How e-concierge services are transforming the personal assistance experience
E-concierge, digital concierge or online concierge... These three words cover the same reality: the shift from traditional personal assistance and concierge services to a 100% digital model.
The aim of such a transformation: to adapt to the new challenges brought about by digital transformation and by new consumer demands, with business development in the sights.
But to benefit from the advantages of an e-concierge service, you need to understand what it's all about.
Let's untangle the question of digital concierge services. Then let's discover the different types of tools available to support companies wishing to offer personal assistance services to their customers.
E-conciergerie: definition
From private concierge services...
Initially, a private concierge service is a structure that offers its customers a wide range of services, from receiving deliveries to dealing with administrative formalities.
In short, these are personal assistance services with a wide range of uses:
- groom service during hotel stays,
- hotel and restaurant reservations,
- cleaning services,
- moving assistance,
- laundry services,
- gardening activities,
- administrative assistance,
- home surveillance during an absence,
- child care,
- walking and pet-sitting,
- parcel delivery or reception,
- planning and organization,
- private coaching,
- personalized recommendations, etc.
... to online concierge services
Digital concierge services are born of the digital transformation of society, and all the new consumer habits that result from it:
- growing use of smartphones,
- the quest for immediacy,
- mobility, etc.
To meet these needs, new platforms (often created by concierge startups like Alfred Conciergerie) have been developing for several years. And they all share the same ambition: to enable users to manage their services with just a few clicks.
☝️ It's worth noting that the customers of online concierge services include both private individuals and professionals, with more and more companies calling on the services of a corporate concierge.
E-conciergerie, digital conciergerie and online conciergerie: what are the differences?
What are the nuances between these different terms?
These new concepts all encompass the same mission: to put new technologies at the service of concierge activities. However, when we take a look around the web, we find that :
- the term conciergerie digitale seems more generic,
- the term e-conciergerie is used more in the tourism and hotel sectors,
- online concierge services are more closely related to rental management.
Who uses e-concierge services?
The scope of digital concierge services is very broad. So, to get a better grasp of the concept, let's focus on two fast-growing sectors.
Hotel e-concierge services
92% of travelers use their cell phone during their stay.
Veille Info Tourisme
To increase the satisfaction of increasingly connected travelers, hotel and tourism professionals in general are increasingly digitizing traditional room service. As a result, they are :
- facilitate reservations and overall travel organization (check-in/check-out management, for example) ;
- easily set up loyalty programs;
- distribute information about their hotel or accommodation;
- offer complementary services such as geolocated tourism recommendations.
💡 Indeed, tourists now want to take advantage of the expertise of professionals to access "good deals". The role of hoteliers is therefore set to evolve beyond simply providing accommodation, in order to offer guests an unforgettable stay.
In other words, it's all about improving customer relations, with the aim of building loyalty through better-targeted communications.
Online corporate concierge services
Corporate concierge services have been around for a long time, but over the last few years the market has adapted to the new needs of professionals by digitizing the profession.
There are now platforms that can adapt to the size of each company, and not just to large structures, since the presence of a physical person on site is no longer necessary.
Example of a corporate e-concierge service:
Benefits of digital concierge services
For companies subscribing to an e-concierge service
- Increased employee productivity, thanks to a better work-life balance. Employees save time on a daily basis, as they have access to a wide range of services 24/7, from anywhere;
- Talent retention: digital concierge services contribute to their well-being at work;
- Easier recruitment: this type of service can make the difference between you and other recruiters, and enhances your employer brand.
For professionals offering online concierge services
- Save time and productivity in managing services: all information is centralized in a single tool. What's more, e-concierge platforms also support administrative management, schedules, contracts, etc. ;
- Increased customer satisfaction and loyalty, thanks to an enhanced and differentiated concierge experience. Moreover, thanks to data collection optimized by digital tools, it becomes simpler to provide personalized recommendations to consumers;
- An increase in the average shopping basket, due in particular to the easier sale of additional services (cross-selling).
Which concierge application to choose?
There are many different online concierge applications, some of which specialize in different sectors.
Whether you're a hotel or a company looking to develop your own online concierge service, here are a few examples. They will serve to illustrate the range of possibilities offered by online personal assistance.
🛠️ Miri e-conciergerie, a customizable platform, is more geared towards digital hotel concierge services. It supports industry professionals wishing to :
- sell and offer additional services (breakfasts, activities, etc.) ;
- while easily managing their various partners.
🛠️ Ogustine Conciergerie is a software package that makes it easy to create and manage your concierge services, whether B2B or B2C.
The platform enables you to :
- book services (even by videoconference) 24/7, and pay online ;
- facilitate your day-to-day management (contracts, intervention zones, etc.) via a back-office section.
🛠️ Wiidii is a universal personal assistant. It uses artificial intelligence technologies (in particular machine learning) to offer personalized concierge services based on customer preferences.
Companies, particularly large corporations, can therefore call on Wiidii's technology to develop a white-label solution for them.
Are you ready to offer your concierge services online? If so, which solution do you plan to use?
Article translated from French