No two days are the same at the faculty’s service desk: ‘I worry about everything’
She’s not one to seek the spotlight, but when it comes to raising the profile of the service desk, Brigitte Kraakman goes the extra mile, even if it means stepping out of her comfort zone for an interview. As a familiar face behind the Faculty of Science’s service desk, Brigitte is known for her helpfulness and energy. ‘My biggest weakness is wanting to help everyone,’ she says, ‘but it’s also my greatest strength.’
At 56, Brigitte is a true local, born and raised in Leiden, and has worked at the university for over fifteen years. ‘I started at the University Services Department (UFB), where I worked on room scheduling and at the service desk in the central administration building. After that, I moved around: I worked at the Law faculty, the Social Sciences faculty, the Humanities faculty, and even FGGA in The Hague. I also really enjoyed my time at Rapenburg 70, at the faculty office. That’s where I learned how promotions and inaugural lectures are organised.’
The service desk is there for everyone
After her divorce, as a single mother of two, Brigitte wanted to increase her working hours and applied for a position at the Faculty of Science’s service desk. ‘That’s how I ended up here five years ago. I absolutely love it. The idea was to use my experience and skills to put the service desk on the map and to show that we’re here for all faculty staff and students. I think we’re succeeding.’
Describing a typical day in Brigitte’s job is nearly impossible. ‘Every day is different, but I can give you an idea of what we do. Every morning at 8 a.m., all colleagues from the Facilities team meet to discuss new questions or tasks in Planon (our work order system). That way, I’m always up to speed with what’s going on.’
Variety makes the job dynamic
And staying informed is essential, because Brigitte and her two colleagues at the service desk are a central hub for the faculty, connecting staff, students and support departments. ‘You can come to the service desk with any question, but a lot also happens behind the scenes, and that’s mostly my domain. I handle room planning, classroom management, event coordination, scheduling safety courses, making floor plans for incoming students, liaising with all the study associations, and making sure people can move safely through the building.’
In short, just about everything imaginable comes together in her role. ‘That’s what makes it fun. I love working with colleagues from all departments and helping students – whether they have practical questions or just need someone to talk to. As a team leader in the emergency response team (BHV), I see all kinds of situations – from evacuations to incidents in the lab. The variety is fantastic.’
‘Yes, I get worked up about everything – sometimes too much. But I think that’s part of the job. I can’t stand it when people are pushed from pillar to post. That’s just not right.’
Pressure on the building
At the moment, room scheduling takes up a lot of her time and focus. ‘This building is getting more popular every year and pressure on the rooms is increasing. I just finished processing 420 bookings for the upcoming academic year. It’s like solving a giant puzzle. I sometimes joke that My Timetable is my Bible – I check it all day long to make sure everything’s running smoothly.’
With years of experience behind her, Brigitte knows exactly where her strengths and weaknesses lie. ‘As I said, I want to help everyone – that’s both a pitfall and a strength. I’m like a pit bull when there’s a problem: I won’t let go until it’s fixed. And I’m not afraid of confrontation. If something takes too long or doesn’t get resolved, I follow up,’ she laughs. ‘Yes, I get worked up about everything – sometimes too much. But I think that’s part of the job. I can’t stand it when people are pushed from pillar to post. That’s just not right.’
Angry people over minor issues
From time to time, she deals with angry or impatient colleagues, students or visitors. ‘That’s when I stay especially calm – even though I’m usually quite energetic. My goal is always to send angry people away happy. And often the issue is something minor: someone needs IT support but the helpdesk is already closed, or they don’t want to pay for parking, or their LU-Card has stopped working.’
‘We’re only human too. Sometimes we’re already helping three people at once when a fourth walks in. So please don’t be too hard on us if we can’t help you immediately. We really do our best to sort things out for everyone.’