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| Personal shoppers help busy execs reclaim lost time |
| 22 Dec 2009 |
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Busy executives who are faced with a long list of shopping errands, can get some help during this festive period.
They can turn to personal shoppers so that they aren't bogged down by chores or hunting down unusual gift ideas.
Byron Ho reports.
There are some phone numbers that busy executives keep handy particularly when juggling the various demands during the festive period.
The emergency numbers include those of personal shoppers and concierge.
This group helps individuals who need things done but simply don't have enough time to do so.
Director of mysingaporeconcierge Raymond Ling says he is seeing more requests for assistance pouring in during this time of the year.
He adds that it's not uncommon for clients to make unusual requests.
"One client that I received, he wanted me to send him postcards from Singapore, specifically Singapore-made postcards that reflected Singapore architecture. We had to do it within a one two hour time range. So we just billed him for the time spent, (and) additionally for the transportation needed. After he paid we ran the errand for him."
But that's not all his team does.
Besides helping with such requests, overseas travel or baby-sitting arrangements are also offered as part of the service.
The idea of getting a third party to help with shopping may seem novel, but not all would choose this option.
One executive Betty Mah shares her hesitation.
"When it comes to buying items or getting gifts, other factors such as taste and fashion sense may influence my decision. But if say for example the queue to buy and pay for items is really long, then yes I don't mind some help to get my year-end shopping done." |