Finding real hospitality during global moves

Critical planning is required to ensure that an employee relocating abroad experiences a smooth transition. In London, BridgeStreet Worldwide has developed a suite of unique services to facilitate the transition. Jo Layton, Director of Client Services for BridgeStreet Worldwide EU Division, explains further.

Our guests are faced with a million stressful details during an international move or global assignment. BridgeStreet provides them peace of mind by engaging in real hospitality that anticipates the full set of their needs.

Reservation process
The global relocation dialogue begins with a simple question: “What three things would help to make you more comfortable in settling into London?” This part of the reservation process serves to handle the basics of the enquiry and allows our staff to dig deeper to identify key guest needs. Detailed information on accommodation and service specifics is sent to the guest prior to arrival and followed up with a personal phone call, leaving nothing to chance.

Arrival
Complete destination services are offered in London, easing the guest into their new city right from the start.

It begins with airport pick-up – our drivers engage in conversation with our guests to answer any questions, and many of our buildings offer porter service and have customer service representatives on-site. Door-to-door service guarantees the guests arrive safely and are shown directly to their apartment. These services are constantly measured by guest feedback surveys and improved upon proactively.

International guests are offered complete orientation programs, which familiarize them with the property, its location within the city and amenities and appliances within the apartment.

Guests find this exceedingly helpful, especially those guests unaccustomed to Western devices. Our goal is to make guests feel at ease in their accommodation; showing them how to operate the dishwasher or television can significantly raise their comfort level. By addressing this need during their arrival, we can reduce potential challenges before they arise.

Providing guest services throughout the stay via direct guest interactions and in-apartment services (such as a Guest Directory that provides practical information regarding the location and 24-hour concierge service that assists in restaurant reservations, tickets to local events and tourism information) is a real help in terms of orienting the guest in their new surroundings. Complimentary gift boxes packed with tasty treats and essentials, as well as follow-up calls, ensure guests are satisfied with the accommodation and any further needs are addressed.

Cultural differences
Our guests want to come home to comfortable surroundings that fit their cultural lifestyle. We work with our guests to identify any ethnic or religious distinctions to then provide specific cooking utensils, special furniture packages or the location of neighborhood specialty shops – this makes a big difference in their satisfaction throughout a global assignment.

Guest satisfaction
Guaranteeing our guests’ satisfaction puts our clients at ease. They know that their employees are being looked after during an international assignment. Employee satisfaction with a global move is key to the success for both the employee and the organization – BridgeStreet understands this and delivers. Often our guests do not want to leave; they typically stay with us six weeks or so but are so comfortable in their apartment that they are reluctant to move into their permanent homes. We know we’ve done our job right when that happens.