Skip to main content

“Mini-Help” For Non-Vietnamese Speakers

For the small things that are easy for us, but @#$%&! annoying for you
My Viet Friend was founded by 3 friends: Dina, Nga, and Aaron. Two Vietnamese and one clueless expat. Aaron felt bad constantly asking his friends for help with little tasks that he found hard because of the language barrier, but were super easy for them. Tasks that were tiny, but everywhere, every day.
Get started

Examples of things you can ask us…

“Mini-help” are things that take a native speaker 5 minutes or less, but anyone else 15 minutes or more. Small things you’d normally bug your friends about, but don’t because you don’t want to be annoying.
Check out our menu of services to get inspired with what we can do for you.

Package Helper

  • Can you arrange deliveries for me?
  • Can you call this shipper and explain where I am?
  • Can you help me order something?

Service Provider Helper

  • Can you help me find a handyman?
  • Can you make a reservation for me? Please make sure they are aware of my allergies.
  • I need to find out what’s my phone and wifi package.
  • Can you check the price of this hotel for me?

Travel Arrangement Helper

  • Can you book me a sleeper bus to Sapa?
  • Can you check with the airlines about my booking?
  • Can you arrange my pick up with my hotel in Hoi An?
  • Do you have any recommendations on what to try in Da Lat?

Romance Helper

  • Can you help me plan a romantic dinner date?
  • I want to surprise my partner but I’m overseas at the moment.
  • I’m not Vietnamese so I’m not sure if I can send my Vietnamese girlfriend yellow daisies? (Hint: Don’t)

HOW IT WORKS IN
3 SIMPLE STEPS

  1. Make a deposit of 2 hours or more to get started. We’ll update you on how your time is used when working with us, and you can request a refund for the unused minutes within 3 months of the last task.

2. We track time-on-task down to the minute and you only pay for what you use. We’re designed so that no mini-help is too small – it’s what friends are for.

3. Ask us for help with anything. Need help talking to a store clerk or vendor? Delivery driver lost? Strange number calls and you don’t understand? Remember, “My Viet friend will help me with that.”

Check out the menu of services.

No Overhead. No Minimum Charge.

Only pay for what you use...

at 8,000₫/min pay-as-you-go

- OR -

50% off with membership

If you've ever been told to, "Bring a Vietnamese friend with you," when trying to get something done in Vietnam, they were literally referring to us! We're very ready to be your friend, offer our local expertise, and answer your call when you need us.
We've got you.

Pricing Details

Here are some of the things we can help with...

We’ve tried to think through the different types of mini-help that someone might need, so you don’t need to pay for any help you don’t use.

The Package Helper

(help with sending & receiving mail)

  • Have a dedicated number to give to shippers when you order online.
  • Never worry about missing a package because of the language barrier.
  • Let a native speaker arrange your deliveries for times when you are not home.
  • We communicate with stores and shippers for you if there’s a problem.

The Fixer Friend

(rescues you when things break)

  • We help find available service providers when you don’t know who to call…
  • …and then help you communicate with them when doing the work.
  • Help arrange for roadside services if your bike breaks down… or a plumber for leaking pipes.
  • Help top-up your sim card, understand packages, and deal with phone issues.

The Travel Guru

(when being lost isn’t fun anymore)

  • An emergency contact for you and your support network when you are in trouble. If you fall off your bike, how would your family & friends find out? Is there someone local they can call if they can’t reach you? We can help.
  • Help with domestic travel arrangements, such as booking long-distance taxis, buses, and trains.
  • Help finding cafes, food, and essential services when traveling outside of the major cities (most businesses don’t use English on Google Maps outside of Hanoi and HCMC)

The Essential Friend

(help with the everyday uncertainties)

  • Let us arrange services with Vietnamese businesses for you, saving you the “Foreigner Tax” of businesses priced for expats.
  • Hand the phone to someone – or put us on speakerphone – when you need help talking in person (like dealing with any Visa bureaucracy here, ever).
  • 3-way calls for when you need to be on the phone, but you’re not sure if the person that answers will speak nuanced English.
  • Text us unknown numbers and we’ll call to find out who they are.
  • “Better than Google” translations of words (for product searches online) and short texts (for things that need to be correct, like, “I’m allergic to seafood…”)

The Perfect Third Wheel

(when you want to be romantic, but your partner is the one that speaks Vietnamese)

  • Help plan surprises when you can’t ask your partner for help translating, because it’s their surprise.
  • Help with flower and present deliveries (good if one of you is out of country).
  • Provide cultural feedback on different customs and dating expectations in Vietnam (they may be different then back home).
  • Recommendations and help reserving special places for cute dates.

The Essential Friend

(help with the everyday uncertainties)

  • Let us arrange services with Vietnamese businesses for you, saving you the “Foreigner Tax” of businesses priced for expats.
  • Hand the phone to someone – or put us on speakerphone – when you need help talking in person (like dealing with any Visa bureaucracy here, ever).
  • 3-way calls for when you need to be on the phone, but you’re not sure if the person that answers will speak nuanced English.
  • Text us unknown numbers and we’ll call to find out who they are.
    “Better than Google” translations of words (for product searches online) and short texts (for things that need to be correct, like, “I’m allergic to seafood…”)

The Perfect Third Wheel

(when you want to be romantic, but your partner is the one that speaks Vietnamese)

  • Help plan surprises when you can’t ask your partner for help translating, because it’s their surprise.
  • Help with flower and present deliveries (good if one of you is out of country).
  • Provide cultural feedback on different customs and dating expectations in Vietnam (they may be different then back home).
  • Recommendations and help reserving special places for cute dates.

The Package Helper

(help with sending & receiving mail)

  • Have a dedicated number to give to shippers when you order online.
  • Never worry about missing a package because of the language barrier.
  • Let a native speaker arrange your deliveries for times when you are home.
  • We communicate with stores and shippers for you if there’s a problem.

The Fixer Friend

(rescues you when things break)

  • We help find available service providers when you don’t know who to call…
  • …and then help you communicate with them when doing the work.
  • Help arrange for roadside services if your bike breaks down… or a plumber for leaking pipes.
  • Help top-up your sim card, understand packages, and deal with phone issues.

The Travel Guru

(when being lost isn’t fun anymore)

  • An emergency contact for you and your support network when you are in trouble. If you fall off your bike, how would your family & friends find out? Is there someone local they can call if they can’t reach you? We can help.
  • Help with domestic travel arrangements, such as booking long-distance taxis, buses, and trains.
  • Help finding cafes, food, and essential services when traveling outside of the major cities (most businesses don’t use English on Google Maps outside of Hanoi and HCMC)