FAQS

DO I NEED ANY QUALIFICATIONS?
No. Tehran Greeters need to be enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the part of Tehran they live in and keen to share what they know about the area.

ARE THERE ANY AGE RESTRICTIONS?
You will need to be eighteen or over – there’s no upper limit!

DO I NEED TO HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE AS A TOUR GUIDE?
No. You’ll need to feel comfortable speaking to small groups of people about the place where you live.

DO I NEED TO SPEAK A FOREIGN LANGUAGE?
Yes, our visitors will come from all over the world. A foreign language come in handy, but enthusiasm and the willingness to communicate are more important!

Will I have to talk to large groups?
No. A party of visitors met by a greeter will not exceed 6 persons. The scheme is not a professional tour guide service and is not to take business from existing organisations in Tehran.

Will it cost me anything?
No. Everyone in the scheme is a volunteer working, in the main, in his or her town. Any other services or products offered, as part of the meeting will be provided by the Greeters organisation. The Greeters operate a no payment and no tipping policy.

Will I be expected to use my car to show people around?
No. All meetings take place in public places and should the need to travel further a field occur, public transport must be used.

How much time will I have to give?
It’s up to you. Everyone is a volunteer and will only be expected to give time to the scheme when it is practical and suitable to do so. However, we would ask that Greeters are prepared to give two days a month.

Will I get any training?
we do not wish to suppress individual personal enthusiasm.

What happens after a Greet?
The Greeter and the visitor will go their separate ways. The visitor will be emailed asking them to complete a customer feedback form. We hope this will give us information on how to improve the service.

Can I do more if I want to?
Provided the demand for the service is there, a Greeter can work as much as they like, we only ask for a minimum of two days a month. We would welcome any discussions around other possible tasks that could be taken on in addition to Greeting.

If I volunteer here for long enough will I get a job?
No. The Tehran Greeter scheme is run by volunteers for the diversity of experience volunteers bring to the organisation, and believes that volunteers create an individual and dynamic service. We are a not-for-profit organisation and will continue to provide the service with volunteers.

Can I get a reference from you?
Yes. We would be happy to give a reference for a volunteer.

What happens if I don’t get on with someone or things don’t work out?
Volunteers are not contracted to the Tehran Greeters scheme; the volunteer agreement is binding in honour only. We do ask that volunteers could commit to 12 months as a Greeter, however, we understand that circumstances can lead to volunteers having to leave.

What happens if I need to have some time off?
That’s fine. We understand that the time you give us is voluntary, but would appreciate as much advance warning as possible to make any necessary cover arrangements.