Robin Gierse

Hi Robin, thank you for taking the time. You've been familiar with our product for a while and decided to switch from the customer side to the supplier side at the end of 2021 - which we're very happy about. First of all, please tell us a little about yourself.

First of all: Please tell us a bit about yourself.

Hi, my name is Robin, I live in Cologne and I work as a consultant for Checkmk.
Besides Checkmk, I’m passionate about movies and TV series, space exploration and whiskey.
When I step out the door, I enjoy inline skating and going to the movies with friends. 

What motivated you to join Checkmk?

I first encountered Checkmk at my first job. There, with the support of Alex W., I set it up, where I also had my first contact with Checkmk GmbH, which didn't have that name back then. At that time, I was still very content where I was. After a job change and the introduction of Checkmk there as well, I realized that I wanted to do more with this tool. So, I decided to apply, and here we are now. In hindsight, I can say that the personal challenge and enthusiasm for the product led me to start at Checkmk. I stayed because of the company culture, the people, and my exciting field of work.

What fascinates you most about your job at Checkmk, and what are your tasks?

I support customers daily with questions, issues, and projects related to Checkmk. This ranges from potential customers who want to get to know our product better before signing a contract, to support - when something isn't quite running smoothly - and ends with consulting, where I sometimes spend several consecutive days advising and actively supporting customers in setting up and configuring Checkmk. I'm fascinated by the diversity of these tasks, the people you meet, the challenges they face, the technical peculiarities, and the fact that I learn something new every day. In addition, there are cross-cutting tasks where I support internal projects, such as development or marketing.

What does a typical workweek look like for you?

It really depends on what I'm currently doing. If I'm in support, a week looks pretty similar because you spend the whole day doing your best to quickly and successfully resolve customer issues. In pre-sales, it depends on the number of inquiries that come in. Sometimes I have time for cross-cutting tasks here, but sometimes it's back-to-back customer appointments. In consulting, I'm often on-site with the customer for the entire week - either physically or mostly virtually.

What tools/technologies do you work with in your team?

There are quite a few. Firstly, and most importantly for me, we work on Linux laptops - unless otherwise requested - which makes my daily work much easier. In addition, many tools are web-based these days, so the main tool is definitely the web browser. We also use a range of communication tools - both internally and externally - to communicate with customers and colleagues. In addition, there are development tools, IDEs, automation tools, containerization, and virtualization.

In your own words, describe the relationship between Checkmk and customers. What sets this relationship apart?

This was the biggest change for me, even though it was the most welcome: Customers are addressed informally. I had to get used to doing this with existing customers, but now I offer it to customers in the pre-sales phase. And that's what works for me: We treat our customers on an equal footing. Our interaction is based on respect and appreciation; we put our customers first, but they also take us seriously. This creates an atmosphere where we always work with our customers in a fulfilling and successful manner, even in difficult times.

Is there anything currently bothering you about your work?

Whoever says they have the perfect job is lying. There are always stumbling blocks. It could be disagreements with colleagues, a management decision you're not happy with, or a customer who has spontaneously forgotten to treat you with respect today. But none of these situations have come my way so far. I can honestly say that as I write these lines, there is nothing significant bothering me about my work.

Okay, maybe there's one thing: When colleagues bring cake or cookies to the office, I never get any. After all, my office is almost 600 kilometers away. 😉