What Is A Personal Concierge and How Can They Help You?

With a limited amount of hours in a day, it can be a struggle to find time to simply enjoy life. Daily responsibilities, commitments and errands can chip away at free time until it seems that all there is to life is working, eating and sleeping. One inventive solution to this problem is hiring a personal concierge service. Just like a concierge at a fine hotel, a personal concierge can help you out by taking care of all those little things that can add up to hours of lost time every day.

The service assists busy people with their needs and helps them simplify their lives.
Here she fills us in on the advantages of using a personal concierge service:

• Simplify
  Having a personal concierge is a way to simplify your life. If there are tasks in your life that you don’t have time to complete, or if you need help with something and don’t know where to turn, a concierge can offer assistance and take a little stress and strain out of your day.
   

• Reservations & tickets.
  If you need reservations for dinner, theater or event tickets, or are planning a party or trip, a concierge will work the phones and the web to get you what you need.
   

• Errands.
  If you need someone to drop off the dry cleaning, buy a gift, or pick up a rental car, a concierge can help.
   

• Information.
  Concierges are also able to dig up information you may need. If you arrive in a strange city and need to know where the best restaurants or most reasonable hotels are, a concierge will find out for you.
   

• Trust.
  Concierges try to build personal relationships with clients. It’s great to feel that there is trust and understanding between you and the person you task with handling your errands, and that you’re dealing with a responsible individual rather than a faceless company. So if you’re having trouble getting things done and would like an assistant to lend a hand, look to the web or the yellow pages and hire a personal concierge
  
  How To Become A Concierge
  Make every client feel like the most important person in the world with a personal concierge service.
  A personal concierge service runs on the most basic of premises. People want things done but don't have the time to do them.
  But they're happy to pay someone to take care of their needs efficiently and with a touch of class. Why not let that someone be you?
  Although personal concierge services are a fairly recent development, the number of companies that serve time-starved clients is mushrooming, right along with customer demand for such a service. One San Francisco-based concierge business saw its client base double in 1996 and continue to grow up to 50 percent annually for several years after that. Some 2,000 miles away, a Chicago concierge firm that began with 25 clients in 1997 grew to service more than 85 clients in just a few years. Membership in the National Association of Professional Organizers, which includes some professionals who provide concierge services, swelled from a few hundred when founded in 1985 to more than 1,100 members by the late 1990s.

  Why the booming demand for concierges and organizers? A big reason is that most people have accumulated so much stuff--both in the workplace and in their homes. Just glance at your desk or kitchen counter, and you'll probably see stacks of papers, bills, correspondence, etc. In fact, in a recent survey by Steelcase, a leading designer and manufacturer of office furnishings, 27 percent of office workers described themselves as "pilers," while 12 percent described themselves as pack rats. Taking care of all that "stuff" requires time and organization. Some people need help just to get organized; others could manage the paperwork if they weren't saddled with so many other chores. That's when they turn to (or would like to be able to turn to) professionals to help keep them organized, run errands, and see to it that business and personal obligations are met.

  Although it's no secret that the personal concierge field is booming, hard numbers are difficult to come by. The National Concierge Association, a Chicago-based group that was founded in the late 1990s as a networking and resource organization for both personal and hotel concierges, doesn't yet track numbers or statistics pertaining to the industry. Cynthia A., a former hotel concierge who runs her own personal concierge business in San Diego, estimates there are a few hundred personal concierges throughout the United States, along with thousands of hotel concierges. Several other personal concierges and concierge consultants agreed with that estimate but said the number of personal concierges is growing fast.

  According to Sara-Ann Kasner, president and founder of the National Concierge Association, "The concierge business is exploding right now. There has been tremendous growth." Personal concierges and industry analysts say there is plenty of room for even more growth.
  
  As far as the Corporate Event Channel goes, there are many things you could do such as pick up balloons, set up events, help with dinner parties and many other types of tasks that event planners can use help with. If you would like to become a part of the Corporate Event Channel
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  Here are answers to some Frequently Asked Questions about using The Complete Errand. Please call (603) 298-6129 or email us at SaveTime@CompleteErrand.com if you have other questions.

    As a businessperson, I need to spend money on what will make me money. How does The Complete Errand do that for me?

  The return-on-investment is both tangible and "soft". Improve productivity because you and your staff aren’t taking time away from your real work. Improve your recruitment and retention. Show employees that you understand the multiple demands on their time. Compare TCE workplace convenience programs to the cost of benefits employees take for granted. You’ll be offering an unexpected benefit that your staff will really notice!

  I’m hesitant to add any expenses to my business right now. It’s nice and all that, but how can I find the money?

  The entire annual cost of our Errand Program is less than the hiring costs associated with bringing aboard one new executive. The annual cost of our Concierge Program is less than the cost-per-hire for two executives. You may also use the services of The Complete Errand Workplace Convenience Programs for your Company errands and concierge tasks, saving you the cost of hiring, supervising, and providing benefits for an employee to perform these tasks.

  How do I know employees will value an onsite concierge service?

  Utilization rates in workplace programs generally mature at approximately 10-30%, according to national studies. This percentage is likely to be higher for a professional firm and/or a workforce with a large proportion of executive employees. Work-life programs are still in their evolutionary stage and will probably increase in employee utilization. Also, The Complete Errand will partner with you to educate and market to your workforce so that you are satisfied with your investment.

  I’m a small business / sole proprietor; how will The Complete Errand meet my needs?

  Just ask for what you need! We gladly consider how to best satisfy new as well as traditional requests. Sometimes the way we help is to refer you to a qualified outside vendor. In our years of serving the area, we’ve developed a Rolodex of service providers we feel confident in recommending. As a small business owner, you’ll probably want to combine personal and business tasks – that’s just fine with us.

  Can I really do this? Letting go of control is very hard for me!

  We understand that, and we know we need to earn your confidence. You actually will feel more in control of your life when you aren’t bombarded by so many conflicting demands. When you consider the value of your time ~ to you, your family, your business ~ you begin to recognize how logical it is to assign TCE to manage many of those demands for you. We guarantee that you’ll be satisfied with our service.

  How much notice do you need to help us? Sometimes we’re in a total panic and need help right away.

  When you arrange for The Complete Errand’s Worksite Convenience Programs, you have guaranteed availability for a set number of hours per week. If you call The Complete Errand for other times and you reach our voice mail system, you should always leave a message. We check voicemail regularly and are usually able to get back to you within an hour or two. Email is answered quickly, too. Our on-call service is based upon availability, but we make every effort to meet your needs.

  What if we don’t have time to meet with you to explain what we need?

  We can take care of a lot of specifics over the phone and/or in email. We’re experienced at asking the right questions to quickly get to how we can help you and your staff.

  How do I know what to expect for charges in using your service?

  The Complete Errand has developed a corporate program structure with the flexibility to create a plan that works for your business. We discuss with you what you need and want so that we craft a program with appropriate parameters. Then we stay on top of your usage statistics in order to help you adjust your program as needed.

  Why would I use your services?

  Our clients’ reasons for using us are as numerous as our clients! Some customers need help with a specific activity or during an especially demanding time. Others use TCE on a regular basis to feel more in control of their time and their life.

  No, I mean, why your services?

  Our emphasis on solutions is the answer! The Complete Errand has been satisfying client needs since 1999. Our experience, the contacts we’ve made around the Upper Valley and our ongoing clientele attest to the success of our operation. Visit our Testimonials page to see what TCE clients have to say! We are bonded and insured for your protection and we provide all services confidentially. Most importantly, we strive to develop rapport with you and your staff, to understand your goals in order to work successfully with you.

  What’s the best way to get started using your services?

  Click on the link to our Getting Started page for the next step!