FAIRFAX, VA (March 30, 2009) – CORT announces the launch of its destination support services, extending its touring services in local markets across the nation to provide support to help employees and families, including international transferees, settle into new communities and focus on their work more quickly.
With a growing number of relocations from international companies into the United States, CORT is launching the expanded destination services in conjunction with the Society for Human Resource Management Global Conference & Exposition in Toronto, Canada.
CORT, a Berkshire Hathaway company, became the dominant provider of local market tours in 2008. Companies and HR professionals use tours to introduce employees to communities, typically to rent an apartment or home. CORT’s certified touring agents drive employees through their new location to help foster a feeling of comfort and connectivity to the community as part of the search for an appropriate rental home.
New services are being introduced specifically for employees moving into the United States from another country. These services include obtaining a social security card, driver’s license and auto insurance, establishing a bank account, enrolling in driving schools and language classes, learning to use public transportation systems, buying or renting a car, learning to use US-style appliances, and more – virtually anything needed to settle into a new home and community.
CORT’s touring agents will also provide other destination support services that include renting furniture, connecting utilities and signing up for renter’s insurance. CORT’s suite of workforce mobility services also include providing information to become more familiar with the community, such as schools and day care services, churches, shopping, entertainment, recreational sports and fitness activities.
“This is a natural evolution for our national touring services network of relocation and workforce mobility experts,” said Jeff Rowe, CORT’s vice president of ApartmentSearch.com. “Our clients are asking us to expand these services and appreciate the value of working with a single source for local-market experts in virtually every community across the nation.”
More than 1.5 million workers relocate for their jobs each year, according to the Worldwide Employee Relocation Council (ERC), an industry workforce mobility association. The number of international relocations, typically ranging from 6 months to 24 months, continues to rise with the expansion of the global enterprise, growing international business relationships and a multi-cultural workforce.
Failed deployments are costly for companies, and few experiences can be more stressful for an employee and family than relocating to a new country. “With many employees relocating for short-term projects and assignments, it is critical for companies to ensure that employees and families get settled quickly to focus on their work without distractions,” said Mark Koepsell, CORT’s senior vice president of workforce mobility and rental relocation services. “Local market tours and destination support services help ensure a successful transition.”
Perhaps the most important decision employees will make outside of the office is choosing a place to live. Touring and destination services accelerate the transition and help employees and families become familiar with the nuances of different neighborhoods and the social and cultural ‘scene’ of the neighborhoods. Without guidance from experts familiar with the local market, this is a daunting task for employees and families.
Companies typically authorize employees to receive support for a period of time. CORT’s relocation counselors work with employees and families to customize a support plan that best meets their needs. Working with CORT, companies have a single source to provide services across the nation with consolidated billing for all services and a reputation for solution-driven customer service.
For employees relocating outside of the United States, CORT operates a global network for furniture rental partners in 50 countries encompassing Europe, the Middle East, Asia, South America and Canada. Many of these partners also provide destination support services. Furniture rental provides an alternative to the high cost of shipping furniture and often eases the relocation stress for employees and families by simplifying the transition. It can eliminate the need for temporary living, such as hotels, in both the departure or destination location, which eases and accelerates the transition into a new home and location. Families can settle into their new homes right away and employees can immediately be more productive in a new job.
About CORT
For more than 35 years, CORT has been the nation’s leading provider of rental furniture with a global network of affiliates in more than 50 countries. CORT, a Berkshire Hathaway company, also provides the nation’s most comprehensive range of rental relocation services, including the most robust online apartment search services at www.ApartmentSearch.com. CORT’s customers include more than 80 percent of the Fortune 500 companies. For more information, please visit www.cort.com