2015 – Andrea Arena

People often ask me, “Why start a new company in the same space you were in for over two decades?”

It’s A New Day. “The concierge space is very different today. Cutting-edge companies have different expectations from the concierge industry then they did 24 years ago. Modern approaches to concierge products and services are vital for helping businesses launch into the future. I have had the advantage of combining 24+ years of experience with building fresh proprietary technology, and out-of-the-box thinking to pioneer the next gen corporate concierge service. I am hitting today’s (and tomorrow’s) vital business challenges head on!” Better Technology. “Today economic climate has raised the bar for efficiency and technology requirements for all technology-enabled professional services firms. Companies are looking for better technology to affect efficiencies of the service deliver, reporting capabilities, and accessibility. Most major players in the concierge industry are saddles with legacy technology and a mindset of business as usual.” Best-In-Class Solutions. “I still have so much passion for the industry and I started my new company, TimeSquared, with a clean slated to reach way beyond what is currently offered to build what today’s clients are asking for. I listened and responded to clients’ expectations of being able to access their site from any device without fear of personal information being compromised. Live chat is a must, and collecting feedback must be automated and reported in real time. Clients responded that these unique TimeSquared solutions are best in class since most companies don’t offer a mobile-enabled, co-branded website for clients to log into to place and/or track their preferences and request status. Often, calling in or emailing requests is the standard and monthly reports is still entered manually and reported via Excel spreadsheet.” Local Errand Running Service. “More and more customers are booking their travel and entertainment for themselves. However, they

5 Simple and Affordable Ways to Show Your Employees You Appreciate Them

Your employees work hard providing you with the services and products you need on an ongoing basis. As a result, your company is profitable and may even be growing and expanding. That's why it is so important to keep your employees happy. Many small businesses (and large ones, too) don't always see the opportunities for boosting employee morale or offering incentives because they believe these to be too expensive or not desired by the staff. Here are a few simple steps you can take that can make an immediate, positive impression on your employees…and, they do not have to cost a lot! #1: Give Your Employees Power Breaks One of the best ways to give your employees something they need - and will always appreciate - is by giving them a power break. According to TDS Connect’s March 2015 business blog entry aptly named, “Employee Appreciation: Unique perks and practices in retention”, studies show that 17-20 minute pause provides a refreshing break and yields increased productivity. Recent surveys indicate that individuals who get 15 to 20-minute breaks throughout the workday are more productive than those who work hours on end without interruption. How can you do this? Encourage your employees to take a walk, lounge or even nap for 20 minutes in the late morning or early afternoon hours. That little bit of relaxation and peace - especially away from computers and phones - can transform them. #2: Give Them Concierge Services Help your employees focus on the job at hand by taking care of some of life’s more mundane tasks for them. For example, provide them with a concierge service that can handle their time-consuming research, like travel or event planning, take their vehicles in for service, or complete all of

Cheer Loudly!

http://www.timesquaredconcierge.com/blog/ As the president of a company in the service industry, I am always a little anxious when a customer call escalates to me. Is someone less than 100% satisfied with our service? So, this was no different until the woman on the other line said, “This is the first time I’ve ever attended a game.” This customer went on to explain that, as a single working mother, it was all she could do to drop her son off then race frantically around town – to Walmart, Costco, & the grocery store – all the while praying that her son was not the last one at the ballpark when she returned to pick him up. But tonight was different because a member of our team ran all of her personal errands while she was at work. So, for the very first time she was going to be seated in the stands watching her son’s game. I could hear the excitement in her voice as she called to thank me. It was almost as if she couldn’t believe that it was happening – a dream come true. As we both fought back the tears, I said, “Cheer loudly, because the games where he looks up in the stands and sees you yelling his name – Those are the games he will remember 30 years from now. Cheer loudly!” What motivates you to do what you do for a living? I look forward to hearing from you.

Tags: concierge, corporate concierge, customer service, errand running, TimeSquared Concierge, work/life balance|

To Do Or Not To Do….That Is The Question

Tommy Newberry, the author of “Success Is Not An Accident”, teaches us that we should focus on our greatest contribution to our organization and every day we should dedicate more time towards that effort. Of course, I’m hoping Tommy will appreciate the shout out and forgive the paraphrase! Everyone should be performing functions that are at or above their pay grade. To do so, we must delegate. That means stop doing all the tasks that are well below your pay grade. For example, an executive printing mailing labels or doing data entry is not working at one’s greatest contribution. Me fixing the photocopier is definitely NOT an example of me focusing on my greatest contribution and will probably result in permanent damage to the photocopier! More importantly, what is the opportunity cost of that misguided effort and energy not being spent on driving revenue or strategy? What are you going to stop doing today?

Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast

According to this Entrepreneur Magazine article "Culture eats strategy for breakfast", Culture is today’s major performance differentiator, and I could not agree more! This article gives details on some ways to build a great corporate culture, but we all know it is about inclusion, communication, and inspiration. I remember when I started my first concierge service 20+ years ago, and every employee had to work a second job because the wages I could afford to pay were so low. They willingly did so to be part of something bigger than themselves. They also did so for the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our customers. The impact was meaningful and impactful, and we continued to share these stories as the company grew rapidly across North America. Soon we were so geographically disbursed that the employees didn’t even know what their co-workers looked like, but they felt connected in a profound way. I am so thrilled for the opportunity to build the TimeSquared culture even better!