David, Manuela and Marco are Spreadshirt’s bulk order service, or simply the Bulk Team. They think of themselves as a special task unit, and having spent an hour with the three of them I can only agree. They are a pleasant bunch and scored a fair few times by getting the laughs. We couldn’t get out onto our terraced roof to enjoy the sunshine, though – here you can read which curious circumstance forbade to do so:
Image may be NSFW.
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(NB: the interview was conducted on a Friday afternoon and we had just run out of coffee…)
It’s great to eventually get the opportunity to meet up for this interview. The three of you seem to be quite a busy lot. So here’s a straightforward question for you: What do you do at Spreadshirt and how long have you been Spreaders?
David: Been here for 5 years, one of the last Mohicans from the early days. I’ve always worked in the Bulk Team. A friend of mine recommended this job to me and so I applied.
What we do is this: we take care of all bulk orders of 50 t-shirts and more. Customers address us directly and we process the whole order. This starts with writing the first offer, working on the print design, being there for queries and writing the bill in the end – everything really. There are no fixed prices as we make our calculations for every order individually. This is why it’s very important to be in close touch with the customer, even more than what’s normal. We also have a bigger selection of products and offer a few more printing techniques like silkscreen printing and embroideries. These are outsourced. At the moment days are quite busy and I find it hard to get off the phone so I can see to that torrent of emails in my inbox. It’s like that every year in the early days of summer, we’ve just got our work cut out.Marco: It’s been 3 years for me. Same story as with David, really. Got a recommendation through a friend. Seems this is the way it goes with Spreadshirt most of the time. Someone knows someone who knows someone who’s eligible for the job. And luckily this someone thought of me. Initially I had been working in the service team for Spain, and in April this year I made the Bulk Team.
Manuela: Like Marco said, same here. A friend dropped my name some 4 years ago and I’ve been working at Spreadshirt ever since. In the beginning it was customer service before I joined the Bulk Team last summer.
So you both started in the service department first. Is this a usual career at Spreadshirt – you start in one department and then look for a new challenge, like bulk orders in your case?
Manuela: Here at Spreadshirt, the word-to-mouth grapevine works pretty well. I used to work in the claims department, and then I thought it was time for a change. When the position got vacated, HR asked me whether I was up for the challenge.
Marco: I also needed a change after having worked in customer service for 3 years. I told my boss so as well, and when this job opening came up I applied for it straight away. Now I’m in close touch with the customer and I do enjoy the new challenge a lot.
David, you’ve become team leader for bulk orders just recently – what new experiences has this position brought with it?
David: I have more responsibility and also a few new tasks as well. At the moment it still feels a bit new, but I’m sure I’ll have completely settled once the stress of the first week will have eased somewhat. It was definitely the right thing to do, though, and I’m looking forward to new challenges ahead.
Manuela and Marco, have you hatched a plan already how to get into David’s seat, or is David a nice enough guy to work with?
( giggles)
Manuela: (addressing David) Has your chair not been quite shaky recently? But of course it was the cleaners and not us.David: You’re right, but I’ve got a new one now. Anything else that I should know?
Marco: Nope, that’d be it. We’ll just have to accept that David is the longest serving guy in this work field, and actually I can’t think of much that I could do better.
The three of you have only been a team for close to two months. Any sign of odd habits or ritual morning coffees yet?
Marco: Oh man, why didn’t I think of that first? Morning coffees! Obviously I’d always be late for work and would never have to make my own coffee again!
Dave: I’d make sure that the person to arrive last will have to make coffee for everyone. That’ll be you then, Marco.
Marco: Okay, no ritual coffees then. But it’s true that we have fun working with each other and that there’s good banter between us. When it gets busy you just can’t sit at your computer and surf the web, so it’s very helpful to feel a good chemistry in the group.
Something that’s been on my mind for a while: who are your best-known customers? Any stars you’re dealing with?
Marco: Ends in soft and starts with micro.
Manuela: True, Microsoft places quite a few orders. Other big brands include Nokia and Fossil. Then there is the t-shirt merchandise for pop artists as well.
Do those customers approach you or do you do active marketing to get their attention? How do you get in there?
A lot of times there is an inquiry and we then send an offer out. And sometimes we get an order from the sales team’s office next door suggesting a customer who requires a bigger bulk. We often return the favour by getting them in touch with interesting clients.
Let’s talk about your life before Spreadshirt – where are you from, and what did you do before you joined the good force?
Marco: I’m from the Leipzig area. After I’d gained a degree in Spanish, I started working for a consulting company. I can’t say that it was a big love affair, so I joined Spreadshirt and was able to use my Spanish skills in customer service.
David: I’m from around here as well, and after I’d taken a gap year I was working in the media for some time when I saw the job advert. This is how I was made slave to this bondservice.
Manuela: I’m from an area just west of Leipzig and came here to study translating French and Spanish. Spreadshirt has been the first company I’ve worked for, and this is my third department now.
What do you do when you’re not here, and how do you relax from the chore?
Marco: Apart from reading fiction I do a lot of sport. Jogging, cycling and the like. I also like travelling, particularly to South America. I’ve travelled most countries there, I’d say. Well, a few colder places I passed rather quickly. I just like it nice and warm. (Explanatory note: Marco tends to sense temperatures differently from the rest of us. It was due to Marco’s objection that we had to conduct the interview inside and watch the bright blue sky and terraced roof from behind glass.)
Manuela: I have my own house and garden and like spending time outside there. Believe it or not, I also like knitting, which I do a lot.
David: Well, I don’t knit. But I jog a lot with my girlfriend. She designs our workout plan as well, and come autumn we’ll both be fit as duck.
A question each, please be spontaneous.
Manuela, where does life go from here?
Manuela: Oh, that will take a second or two! Let me think, a lot of traveling, I suppose. I’ve not yet seen Scotland or Norway, and to Iceland I would like to go as well. And one day I want to have children, too.
David, what two words describe you best?
David: Can I do two short sentences as well? Strange but peculiar. And at times melancholic.
Marco, your life as a movie. What would be the soundtrack?
Marco: Entre dos tierras by Spanish rock band Heroes del Silencio. The song title means ‘between two worlds’.
It seems the three of you have managed to glue pretty well. If there was one thing that you as the Bulk Team could change anything, what would it be?
Marco: (without hesitation) Free fruit for everyone. And juice in the morning.
Manuela: Agreed!
Is there anything that you feel like sharing with the world?
David: Buy MORE t-shirts! What more can I say?
Thank you guys! It was a lot of fun, but before I let you go there’s one last question. Which Spreader should be interviewd next?
Manu: (smiling at the others) Anybody we need to settle a bill with? No? In this case, someone from laFraise.
You’ve heard it, the Bulk Team has decided. Next time around, we will talk to Jana Castro from La Fraise. What do you want me to ask her? Please leave a comment and your suggestions will be adopted in the interview.
Thank you for reading!
The post Meet Some Spreaders – David, Manu and Marco appeared first on The Spreadshirt UK blog.