I've heard of chain saws procured in under an hour and an elephant delivered to a birthday party. Concierge services are fast becoming a popular work-life perk for professional staff at such corporations as Microsoft, Arthur Andersen, and McKinsey. R.J. Valentine, owner of the real estate developing and insurance concern MBA Group in Braintree, Mass., swears by one local service, Concierge of Boston, owned by Gordon R. Jones, who left Kidder Peabody 12 years ago to start the company. We entertain on a regular basis. I couldn't run my business without him.
Small businesses tend to have less support staff.
Valentine says the service is a lot cheaper than hiring an assistant. Most concierge services are local companies offering personal service. But quite a number are Web-based, taking job orders and communicating with clients electronically. There are also national companies that take job orders online and subcontract the assignments to local partners. Circles partners with local errand services but doesn't accept one-time jobs.