This is not an ad or anything like that, just an actual story, from me, for which I think Adrienne and her people deserve credit for.

I arrived from the US on Jan2, and on Jan6 went looking at apartments with the agent my company designated (I will not mention him or his agency, so don't ask, and would appreciate if those that do know who it is refrain from it as well). We looked at a few places, a couple were ok, but it seemed like he wasn't really "getting" what I wanted or was looking for. So, I posted a subject here thinking that maybe I should look at getting a service apt in order to get the things I was looking for, and also sent an email to Shanghai Properties. I talked with Adrienne, and she had some ideas but wanted to make sure that my company would allow me to use other agents, so I asked the HR dept, and they said it was ok. With the ok, Adrienne and I set up a time to meet on Sat afternoon, and we found a place that I liked. Skip ahead a few days, after Adrienne had put together an offer, got confirmation that it was ok, and had been in contact with my HR dept, they up and told her they would not be able to do business with her. And then my original agent got a contract written up with the landlord for the same apartment, showed up at my office with the landlord's wife, and my company said they would approve that. Also, understand that the rent is being directly paid by the compnay, so I really don't have much a say as to how/to whom the money is doled out. To end the story, they signed on the apt, which Adrienne originally found and showed me.

Throughout the whole process, even after being told that my company would not do business with her, Adrienne remained in contact with me, trying to make sure everything was going ok, offered herself as a contact for advice even after the other agency basically signed on the place, and has been professional, courteous, and friendly. I think she deserves some recognition for this, because if it were me, I'd have thrown a fit. I was pretty mad at my office for basically wasting her time, and making me look like a d-bag and having me caught in the middle of BS, handshaking, and back-scratching, all for the sake of maybe 2K-RMB/mo.

Bottom line: she's a nice person, and no one should have any reservations about working with her. From me to Adrienne, I apologize that my company acted the way it did, as it certainly is not how I prefer to do business. So thank you for everything you did. Please keep this subject in this forum, I don't need anymore inetrnal-BS with my company, I do have to work with them!