Maria Avramidou

How did you make the transition from packing to sales?

When I came for an interview at Heemskerk Flowers some eight years ago, I was asked whether I could start at 4.00 a.m., and preferably begin work the next day. That was no problem for me! I spent about four years working in the packing department. My heart had been set on sales for a while, because I like coming into contact with people and I felt that I could do it. When I raised my idea with Roos Heemskerk, I was immediately put in touch with export manager Hilco. Soon after that I was given the green light to go ahead.

How did things go when you started selling in Greece?

At that time there was nothing at all: no transport, couriers or customers. So I had to build everything up from scratch myself. I soon found transport, but a courier was a lot harder. Initially I did this myself, with help from my father who lives in Greece. I drove to Greece, collected the orders from the truck there and delivered them to the customers. In the end I found someone who was willing to provide the courier services, and he is still doing that now.

You travel to Greece every week to visit customers. What are those days like?

Yes I do go to and fro every week, because contact with my customers is very important. In those three or four days in Greece I drive some 2000 kilometres, because my customers are widely scattered. I visit two or three customers in a day, because you can’t leave a Greek after an hour - it’s rude. We talk about lots of things: business, but also a lot of personal stuff. I know my customers intimately and have a very good bond with them. We often eat together, then have a drink afterwards, and before I know it’s the middle of the night. I have a good relationship with my customers, which makes me very happy.

What is the biggest challenge in your work?

It really is the transport. Firstly there is not a lot of transport available heading to Greece, so I have to book transport well in advance. Whilst customers often order last minute.

I also want the space on the carts to be fully utilised for my customers. That’s really a matter of finding a good fit - I call it Tetrising. I load the carts myself every week.

And because of the long distance, the condition of the flowers and plants must remain optimal in the truck. The transport is therefore divided into two different temperature zones. I divide the products across these two zones. That’s double the work, but it is very important. Because I do it myself, I can control it.

Customer Visit

During the Mica discount week, Maria always has a lot of sales. This time she got help from customers. Together they made sure that all the products were neatly processed on the trolleys and made ready for departure.

Customers always enjoy visiting Maria, they are more than welcome at her house. Since Maria has such a good relationship with her customers, they find it no problem to help her process the orders.

What do you like about working at Heemskerk Flowers?

It feels like a family, and I will do anything for that. I work in different departments, and try to contribute to everything. I don’t just want to grow for myself, but also for the business. It’s also great that the directors and the management always do their best to think along with us and find solutions. We really do work as a team!