KU Leuven lending service now open six times longer
In verdant Heverlee, just past the Arenberg Campus, you'll find Limel. The Leuven Institute for Media and Learning, KU Leuven's video producer. However, up until a short while ago, there was one pressing issue: the lending service's limited opening hours. Ever since the Bringme Box was put in place, opening hours have increased no less than six-fold. We talked to Bert Driessens and Maarten Timmermans about increasing efficiency at Limel.
What can people come to you for?
"Limel tries to be for the KU Leuven, what a video production company is to TV," explains Bert, project manager at Limel. "We provide service in three tiers. Pick the we do you it for you tier, and our professional team will come over and do everything for you. This is our paid service. Then there's the we do it together tier, for people who want to do the work themselves. We provide information, support, equipment, and editing rooms. Thirdly, there's the basic tier, in which we offer training and workshops."
Why did you choose for a Bringme Box?
“In our we do it together tier, which includes the lending service, we were open from 12.30 pm until 2.30 pm. That wasn't long enough, of course, but we don't have the staff to guarantee the service all day long. That's when we found out about Bringme."
"Thanks to the Bringme Box, we're now open to users from 8 am until 8 pm, instead of those two measly hours around noon," says Maarten, expert multimedia collaborator at Limel. "The box is an extension of our personal lending service, not a replacement of it. Face-to-face contact allows us to explain things to people who, for example, have never used a professional camera before. That's why we ask people who reserve something for the first time to come pick it up in person. After that, they can use the box."
"The box should let things flow better so that our gear can be put to optimal use," says Bert. "Now, customers can bring a camera back immediately after they've used it, instead of hanging on to it for two weeks until they find the time to return it during opening hours."
What kind of reactions do you get from users?
"You know how it is with technology: you hardly ever get a response, except when something isn't working," laughs Maarten. "Thankfully, we've not had many spontaneous reactions: no news is good news! When I've asked them about it myself, users have all said the box makes things a whole lot easier. In any case, everyone gets the hang of it pretty quickly."
"Even our colleagues who regularly order parcels have also discovered the Bringme Box," Bert laughs. "That wasn't our goal, really, but it's a nice bonus. Especially for the people in admin. All those parcels used to be delivered to reception for them to care of. For them, too, the Bringme Box means one less inconvenience."
Are there any other things you'd like to try out with the box?
"We're especially looking forward to the send option that's coming soon. Then when people at Campus Gasthuisberg, where there's also a box, want to use our gear, they won't have to come all the way over here anymore."
Would you recommend the Bringme Box?
"Absolutely. I already have," says Bert. "My wife works for the city of Leuven. She's now looking for ways of making the markets more enjoyable, taking into account the traffic plan and the parking situation. That's why I suggested they put a Bringme Box in the parking garage, so couriers can deliver their purchases there. That way, people could get their things from the box when they walk to their cars. It would be a great service."
"That's also a nice option for smaller cities," Maarten suggests. "Visitors are often lured away by large shopping malls. Using Bringme could breathe new life into small retailers."
