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Traditionally, a concierge is an employee who lives on the premises of apartment buildings and serves
as a general property caretaker;
In medieval times, the concierge was an officer of the King who was charged with executing justice,
with the help of his bailiffs. The term concierge evolved from the French Comte
Des Cierges, The Keeper of the Candles, who tended to visiting nobles in castles of the medieval era.
In 19th century and early 20th century apartment buildings, particularly in Paris , the concierge,
often a middle-aged woman, had a small apartment on the ground floor and was able to monitor all comings and goings. However,
such settings are now extremely rare; most concierges in small or middle-sized buildings have been replaced by the part-time
services of door-staff. These are less costly and less intrusive. Some larger apartment buildings or groups of buildings retain
the use of a concierge, without the traditional disposition whereas the concierge saw all comings and goings. The concierge
may, for instance, keep the mail of absented dwellers; be entrusted with the keys of apartments in cases of emergencies in
the absence of the inhabitant; and other services.
In hotels, a concierge assists guests with
various tasks like making restaurant reservations, arranging for spa services, procurement of tickets to special events and
assisting with various travel arrangements and tours of interesting places to visit. In upscale establishments, a concierge
is often expected
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to "achieve the
impossible," dealing with any request a guest may have, no matter how strange, relying on an extensive list of personal contacts
with various local merchants and service providers.
Today there are
numerous independently owned and operated concierge companies. Many of these companies provide errand services, as well as
informational services for their members. Services include informational requests, setting dinner reservations, making telephone
calls, researching travel arrangements and more. Typically, concierge companies will bill on an hourly rate, and depending
upon the type of task at hand fees can fluctuate drastically. Other companies have reinvented the business model by billing
a flat monthly fee based upon the number of requests a member is allowed to place each month.
Outsourcing errands
to replenish the most precious of commodities - TIME - has turned into big business. Independent concierge firms offer their
clients a healthier work/life balance, which is a growing trend in today's corporate fabric. As evidenced in publications
over the last few years, "67% of employed parents say they don't have enough time with their children" (pg 3, "When Work Works",
2002). Source: www.wikipedia.org
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