Looking to spice up your benefits package? Personal service, or "concierge," benefits can bring high-value services to SMB employees at low to no cost to the employer.

Concierge services run the gamut from in-house "personal assistants" who bring catered meals to the office, pick up dry cleaning and arrange babysitting services to telephonic and Web-based vendors that offer discounts at local restaurants, shopping malls and automotive service venues. While these benefits have traditionally been associated with larger dot-com firms, they aren't just for the Googles of the world.

Edge for SMBs

Katherine Giovanni, president of the International Concierge and Errand Association, says that concierge benefits are one of the most effective work-life benefits employers can provide their employees. "It's going to give you an edge up on your competition because not everyone is offering this benefit."

In fact, a 2005 survey co-sponsored by AOL and Women's Day says that 67% of people would prefer a personal assistant to a life coach.

Doug Cook, owner and founder of Birmingham, Ala.-based Concierge Worldwide, sees concierge benefits as a particular niche for SMBs looking to create more productive employees.

It's a benefit that has a more direct and lasting impact than some others, he adds.

"If you add in 1% [more of an employer match] on the 401(k) people think wow, that's good,'" Cook says. "[But] two days later, they've forgotten about it."

Using Cook's business model, an employee who wants to make an appointment for an oil change calls his concierge service and arranges a time. The concierge service then picks up the car, has the service performed, and returns the car to the employee. The cost to the employer? Zero. The cost to the employee is the same or nearly the same as if he or she had done the service themselves minus the several hours out of a workday or weekend, and minus the hassle of waiting in line.

Cook's business partners with vendors, which negotiate a set rate and benefit because gain guaranteed business and increased name recognition.

Other services, such as Jonathan Rapaport's California-based Great Work Perks, asks upscale outside vendors to offer discounts to employees on a weekly basis. Each Monday, employees who are signed up for the service get a newsletter with featured discounts. Again, it's at no cost to the employer or the employee - featured vendors benefit from increased patronage and essentially "free" advertising. The company currently services the greater Los Angeles area but is expanding to cities around the country in mid 2008.

A 'definite'

Christopher Bostrom, human resources assistant at the Century City, Calif. branch of law firm Hogan and Hartson, LLP, says that as an employer, the ability to offer a benefit at no cost made the choice "a definite." While Bostrom would consider adding paid concierge services to office's repertoire of benefits, he said that the main driver was cost and return on investment.

Connie Goldheim of Westside Regional, a publicly funded center that helps people with disabilities, agrees. "We're on a short budget, but any value we can add for our employees is great."

Giovanni says that hiring a concierge may be less expensive than many SMBs would fear. Older workers looking to retire and work part time or younger employees looking for a foot in the door can make great concierge workers, she says.

If you're looking to designate a current employee as an in-house concierge or hire someone specifically to fill the position, look for candidates who are positive, friendly, and have a go-getter attitude, she says.

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