When most people think of a concierge, they think of a high-end luxury hotel whose front-desk concierge service assists guests by booking tours, buying theatre or concert tickets, giving directions, offering advice and securing restaurant reservations.

A concierge is someone who helps guests (or residents) arrange things like tickets, tours or gifts. Concierges have years of experience, inside knowledge (especially of the best spots, services or experiences in their city) and an extensive network of contacts.

How much does a concierge service cost? In this setting, the concierge service is absolutely free. An ‘added value’ to make a guest’s stay more welcoming, personal and enjoyable.

Concierge services have expanded over the years to include hospitals and businesses. A hospital concierge assists patients, visitors and staff (who often work long hours) with errands that they may not be able to get to themselves, either because of their hospital stay or the realities of their day-to-day work commitments.

Corporate businesses have also recognised the need for a concierge service, offering it as an additional employee benefit, recognising and rewarding valued staff with a range of concierge services.

Concierge services continue to grow in popularity and are now available online as a paid, virtual service for anyone who might benefit.

Find a personal concierge service online

An online or virtual concierge makes concierge services available to anyone who might need them. It is a wonderful resource for people without the luxury of time – and who need to get things done quickly and efficiently.

The beauty of an online concierge service is that while you may deal with one virtual concierge or personal assistant as your point of contact, there will be an entire team behind them with the skills, contacts and networks to make things happen.

7 ways an online concierge service can help you

A reliable, established online concierge service will be able to help you with all the following:

1.     Personal Services

Although you might initially feel awkward outsourcing personal services (think spa appointments or haircuts) to an online concierge, they are more than happy to do it and will find you the best spot, best deal and best beautician to meet your needs.

Personal services include finding babysitters, nannies, pet-sitters and more. This is particularly useful if you are new to town and need the ‘inside scoop’ to find reliable doctors, dentists, childcare and more! The service will extend to scheduling appointments and sending reminders.

2.     Errands

For time-stressed individuals, many online concierges are also happy to run errands such as dry-cleaning, setting-up, and organising online grocery shopping, collecting prescriptions or arranging couriers and parcel collection. No task is too big or small.

3.     Home Services

Home services refer to home and property maintenance and an online concierge will be able to help you organise, landscape, repair – even relocate.

Your online concierge will find you the best artisan for the job at hand (plumber, electrician or painter), schedule the jobs, liaise with the service providers and take all the stress off your shoulders. Again, they will know exactly the right person for the job and will manage it from beginning to end.

4.     Travel Arrangements

Although everyone loves a holiday, seeing to the actual travel arrangements (including airline tickets and visa requirements) can be time-consuming and stressful.

An online concierge will organise your flights (taking the time to find the best deals), car rental or shuttle transfers, accommodation, tours and more!

Your virtual concierge can also recommend must-see sites, top tourist experiences and wonderful restaurants.

5.     Party and Event Planning

An online concierge service can help you plan a party or event down to the smallest detail. They can research venues and service providers, plan menus, organise flowers and party favours, manage the invitations and RSVPs, and even organise a clean-up crew for the day after.

6.     Entertainment

A virtual concierge can source theatre and concert tickets, tickets to sporting events and access to interesting and unusual events (for example lectures, book launches, festivals or private wine tastings).

No more waiting in queues and hassling with online booking systems. A concierge’s network of contacts will give you access to the most sought-after events and restaurants.

7.     Problem Solving and Administrative Support

But it’s not all fun and games. Perhaps an online concierge’s true value is its ability to assist you with time-consuming (and often frustrating) administrative needs.

This includes sorting out billing disputes, insurance queries, banking issues and annual registrations (including car licences).

The most obvious reason to employ an online concierge is to save you both time and money. A good concierge team will have the expertise and experience to solve even the most complicated admin issues, saving you time and money and reducing your stress.

How much does an online concierge cost?

Think of hiring an online concierge service as hiring a top-notch, experienced and effective personal assistant. One who can make your life easier, assist you with administrative tasks and tackle projects of any size or scale.

From problem solving and advice to finding the perfect gift, your personal concierge is there when you need them. But how much will this cost?

A good online concierge service will design a bespoke package to meet your needs. A package can start from as little as £133 a month (entry-level).

The team at Outsourcery offers a wide array of packages. From entry-level packages (5 hours) and basic packages (15 hours) to plus packages (25 hours), pro packages (50 hours) and enterprise packages (145 hours).

Talk to an online service provider like Outsourcery about the best package for you. They will consider your personal needs and work out, on average, the hours required. Make sure the team is fully vetted, worldly and experienced – and able to offer the support required.

Outsourcery meets the requirements listed above and will also offer you a free trial, instant cancellation, and 30-day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the service provided.

When should you hire an online concierge service?

A virtual concierge is there to make your life easier, to provide you with more time and energy by tackling the tasks that you don’t have the time or inclination to do.

They also have specialised skills (which means that they can get it done quickly and efficiently), only charge time spent (making them more cost-effective than a full-time employee) and have a genuine passion for what they do.

You should hire an online concierge service if:

• Your to-do list is growing by the minute, with little available support
• You are finding it difficult to cope with the number of tasks needing your attention
• You can multi-task at work, but need personal support when it comes to planning trips, gifts, entertaining or events
• Life is busy, and you simply don’t have the time for a looming project (for example, a renovation or relocation)
• You are new to town and need advice in setting up your life (including finding doctors, dentists or an au pair service)
• ‘Grudge’ tasks such as car services or insurance claims take up too much of your time (and add unnecessary stress to your life)
• You dream of a warm, professional personal assistant who can make your life that little bit easier
• Life is busy, but perhaps not busy enough to warrant a full-time employee
• Hands-on help, for even a few hours a month, will make a massive difference in your life

If you are still in two minds, why not sign-up for one of Outsourcery’s free trials? We will give you five hours of our time absolutely free. No registration fee, no credit card number, no expectations.

Even better, you can ‘spend’ those five hours any way you need: general admin, tackling a project or planning a trip. Our virtual concierges are at your service and ready to help.