Meet the team – Michael
For this edition, we return to the coast.
Michael is 27 years old and is part of the duo in Ostend together with Bart.
He started at ShopWeDo in May 2020 and now it is one year later.
He is happy to answer some questions about his job as an order picker.
You have been working here for one year. How have you experienced the past few months?
It was fairly innovative.
I started here in Ostend about one month after Bart.
At that time there were only 2 racks straight here.
In the beginning there was a constant alternation between processing the first orders and assembling the new racks.
Started with an empty warehouse… and now on the way to a full one.
How did you end up at ShopWeDo?
When I started here, it actually felt a bit like coming back to a familiar environment.
In my previous job, I was active in surveillance at the port of Zeebrugge.
The uncertainty caused by the corona crisis made me start looking for something else.
Why do I now say back to a familiar environment?
Previously, I worked for more than 4 years in a spare part center, a warehouse with all kinds of spare parts for machines.
The tasks I did there were practically the same as what I do now: inbound processing, order picking and shipping of goods.
I was happy to have found another job in that direction.
How would you explain your current job to others?
What do you enjoy most?
My job involves everything related to the warehouse.
Both receiving goods and processing and shipping them.
There are only 2 of us working here, so the job variety includes just about everything.
For example, we also create shipping labels.
All kinds of things that come with it.
That’s what I like about the job.
It’s definitely the variety that’s the most fun, because every day is different.
Bart is your only colleague in Ostend.
What is it like to work there with 2?
Of course it is very different from Mechelen because indeed there are only 2 of us.
But I find it very pleasant to work here.
Bart and I get along very well, which of course is not unimportant when you don’t work in a big team.
What does your workday look like?
My workday begins very simply with booting up the computer when I arrive.
If necessary, I first help create batches to print afterward.
Then I review how the day is going and start shipping.
Are you someone who shops online occasionally?
Yes, actually I do a lot of online shopping (laughs). Why? If you compare with prices in the store, it’s usually a little cheaper online anyway. The price difference is then worth it to me, even if you have to wait a day longer. What I order varies. Just about anything. From a phone to games and accessories. But I also regularly buy clothes from a webshop. But there are still things I buy in stores. I alternate between online and offline. Recently we bought a new vacuum cleaner in a local store. In the store I had my cell phone handy to compare prices, but in the end there was no difference.
