A boutique firm gives clients direct, ongoing access to experienced professionals throughout the relationship. A larger office more often routes clients through account teams or shared queues. Staff retention is a strong quality of boutique service providers, and it goes hand in hand with a high client satisfaction level.
How the Two Models Differ
- Access. At a boutique firm you usually deal with the same senior people each time. A large office may assign you to a team that changes.
- Continuity. Experienced staff who stay for years know your structure, so you do not need to explain it again.
- Flexibility. A smaller firm can usually adapt its way of working to your structure. A large office tends to rely on standard processes.
- Scale. Large offices may offer more locations, staff and standard products. They can be a fit for very high volumes of similar entities.
What Stays the Same
Both types of firm must be licensed by DNB when they provide trust services, and both must meet the same legal duties under the Wtt 2018. Size does not change the legal standard, so check the licence first, as described in Which Dutch trust offices are licensed by DNB?
Local Management’s Approach
Local Management is a management-owned, boutique trust office. Highly qualified and experienced people deliver personalised solutions that meet the needs of each client. For a checklist to compare providers, see What to look for when choosing a provider.
Questions about this topic? Talk to Rolf Wemmi, Director of Corporate Clients at Local Management, via rolf@localmanagement.nl or +31 20 737 2217.