We spoke to our Relocations Team Leader, Sezai Akbiyik about his experience working for Crown Relocations and his top tips to help you plan your next international move. How long have you been working for Crown Relocations? I have worked at Crown for nearly ten years. I was based at the Istanbul office, but recently earned promotion to Sales Team Leader at Crown’s private sales centre in Prague. Can you tell us more about your role? I lead a team of 15 people, which manage the entire sales process from organizing daily operations of household goods to sales with pre-move surveys, costing and selling. My role is highly varied and sees me work across operations, customer service, business development and sales. So, I get to experience every part of the relocations business. What territories do you cover? I cover the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. What’s your favourite aspect of your role? I meet lots of different people from different cultures, often three or more in a single day, which is very exciting. Part of my responsibility is to understand their needs and feelings to ensure our move solutions are a precise fit. In your experience, are there any common concerns people have when they’re planning a move? How do you reassure them and resolve these issues? In my experience, some people find it hard to find a relocation company they can trust to pack up their former home, ship everything overseas safely and efficiently, then unpack upon reaching the destination. And who can blame them? It is a big deal. At Crown we earn client trust, utilising our offices and approved service partners all over the world to manage their relocations from beginning to end smoothly and effectively with no surprise costs. Also, our customers do not have to deal with any third-party companies, something else they appreciate. What is your top tip for those planning their next international move, how can they make it as stress free as possible? Firstly, use a reliable, international relocation company with its own offices and network. Make sure it provides a comprehensive service proposal that lists all the charges door-to-door. This should include port charges, which some companies omit from their proposals and bill for later. Secondly, every country has its own rules and regulations. So, do not forget to check the required documents and prohibited items lists for origin and destination countries with your Sales Consultant or Move Manager. What’s been your favourite move to support, and why? I have many favourites, but once we relocated a diplomat whose husband is a history professor and author. I read his books and was able to obtain a signed copy, which made me very happy! The couple owned an enormous number of books, which almost filled an entire shipping container when we moved them. Another of my favourite moves was for a famous rock star, who had an amazing guitar collection that we transported along with the rest of his possessions. I have also been involved in relocating famous footballers, which makes me very proud. What has been the most challenging and how did you tackle it? Managing client expectations can sometimes be challenging, as they are often under a lot of stress and want their possessions to be delivered as quickly as possible via a method of their choosing. However, customs and shipping processes, which we have no control over, can make these transition times longer or shorter than expected. Have you moved anything unusual or unique? I have been involved in moving expensive works of art, luxury cars and motorbikes, which need handling with extreme care. Once we transported a painting that was over 400 years old and worth hundreds of millions of dollars! That was a huge responsibility for sure! What has been the highlight of your career so far? My career highlight so far was taking responsibility for the Crown Relocations business unit in 2016, through which I gained me a lot of valuable experience. Since my promotion to the Prague sales centre earlier this year, it’s been exciting to work with a bigger team for a much larger market.