For housing associations, efficiently managing communication, especially with new construction projects, is quite a challenge. A constant stream of questions, the need for quick ad hoc announcements, and the fair distribution of facilities can take up a lot of a manager's time. Lieven de Key accommodates young people and discovered how the use of GuestCompass transformed their management processes, streamlined communication, and resulted in significant time savings.

Bart Dorrestein is a manager at the housing corporation and was responsible for the startup of the new building for young people between the ages of 23 and 28. These residents receive a five-year contract and all moved into their new homes around the same time.

"The move-in period, which lasts about two months, is always hectic," Bart explains. "To manage this smoothly, there is a manager on-site five days a week. We help the new residents with all sorts of questions about the home, from technical issues to practical tips."

The corporation faced a number of specific challenges:

Repetitive questions: How can we proactively and efficiently instruct residents to prevent a constant stream of the same questions?
Ad hoc communication: How can we quickly reach all residents at once for urgent announcements, such as a wrongly parked car blocking the passage?
Fair distribution: How do we manage the allocation of limited facilities, such as storage units, in a transparent and fair manner?
Time pressure: How can the manager use his time as effectively as possible, without drowning in individual emails and questions?

Bart Dorrestein - Property Manager Housing Corporation

"In 9 out of 10 cases, I can simply refer to the app because all the information is there. So time savings is absolutely what Guest Compass provides me."

The solution: a single central app for all resident matters

Lieven de Key Stepstone chose GuestCompass as the central hub for all communication and information. The app was deployed to directly address the main challenges.

Proactive instructions via the app
To preempt the many questions about the housing, the corporation produced a series of short instructional videos. "We made videos about the most common questions," says Bart. "We then placed them in the GuestCompass app, so tenants can view them at any time. This saves us a lot of time."
Direct and measurable communication with push notifications
The ability to send push notifications proved to be an essential tool, especially during the busy moving period.

"Especially during the in-house period, there are many things you want to communicate ad hoc," says Bart. "For example, there is a car double parked. With one push of a button, you send a push notification to all residents: 'Could the owner of the car with license plate X please move their car?' Everyone receives the same message, and you see that it is resolved very quickly."
An additional advantage was measurability. "What is very nice is that you can place a link in the push notifications. This way, you can precisely register how many people clicked on the link and thus saw the message."
Efficient management of facilities
The app was also used for managing the available storage units. "We created a page in the app and made an announcement: 'We have a number of storage units available, act quickly, because once they're gone, they're gone,'" says Bart. "Through the app, we were able to create a waiting list, allowing us to see exactly who was next in line. In this way, we could track the rentals very well and fairly."

An essential tool

"In fact, everything we can use the app for to optimally instruct and inform residents, we do," concludes Bart. "That fact ensures that I, as a manager, don't receive separate emails and residents don't constantly have to come by. It has become an indispensable tool."

The result: optimal service and maximum time savings

The implementation of GuestCompass has fundamentally transformed the manager's way of working. The app is not merely an additional tool, but has become the centerpiece of the communication strategy.

Significant time savings: The manager spends much less time addressing individual questions and resolving minor issues.
Increased efficiency: Ad hoc problems are communicated directly and collectively, allowing for quicker resolution.
Improved resident experience: Tenants are better informed, have 24/7 access to crucial information, and experience a professional and organized management.
Proactive management: The manager can now focus more on proactive tasks rather than constantly reacting to issues.

This is a beautiful example of the power of centralized communication.
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