Working at ezCater: A Day with Desiree Zimmermann

Desiree Zimmermann loves solving problems. And working at ezCater as a Customer Service Ninja, there can be a lot thrown at her. Whether you’ve had a calendar mismatch, a miscommunication, or a sudden lack of resources, our team is ready to support you — no matter the scale. As a Ninja, Desiree is a point of contact for all customers and caterers, and she’s ready to handle all sorts of requests, problems, challenges, or just general points of frustration.

She was even recently recognized by her peers as being insanely helpful — one of ezCater’s core values. Beyond handling her own tasks, Desiree jumps in to answer her colleagues’ questions. When she doesn’t know an answer, she finds it. And she provides insights on how to handle conflicting situations.  Plus, she doesn’t back down from taking on more than her share of the load if the team is overwhelmed.

We caught up with Desiree to find out what it’s like to problem-solve and work at ezCater.

What drew you to work at ezCater?

I’ve taken a bit of a meandering path through life. While getting my master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Lesley University, I worked at Starbucks in Harvard Square, developing a solid background in food service. Next, I worked as an in-home therapist, providing counseling to kids, adults, and everyone in between. But after a year and a half, I needed a change. So I applied to ezCater in the winter of 2014. I was intrigued by the idea of working at a startup with so much potential, and especially one where cupcakes play such a prominent role, as I love baking.

What does your typical workday look like at ezCater?

Working at ezCater as a jack-of-all-trades Customer Service Ninja, I can spend my day covering the ezCater inbox, handling orders, helping other ninjas, or fielding calls. Usually, my day is spent answering the phone and solving whatever problem comes my way. Here are a few examples:

• A caterer’s kitchen is literally on fire. So, I call all their customers for the day and find them replacement orders.
  
• Someone forgot to order food for their meeting. I find them a caterer that serves their area and can bring them food.
  
• A customer finds out that their meeting is canceled an hour and a half before. I work with the caterer and customer to see if they can cancel the order or have it delivered to another location.
  

Solving problems, especially like the last one, can be the most rewarding since I get to save the day for both the customer and the caterer.

What is most exciting about working at ezCater?

There are two elements of my job that I love most. I love solving the puzzles that come up in the day-to-day world of ninja-ing — like saving a driver’s day by finding where in the hospital the medical office they’re going to is. My favorite problem I ever solved was when a driver was running out of gas because she got lost finding a delivery location. I helped her track a path to get to the delivery location and a gas station before her tank ran dry.

I also love helping my colleagues when they’re stuck with an issue or order. I walk through the problem with them, identify where they ran into trouble, and problem-solve. Making sure everyone knows how best to solve problems allows the team, as a whole, to function more efficiently, which leads to a happier, less-stressed team.

In my future at ezCater, I hope to branch into either the training team or the quality assurance team. Both roles involve helping my colleagues improve and achieve success, which is what I love doing.

What have you learned at ezCater so far?

I was an avid user of other online food ordering systems before working at ezCater. And so, I took for granted that hitting a few buttons would make my food appear. I’ve since learned that there are a lot of moving parts to make systems like ours work. I have a whole new appreciation for the complexity of the systems involved.

What advice do you have for anyone looking for a role in Customer Service at a startup?

Be prepared for anything. Anything and everything can and will happen. So coming in with that mindset is crucial. It’s also important to have a way to relax after work. Customer Service can be stressful. And you don’t want to carry that stress around with you all day. Unwind after work with a book or music, or by spending time with friends. Do whatever works for you. That way you can keep coming back and doing your best.

What are some of your favorite things about being in the Boston area?

I commute in and love that I walk through Downtown Boston on my way to work. I pass so many historic landmarks. And I still stop to look up at the skyscrapers. It’ll never stop being fascinating to work in such a vibrant area.

What do you like about working in Downtown Crossing?

Boston has some of the best bookshops, comic book shops (Hub Comics in Somerville is my favorite), and game shops. Growing up in a small town in the Poconos, I never imagined I could find so many cool things so close together.