At your service: Concierge benefits cater to time-starved employees
Looking to spice up your benefits package? Personal service, or
"concierge," benefits can bring high-value services to employees at
low to no cost to the employer.
Concierge services run the gamut from in-house "personal assistants"
who bring catered meals to the office, pick up dry cleaning and arrange
babysitting services to telephonic and Web-based vendors that offer
discounts at local restaurants, shopping malls and automotive service
venues. While these benefits have traditionally been associated with
larger dot-com firms, they aren't just for the Googles of the world.
Katherine Giovanni, president of the International Concierge and Errand
Association, says that concierge benefits are one of the most effective
work-life benefits employers can provide their employees. "It's going
to give you an edge up on your competition because not everyone is
offering this benefit."
In fact, a 2005 survey co-sponsored by AOL and Women's Day says that 67% of people would prefer a personal assistant to a life coach.
