NSFM-mei-2021_Guts_Totaal_UK_1_Spreads_LR

guts
stories
Bas Rikkert
Cash & Carry
St. Katelijne-
Waver.
What is it like to be a
Dutchman working in
Flanders?
It's a challenge to work for the same company
in two different countries. Living just across the
border in Belgium, I was already spending quite
a bit of time at the St. Katelijne-Waver branch
from 2007 onwards. Though Breda
and St. Katelijne-Waver operate on the same
business philosophy, there are differences
between Dutch and Belgian employees and
customers. Because of that cultural difference,
I don't always approach customers and
colleagues in each country the same way.
Did you have to think long
about whether to transfer from
Breda to St. Katelijne-Waver?
Because I was regularly in St. Katelijne-Waver for
Aartsen, I was asked early last year if I wanted to
make a permanent switch. I didn't need long to
consider. It sounded like a terrific new challenge,
and the timing was right. I'd gained some experience
in a commercial position in Breda already and this felt
to me like a unique opportunity.
Do the stereotypes about
Belgian people fit? If so,
how do you deal with that?
Relationships with customers and staff are
different than in Breda. It's true that in the
Netherlands we're a bit more direct and open
where Belgian customers and staff tend to be
more cautious. My approach towards
customers has changed slightly. Sometimes
you have to give them some extra space.
But, being a Dutch-Belgian for almost
15 years, I know how it works by now.
Was it a gutsy move?
I realised some time later that, yes, it did
take guts, since it meant leaving behind my
familiar Aartsen surroundings in Breda.
But I'm in the swing of things now.
And, after 15 years, the whole Belgian
attitude of making time to enjoy life has
become a part of life for me, too. I thoroughly
enjoy raising a pint of Leffe at the weekend.
What are the hurdles?
Language, mainly. There are actually loads of different
Belgian dialects, and then there's our French customers
as well. Fortunately, I've become more proficient in
Belgian/French over the past year.
nonstop
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