Who Needs a Personal Concierge?

Actually, that’s a really good question. Movie stars and corporate executives have personal assistants; domestic divas on television couldn’t pull off half of what they seem to do without an army of assistants; and, speaking of “army,” even the top brass in the military have aides to take care of every one of their needs. But, who am I? I’m a working Mom trying to squeeze three full-time jobs (wife, mother and employee) into one 24-hour day, 7-days a week life. Or, I’m single with a lot of demand on my time, leaving no time for me. Or, I’m a single, working parent with all the responsibilities of parenting and my job but no one to share them with. Or, to put it simply, I’m a very busy person with too much to do and not enough time to do it in. Do I need a personal concierge?

This is a very personal question and requires a very personal answer. Only you know how you cope with the demands on you and your time. You are also the only person who truly knows how you feel at the end of each day, each week, not to mention each Monday morning. However, there is some information that you should know before you dismiss the idea.

At one time the concierge was the person you went to at a swanky hotel when you needed something: directions, an umbrella (because you forgot yours and it’s now pouring outside), recommendations and/or reservations for dinner, theater or other event tickets, or any number of requests or needs that you had but didn’t have the time or the knowledge base to find for yourself. The fact is that, these days, many people feel like they are in the exact same situation every day except that they are living their own lives, in their own homes and working at their own jobs.

A personal assistant definitely sounds like a luxury – or does it? Someone to shop for groceries? Take care of that pile of dry cleaning that’s been sitting over there since March? Willing to take Wowser to the vet and/or the groomer during the week? A professional who can take care of all my personal shopping needs and get exactly what I need? A reliable, professional, caring service who can take care of the tasks that otherwise jam up my weekends so that I can have some “me” time every once in a while? Before you dismiss the idea of a personal concierge or assistant, determine how much an hour of your time is worth to you. After you arrive at that figure, find out how much the concierge service is charging to provide the service for you. You just might be surprised at how beneficial and affordable a concierge can be.