Strong customer focus drives Ben’s motivation

Key Account Manager, Ben Ramsay describes the best aspect of his role at Viva Energy as being able to use his background in engineering to effectively engage with customers to find solutions.

 

 

Before starting at Viva Energy, Ben worked as an engineer with a mechanical engineering consultancy business which specialised in the manufacturing and construction sectors. This helped Ben develop an extensive knowledge about gas infrastructure, industry lifting equipment, and machine design. 

Ben’s engineering background has helped him support some of Viva Energy’s biggest customers in the Australian mining, oil and gas industries as he has the advantage of understanding that customers need a thorough engineering approach to take to ensure a successful project.

“I think it’s definitely a benefit for me to have a background in engineering as I have the ability to break down what the actual problem is or where the opportunity might be,” he said. 

Viva Energy aims to deliver value

Some of the engineering projects Ben assists customers with include oil drain interval extensions, product rationalisation as well as inspections and audits on critical equipment.

Ben said in order to produce sufficient engineering projects which deliver value, Viva Energy’s sales and technical teams work together in collaboration with the customer.

“I really try to get the technical person or our technical team front and centre in the conversation to explain the ins and outs and the science behind the question they have or the issue they are grappling with,” he said. 

“I also like to keep the commercial streak alive. I work with them to find out if we can supply them a more effective product or whether it’s safer to recommend a more standard grade.” 

Ben said Viva Energy was different because the various teams work hard to generate value to customers wherever possible.

“We have plenty of the right people in the finance and trading side of things to make sure that the customer is always getting really good value for money,” he said.

“We use our experience and our knowledge of the industries that we operate in to identify potential cost-saving or operational expenditure-reducing initiatives. This can be from a fuels or lubes or services perspective.” 

Key focus on solving customer problems

Viva Energy’s Product Service Engineers and supply chain experts assist Ben with solving any problems customers may face.

Ben enjoys problem-solving and the constant learning involved in meeting the commercial and contractual requirements Viva Energy must deliver to customers.

A great example of the outstanding teamwork at Viva Energy was the development of a new specific coolant to solve an overheating engine problem for a gas industry customer. 

Ben built an understanding of the problem by visiting the customer and later maintaining communication through meetings and emails. 

He then collaborated with Viva Energy technical experts Kurt Brombergs and Ged Rafferty as well as coolant industry experts to develop a new product which would address the issue. 

“Working with industry experts on this was memorable because I enjoy interacting with different departments at Viva Energy and also solving problems for our customers.”

The new coolant was later field tested with results showing that the product was effective to address the overheating issue.

With the assistance of Viva Energy’s product management and supply chain teams, Ben was able to deliver the new product to the customer in a matter of weeks. This was a quick timeframe and it gave Ben a great sense of satisfaction.

Ben said that maintaining communications between all of the relevant technical people from both Viva Energy and the customer assisted with finding a fast and effective solution to the problem.

“We have one of the largest if not the strongest technical offerings in the market. I think we’ve got the right people in the right places and they’ve got the right experience as well,” he said.

In it for the customer

Viva Energy’s customers operate in a diverse range of industries. From sugar mills which Ben describes as “a mechanical engineers dream with every type of equipment imaginable,” to the gas industry which is highly “precise, stringent and very specialized.”

Ben went on to say that mining industry customers tend to have “very specific pieces of equipment (like a Caterpillar truck or Komatsu digger) which you can become an expert on.”

The wide variety of customers is what keeps Ben’s work interesting and he says it plays a big part in the motivation he gets from his role. 

“When a customer comes to us with a question, query or problem that they’ve got, I can direct the question to the right person and get an answer back to them quickly, along with all the relevant info they need to make an informed decision,” he said.

“I interact with customers and put my proposals to them so there is a clear solution.”

He said it was important to ensure Viva Energy had everything in place from product availability to pricing.

“Everything needs to be organised on our end to make sure that it’s easy for customers to do business with us.”

On the vibrant culture at Viva Energy

Ben describes the culture at Viva Energy as very friendly and open to new people which can be different to bigger companies.

“There are plenty of opportunities and a lot of responsibly and scope. People are optimistic and there is a good understanding of work-life balance,” he said.

Ben said his values were aligned with Viva Energy’s when it comes to safety and that safety played a strong part within Viva Energy’s culture.

“Our safety culture is outstanding, and I am comfortable talking about my safety and the safety of others at all times, both internally and with customers,” he said.

“Our culture is so strong that if I choose not to proceed with a job (travel, on-site work, etc.), I am confident that I will have the full support of my management.”

Ben said the outlook of Viva Energy’s management was really positive and very open when it comes to receiving ideas which may benefit the customer.

“I think overall it’s the good management culture that gives people a lot of independence and a lot of decision-making ability to get the right outcome for our customers.”