Photo: Claudia Langedijk (facility manager) and Vanessa Versteegh (Business Manager HFC)
How the HFC hospitality hosts at Vattenfall create a welcoming and safe atmosphere
Since November, the hospitality hosts of HFC have created a welcoming reception area at the Vattenfall head office at the Amsterdam Bijlmer Arena station. The expectations are high since Vattenfall wants HFC hosts to make a wow- factor and bring the hotel experience to their head office. Vattenfalls's facility manager, Claudia Langedijk, tells why Vattenfal chose HFC and how, from day 1, the hosts have kept on positively surprising everybody.
This year, Vattenfall decided to issue a tender for deploying hospitality hosts for the front desk of their Amsterdam Bijlmer Arena location. Although Vattenfall was satisfied with the organization they used to work with, HFC pleasantly surprised the energy supplier, and this was not a coincidence: "Sustainability is essential for Vattenfall, Claudia explains. HFC also pays a lot of attention to sustainability, including making their CO2 emissions transparent, which appeals to us. We cherish seeing familiar faces at the front desk, and HFC understands that. Continuity is essential because in that way, our visitors always see a familiar face. HFC knows how to bind their people through personal attention, good guidance and training that helps them develop in their work. Given the dynamics at our head office in the Netherlands, it is important the hosts are experienced and are passionate about their work," Claudia emphasizes.
The dynamics of the location require tailor-made solutions
Talking about those dynamics, at the Vattenfall head office, the hosts deal with a diverse group of people: customers, (international) employees and suppliers, but also visitors of the shopping mall the "Amsterdamse Poort" that passes the head office. "It is always dynamic at our head office, Claudia explains. "The hosts are the first point of contact and are responsible. Hospitality is a profession. They not only have to be professional but also proactive and versatile. And they must be able to deliver tailor-made solutions because every question and every visitor is different. Everybody has to feel welcome, whether it is a customer with a question about their contract, international employees with a question or suppliers that deliver goods or come to carry out work."
Claudia Langedijk Facility Manager Vattenfall
The Hospitality Hosts welcoming guest
Keeping eyes and ears open for security
A crucial role of the hospitality hosts is ensuring safety. They are the eyes and ears of the office. When they detect irregularities at the entrance, they take the necessary actions and alert the security officers. With this, they contribute to the overall safety of the office, an aspect Vattenfall values highly.
Cooperation in the chain
The hosts work closely with other departments like catering, security, facility management, caretakers and housekeeping. Together, they start the day, share information and coordinate who oversees which details. Claudia emphasizes the importance of cooperation and support in the chain. "We highly value cooperation in the chain. How beautiful is it when the hospitality hosts help with the catering at peak times by handing out reusable cups and vice versa? In addition to the start, we periodically have sessions at an operational and strategic level. These sessions continuously improve the cooperation in the chain."
Click-introduction
The unique thing about this cooperation is HFC's proactive attitude. For example, Claudia appreciated that HFC acted even before the official collaboration started. "The HFC team lead attended our chain collaboration session in October, one month before the service of the hospitality hosts officially started. At the start, we were guided by HFC's implementation planning, which was well thought through and realistic. Also nice to mention is that before this, I had a so-called click-introduction on HFC's initiative to see if there was a real click between us and the hosts. Given their responsibilities, among which signal irregularities, they must be able to hold their ground. The click-introductions convinced me that they were indeed suitable for this location."
Claudia Langedijk and Vanessa Versteegh with the Hospitality Hosts
Pleasantly surprised
Although HFC only started in November, Claudia noted that she already noticed remarkable positive changes. "The hosts are, on their initiative, not behind the front desk but in front of it, to be more accessible for visitors. They also introduced themselves on the narrowcasting screens in Vattenfall and handed out chocolates after an evacuation drill, which significantly improved the atmosphere."
It is all about the details
Claudia has great expectations for the future. She believes that the hosts of HFC will contribute to a hospital front desk and bring the wow factor and hotel experience to the Vattenfall office. "It is all about the details, the personal attention. That makes our collaboration with HFC so valuable", says Claudia.
How can you lift your organisation's hospitality level to a higher level? For more information, don't hesitate to contact HFC's commercial manager Stijn von der Fuhr, at +316 83 87 73 75.
