Antje Warnecke: a familiar face at Pavo for 16 years

She has witnessed many changes over the past 16 years, but Antje Warnecke still loves working at Pavo. Advising Pavo’s customers makes her feel invigorated. “I want to help my customers to make their horses look healthy and feel good,” says Warnecke, feed advisor and customer support employee. 

 

In November, it will be 16 years since Warnecke joined Pavo. “I had been feeding Pavo to my own horses for a long time. They looked so good and healthy, with incredible stamina and I was extremely passionate about Pavo. I came to work here through an acquaintance who knew I was so pro-Pavo. I was able to turn my hobby into my occupation,” Warnecke explains. 
In her early initial years with the company, the feed advice department wasn’t as large as it is today. “I also worked in the marketing department, contributed to magazine articles, and I organised everything in relation to events in the Netherlands and Germany. Eventually I moved back into customer service from marketing. I have specialised in Mühldorfer and am responsible for Amazon and B2C feed advice.”  

Customer contact

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the job for Warnecke is organising events and manning the booths. She especially enjoys her contact with the customers. “I remember there was one event where, every year, the same mother would come to the booth with her son. They always came to ask whether they were still doing everything right in terms of the feed for their horses. Those are truly special moments. I always enjoy hearing about the challenges that people face and providing them with ‘real-time’ advice.” 
Nowadays, it is more common for advice to be given by telephone or online by email. “That’s really enjoyable too, especially when customers let me know whether the advice helped. The contact I have with people is always very educational.”

Warnecke says that certain questions are often asked. “During the winter, the questions are often about horses that are too thin. In that case, I will always discuss the roughage with the owner as that is often where the problem lies and the horses are not getting enough roughage. Once that is sorted, owners can start giving supplements to help their horses get back to where they should be, then they can switch back to a basic diet.”

Difference to the past

Nowadays, there is a clear difference in the questions to those we had sixteen years ago, which mainly concern older horses. We get many more of these questions as owners are willing to invest much more to keep their horses healthy for longer, even if they no longer have any teeth! You then try to support their owners with practical solutions, to ensure that their horses get enough nutrients.”

Spare time

In her spare time, Warnecke can often be found with her horses. She has two ponies who are ridden by her nine-year-old daughter “I also ride the ponies myself to ensure that their riding skills are up to scratch. I also regularly ride a horse at the stables with my older daughter, who jumps at international level.”
Warnecke remains a feed advisor too of course. “When a horse has special requirements, I like exploring options with the owner to think of what we can do to help the horse to regain their health.” 

If Warnecke has her way, she would love to continue working at Pavo for another sixteen years. “I work with a team of lovely people, my job is great and I don’t get bored,” she concludes.