52 Ways To Use A Concierge

This is a guest post from one of my favorites in the concierge industry, Katharine C. Giovanni. She is smart and full of life, and I’m so glad that I’ve had the chance to learn from her!

 

One of the questions I get asked by the media is what does a concierge do?  The quick answer is that a concierge will do anything in the yellow pages as long as it’s legal, moral and ethical.

Everyone single one of us tries to squeeze 36 hours into a 24 hour day, and when you do that you inevitably don’t do it very well. You get stressed …

Which leads to tired …

Which leads to not eating healthy because you’re craving “comfort” food …

Which leads to sickness.

Not good!

A concierge is here to do the things that you have to, leaving you the time to do the things that you want to like spending more time with family and friends, putting more time in at the office, or relaxing with a good book!

That being said, below is a list of 52 ways you can use a concierge. Since the real list of what a concierge can do for you is endless, the list below is merely here to get you started.

  1. Obtaining tickets to concerts, special events and sporting events
  2. Transportation Services – train, plane or automobiles …    a concierge can get it!
  3. Travel and Vacation Planning
  4. Business Referral Service – need a landscaper or a plumber?
  5. Restaurant Recommendations and/or Reservations
  6. Pet services
  7. Internet Research – need research done and you don’t have the time to do it?
  8. Personalized shopping and delivery
  9. Running to the post office
  10. Dry cleaning pick-up and/or delivery
  11. Grocery shopping
  12. Running to the hardware store
  13. Senior care
  14. Modified house sitting – need someone to wait for the service technician while you’re at work?
  15. Picking up or returning a gift
  16. Meal Delivery
  17. Home Inventory – video the contents of your home and keep it in your safe deposit box
  18. Bill paying
  19. Auto Maintenance
  20. Home Organization
  21. Notary Services – many concierge area a traveling notary and can actually come to you.
  22. House Cleaning Services
  23. Courier/Delivery Services
  24. Delivering lunch to nurses and doctors at the hospital
  25. Delivering a Meal – breakfast, lunch or dinner
  26. Prescription Pick-up and delivery
  27. Repair and Service Calls
  28. Returning a library book or a video
  29. Sick Care – sick in bed? Call a concierge and they’ll do your errands, arrange for dinner to be delivered and can be on hand to help your family out
  30. New Mommy Services
  31. Meeting and Event Planning; private parties
  32. Personal Chef Services
  33. Single Parent Helper
  34. Employee Relocation Services
  35. Gift baskets and Flower Delivery
  36. Landscaping Services
  37. Special Day Reminder Service
  38. Charter a Private Jet, Yachts or Helicopter
  39. Hire a concierge to assist you at your event, wedding or conference – also called “event concierge” and “wedding concierge”
  40. Need Security?  They’ll hire a security company to assist you.
  41. Day Spa Services
  42. Fashion and/or Stylist Consultant
  43. Nanny Services
  44. Estate Planning
  45. Arrange for your Tee Time at the golf club
  46. Book your appointments for you
  47. Hire a Butler
  48. New to the area?  A concierge will give you a tour of the town
  49. Catering Services
  50. Get Away Weekends
  51. Office help
  52. Moving assistance – let your concierge unpack those boxes and put it all away!!  All you’ll need to unpack is your toothbrush.

If you are looking to hire a concierge, then I suggest you visit www.ICLMA.org and check out our international concierge directory. We have members from all over the world who can assist you.

Good Luck!

About the Author: Katharine is an award-winning author and the world’s leading concierge trainer and consultant as well as a Certified Concierge Specialist (CCS) and Speaker. She is one of the founders of Triangle Concierge and is the Chairman of the Board and Founder of the International Concierge and Lifestyle Management Association (ICLMA) as well as the author of several business books including her award-winning book Going Above and Beyond and The Concierge Manual.

Don’t Just Roll the Dice!

What are the duties of a concierge?

The role of a concierge is that of a temporary personal assistant, local travel guide, and all around know-it-all. The job description for a concierge must contain a strong emphasis on customer service, a deep understanding of the areas in which they serve, and the ability to creatively think on their feet. This job description must also invariably contain the ability to network with local vendors for tickets, car rentals, and any other special needs of the customer – whether hotel guest, corporate employee, or family of five. The traits of a successful concierge include enthusiasm, shrewdness, and sincere drive to give the best service possible at all times.

The role of a concierge is to assure that customers get whatever they desire, within reason. Concierge duties may range from a task as small as giving directions to a nearby store to arranging a marriage proposal or wedding anniversary. Concierge duties also include trading and negotiating with other concierge and vendors to fulfill the needs of their customers for things such as great sports tickets, better theater seats, last-minute restaurant reservations, or sold out concert tickets. Finally, the role of a concierge may extend as far as providing personal shopping services, pet walking services, organizational tasks, and arranging medical or home care needs.

Before enlisting the services of a personal concierge (or lifestyle manager), do your due diligence: ask for references, check for insurance or bonding, and confirm business registration with your Secretary of State office. Any personal service business worth their weight (or their self-promotion!) will have done the prep work to ensure they remain in business, even during a recession.

At The Virtual Concierge, LLC, we perform background checks, call references, and receive insurance documentation from every partner vendor before allowing open communication with our company clients.

If you need a personal concierge or errand runner, feel free to email us at info@thevirtualconcierge.com. We are happy to refer you, free of charge, to a qualified service provider in your area.

Organizing Pitfalls to Avoid

Helene Segura of Living Order San Antonio is a wonderful resource of best practices when organizing the chaos and clutter in your life. Here is a twist on that, which I found most appealing: what to avoid when trying to get all those ducks in a row:

  1. Not having a plan
  2. Not being realistic
  3. Being afraid to try something new
  4. Having an “all or nothing” mentality
  5. Not celebrating progress
  6. Holding onto the past
  7. Seeking perfection
  8. Making excuses instead of time
  9. Going it alone
  10. Not making decisions

For more details and insights from Helene, please visit her website at www.LivingOrder.com. We at The Virtual Concierge are at-the-ready with our team of partner vendors and referrals. Please feel free to contact us when we may help!

No Junk Mail, Please!

Simplify Your Life! Take steps to have your name removed from mailing lists.

Tell companies with whom you do business to NOT give out your name and address.

When you order from a catalog or subscribe to a magazine, include a note stating, “Do not rent, trade, sell or give away my name, address or phone number.”

To reduce junk mail you are already receiving, send a postcard stating “Please remove my name from Direct Mail Marketing Lists” to:

Direct Mail Marketing Association
P.O. Box 9008
Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008

Be sure to list any variations in the spelling of your name, address, and the names of other household members.

Work / Life Balance in the United States (or lack thereof):

One of my favorite quotes is “Stop the world, I want to get off!” Don’t remember who said it, or when, or in what context — but it says it all these days. People seem to go faster to get further behind. I don’t think it’s even to keep up with the Joneses anymore — it’s just survival in a world that’s trying to run you over.

Here are a few statistics:

  • Forty-two percent of college students and recent graduates said what they value most when making a career decision was work/life balance — more than money (26%), advancement (23%), or location (9%). JOBTRAK.COM
  • Since 1969, family time for a working couple has shrunk an average of 22 hours per week. U.S. GOVERNMENT
  • Every dollar invested by the employer toward an employee’s well-being delivers a $10 ROI. INTEGRA, INC.

That’s why I decided to do what I do. Yes, it’s a job — but it’s pretty cool to help people not be the cheese at the end of the rat race.