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Visitor Frequently Asked Questions
About Big Apple
Greeter
 Does Big Apple
Greeter have scheduled tours that I could sign up for?
Is
Big Apple Greeter a New York City agency?
How
is Big Apple Greeter funded?
Is
everyone a volunteer?
Are
there other Greeter programs in other cities?
How can I start a Greeter
program in my city?
How
can I meet a Big Apple Greeter?
- Once
your plans to visit New York City are confirmed (arrival and
departure dates are set, accommodations are confirmed), fill out and
submit the Visit
Request Form at least 4 weeks in advance of
your arrival.
- During
the busy season (May through September) and holiday times (Christmas
and Easter), we fill up quickly, so submit your request as early as
possible.
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How
much does it cost?
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Why should I make a donation?
- It takes a big office to handle over 10,000
requests a year. We need to make sure the right volunteer speaking the
right language is meeting the right visitor at the right time and in
the right location! With over 300 volunteer greeters and about 35
volunteers in the office, we still need cash to meet certain expenses,
such as insurance, accounting services, supplies, computer maintenance,
internet access, web hosting, postage, office equipment leases,
printing, and salaries. In order to cover these expenses, we ask that
you please make a donation so that greeters may continue to meet
visitors from around the world.
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How will I be
matched with a Greeter?
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When and
how
will I receive information
about my Greeter?
-
If a match is made before you leave home, we
will telephone or email you with information about your Greeter.
-
If a match is made after you arrive in New
York City, we will telephone or fax your hotel with information.
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Am I guaranteed to be matched with a Greeter?
-
Unfortunately, no. Big Apple
Greeter receives many more visitor requests than we are
able to fill, so sometimes no Greeter is available for a visitor.
-
During
the busy times of year the visit date you ask for may already be
filled. You will receive an email or telephone call from us with our
regrets that no Greeter is available for you.
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Why doesn’t Big
Apple
Greeter list New York City neighborhoods
for me to choose from?
-
There are too many neighborhoods in New York
City’s 5 boroughs to list!
-
If you do not have a preference, tell us
“Greeter’s Choice” and leave the neighborhood up to your Greeter.
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Why do I
need a local New
York City telephone number?
We require a local
telephone number with voice mail so that the Big Apple Greeter office
or the assigned
greeter can call the visitor and, if necessary, leave a message the
visitor
will get quickly.
Our
telephone
policy was created to help visitors and greeters successfully meet each
other. The
visitors are required to telephone call the greeter after arriving in
New York City,
to confirm
their safe arrival and review the details of their visit. Telephone
contact
before the visit can make the difference between a fun greeter
experience and
disappointment.
- Apartment rental
agency phone numbers are not accepted. Rental
agencies are not message centers and will
not accept the responsibility of taking a message or giving the message
to the visitor.
- International
mobile
phone numbers are not accepted. While
the telephone and visitor are in New York City,
the telephone call is international. We do not
require greeters to make expensive international telephone
calls. Some greeters cannot make international calls from home or
mobile phones.
- Email
messages are not
accepted. There are
still a few greeters who do not have email. These greeters
have been with Big Apple Greeter many years, before we required
greeters to have email. Also, sending an email to a greeter does not
mean the greeter will read the email in time.
- Text
messages are not accepted. The telephone number
you have for
your greeter may not accept text messages.
When
greeter and
visitors miss each other and do not meet, everyone is disappointed. Our
greeters are especially disappointed since they have set aside a day to
meet
visitors they cannot find. The visitors think the greeter forgot them.
By
requiring telephone
contact and USA
telephone numbers, we are helping to ensure a successful visit.
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Can I meet a Greeter more than once
during my stay?
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How is a greeter different from a professional
tour guide?
-
A greeter
becomes
a new friend and shows you around the way a friend would. You will talk
about what it is like to live in New York City, learn how to use public
transportation, find out about the greeter’s favorite restaurants,
shops and locations. In turn, the greeter gets to know you.
-
A greeter
is not
a professional, licensed tour guide, and may not have historic or
tourist information about a landmark or location. A greeter’s knowledge
of New York City is personal knowledge gained from living and working
in the city.
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How
is a greeter visit different from a public walking tour?
-
A greeter visit is informal, unscripted, and
does
not follow a pre-set itinerary as a public walking tour would. During
the greeter visit, if the greeter thinks of something the visitors
might like to see or do, then they can quickly change plans and go in a
different direction!
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If no
Greeter is available for me, can I join another
group?
- Greeters
are not shared among groups. When a Greeter is matched with you or your
group, the Greeter will meet only you or your group.
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My group
has more than 6
people. Will you make an exception
for us?
-
Greeters are not professional tour guides, and
we are unable to accept groups of 7 people or more.
-
Larger groups that split up and submit
separate requests are also not accepted.
- For
groups of 7 or more, please contact the Guide Association of New York
City (GANYC) at www.GANYC.org.
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I am
staying in a hostel. Where do I check for important messages from Big Apple Greeter?
- Hostel and YMCA guest
rooms do
not have telephones. The
front desk will take a message from a greeter and the Big Apple Greeter
office.
These messages are posted to a public message board.
- It is very important
to
check the message board
frequently for messages from Big Apple Greeter!
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Does Big
Apple Greeter have
scheduled tours that I could
sign up for?
-
Big Apple Greeter does not offer scheduled
tours that are open to the general public.
-
Every Greeter visit is unique; there are no
pre-set itineraries, theme tours or scheduled start times.
-
For information on public walking tours,
contact the Guides Association of New York City (GANYC) at www.GANYC.org.
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Is Big
Apple Greeter a New
York City agency?
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How is
Big Apple Greeter
funded?
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Is
everyone a volunteer?
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Are there
other Greeter
programs in other cities?
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How can I
start a Greeter
program in my city?
- Contact Gail Morse, Big Apple Greeter Director
of Marketing and Public Relations, for more information at pr@bigapplegreeter.org or 212-669-8198.
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