Partner support, service checks, product development, training, documentation... Aki Ainetdin's job description in Dietatec's service support varies across the board, and his working week may include various tasks. The technical challenges faced by partners often challenge Aki himself - the job never gets boring, as there is always something new to learn and develop!
Problem-solving, creative thinking, and technical skills
I look forward to the day when I know everything about everything and things take care of themselves!
Aki laughs but then says the days would be pretty dull if that were the case. Challenges and constant learning keep the work meaningful.
At Dietatec Service Support, Aki's weeks consist of various tasks. He describes one day as a hands-on installation visit to a customer, another as a brainstorming session in product development, and a third as a training session in the galley of a luxury cruise liner. While there is variety, the focus is clearly on helping partners with the technical challenges they face.
Aki considers his creative thinking and technical skills necessary for a solution-oriented job. The willingness and ability for documentation is also a must, without which you may end up reinventing the wheel every time. Alongside these, the resources provided by the workplace also play an essential role.
Dietatec has provided excellent resources for the job. For example, we've successfully stocked up on valuable equipment for maintenance work. The need is understood when there is a real need for a tool, and you can justify it, Aki concludes.
Remote working brought challenges to overcome
As a service support expert, Aki's work usually involves traveling. Various installation, maintenance, and training trips have taken place all over Europe. Covid-19 moved face-to-face meetings to the computer screen. Cases that would normally have required an on-site visit had to be resolved remotely. Often solutions are found relatively easily in this way, but sometimes cases can drag on for a long time.
One partner had a challenge with the water circuit, and due to the Covid situation, we could not get on-site to resolve the issue. We relied on data from the kitchen, the situation was demoed, and the cause of the problem was discussed at length - it became a demanding case. When the cause of the problem was finally identified, the solution was found very quickly. It would have been quick to solve this case on the spot, Aki recounts a memorable customer story.
Dieta’s new Genier ACE and GO! have also brought a notable change in remote work. When service personnel work in the field and need Aki’s help with Genier kettles, there is the possibility of setting up a remote connection via the internet. Through the connection, Genier sends a log file with highly detailed data to Aki, who can immediately check the kettle's condition to help the case. This feature has made cooperating remotely with customers more accessible and faster than ever!
Family comes first, exercise gets you back from work
For Aki, time spent with his family is number one on his days off. On holiday they often travel abroad, but now they have been traveling in their homeland, Finland, for the last few years.
I realized at some point that even though our children have traveled a lot, we have only gone a couple of hundred kilometers within our country with them. Fortunately, in the last few years, we've been able to make up for it!
In service support, solving clients' challenges often requires a lot of thought, and sometimes Aki finds himself thinking about cases that are still open at the end of the day. Commuting by bike is an important way to break up the working day for Aki.
The fact that I cycle to work has an effective effect: when I get on my bike, the working day ends, and I can take time off. For example, the transition doesn't happen the same way when I drive.
Cycling is an important hobby for Aki anyway. He has participated in several events, and every year he aims to ride a 100-kilometer trip at least once.
The future of kettles looks bright
The Nordic countries have been pioneers in using mixer kettles, but now the kettles are starting to become an emerging trend in Europe in general. Working at the heart of the issue, Aki believes the momentum will only accelerate further.
In Europe, for example, people are slowly waking up to the fact that food production should, to a certain extent, be concentrated in larger units. A multifunctional kettle that cooks, mixes, and, if necessary, even cools, really makes life easier and is helpful in the kitchen when large quantities of food are prepared daily.
When Aki thinks about Dieta's strengths as a kettle manufacturer, two things quickly come to mind. Firstly, the made-to-order manufacturing approach allows for flexible customization of products according to the customer's needs. At Dietatec, careers are long, and skills and expertise are profound, contributing to the variety of implementations that can be made.
The second is innovation in product development. The courage to experiment and a pioneering attitude have been part of Dieta from the beginning, reflected even in the older products. Even now, the latest Genier kettles have features not seen before in the kettle market.
If you found Aki's introduction interesting, get to know our other personnel too:
Ville-Veikko Litmanen started as Dietatec’s Managing Director To the blog >
Dieta Chef Vesa Saaristo To the blog >
Mari makes handmade kettles to be sent around the world To the blog >
