hello everyone, i am Nathalie, the last couple of years I moved a lot and recently came back to Geneva from NY. every time that i moved i had difficulties to find some basic information, such as grocery stores, delivery places, good doctors, restaurants etc...
i was lucky cause i had some friends helping me, but still i couldn't find everything on the net, especially in Switzerland where the internet seems to be in ice age.
i know there r relocation agencies, but they r mainly helping u with the actual moving; u find yourself alone once they put u in your apartment or house...
so i decided to create a service for people after the relocation agencies r done with them, who just moved in (geneva mainly), and help them with the transition of new town, new life, etc...
i know what were my needs when i first moved in, would love to hear about what u were looking when u first arrived.
I just moved to Geneva and think this is a great idea! It is actually a little hard to find your way around and find the 'in' places. I am actually looking for a good gym as well as dermatologist. Which health insurance do you recommend? Can you send more info? Thanks!!
Welcome to the forum, Nathalie, and to Geneva. Hope you get settled in soon!
Regarding your plans to help newbies relocate and find their way around, you might want to get in touch with "Mrs. Doolittle". She is a member here who lives in Baden, and gives relocation help in that region. Her experience might be a help for you, as you start out...
I think what you are offering is really important and there is a need for it. The service I provide doesn't stop once clients move in. Finding the housing is the easy part, settling in is actually much harder in my opinion and for this reason I provide on going support to my clients. Everyone's needs are different and the needs change. All my clients know they can contact me anytime if they have questions or problems.
I think you have to find out what the client wants to know. Anyone can look in the phone book or the internet but I think it is the task of the relocation agent to research and provide first hand information. For example, I have personally visited many of the second hand shops in the Baden area selling children's clothes and toys. I know what the shops carry, I know whether the staff speak English, I know whether it is easily accessible. I know which hair stylists speak English, I know which veterinarians do too.
Of course there are the essentials, such as medical resources, a GP, a dentist. But if there are children, then the medical resources needed are more extensive.
Some companies have handbooks they give to new employees to help them settle in. I have seen some of these and they are clearly put together by people who never experienced moving and some of the resources listed would be absolutely useless to someone who lacked fluency in the local language.
thank you the Frollein, Mrs. Doolittle posted something on the thread
Mrs. Doolittle, thank you very much for your input, i agree that everybody can look at the phone book and internet but it is always great to find someone who has all the information gathered, and i am planning to be that person.
I used to live in Switzerland for 20 years, and the last 10 years started to move around the world, and i still have family living in town, so i know quite well the city, and the stores, the doctors and the hairdressers. most of them speak English, let's not forget that Geneva is a very international city.
but off course, i need to complete and update my knowledge to be able to give a total satisfactory service. thank you again a lot for your input, it is always great to have the opinion of someone who is in the business
Hi there - the basics - like finding somewhere to rent, assitance to get the phone, electricity, TV etc put on - most people with some language skills (or a friend with language skills) can cope with. A relocation agent to assist in the first 2-3 months can definitely help here. What I found hard is locating Doctors, Dentists, Accountants etc that I felt comfortable with - ie these are people you need an ongoing relationship with. They are people who can "gel" well with one person and maybe not with some one else, and people whose quality of skill and service vary. I don't know how this can be overcome, ie match Doctors to people who feel comfortable with them etc, but if you find a way to - you will have lots of people - whether they are relocating or not, wanting your services
Herden it is exactly my point, i know that some relocation agencies continue helping once the client in settled in, but their main service (as i have noticed in most of the websites and agencies that i have contacted) is to help you moving, finding you a house/apt, maybe help you with your papers. They offer you a tour of your neighborhood the first 2 days, etc...
what i am trying to achieve is to be the "friend" who will help you during the first months. If you need a doctor or an accountant, I am not going to look on the internet and give you the first name, i will give u my doctor or accountant to start with because i trust them and i have a good feeling with them. if u don't feel a connection with them, i will give you another doctor or accountant name that i know or heard of by my friends.
in a way i will give this service "nat's way", based on my experience and the feedback that i have got from friends, family and old clients.
i think it will be more personal than what a big company offers you.
i am also planing to give the same kind of service for people visiting geneva, i know hotels have concierge service, but finally they end up giving you the touristic restaurant or spots names. i will give my clients the same information that i will give a friend of mine who visits the city. those places may not be famous and appear in every guide book, but they will be amazing and worth discovering....
As I was reading this thread, I concluded you were looking to be a settlement concierge of sorts. Good luck with the businsss.
As a potential customer for such a service, I think it is critical that your customers know that you sit on the same side of the table as they do. You charge them for your knowledge of local resources, and give information unbiased by anything other than your experience.
When I was transferred to Seattle a few years ago, my company offered me this type of service. After a few less than satisfying encounters with the businesses I was referred to, I learned that the consultant earned referral fees from the businesses they recommended - so the "best" match for my particular needs were less important than who would offer the consultant the highest spiff.
I'm curious about how you charge for your services. I used to work as a consultant for a relocation agency in another country that offered services ranging from a basic 3 day program to an intensive 3 month cross-cultural adaptation program. I found that clients continued to call long after their program had officially ended. I didn't mind, but I'm curious if you continue to charge your clients for ongoing services, or if you included this in your fee up front knowing that you will probably continue to get calls. Do you charge per hour, per day, per service?
Thank you for your reply. I get a lot of 'negative' feedback from Geneva as it is hard to settle in. It actually is as in finding a good GP, gynecologist, dermatologist etc. I am one of these 'my body is my temple' people. And coming from NY where my gym offered all kinds of activities such as every type of yoga and latest fitness craze, I can't find that here. The gyms I saw are awful and limited. Maybe I should look into private yoga teachers? Also for Dr I find it hard to find English speaking Dr who actually give me the impression they know what they are talking about.
As for places to go out, I find it very limited. Besides the old town and hotel bars that are mostly filled with 'prostitutes' there must be some cool bars where you can meet people or have a drink without too much pretension or show off.
I would also like to buy a car but don't know exactly re license plates, insurance etc etc not to mention garages!
I got you pm and will email you with my entire list as it is looooong and do not want to bore everyone with my needs. But as you do look for feedback, it might inspire more people with questions. In any case am looking forward to receiving more info from you! I have the feeling your service is what will provide me with what I need.
Having lived in the area that I work for many years, and having friends and family in the area, in addition to the many clients I have worked with, you get to know the resources people trust, such as doctors, dentists, veterinarians, accountants, babysitters, etc. I am owner and moderator of the Baden expats group which also helps in the exchange of information and experiences, such as who had a baby at which hospital and whether it was a good experience. I often give a client the name of more than one pediatrician, or one OB/GYN so they have a choice, in some cases, it is a question of gender. Some families with daughters prefer a female pediatrician. Whether you "gel" with the doctor for some people is not as important as their experience, level of English, office hours and hospital affiliation.
I don't sell packages. Whenever possible, I meet with clients free of charge first before we work together and we agree on the services to be provided and the fees. Most of my clients are paying privately and they choose to work with me. They are not dictated to by HR. It is important to me that clients feel they receive value for the money spent. It is the client's money, perhaps out of a relocation budget, though often a very limited one.
There is no charge for ongoing support because it ensures getting settled and feeling comfortable. It is impossible to anticipate all that is needed up front. In the beginning, many people feel overwhelmed and to provide them with more information than needed doesn't help matters. Moving is stressful, particularly with children and getting them settled into new schools. Most moms are not looking in the mirror to see if their hair is perfect...they are busy trying to manage an entirely new schedule and lifestyle. It takes time to settle in and as people do they can have different needs, like a hairdresser, or enrolling in German classes, finding a gym, or a yoga class or ....a manicurist. Not much point in having one's nails done in the midst of unpacking.
For example, 6 months down the road if someone needs a recommendation for a kennel, I provide that. When they first arrived this wasn't needed. I'll make the reservation and look after the details. A child may not have been eligible for school when a family first arrived but later on is so I will assist with kindergarten registration, or in the case of younger children, finding a preschool, daycare. Initially upon arrival these were not topics.
When problems arise, as they can, though not all that often, I will intervene.
I have clients I never hear from. If they need me, they know where to reach me and they know it.