Concierge company makes to-dos their business

The Riley Group in Oklahoma City offers to take care of errands, home organization and more for their clients, who pay by the hour or purchase package of time per month.

BY JENNIFER PALMER
NewsOK powered by the Oklahoman
Published: June 5, 2011

Read more: http://newsok.com/concierge-company-makes-to-dos-their-business/article/3574085#ixzz1OKyrpNyC

Mandi Speidel has a to-do list at work and it’s filled with other people’s to-do lists.

Grocery shopping, errands, home organization, picking up gifts, taking the dog to the groomer — all those nagging things most people squeeze in on Saturdays between family commitments and down time are what Speidel, a concierge at The Riley Group, does for a living. She takes care of her clients so they have more time for themselves.

“We’re really lifestyle managers,” said Valerie Riley, founder of The Riley Group, a business that staffs several concierges or personal assistants for hire. “They (clients) are paying us to manage their lifestyle. So when they get off work, they can go golfing or shopping or take a nap.”

Riley worked as a personal assistant in Dallas for several years before moving to Oklahoma City and forming her company in 2010.

People can, and do, hire their own personal assistants, but Riley pointed out some advantages her business model has: The concierges that work for her are college educated, insured and bonded and sign a confidentiality agreement before they begin. Plus, if one is sick or no longer a good fit for a client, she can offer another in that employee’s place. And clients aren’t stuck with the tax headache of having an employee.

Clients pay $35 an hour or purchase packages that range from $500 to $1,500 a month. Riley said there are no restrictions on what task they will tackle, aside from anything illegal or immoral.

The most common request is grocery shopping. The most unusual? Removing a coffin from a client’s garage.

They had a police officer peer inside first to ensure they weren’t about to commit a crime.

Riley wasn’t sure how successful the concierge concept would be in Oklahoma City but business has taken off, she said.

“I think it’s a trend,” she said. “People are busier than ever.” She now has four employees in Oklahoma City, franchises in Dallas and Tampa, Fla., and is working to add locations.

Riley said her concierges generally work 20 to 30 hours a week and earn $30,000-40,000 a year. She recently started offering a benefit called “commission for life,” which gives the worker responsible for signing a new client 5 percent of their fees for as long as that client uses the company.

Speidel said being a concierge suits her because she loves feeling like she has taken care of people, similar to a sorority house mother.

“I could never sit in an office all day. I would lose my mind,” she said.

So what’s on her to-do list? She wants to watch a midnight press run at The Oklahoman and ride in a hot-air balloon. Guess she gets enough of running errands during the workweek.

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