Francisco Gómez Sánchez is a commercial technician at Sertego Andalusia. He is backed by extensive experience in the evaluation and design of efficient management processes that are adapted to client production processes in the area of industrial waste, and has promoted waste plans in a wide range of industrial sectors, encouraging optimal minimisation and storage system design and implementation. At Sertego, his responsibilities are focused on developing projects with a high level of quality of the service provided, adopting a preventative approach, and focusing on what can be done to generate less waste and managing it better. In this interview, he talks to us about his passion for sales, and how it is a pretext for forming trusting relationships with clients that are mutually beneficial.
May 2018 web copy.
Talk to us about Sertego.
For those who don’t know it, Sertego is a leading company in the environmental sector and a company of reference to keep in mind when talking about waste recovery. Our company recovers 70% of the hazardous waste managed. No one can get close to those figures and that is an indicator of the daily effort that the entire organisation puts in to improving processes, investing in new technologies and optimising resources.
It has a multitude of treatment facilities, each of them service-oriented and fully available to companies that need to improve their waste management. Likewise, Sertego is a company in constant evolution and that takes care of details, caring about areas as diverse as the well-being of its clients, waste treatment innovation and its workers’ professional training, among others. Regarding that last bit, I can speak about my own experience; training in the commercial department is continuous, both in terms of waste management knowledge as well as in the commercial activity itself, and that is vital for the performance of our activity.
What stands out about your career at Sertego?
¡It has been nearly 11 years now since I was given the opportunity to join this big family, and I’m still just as excited as I was that first day. My passion has always been sales as a pretext for creating lasting connections with clients. I came from a completely different sector and the beginnings were very uncertain as I was entering an activity that was unknown to me. What I was sure of then was my hunger to excel and my desire to work. My intention is always for people to be satisfied with the work I do, provide clients with the services they need and exceed their expectations. After various company training sessions, everything was more manageable.
I could compare that time at SERTEGO to the birth of a person. At SERTEGO, I was born into the Environmental sector like a child that can’t yet walk or talk. They have taken care of me during this period, teaching me how to say my first words and take my first steps. They have given me an education and values which have made me grow as a person. Now, after 11 years of training and experience, I’m still learning every day. This experience has allowed me to continue growing on a professional level, which is what my clients see in me.
What can you tell me about the evolution in these years from the point of view of waste producers?
When I first started I saw that not all companies were fully aware of the negative environmental repercussions that come with improper waste management. Fortunately, as time passed, and not without quite a bit of effort, we have managed to change this perspective.
In my department we don’t just complete a mere commercial transaction, in most cases our clients ask us to advise them on everything concerning proper waste management. We provide information, design management plans and we are able to provide a service to our clients that guarantees their action in this area is correct. We are able to create a relationship of trust. There is no doubt that Sertego is synonymous with guarantee and quality management.
What makes Sertego different from all other operators in the sector?
I know very well how Sertego and other operators work, and I can say that one of the differences is in the service and the ability to adapt to the needs of the client, regardless of their size or geographic location. Sertego offers its customers a wide range of logistical means to perform services as quickly as possible (a large fleet of trucks and numerous facilities throughout the country), as well as a large team of qualified personnel that is service-oriented and always available to the client.
What is your greatest satisfaction over the course of your career at Sertego?
I can say without fear of being mistaken that my greatest achievement or success over the years is having been able to get clients to see me as part of their company. They don’t just see me as a waste management company’s commercial technician, they see me as an environmental consultant. Proof of this is the trust that all my clients place in me, from major industrial sector companies (including those that trade on the Ibex 35), to small producers whom we treat with the same determination and dedication. That bond with the client, bringing the professional relationship to a relationship of personal trust, in many cases is my greatest satisfaction. Achieving it is not easy, you have to be resolute, sincere, and never ever fail them. After 11 years, I can boast that I never have, and that is not an easy thing. The Sertego brand ensures and transmits that reliability and guarantees going beyond simple legal compliance.
How do you see the sector evolving and the challenges that Sertego will face in the coming years?
In the next few years, environmental regulations will evolve to demand greater involvement from waste producers in terms of waste production and its final destination. Circular economy and recovery concepts will be imposed, requiring these companies to redefine their processes. The industrial waste management sector will develop in this same direction.
The advantage we have is that continuous improvement is part of our company’s DNA, and we are already adapting to upcoming changes and trends.
What do your clients think about the service provided by Sertego?
What I can see, and what they tell me, is that they have a very positive view of Sertego. The quality, diligence, and guarantee that we offer is reinforced by transparent management.
Of course, there are always aspects that can be improved, and we are working on that. Our client satisfaction surveys and the ideas that our clients pass on to us are fundamental to our development, and actually form the basis of our improvement processes.
What is Sertego’s main strength?
There are many, although I would highlight the presence of our company in the whole national territory, which allows us to provide a global service with a local feel. I also must mention our capacity for innovation, that allows us to adapt to customer requirements.
What is Fran like outside the workplace?
I consider myself a cheerful and fun person who tries to spend as much time as possible surrounded by family and friends.
