In a homely atmosphere, Arnold Zuidema and Patricia Meijer talk at the dinner table about the brand new partnership they have entered into. A real estate agent and a personal assistant: together they want to link living and housing more closely together, so tenants, buyers and homeowners can live a more carefree life. Who wouldn’t want that? Yet this concept is hardly known, but they both want to change that.
So much more than property management
The conversation immediately goes into a deeper level with the question of what the partnership actually entails. Arnold explains enthusiastically that the concept is an addition to what people call ‘property management’. “It’s a cold and impersonal description, but with property management, for example, you keep up with the administration of homeowners, have contact with tenants and make sure the buildings are maintained and cleaned.” The partnership between Arnold and Patricia goes a step further by offering a personal assistant. Patricia: “I take tasks off your hands. Tasks related to your home, such as applying for permits or organizing a renovation. But recurring tasks outside the home are also picked up, such as taking curtains away to the dry cleaners or arranging airline tickets.”
It quickly becomes clear why the concept is not yet very well known in the Netherlands, because at first it seems difficult to explain what a personal assistant actually does. “Everyone has a clear image of what an assistant to a manager does or the assistant of the board of a company, but we are talking about an assistant for everyday life. I offer a very broad service to my clients, for all kinds of everyday tasks like arranging a painter for the living room,” Patricia points out. “It is especially useful for expats. A number of clients declared that they would have liked to know of my existence sooner, because this service has made their lives so much easier.”
Where do people get the time?
Arnold tries to paint the picture even more clearly by explaining what expats go through when they come to work and live in the Netherlands: “When they arrive they get help finding a house, but after that they have to figure everything out for themselves. Imagine living in another country, in an unfamiliar city. Where to start organizing your life? How do you arrange the basics for living in another country? What kind of insurance policies are mandatory? Which family doctors and dentists are nearby?”
Patricia complements Arnold’s explanation: “I perform many tasks for my clients that most people consider quite meaningless, but which, when you think about it, take a lot of time. How long do you spend taking something away to the dry cleaner, finding a good painter to paint your house, arranging a repair, or running errands? Down the line, you’re spending large parts of the day.”
The daily chores pile up and, according to Patricia, this is one of the main reasons why expats are so eager to use her services. “You don’t know your neighborhood well enough and you have no idea where to go to or who to call. At the same time, you have to spend time and energy for all the recurring responsibilities and chores. Often it is in combination with a lot of work and travelling. Where do you get the time and the energy? I am the answer to that question and I take away people’s recurring responsibilities so they can spend time and energy on the things they would rather be doing.”
Time is our most valuable currency
The value of “time” is one of the main reasons for Patricia to do this type of work. “My father suddenly passed away when I was young. Reaching his retirement, after working hard for all those years, he thought he would finally be able to enjoy life to the fullest. Unfortunately, that was not meant to be. Because of this tragic event I have learned something about life and especially time: it’s our most valuable currency.”
That’s when she started her own company, Call On Me, offering her service as a personal assistant. “I took some detours,” Patricia explains. “When I was 19 years of age I started working and in the years that followed I completed several courses. In the meantime, I found out that, above all, you have to do what makes you happy and what you’re good at. Time, I want to keep repeating this, is extremely valuable.”
No nanny, housekeeper or au pair
With this collaboration, Arnold and Patricia want to make the concept of a personal assistant more known. A person who organizes daily life, arranges chores and manages the household. There are also tasks that I won’t do as a personal assistant. “I do a lot for my clients, but I am not a nanny, housekeeper or au pair,” Patricia emphasizes. “Clients usually call me the house manager.”
A personal assistant is also a connector between different people and organizations. “I make arrangements for people to come and clean or remodel the bathroom. Ask me to arrange something in the household and I make my calls. Although, I’m also the type of person who, if the dryer is finished but the housekeeper has already left, folds the laundry. Or I buy flowers and wine when my clients have a special evening that day!”
Sincere attention and doing what you say
Our deeply felt motivation and enjoyment in our work are some of the characteristics that take the collaboration to the next level. “Patricia and I share the same values. We are direct, sincere in our communication and we give everything to provide the best quality of service. You have ‘good quality’ and then you have Patricia, reaching the next level. She takes that extra step, every time she does something.” While saying this Arnold sends a wink at Patricia’s direction. She laughs and responds to the compliments: “The same can be said about Arnold. He would rather overstretch himself than leave a client waiting. It’s remarkable how he manages all the work and responsibilities without losing himself or sacrificing the quality he provides.”
Patricia explains why their partnership is unique: “We can accomplish so much together. My clients are able to find a new home or sell their home with Arnold’s assistance. In turn, Arnold’s clients have a personal assistant at their fingertips who can organize their daily lives while getting more comfortable in their new home and the city where they live in. We complement each other perfectly.”
Arnold finishes the conversation with a firm promise: “Many clients say about other brokers and property managers that they promise a service-oriented approach, but in the end they don’t live up to it. We do what we say and we say what we do. With us, time is the most precious currency and we show genuine attention. This is how we make the difference.”