Australian Virtual Concierge Services

The meaning of the term concierge has changed over the years, like many other words, to fit the modern lifestyles and expectations of a world that is increasingly purchasing almost anything on line.
The term concierge continues to be applied to many different roles, as it has throughout history.

The elite role of over 3000 concierge or 'Les Clefs d'Or' ("The Golden Keys") in select Hotels and residential apartments, across the world today is far removed from the concierge or 'Keeper of the Candles' in medieval times.

I recently saw a job description for a Government concierge in Australia. The job description was closely aligned to the role of a 'customer service` and 'inter government liaison' officer.

In Australia, travel agents, banks, residential apartments, personal assistance services and even hospitals often use the term concierge for a service that provides an organisational interface, problem solver, planner and personal assistant.

Today the Hotel concierge or 'Les Clefs d'Or' is still a valuable and superior service offered to travelers all over the world, including Australia.

Australian On-line Concierge Services

However, the emerging virtual concierge industry in Australia, is also proving to be in demand. Busy households and increased demand for in home services are also engaging these virtual concierge services to provide:

• Help with trip planning and moving arrangements
• Information and travel management
• Personal secretary services
• Research services
• Management of events, restaurant bookings, ticketing and social activities
• Senior sitting services, gardening, driving and household services
• Organisation and coordination of contractors and maintenance staff
• Hiring services for other in home staff such as nannies or tutors
• Organisation of transport and access arrangements
• Coordination of personal helpers or directly provide shopping and personal services.

How to get the best out of your Australian On-Line Concierge Service

If you intend to use a virtual concierge in Australia, there are a number of things you will need to consider:

• Clarify if this service directly provides the support you need or just coordinates the services
• Ask about the fees the concierge service charges based on the information above
• Ask about the availability of staff and when the services will be provided
• Ask the organisation for a plan with milestone payments or the option for regular payments before the work starts
• Ask someone you know and trust to look over the proposal with you
• If you are organising personal staff, have someone else help you interview them.
• Ask the organisation about their terms and conditions and privacy commitment
• Check to see if there is a refund policy.

This list is not exhaustive, and it would be great to hear your stories about using a virtual concierge. No doubt these services will expand, in particular, because of an ageing population and a greater interest by older people to remain in their own home for longer.

Australian information about getting work

You might be looking for your first job, returning to work, making a professional career move, coming out of retirement or seeking a volunteer job.

There are numerous sites and agencies that support people look for work in Australia.  Some of these are funded by the Australian Government and there are some that are supported by State Government initiatives.  There are also private sector agencies and non government agencies that provide various assistance.

The Australian Government has funded career information centres throughout Australia.  These centres can provide assistance with resources to help you develop your resume, assistance with job seeking and information about employment and trends.

People aged 45 years and over can access free career advice by calling 13 17 64 on weekdays.  This is a free service that can help you with:

• career planning
• a resume appraisal
• career information and a career guide

Australian Government funded employment services are located around the country. These services provide support to eligible people during their job seeking. 

Private recruitment firms offer a range of services that help with employment opportunities, resume building and assistance with responding to a selection criteria. There are other agencies that provide specialised employment support for youth, seniors, migrants, tourists with work visas and people returning to work.

Key activities when looking for work:

• Contact people you know and get them to help you look for work - networking
• Contact Companies, agencies and not for profits and offer your resume
• Visit potential employers and leave a copy of your resume
• Register on line with employment agencies and follow up with a call
• Register with Local Councils, Government Agencies, Job site portals
• Look through the local newspaper including free papers in the job section
• Get further information about the jobs, employers, contacts and help in your area
• Register with www.jobsearch.gov.au
• Register with www.deerw.gov.au/experienceplus if you are a mature job seeker
• The Myfuture website has information and job tips
• Make a list of all the jobs you apply for and who you have talked to
• Review your resume from time to time and get others to look at it for you
• Get advice and look for reviews before you pay a Company to do your resume
• Check out ideas and strategies for jobseeking from Youtube or other social media
• Take time each day to review one job that you did in the past - congratulate yourself
• Go to the Australian Public Service Provision site for info on public service work
• Join professional bodies such as LinkedIn
• Get some fresh air each day and connect with some friends and family
• Write a blog about your job seeking experience
• Join up with other job seekers and share your ideas
• Volunteer for a local group - see www.volunteer.org.au
• Attend local conferences, workshops, networking and social events to build contacts
• Find your local community centre and see if they provide any training or skills events
• Look for short and long term training options in your area and join their job club
• Consider tutoring, on line, home business, mentoring, speaking and consultant jobs

Good luck.  Do you have any experiences to share?  Share these with others.

Australian Information

Are you travelling to, or moving in Australia? You might be travelling here on business or planning the holiday of a life time. Or you might be a local, and you are just moving to a new town with the family in tow. Finding relevant information about your destination can be time consuming and costly. There is a lot of information, and a variety of sources to check out.

If you want general information about Australia, the internet and directories will give you with an abundance of general Australian news and travel posts.

A travel agent and manager is your first port of call, however, sometimes you need verified information about services, groups, events and business contacts to support your travel plans.

Australian information tailored to your needs, can easily be acquired, by contacting an Australian information and concierge service.

Getting verified information

I recall, on one business trip around Australia, I overheard a person asking for information from a hotel receptionist about where she could access the local genealogy group. The receptionist was clearly overloaded with guests coming and going and responded that the guest should check out the local telephone directory.

Of course, this would probably list the group, but would the information be up to date and would it include a contact person who would be available at that time of the day.

So often people travelling find themselves without the details they need to make their holiday worthwhile or their business trip successful.

Know what you want

I have also had the experience of booking accommodation and arrangements for conference facilities and equipment on line.  However, on several occasions, the information shown on the website, was not exactly what I ended up with.  It is also important to ask the right questions when contacting accommodation and conference facilities by telephone.

Check list for Australian travellers

Here, are some strategies that might help you obtain the right information and check it is verified.

· Develop a trip plan based on what you do and need in your everyday life;

· Make sure the plan includes the health and other needs of all the family;

· Include a list of places and events that you would like to attend if you are on holiday;

· If you want to visit a hobby group. ask local groups if they have Australian contacts;

· If want to attend an event or need a service, get verified information before arriving;

· Check out websites such as Google Maps for driving trips but verify timeframes;

· When booking accommodation, check out feedback and review sites;

· When booking conference facilities ask about past conferences and check these out;

· Find a  virtual concierge service to help find meeting rooms and technical resources;

· Check out the state government websites for information about visiting crown land;

· Contact the Local Council and talk to a community worker to discuss your needs;

· Local Council websites sometimes have community directories and mobility maps;

· State Government websites sometimes have a data base of services;

· If you are here on business find a local printer and stationery business, just in case;

· Children’s holiday groups may be open to travellers so get this verified; and

· Where possible get verified Australian information with details for a contact person.

After years of travelling for business and recreation, I know how valuable it is to get everything verified before you leave. Information on the web or in directories can be fixed and sometimes out of date. What is your experience?