Article 4: local initiative

PAYSDOC.COM
« an answer to the seasonality of the interpreter guide profession»

PAYSDOC.COM was born in February 2001 under the impulsion of Stéphane Grunfogel, a national interpreter guide. Says Stéphane: "At that time, I wished to fully capitalise both my experience as interpreter guide and my knowledge of Internet technology, by creating an online reservation central. This works as an interface between tourist agencies and other institutions and interpreter guides who wish to take on assignments. For interpreter guides, the main problem is the seasonality. Indeed, we can generally count on an onslaught of activity from March to October, but we have little or no off-season opportunities". PAYDOC.COM has created a large pool of competences in "language, culture, heritage and tourism", hiring 200 local and national interpreter guides over a mere year and a half, and has seen its activities grow spectacularly. "Today, word of mouth remains our best advertising strategy. When a client is pleased with our services, he tells his colleagues about us. We now collaborate with travel agencies, tour operators, company committees and tourist associations, as well as tourist offices, which use our services at the height of the season. Regional and General Councils, as well as certain companies, such as Airbus in Toulouse, also require interpretation services. For each demand, we search our files to find the specific person with appropriate qualifications". As to these qualifications, Stéphane Grunfogel remains very demanding. "I receive about 10 offers every week from guides wanting to work with us, but I often select only two or three of them. Linguistic talent, though obviously a must, isn't sufficient. My priority now is candidates with previous experience in tourism, a professional interpreter guide card, or, in the case of accompanying guides, a "BTS" in tourism, or the equivalent. But I also, and especially, recruit persons with significant cultural knowledge, or who strike me as "characters". During a visit, the guide should make his presentation come truly alive to transmit his passion for the site. He becomes an ambassador of sorts of his region". PAYSDOC.COM has been acclaimed by its clientele, and is now extending outside French borders: Stéphane Grunfogel is now recruiting in Holland, Northern Europe, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, and elsewhere. His latest project: "to hire, in the near future, about ten guides to work full-time and exclusively for us. For if our guides currently work for fees, I do think that our agency should have its own permanent ambassadors."

Myriam HENRY Le Quotidien du Tourisme