Introducing KEEPERS: a new series spotlighting top talent in the housekeeping profession.
Despite being the heart of hospitality, housekeepers rarely get the respect they deserve. We’re on a mission to change that. KEEPERS will put respect where it’s due and highlight just how crucial housekeeping is to the success and profitability of every hotel, everywhere.
Our first KEEPER in the spotlight: Nina Leppens, Housekeeping Manager at WestCord Hotel Eindhoven.
What happens when a ton of experience meets great leadership?
You get Nina Leppens, a powerful part of the operational engine behind WestCord Hotel Eindhoven.
Nina has worked across multiple departments at Eindhoven, from reservations to interns and facilities management. At a young age, she earned the opportunity to establish and lead the internal housekeeping team. Her experience in other departments has made her well-equipped to lead this one.
»I connect with all departments in my current job. Front desk, duty manager, maintenance, and beyond.«
Nina knows that for housekeeping to run smoothly, it can’t operate in a silo. Her department needs to be connected with the rest of the hotel, and vice versa.
Nina's philosophy: helpful, but fair.
When asked how her team describes her, Nina said there are two sides to the coin.
»I'll help them where needed, both professionally and personally, which is very important to me. But I do think they know what they can expect from me, and that it has to be fair sometimes.«
This careful balance between empathy and efficiency has contributed to a healthy culture across the housekeeping team.
Choosing the right tech for real problems.
After stepping into her role as Housekeeping Manager, Nina knew the team needed a more streamlined way of working.
»We were essentially holding back, so we looked at everything that was available at the time to see what suited us. How do we want to expand it, and what tools do we need?«
When deciding which tech to implement, Nina focused on the people who would actually be using it: her team of housekeepers.
»The real challenge was asking ourselves, what do [our housekeepers] prefer to work with? What's easiest for them?«
How Flexkeeping made an impact.
Since digitizing housekeeping operations with Flexkeeping, Nina says the team has made “enormous progress” in how well (and how fast) they work.
»We used to work with paper. Now everything’s digital, smooth, manageable.«
Collaboration across departments has also been completely streamlined. They can all communicate through one simple system, instead of wasting valuable time playing phone tag.
»We’d always have to call or run downstairs. Now [housekeeepers] see everything on the phone, so they can keep their flow.«
Nina also has total visibility into team progress, so she can better support them. Her favourite feature is the Cleaning Times dashboard, which tells her how long each housekeeper works on each room.
»It’s not to keep an eye on them. It’s to check if the times are right and that they’re not overloaded. It gives them a reflection on themselves, but also on us. So you're really finding the balance you need.«
The biggest win: happier staff.
This newfound clarity has made her department more efficient. But for Nina, the greatest benefit has been the wellbeing boost for her team.
»Flexkeeping gave people more peace of mind. Less stress. More energy for the job.«
"We're not longer invisible. We are leading the change."
Nina sees firsthand how hard housekeepers work and how essential it is for them to be given the tools and support they need. Implementing Flexkeeping has been a powerful step forward.
Combined with Nina’s leadership prowess, Eindhoven’s housekeeping team is clearly in very good hands.
Know a superstar who deserves the spotlight?
Contact us to nominate them as our next KEEPER.
