This week last year, The Netherlands was introduced to its first COVID-19 case.

And what an impact this has been on the relocation industry.

Due to COVID restrictions, we had to be very flexible with the constant changing travel schedules and assist our clients with possible home quarantines and all the related logistics.

Our regular visits to the Immigration Offices, banks, municipals, and schools were very restricted. Home searches were facilitated by virtual viewings and most communication with HR and the expats were done by Teams or Zoom sessions. A lot of appointments were last minute cancelled, which required constant adaptions to our planned schedules.

COVID has taught us to hope for the best and plan for the worst. Although you could have a long-term plan, to be successful in a disruptive situation, you need to be agile, innovative, and work on creative (digital) solutions to help your clients and exceeds their expectations.

For the new foreign hire, to start a new life in a new country, a good onboarding process is crucial. Especially during a pandemic. As a relocator we’re their first point of contact and you never get a second chance for a first impression. It’s nice our clients recognise this and have rewarded us with 9,5 in our client satisfaction survey.