A job that I enjoy: Kris-Kevin Link on his time at AfB

Kris-Kevin Link has been working at AfB since May 1, 2005, almost from the very beginning. He trained as an office administrator, but preferred practical work and came to AfB via the Integrationsfachdienst (IFD).

At AfB, he initially helped set up the warehouse in Ferdinand-Porsche-Straße and now works in mobile device testing.  

Hello Kris, you've been with AfB from the very beginning. Didn't you ever want to work somewhere else?

I never wanted to leave. The way it is, it's just right for me. At AfB, I have work that I enjoy and my colleagues are nice. The working hours are exactly right for me. I've actually always been happy to be here. The most important thing is that it's fun. And that my colleagues are okay. I've worked with a lot of people here and most of them are really ok. Very rarely is someone not so nice. It's almost impossible to work without conflict for 18 years. I've always tried to be friendly to everyone. If there's a conflict, I try to find solutions.

What is your job at AfB?

I work in mobile device testing and record the details of the devices. To do this, I have to record the model, the IMEI number and the system number for each device. If I can't find the IMEI, I sometimes have to ask, but I find 95% of the models and can record them on my own.

What is special about your work?

I need consistent work so that I feel comfortable. That's because of my illness. I know what to expect here. It's important to handle the cell phones well. We want to sell them again, so you have to look after their condition and maintain their value. I use foam or crackle foil to protect all A devices. Only the C devices that go into recycling, I take out the batteries first, Susi tapes them off, then I can throw the phones into the box. I recently had an iPhone 13 without scratches. A found device from a transport company. I wrapped it specially in foil.

Tell me, what was it like at AfB in the past?

Back in the day, everyone from AfB used to meet at Europapark. Everyone from Germany, Switzerland and Austria, management and employees. There were 50 of us. We had a meeting first and then went on a rollercoaster ride. Once, AfB raffled off a weekend at Europapark among everyone and I won first prize. I went with my youngest sister. Back then, they still called me "warehouse manager" because I did so much: Large orders, eBay shipping, order picking. I once took part in a commercial for AfB and played a customer in the store. I used to work full-time in the warehouse until 2015. Then the accident happened, and after the accident I thought with Milan about what we could find without me having to do any heavy lifting. That was a shame, the warehouse was great.

What happened?

While on vacation in Denmark, a truck hit my car. This resulted in my second disability (he shows his badly scarred left arm). Now I have a mental and a physical disability. I can no longer lift a bubble bin.

And you've been in cell phone refurbishment ever since?

Yes, with Uwe. He's down-to-earth and calm. We've always had a good relationship.

What do you do when you're not working?

I played a lot of soccer. In the 2006/07 season, I even won the top scorer award. I scored 36 goals in 22 games. In 2008/09, I was top scorer again, this time in B3, although I was only able to play the first half of the season because I was in hospital. I don't play soccer so much anymore. But I often go hiking and of course I watch a lot of soccer.