Froms calls to emails, Sonia's duty is all about the customer

Although it’s fairly safe to say that Sonia Robitaille works behind the scene, she nevertheless is a strong stich of this close-knit community! You see, Sonia has been a part of the customer service team for... 27 years, most of which working from home. She met with Mr. Louis Bibeau , founder and president, for her job interview on Remembrance Day, November 11, 1996. This date is significant in her career path: Sonia has “forever” been providing exceptional customer service to the Department of National Defence (DND), a major contract which, at the time of her arrival, had only recently been awarded to Logistik.

The world has changed over the past 30 years. What has evolved at Logistik?

When I first started, my desk – more like a temporary worktop! – was located in the warehouse. I was receiving and processing huge orders by telephone and fax, the forklifts were never too far away and surrounding noise was ever present. I can say we’ve come a long way, on several fronts, if only in terms of task specialization. I started at Logistik as a customer service representative and have been an email reply specialist since 2002. When you think about it, this job title in itself is a strong indicator of the technological evolution that characterizes this time period!

Despite these changes, tell us about something that you love and that has remained the same?

Day-to-day conviviality and mutual support that prevail within our team is a true joy. It’s easy to perform and even outdo yourself in such a warm atmosphere. I wouldn’t have stayed this long, neither in this job nor this team, if the work environment was not caring... and it has been since the very beginning.

In terms of your profession, how has your role or your field of work evolved at Logistik?

I worked in collaboration with a person at DND for 21 years, until he retired a few weeks ago. The solid professional bond that we shared over the years was a genuine privilege and it allowed me to grow in my position. In his farewell letter to the team, he mentioned me as his “right hand woman”. I was deeply touched!

How has Logistik contributed to your success?

By allowing me to work from home following the company’s move to St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Logistik management proved they had confidence in me. The email reply specialist role was a new position but management gave me all the necessary guidance to perform well, insuring that I had everything I needed all the while giving me a lot of autonomy.

How would you describe Logistik’s corporate culture?

I am not the first one to mention this in the course of this series of interviews but the family spirit remains ever present in spite of the company’s tremendous growth. Speaking of family, I have been privileged to witness the Bibeau children – Karine, Yannick and Francis – grow before my eyes. They were teens when I joined Logistik and they would come to work with us when school was off. That’s pretty unique in a career!

What do you never get tired of at Logistik?

I could have explored other opportunities within Logistik but the challenges I have encountered and which I continue to meet daily keep me stimulated and engaged within this wonderful team! So, for me, in spite of 27 years working in the same department, I just can’t get bored! I even feel like outdoing myself.?

What is so unique about this place that you just can’t find somewhere else?

I appreciate the recognition that I have been given over the years. For example, when an employee celebrates 20 years of service, their “#20 jersey” is retired and is perched way up in the warehouse with the other jerseys, some ten meters above the floor for everyone to see. For me, this is genuine solicitude. And I am touched by the generosity of the employees and management; on many occasions, our solidarity has expressed itself spontaneously and this has tremendous value in my eyes.

Tell us about the most significant event you experienced so far at Logistik.

In 2021, my 25th work anniversary was warmly celebrated at Logistik’s annual BBQ. On top of a charming, personalized gift, this gathering was a lovely occasion, during the pandemic, to be together after so much isolation. It was a very moving event for me!