Throughout the year, we will be introducing you to the various people within our business to give an insight into the Vango world. You will meet the people who shape the future of Vango.
The Vango team are passionate individuals who care about Vango, our products, customers and great service. If you would like to join our company, please visit our Careers section to look at current vacancies or submit your CV.
This season we have decided to interview Andrew Mooney, Web/Customer Sales Adviser.
Andrew is 28 and lives in the Renfrewshire area of Scotland, roughly 25 minutes drive from the office, depending on traffic! Passionate about all aspects of outdoor life, he walks and camps in the Scottish hills and is active as a young leader in both the Boys’ Brigade and Scout Association.
So firstly, how long have you been working with Vango?
I have been with Vango since July 2005. I first started off as a temporary warehouse assistant helping to offload stock from the shipping containers as they arrived from the production facilities that we use, before moving into the Customer Service and Aftersales department. My role there initially was inspecting products sent back to us by our retail partners for warranty issues and repairs. My role then developed into Customer/Consumer Response as more and more of our fans and customers started to contact us by e-mail to ask technical questions about our products and where they can be purchased.
Describe a typical day in the Vango office…
We officially start at 8:30am however most mornings I’m in before that enjoying a cup of tea before I start work. The first job of the day is to check our hotline for any voicemails that have been left overnight. I will then respond to these messages during the day. I then filter our e-mail inbox for junk mail and start answering the wide range of queries and questions that we receive on a daily basis both via e-mail and the Consumer Hotline. Queries are extremely varied and include questions about season rating for tents, temperature ratings for sleeping bags and explanations of the many different features on our products, and also where they can be purchased.
What qualifications / experience do you need to be able to work as a product manager?
For this role you need to be flexible, and available to work beyond normal office hours as during the summer months it can be quite busy and hectic! I don’t feel that there are any specific qualifications required for this role, but having a background in customer service certainly helps. Of course, being passionate about the great outdoors and the products that we produce and sell is essential and makes it easier to describe the products and how to use them.
What would you say are the best parts of your job?
Every call and e-mail we receive is different, so the days are never dull!
Do you go camping?
As often as I can! I like to escape for a few days in my tent away from the hustle and bustle of daily life and enjoy the quiet and fresh air of the countryside.
Where is your favourite place to camp?
Torridon in the north west of Scotland. I have fond memories of Torridon as I completed my first Munro in this area of Scotland and the scenery and surroundings are beautiful and quite remote.
Do you have any funny camping/outdoors stories to share with our fans?
Unfortunately none that would be suitable for sharing on a family web page! However my favourite camping trip was my Duke of Edinburgh Gold Expedition, as this was my first expedition into the wilderness for an extended time. Previously I had only managed weekend trips and overnight camps. This trip involved five days straight walking and camping in the wilds of Scotland. Apart from the occasional rain and dehydrated food it was a great experience, and one that I hope to do again someday soon. (Without the dehydrated food –there is better camping food available now!
If you could go camping with any one famous, living or dead, who would it be?
A lot of the people that I would like to go camping with have already been mentioned on the Vango Facebook page by some of our fans! I suggest checking there for some great suggestions!
And finally… what would you choose as your favourite product of 2010?
My favourite Vango product of all time is the Force Ten standard tent, but from the 2010 range it is a hard choice as there are so many products too choose from! If pressed for an answer I would have to say it would be the Vango Cyclone tent, which provides the space and storage of a tunnel tent, but also the stability of a semigeodesic tent. It also looks fantastic!
