A day in the life of: Mark Sampey

Going that extra mile for our customers.

This next insight into my role at Amatica is hardly typical as it involves two days out of the office and a 740 mile round trip across Northern Europe.

Why you might ask? Because it was the best way of getting our technical services manager Kevin Lawrence, myself and an 80 kilo self-service kiosk to our client in Brussels.

The project began in April 2009, with an enquiry via our website to develop a self-service kiosk application for a Belgian utility supplier to enable customers to top up their pre-paid utility smart cards.

After an initial meeting at Kiosk Expo in Germany in May, I got together a team of kiosk specialists in kiosk manufacture, payment processes and peripherals.

The kiosk software was based in the existing point of sale web service, while the kiosk itself includes touchscreen, smartcard reader, Euro note and coin acceptors and a receipt printer. By January, both the kiosk and application was ready to be delivered to the client.

Which leads me nicely back to our trip to Brussels, with the kiosk in the back of my trusty Mondeo Estate.

Despite the rain, sleet and snow, we reach Folkestone and the EuroTunnel terminal in one piece. Check in couldn't be easier - pop the bank card into a self service kiosk (sadly, not one of ours!), and confirm our booking.

Just over 25 minutes later we drive off at Calais, turn left onto the motorway and head for the Belgium border.

Arriving two hours later arrive in the centre of a dark, wet Brussels, the SatNav guides us to our hotel. After sampling the food at a local Italian eaterie (a bargain at €38!) and navigating our way through a small selection of Belgian beers at the hotel, we crash out around 11.00pm.

Three countries in one day - still can't take it in.

Next morning, after a disappointing breakfast of burned boiled egg and croissant, (the egg had been kept warm in hot sand!) and suitably coffee'd up for the day, we head to the client's office.

After unloading the kiosk and installing it onto the client's system, we give them a full demo of the kiosk's functionality and peripherals and after a quick tweak of the receipt output the client is happy to give us the final signoff on the project.

Then it's back to Calais to catch the train. After check-in we grab some lunch, (chicken and salad baguette - we were in France after all), and some dark Belgian chocolate as a present for 'her indoors'.

Back in the UK, after stopping at Oxford services on the M40 to avoid a major hold up on the M25, I discover that some time during the journey, something - possibly a coach - has dented the front offside wing of my trusty Mondeo.

We arrive back home around 8.00pm, happy that we have delivered, in more ways than one, to the clients satisfaction. Overall, apart from the burnt boiled egg and a new wing for the Mondeo, it's all gone very well.

Now it's over to the client to begin promotion of the kiosk solution to their customers around the world. That will be when the real work begins - customisation for the host utility and integration into their POS infrastructure.

Not too much to complain about for 48 hours and 740 miles across 3 countries!