Quest has been a proud supporter of TEMi for over a decade, supporting professional development initiatives including webinars, forums and major events.
The Quest team also supports our community through the TEMi Expert Mentor program, offering guidance in their field of expertise to TEMi Talent Members, as well as mentorship to junior practitioners.
Pictured below is Rob Garlinge, one of many Quest team members you can reach out to if you are interested in learning more about corporate accommodation, or mentorship within the TEMi community.
Rob specialises in working with Consultancies, Healthcare, Finance and Insurance firms. We recently interviewed him to find out what corporate accommodation trends he’s seeing in these sectors. Read on for his insights.
Q: What trends are you currently seeing in your Industry sectors regarding long stay corporate accommodation needs?
Rob: I manage a mixed bag of industries within my portfolio, and they all perform a little differently at certain times. Their budgets can vary significantly so cost will always be key. With the ongoing rental market crisis in many areas this often leads to extension requirements where longer-term accommodation may not have been sourced within the expected timeframe.
With our structure and business owners we offer great flexibility in these scenarios with both rate and availability. Having said that there is a variety of supply and demand in our different states at present. For example, in Queensland and Western Australia with their consistently high occupancy levels, it is harder to source lower extended stay rates than say Victoria where right now there is a greater supply.
Q: What are the key factors that corporate clients in your sector are looking for when choosing accommodation for their employees who are relocating or teams working on long stay projects?
Rob: Location, amenities and product consistency will always be key drivers in decision making. However, safety and security along with staff wellbeing are also of great importance. Your staff are a precious asset within any company, so this is where duty of care plays a huge part for all concerned.
The client wants to feel confident that their Team members are in a friendly, safe ‘home away from home’ type environment. This is something that Quest does well in that many of our properties are managed and run by locals who are both passionate about and really know their surrounding area.
Q: How do you build and maintain long-term relationships with clients in these sectors in such a competitive market?
Rob: It can take a long time to build trust, strong brand recognition and your reputation. This is something that Quest works incredibly hard on. Our tried and tested business model has stood the test of time, even through the most challenging of times such as the pandemic.
Coming from a Travel Management Company background myself, Quest was always a ‘go to’ serviced apartment accommodation provider. You always felt confident when sending a valued corporate client to stay with the network. You knew they would be well looked after. Quest is customer focused and always looking at ways to make stays effortless, provide a seamless booking experience and offer flexible payment options.
Q: What advice would you give to Talent Mobility Specialists when sourcing long-stay accommodation for employees?
Rob: Seeing one of our properties firsthand is always a great idea. Any of our properties would be pleased to showcase their offering to a Mobility Specialist. One of our key strengths is that our product is very consistent across all locations.
So, once you have seen one or two of our properties you will have a very good idea of what to expect elsewhere. Each of our properties need to meet strict criteria and will often exceed our brand standards. Always try and include a Quest option within your quote, your customer won’t be disappointed.
