Relocation Services Case Studies

Challenging Home Search Locations

Relocation Challenge:

Our clients initial employee home search proved difficult with suitable available property in the North of England being limited due to a lack of suitable corporate rental properties meeting their search criteria.

Relocation Solution:

Our team went the extra mile to help the client find their ideal situation, without having to compromise on their requirements – we pushed the local estate agency market, contacted previous corporate lettings agencies, made contact with landlords that we knew had previously let their properties out to corporate tenants and when this all failed for us we then leafleted the most suitable properties and paid for a newspaper advert asking for landlords to get in touch with us if they were considering letting their properties.

We were able to find a suitable property for the delighted German assignee within two weeks.

Removals to difficult locations

Relocation Challenge:

Zermatt is a municipality in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. With a population of only 5,800 it has a large ex-pat contingent with just over a third of inhabitants moving into Zermatt from outside of Switzerland.

Not only is Zermatt in a challenging location to get to, surrounded by the high mountains of the Pennine Alps and covered in snow for most of the year but Zermatt is also a combustion engine vehicle-free zone in order to prevent air pollution and protect the town's view of the Matterhorn. This means no traditional removals lorries can enter the town and only electric vehicles can be used which presented a unique challenge for one client moving to Zermatt from the UK.

Relocation Solution:

Our experience in removals to Switzerland meant that we were already aware of these restrictions and could proactively make arrangements in planning for the move. Working closely with our local partners in Switzerland we arranged a small electric shuttle vehicle that could operate within local regulations which met our removal lorry and crew on the outskirts of the town. The customer's belongings were shuttled in small consignments up to the property in the town and successfully delivered inside.

Limited Education Options

Relocation Challenge:

In an environment driven by technology and a customer base increasingly more comfortable with self-service many service providers are looking to technology to replace human service at a lower cost.

For some clients this solution is great, for others the lack of human interaction devalues the service. For one client their former school placement provider only worked online, there was no way the individual could have a personal conversation with the supplier which became a problem for them. A high profile Sheikh relocating to London was insistent that his son attend a particular choice of school. Due to high demand for International Schools in his area because of one school ceasing business and an influx of companies investing and relocating employees to the area, his son was unable to secure a place, despite the father’s personal intervention in the registration process.

Relocation Solution:

Due to the online service delivery method of Schools placement service the client turned to us for assistance with the placement. Our coordinator was able to find 10 alternative, suitable International schools, meeting the same criteria and fulfilling his personal preferences and concerns and the Sheik was happily able to secure his son a place at their 2nd choice.

In addition to providing a human service we did not have to eliminate the benefits of technology. What we did instead was to introduce RedSky as a management and tracking tool but only as a supporting mechanism which does not in any way replace the human interaction that takes effect immediately with the assignee and their family.

This technology is being utilised as a supporting secondary function but in our people-driven business we never forget that people matter most. Personal likes and preferences are given precedence and needs matching on an individual and human level take over any other of the human skills that we have become famous for.

Low Budget Home Search

Relocation Challenge:

Our client needed to find a way to assist their employees find a new home and to manage the risks of them trying to navigate this area alone, but they had a very low budget available for each assignee that didn’t allow a full accompanied home search service.

Relocation Solution:

We helped our client to design an unaccompanied Home Search service for their assignees to help them balance a low available budget with assisting their employees to find a new home and to manage the risks of them trying to navigate this area alone. We provide an unaccompanied service but with unlimited human support by phone allowing us to guide the assignee every step of the way.

The importance of providing home search support was highlighted early in the relationship when we were asked to step in to help one employee who had arranged his own rental and quickly found things going wrong. He had paid a deposit and first month’s rent but on viewing the apartment the day before the move found that many of the things agreed with the agent to be completed before move day was not done. This left the property uninhabitable with carpets ripped up and dirty furniture and food left by the previous tenant, broken windows and white goods that were not working and property in a generally poor condition. The assignee was finding the agent, who was unregulated, impossible to communicate with and faced being homeless, losing his initial monies and with is family arriving from India in just a few days.

We stepped in to find him a new property as quickly as possible that was more suited to a corporate assignee and went above and beyond the call of duty in working tirelessly on behalf of the assignee to release him from his previous self-selected property and ensure his payments were refunded in full.

Assignee Feedback:

“I wanted to especially thank you for be with me during my bad days, and for doing your best for helping me to get a new home till the end.

When I was having a bad experience with a previous property and was unable to figure out whom to reach out for help, Bournes stepped in and handled the matter personally on behalf of me. You rapidly took this matter on priority and made yourself available all the time for discussion with me. Because of your help, I managed to get out of all the bad things I was facing in the previous property. From summarising the entire situation in a single mail to drafting refund request letter, you did more than what a client could expect from their service provider. Having said that, you never made me feel that I am a client to you, rather someone I can rely upon during bad situation.

Georgette was always there from very start to end during my home search. From communicating with agents to review the contracts, she made sure whatever home I am moving into that has to be legally correct and everything should be documented. Because of you, I managed to move into the new home before 15th and celebrated our son’s birthday :)

I am very much relaxed that my family is finally at a good home. Thanks again to both of you for making this possible.”