Kalmar Service Heroes: Natarsha Smith, New Zealand

"I originally trained to work on ships but then didn't enjoy being away for such large periods of time," Natarsha recounts. "So I went and worked on the ferries up in Auckland, starting as deckhand and then doing my skipper's ticket which includes basic engineering. As I began to understand how engines worked, I found that I really enjoyed it. So I got myself an apprenticeship and moved down to Tauranga for the work, and that's what I've been doing for the last five or six years."

Natarsha's work is quite independent, as her service team consists of only herself and another colleague. As customers contact them, the team will deploy to address whichever issues require their attention. A typical day begins with an overview of scheduled maintenance jobs and any urgent issues requiring attention.

"We do service and repairs, hydraulics, electrics, pretty much anything that goes wrong on a machine, we'll go and sort it out. Naturally any equipment that is out of operation will be the number one priority of the day for both the customer and us," Natarsha says.

Keeping the machines going

One of Natarsha's regular customers in Tauranga is ContainerCo, a leading independent container depot. The company also operates a container hire and sales business while providing services for cleaning, maintaining and refurbishing containers. ContainerCo's National Fleet Manager Darryn Douglas is quick in praise of the collaboration with Kalmar in both equipment leasing and service. 

"Being able to trust the technicians that are working on our machines is supremely important for us. It not only makes my job easier, but for our managers and depots, it provides them with a reassurance that the equipment is being repaired properly. And for our drivers, a big thing is that they're confident the machines are safe."

For a container depot, time is money, and having fast access to spare parts is critical for operations in the yard. Darryn points out that having an experienced good technician on call will contribute directly to less downtime. 

"We've definitely seen that with Natarsha. She'll get that part and will have our machines back on the road as quickly as she can. I've seen her do this a number of times, and it really makes a big difference for us because having machines operating is vital for us to stay on top of our productivity."

"I can definitely see it from their point of view," Natarsha concurs. "It's stressful having a machine down and trucks sitting there waiting, or whatever the situation is. If we can get the machine going, I'll do whatever I can to do that. It doesn't matter how long it takes and it doesn't matter where we have to get the parts from, we'll make a way and make it work."

Natarsha points out that a benefit of working as a Kalmar service technician is the direct connection and communication with the factories. "We're part of the same company as the people who make the machines, which makes it a lot easier to get parts and information when we need it. We can make a lot more decisions easier and get things happening and done, which is really cool." 

Top-notch expertise

"My favourite part of the job is troubleshooting more complex faults," Natarsha says. "When there's something that's not obvious, or that doesn't have a simple answer, and you need to work out what's gone wrong and where it is, I really enjoy that side of it. And the new things you face every day keep the work fresh and interesting."

Working as a service technician on today's container handling equipment requires not only a wide set of hands-on mechanical skills but also a thorough understanding of electronic systems. Even with the most advanced diagnostic tools, the technician's experience, judgement and understanding of the entire machine are crucial. And, as in any customer service job, people skills are as important as technical know-how. 

"Communication is certainly also one of Natarsha's strong points," says Darryn Douglas from ContainerCo. "She communicates very well with our depot managers and me, I trust what she's saying, and have full confidence in her abilities. So it never leaves me any doubt at all."

A win every day

In her free time, Natarsha enjoys spending time with her husband and her two dogs, as well as gardening, sailing and paddleboarding. 

"I always say you never know what's going to happen in life. Because I never thought I would be here, or the idea would have sounded really crazy at one point. However, I love all the diagnostic and related work, so I think in the future I might enjoy getting more into the technical support side of things. Being able to help others with their tougher technical problems is something that I enjoy a lot."

For Natarsha, the most memorable and satisfying moments at her job are the small everyday wins along the way. 

"Seeing the customer's machines up and running again after you've headed down and worked it out is a great feeling. So every time you get something back going again, it's like, yes! Good to see it going!"