Satsco

Placement organization

Name of organization: Satsco
Town/city: Ho Chi Minh City
Country: Vietnam
Website: http://www.satscotravel.com

Student

Name of student: Casper Buijze

Specialist area: MTT
Placement period: 2012-2013

Information about placement organization

Type of organization: Tour operator / car rental
Organization’s activities: Creating tours / day trips
Target group of the organization: Asian market/ High segment/ People who want to transport by car
Company culture: –
Number of employees: 7 tour operating (total 187, incl. drivers for the car rental)
Dress code: formal
Did the organization meet the agreements you made beforehand? On paper; yes. In reality; no. I did the things that I was supposed to be doing, but there were moments that I didn’t have to do so much and they didn’t seem to care about it. But there were also moment that I was very busy. I had to work hard myself to convince them what I am capable of. It took a few weeks.

Information about your placement

In which department(s) are you working? Sales and promotion
Brief description of your daily activities: Answer e-mail from customers about questions, make an offer about a trip, work with social media, find new suppliers for tours.
Brief description of your company assignment: I designed a new tour for Satsco.
Comment briefly on your supervision by the organization: They are very nice and friendly. It is hard to communicate with them because they have a very strong Vietnamese accent.
Sometimes, you have to ask to do something, if they don’t tell you to do something. It is the first time for them, having an intern, and they didn’t always know how to treat me.

Requirements for students on placement

What kind of personal skills are required for this placement? Representable, patient, teamplayer, open-minded, Familiar with the cultureIn order to get around in HCMC, you need to drive a scooter. For driving a scooter, you officially need a driving license. This is not required the company. It is just an advice.
Additional company requirements for this placement? Word, Internet, excel
English: Advanced
Spanish:
French:
German:
Italian:
Other languages:

The trip

Mode of transport to reach your destination: Airplane

Accommodation

How did you arrange your accommodation? Myself. Via the website craigslist.org.
How did you go to work every day? Motorbike

Visa / work permit / vaccinations

Do you need a visa? Yes
Do you need a work permit? No
How did you arrange the necessary documents: Embassy
How much time did it take to arrange the necessary documents? one week
Did you need certain vaccinations? Yes
How long in advance? 1 month if you want to have a vaccination against Rabies, visit the GGD 3 months in advance

Language course

Did you take a language course before you started your placement? No
Would you recommend to have a language course prior to this placement? n/a

The costs in euros

Travelling expenses (e.g. return ticket): € 650,00 – 950,00
Accommodation (monthly): € 250,00
Local transport (monthly): € 70,00 (rent motorbike + fuel)
General costs of living (monthly): € 200,00
Costs of visa: € USD 45 ,00 per 3 months
Costs of work permit: €
What did the company pay for/to you? Nothing

Culture

How did you prepare for the country’s culture?
Some reading
Did the culture of the country influence your performance during the placement in any way? Yes, the people speak Vietnamese with each other. Many sheets that they use, for suppliers or pricelists are in Vietnamese. They have international customers, but they don’t have an international attitude. This doesn’t mean they don’t speak English. 50% of ‘my co-workers’ speak English

Future students on placement

Future students are free to contact me for further information: Yes
My e-mail address: 112875@edu.nhtv.nl

Other information

Recommendations on what to do and what not to do: If you can speak Vietnamese you will fit in very well into this company.
What to do: Just be yourself, patient and respectful.
What not to do: asking for salary, don’t do the opposite things of what you should do.

Leisure possibilities in the city/surroundings of where the placement took place: In the city: Famous buildings: Reunification palace, Nothe dame cathedral, Old post office, financial tower. Backpackers area (Bui Vien), Many bars, restaurants and clubs in District 1. Restaurants along the river.
Places to visit close to HCMC: Beach Vung tau. 1,5hrs by fast boat. Cu chi tunnels, Mekong delta (half day trip).

Media

Youtube link Youtube placement video link