Should A Personal Concierge Be Worried About The Gig Economy?
The gig economy is certainly changing the way we engage service providers. Uber, Lyft, UberEats, Deliveroo, Airbnb, Home Away, Rover, DogVacay, and most closely related to a personal concierge service, TaskRabbit and AirTasker – these are just some of the gig style services that have come onto the market. As a personal concierge business, the big question many of us have is, how are these gig services going to impact me and my business? Should I be worried?
What exactly is the gig economy?
According to WhatIs.com “a gig economy is an environment in which temporary positions are common and organizations contract with independent workers for short-term engagements.” In other words, they are businesses offering short term jobs or ‘gigs’ to individuals without any long term contract or the benefits of a permanent position.
Most of the gig style services, such as those listed above, operate via an online and/or app based market place. Customers list their jobs, and individuals accept or bid for the jobs, usually at a very low rate. Customers utilise these services in general because they are at a lower price point and also make it much easier to access services. Individuals are happy to offer their services as this type of job is usually a side ‘gig’ to their day job, providing them with an additional source of income as well as flexibility.
What does this mean for the personal concierge industry?
On the surface, it would appear that the need for our personal concierge services will start to reduce, as more and more cheaper and flexible options become available. And if you’re positioning your service as a low price option, then this could indeed be the case.
Aside from the many concerns that exist for these businesses and their workers in the broader community, for our industry as a whole, I feel that we have no reason to be concerned. In fact it is my belief that there are potential benefits for the personal concierge industry as a result of the rapid growth of the gig economy.
How are we different?
I have never felt businesses operating within the gig economy space should be considered direct competitors to our services. There are many ways our services differ from those inside the ‘gig’ economy which will ensure we still have a very strong foothold in the wider market:
- Firstly, we offer personalised services.
- People come to know us and trust us with their very personal tasks.
- We often have keys and access to their homes so they don’t need to be there while we are working.
- By using a personal concierge, clients don’t need to post and manage a new job every time they need something; they can just call or email us.
- We have a network of suppliers and vendors we can tap into, and
- most importantly, we save them the time of coordinating all of this, responding to people who have applied for the job, being home to meet the people etc. because this is all bundled up in our personal concierge service.
What benefits does the gig economy offer the personal concierge industry?
Is there really a benefit for our industry? Yes, I believe so. As more and more people become aware of and comfortable with outsourcing their tasks, they will be more inclined to seek out our services. Business that operate in this ‘gig’ style marketplace won’t always be suitable for everyone. Many clients will be looking for a higher level of service, which they can trust and utilise on an ongoing basis. If the gig economy gets our ideal clients thinking about outsourcing, and finding ways to make their lives more easier, then they will no doubt discover the personal concierge industry and the much higher level of service we provide.
These apps and marketplaces are great for some people. However, I personally believe the ideal client of a personal concierge business wants more than these businesses can offer. It is up to us to take advantage of this, and position ourselves in a way that we can make the most of the opportunities the gig economy creates. It should also encourage us to take advantage of the rapid developments in technology that these businesses are creating, so that we can continue to grow and strengthen the personal concierge industry.
If you’re looking for a support team to help you to answer questions like these, then The Concierge Secret Society is for you. Join your tribe today!
Abbie Allen is the founder of The Concierge Society, as well as Lifestyle Elements and le Porter. She started Lifestyle Elements in 2004 at the age of 23 and now operates internationally from her head office in Adelaide, South Australia. She was the 2014 Institute of Concierge and Lifestyle Managers Association Golden Key Award winner, as well as a finalist in the South Australia Telstra Business Women’s Awards in 2012. She works with her husband Tim, and they have three daughters. If you handed Abbie a brand new book, a glass of red wine and some chocolate, plus the time to enjoy it, you would have made her day! Have you joined our free private community? Click here now!