Don’t you just hate those days when you know you will do nothing but run errands? Running from one place to the next is nothing short of exhausting. That’s why we offer errand running on our list of concierge services. We know what a hassle running errands can be, so we eliminate the hassle for you by handling everything from grocery shopping to getting your car to the shop for inspection.
We obviously believe that a personal concierge is the best way to handle getting your errands done. But we would be foolish to not acknowledge the role of technology in modern errand running. Technology has changed everything, including the way we approach some of the most mundane errands on the list.
A good example of how technology is changing errands is the simple act of buying groceries. It used to be that there was only one way to do it: get in your car and drive to the grocery store. Once there, you would get a cart, stroll up and down the aisles, and select the items you want. How times have changed.
You can now run a smartphone app attached to your local grocery store. From within the app, you both order and pay for your groceries. The app gives you a time to show up at the store where your completed order is waiting for pickup. It couldn’t be easier.
Home Delivery of Groceries
If ordering your groceries online and picking them up at a scheduled time isn’t convenient enough for you, growing numbers of grocers are now offering home delivery. That is even more convenient. You still order and pay online, it’s just that you don’t have to run to the store. Instead, the store runs to you.
Home delivery actually isn’t new. It used to be pretty common back in the post-war era. But it gradually faded out as grocery stores got bigger and more competitive. Grocers are finding they have to return to home delivery in order to compete today.
Online Scheduling
Another big advance in technology involves scheduling things like medical appointments, car inspections, haircuts, and dog grooming. Everything can be scheduled online with the click of a mouse or the tap of a finger.
How does this help with running errands? By making it easier to schedule appointments at times most convenient to you. Unlike trying to schedule appointments over the phone, scheduling online gives you access to every available date and time for the foreseeable future. You can easily compare dates and times with your schedule, without having a conversation with a receptionist who may or may not understand what you’re trying to accomplish.
Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Reminders
For our money, the most important technological advancement for running errands are the apps and software programs that create daily, weekly, and monthly reminders. Let’s say you have a standing appointment at the hair salon on the third Saturday of every month. Enter that into your phone and you’ll never have to remember it again.
Every Friday you will get a notification reminding you of your appointment the following day. Leave the notification until you get to the salon or swipe it away immediately. It’s up to you. Either way, you will not forget that appointment.
Today’s technology is such that you can create reminders from e-mail messages, electronic documents, and other digital sources. Just a few clicks or swipes and you are all set.
Technology is an amazing thing. We still believe personal concierge service is the better option for running errands because a human concierge truly gets to know you and your needs. But we also understand that some people prefer technology. That’s the way it goes.