bouwens& Brocacef

Brocacef Group is the largest pharmaceutical supplier in The Netherlands. They have around 350 branches, including pharmacy chain BENU, and cater to care institutions, pharmacies, and consumers all over the country.

At their main office in Maarssen, bouwens& hosts and hostesses have been making visitors and employees feel at home for years.

Multifunctional meeting place

Willy van Wijngaarden is Bracocef’s Director of Real Estate, Facilities, and General Procurement. She’s been working with bouwens& for several years. “My previous employer used bouwens&’s services to great satisfaction”, she explains. “When I transferred to Brocacef, their main office had a traditional reception area. After a takeover we decided to do a thorough renovation. The reception made way for a hypermodern multifunctional meeting space, with the reception as its heart. People come here to work and have business meetings and brainstorm sessions, as well as informal meetings. It’s also where our restaurant is situated. It’s a place where different functions meet. I took the opportunity to get a team of bouwens& on board.”

Customer experience is key

Van Wijngaarden: “I value a great customer experience. This starts at the entrance of our parking. A warm and personal welcome is the starting point for a fantastic experience, whether you’re an employee or visitor. The moment you arrive, we pamper you, something for which we receive many compliments. The bouwens& hosts and hostesses play a central role in this process.”

Versatile

“One of the main advantages of working with the professionals from bouwens& is their versatility. They’re always ready to take over tasks from others; always assertive and involved”, says van Wijngaarden. “The bouwens& team is responsible for our front office, yet one of the hosts volunteered to manage the meeting rooms of our back office, what more do you want?” Van Wijngaarden views the hosts as part of the Brocacef team. “Everybody in our organisation sees them as colleagues, and rightfully so.”

The right actions

When the corona crisis is over, Brocacef expects their employees to keep working from home 50% of the time. This changes the position of the hosts. Van Wijngaarden: “We’re looking at a number of extra tasks they could perform. They may be contributing to the new facility service centre we’re developing. It’s good to see that they are open to these kind of suggestions and think with us on how to do implement this.”

Something that Van Wijngaarden thinks should be mentioned, is that every bouwens& host has completed an Emergency First Response course. “We have over 500 people on the floor, it’s inevitable that something happens at some point. I’ve seen bouwens& hosts act exactly as needed several times now. This is a reassuring thought.”