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arcelona is the seventh city in the world with the best reputation and the eighth in terms of attracting foreign investment, according to the Barcelona Observatory 2017, a report prepared by the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and the City Council of the Catalan capital. In recent months, some companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, Lidl, and Siemens have announced investment plans in the city or metropolitan area. This entails the arrival of professionals from other countries, many of them highly qualified: executives, researchers, investors, or entrepreneurs. They are called expatriates or also known as expats, foreigners who settle in the city for a determined period of their lives for work reasons. It is estimated that Barcelona has a community of 111,000 expats.
Last year, the private association Barcelona Global, with the collaboration of Banco Sabadell, released the results of the International Talent Monitor, a survey conducted every two years that analyzes the competitiveness of the Catalan capital in attracting international talent. In that study, expats pointed out as one of the city's areas for improvement the availability of an office or website that would provide essential information for their integration. This demand prompted Banco Sabadell to react. This is how the Welcome Service emerged, an online welcome and support platform that solves the basic needs of expats: housing search, tax questions, requirements for setting up a business, administrative matters, among others. The Welcome Service team at Banco Sabadell provides 24-hour service and attends in English, French, and German.
From the entity, they comment that "we offer them a portfolio of services provided by prestigious partners. We want to be the point of contact and support for expats. It is not necessary for them to be bank clients. Anyone can use our services. We believe that by providing our help and facilitating their landing in the city, we position ourselves as a potential provider of financial services. It is the best way to make ourselves known". In just one year, nearly 10,000 expats have benefited from the Welcome Service.
Currently, Banco Sabadell has the trust of more than 800,000 foreign clients who live or work in the country. Close to 20% of the expats residing in Barcelona have Sabadell as their main bank. Of the various client segments the entity has, the foreign client segment is the most satisfied with the services it receives from the branch and gives the entity the best rating in terms of quality. "A good customer experience is key for us. Clients of other nationalities highly value what we do for them because, regardless of our offer of financial products and services, we care about them having a good settlement in their new destination," explain the entity's managers.