Outsource Your Life To Get a Life!
Posted: October 9, 2011
Personal Concierge, Personal Assistant, Virtual Assistants, Gal Friday, Caretaker… what do all these terms have in common? They are people and businesses dedicated to helping you save time and energy and as a way to help you achieve life balance.
When we think 'concierge' we immediately think reservations or vacation assistance, but this is no longer the case. Personal Concierge services run the gamut from the routine to the extraordinary. If you need a luxury service – limo, private jet, event planning – a Personal Concierge can certainly get those things arranged for you, but they can just as easily refill the propane tank, do your grocery shopping, have your windows cleaned, wait for deliveries, walk the dogs, do your filing, get your computer repaired and have your automobile detailed.
With true Personal Concierge service, you have a single point of contact, a Concierge who is assigned to you, someone you will get to know and trust. You'll know who is in your home and can rest assured that no matter what you need, it is only a phone call or email away. And as your relationship builds, your Personal Concierge will automatically complete agreed upon tasks without your direction.
So who uses Personal Concierges? A perfect candidate is anyone who has too much to do and too little time. The three primary groups who regularly rely on Personal Concierge assistance are busy professionals, retirees and absentee homeowners.
Here in the desert, where so many of our homeowners are part time residents, a Personal Concierge is more of a necessity than a luxury. Not only will your Personal Concierge make sure your home is always ready for your arrival, they also check your home weekly to proactively keep an eye out for vandalism and to preempt situations that might result in costly repairs.
Before turning your house keys over to a Personal Concierge, ensure you are dealing with a reliable and reputable company. Ask the following questions:
• Is this a licensed, bonded and insured company'?
• Do they use only licensed and insured Service Providers
• Can they provide references?
• Do they have a confidentiality policy?
• Do they belong to any industry associations?
• Are they involved in the community?
If the answers to all or most of these questions is 'yes', then you will most likely be engaging a legitimate Personal Concierge company. A professional Personal Concierge company should have policies and procedures designed to insure consistency and confidentiality and should provide high quality customer service. A professional company will also gladly answer all your concerns. If you find yourself overwhelmed with tasks, want a little more free time in your life, or if you want to protect your home investment when you're away, a Personal Concierge may well be the answer!
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Ms. Leslie Spoor is the founder and president of Executive Errands (www.executive-errands.com), a locally owned and operated Personal Concierge & Referral company. She is also founder and president of Concierge Business Solutions™ (www.conciergebusinesssolutions.com) for more information about Executive Errands or Concierge Business Solutions™, please contact Leslie at 760.469.2487