/ 12 May 2008

What to expect from a relocations company

According to Corallie Pringle, managing director of Corporate Relocations, the services that clients should expect from their relocations firm include:

  • Arrival services for inbound expatriates: pre-assignment­/look-see orientations; home-finding programmes; school search and educational consultancy; settling-in services; domestic help; obtaining goods and services; coordinating of specialist services and, in many instances, paying the service providers on behalf of the client company; linking spouse/partner to international and local support groups;
  • Immigration services: either in-house or contracted to a specialist service provider;
  • Ongoing services: expense management, including the payment of monthly rentals and other home-related or assignment costs; property management and a 24/7 help line;
  • Departure services at the end of the assignment; and
  • Coordination of specialist services: career counselling for spouses wanting to work in South Africa; security briefings; defensive driving and home security audits; cross-cultural training; language training; furniture rental; international tax specialists; banking and insurance services.