Setting up the competence center for a new big client

We are willing to go far to offer our clients the best possible service. For our new client, a large internet company, we set up an entirely new team. Read the interview with Silvia Ciubotaru, team leader of the competence center.   

Not just flexible, but super flexible

Our client’s payroll boasts nearly 30,000 employees working at 55 different locations. “With the exception of Antarctica, the company has offices on every continent. They face major challenges when it comes to mobility,” according to Silvia Ciubotaru, global competence center manager. “In order to meet their needs, we set up a competence center that focuses exclusively on moves for this client. When clients ask for a super-flexible and exceptionally dedicated approach, we are happy to satisfy this requirement, even if it means we have to reinvent and redraw part of our organization.”

In no time

Setting up the competence center was actually quite similar to setting up a start-up. An empty office in Bucharest and a new contract was all Silvia had on April 6th. In a few weeks, she had recruited four people and trained them for the job. Apart from training and coaching, Silvia also authored the work procedures. On June 1, barely eight weeks later, her team received their first order. Since then, the team has been coordinating a large part of the company’s international moves.
 

International client, international team

Why was it necessary to set up an entirely new team? “This was purely due to the obligations set out in the contract,” Silvia explains. “These requirements dictate that the client expects a dedicated team that concentrates exclusively on their employees. The company applies a moving policy that demands a specific approach and supervision.”
The decision to start up a competence center in Bucharest was based primarily on strategic factors. “Bucharest is located smack-dab in the middle between East and West and has an internationally oriented business climate. Our team consists of a Brit, a Russian, a Moldavian and a Romanian. Their diverse profiles and backgrounds come in handy every day, particularly because we are able to serve many clients in their native language,” Silvia says. 

Moving moments

“We are only a few months along in this project, but it feels like we’ve been working together for years. Everyone shows an enormous drive in their work. The thank-you notes we receive on a regular basis are the best compliment,” Silvia smiles. “Our challenge is actually pretty simple; the goal is for clients to never have to call or email us with questions. We provide answers before the client can even formulate the question. If a client asks us what they should do or when their shipment will arrive, this means we haven’t done our job right. It’s all about being able to predict needs. This is why we know the exact status of every order every minute of the day,” Silvia explains. “After all, we are not just transporting objects, we are moving emotions; a wedding album, favorite pyjamas and their children’s art projects. What it basically amounts to is exceeding people’s expectations from the moment we say, ‘Hello, I would like to help your move go flawlessly’ to ‘Thanks for the pleasant cooperation and best of luck with your new challenge.’” 

Silvia Ciubotaru, second from right, manages the global competence center team in Bucharest

About Gosselin Mobility

Gosselin Mobility is a leading provider of international moving and relocation services. Our clients are  multinationals, relocation management companies, expats, diplomats, military personnel and private persons. Gosselin Mobility has 56 offices in 34 countries and has a strong presence in Europe, Eastern Europe, Russia, the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Gosselin Mobility is a division of the Gosselin Group that has its headquarters in Antwerp, Belgium. The company was founded in 1930 and employs 830 co-workers that generate more than 300 million euro in turnover.