Orignal Content: http://www.ranchocordovapost.com/?p=8219

Special thanks to Vanessa Blakely at The Rancho Cordova Post for originally publishing the following article commemorating this milestone. And, Congratulations to all the companies to make the HR Book of Lists!

First and foremost, I want to congratulate the list makers of 2009. CEO’s, VP’s, directors, owners of small, mid-sized, large and micro companies were recognized in the Sacramento Business Journal publication from December 25, 2009. These companies are a testament to “weathering the storm in countless ways” according to Joanna Wessman, Sacramento Business Journal Publisher.

An example of some of the ranking criteria was by score, by the professional staff at local offices, by total assets, credentials, revenue, percentage of revenue growth, number of employees, full time equivalents, real-estate transactions, patient days, number of local employees, and number of outpatient surgeries.
The A+ employers were ranked by scoring (as footnoted in the publication) from an employee on-line survey administered. The survey contained 38 questions that used a scale from 1(strongly disagree) to 6(strongly agree). The questions covered topics such as: work environment, work-life balance, job satisfaction, advancement opportunities, management, compensation and benefits. Out of the 38 companies which ranged from small, medium, large to micro, within this ranking category, all who made the list were above 80th percentile. There were a total of approximately 67 companies that made the “number ones” list. The remaining 28 companies, as it appeared, did not administer the online employee survey, however they were listed and ranked by dollars and cents, by numbers and by revenue/growth.

I’ give kudos to the companies for taking the time to coordinate their employees to take the survey. That’s a task within itself. It is obvious that these companies are perceived as wanting to continue to stay informed about what their employees needs are.

Phyllis Towles knows the benefit of ROI of human capital as she works for a company who has been a recipient of the SWEL award for 2 years, and has “first” hand knowledge of the value of Human Capital. According to Towles, “The Sacramento Area Human Resources Association, in partnership with the Sacramento Bee, annually host the Sacramento Workplace Excellence leader award banquet.” Here’s how SWEL defines extraordinary employers – “extraordinary employers are those that provide exceptional benefits, programs, training and workplaces that promote employee health, safety, advancement, diversity and security.” Great place to work programs, like concierge services, focus on employee wellness along with work life balance.

So, what is it that the 38 companies who scored above 80% are doing, in some cases, to exceed employee satisfaction?

Now more than ever, some employers are operating in “survival mode”. While it’s more important to focus on people, efficient processes to transform your business/environment to making the List. Stay tuned for next week when we discuss recommendations you should consider in making the Book of Lists, including participation, exceptional programs, “walking the talk”, communication and revenue/growth.

Your comments and insights are always welcomed. For specific questions or more information, please email Vanessa at hrprophetsstrategy@yahoo.com.

With the constant connectivity provided by smart phones, net books, and mobile internet, the line between personal lives and professional lives is becoming more blurred, and with that employees are sacrificing the most valuable thing they have to give – time.

But, the problem with employees spending more time in the office working is that they have less time available to take care of themselves and to take care of their personal errands and tasks.

While employers would like nothing more than to have their employees glued to their desks, focused on being productive, and working 100 percent of the time they are at work, it just isn’t always practical. Employees often are distracted by personal needs like filling a prescription, scheduling an oil change, or grocery shopping for an elder family member.

Fortunately for employers, corporate concierge services like VIP Concierge, headquartered in Sacramento, California offer corporate concierge programs to assist employees with their personal tasks so they can focus on work at work. Corporate concierge services are especially valuable for companies that bill by the hour, such as lawyers, accountants, architects, and other consultants – where time actually is money.

Here are just some of the corporate concierge services offered by VIP Concierge:

Personal Assistant Services
Errand running, picking up/dropping off prescriptions or dry cleaning, grocery shopping, reservations, personal shopping, travel arrangements, information research, appointment scheduling, car and home maintenance appointment coordination, elder care coordination, gift wrapping, etc.

Business Support Services
Basic administrative services, seminar and event planning, employee reward and recognition program management, office organization, courier services, proofing and editing, vendor referrals/liaison services, travel arrangements, client care program coordination, etc.

A successful workplace concierge helps keep employees’ errands and households in order Monday through Friday without taking them away from their desks and their clients. That means, a concierge service will not only help attract, acquire and retain top talent, but it will also lead to increased employee satisfaction, improved efficiency and productivity, and fierce loyalty in a competitive market.

Call VIP Concierge today at 916.847.7782 to learn how we can customize a personal on-site concierge program for you.

Do their employers know this is happening during work hours?
Of course! Their employers actually encourage it!

Sales manager Chad Russo is picking up his dry cleaning and movie tickets for a date. Receptionist Katrina Kearns is addressing wedding invitations. Customer Service Representative Jordan VanHorn is researching used pool tables for his new bachelor pad.

How can they be doing all of these things Monday through Friday, during normal business hours? It’s easy.

Benjamin, Marie, Sarah, Kenneth, Chad, Katrina, and Jordan all work for employers that provide on-site corporate concierge services for their employees. With a corporate concierge available, employees are able to delegate personal tasks that need to be completed during the week and stay focused on their job and their customers.

“It’s the little things that tend to cause workplace distractions and stress for employees,” says Phyllis Towles, owner of VIP Concierge. “They’re wondering when they’ll have time to take their car in for its pending service? How to find someone to fix their broken washing machine? What to get for their grandparents’ anniversary? Where they can get the one toy their son/daughter wants for their birthday… and, that’s where we come in.”

VIP Concierge offers a wide range of services that help employees achieve greater balance and experience less stress. Just some of the services offered by VIP Concierge include:

• Personal errand running and courier services
• Attending car or home maintenance appointments
• Researching, buying and wrapping gifts
• Reservations and travel planning
• Information, product, and service research
• Event planning

A concierge is a small investment for savvy employers who understand the value of human capital and happy, satisfied employees. Investing in an on-site concierge from VIP Concierge is an investment that makes employee recruitment and employee retention easier and helps employees achieve a more balanced blend of their personal and professional lives.

Call VIP Concierge today at 916.847.7782 to learn how we can customize a personal on-site concierge program for you.

If you work in corporate America, you probably handle quite a bit of personal tasks during work hours.

Don’t worry! We get it. Sometimes you have personal tasks that need to get done and the businesses and services you need are only open while you’re at work. Sometimes you don’t have time to handle them at night or on the weekend because you’re simple too busy. Sometimes those personal tasks feel like work and in your time off, you just want to relax and spend time with your family.

At VIP Concierge, we understand how valuable our clients’ time is to them and their families and friends. When we place an on-site concierge professional in your place of work, you can kiss the stressful juggling act of personal and professional tasks goodbye and say hello to a more relaxing and more productive workday!

Here are some examples of how you can utilize one of our concierge professionals:

Travel Arrangements:

• I need a flight to Dallas in three weeks for the weekend. Can you book me two direct round trip flights that leave around 8:00 pm? Also, can you find us a bed and breakfast within 25 miles of the airport?
• I’ll be in San Francisco on Saturday and I need dinner reservations. I’ll be near the ball park. Can you find us a seafood restaurant and make reservations for around 7:00 pm?
• I’m traveling on Wednesday and staying at the W Hotel. Can you schedule a wake up call for 5:30 am and have a taxi waiting at 6:30 am?

Information Research:

• I’m on I-80 around Roseville, can you find me the nearest coffee shop with free wifi?
• I want to buy the 1997 E350 Mercedes I test drove this weekend and the dealer wants $35,000 for it. Can you see what other dealers are selling the car for?
• I need to transition my mother into a senior care center. Can you help me find one that is within 15 miles of my house, offers both on-your-own and assisted living, and offers shuttle service?

Personal Arrangements:

• I need to work late tonight to prepare for a presentation and I am leaving for a business trip tomorrow. Can you pick up my dry cleaning for me?
• I am having a dinner party tonight and I need to pick up some groceries, but my boss just scheduled a conference call until 6:00 pm. Can you pick them up for me?
• It’s my anniversary tonight! Can you pick up one dozen red roses and a one pound box of truffles from Sees?

Call VIP Concierge today at 916.847.7782 to learn how we can customize an on-site corporate concierge program for you.

The problem is that many employers look to increase results and productivity by expecting employees to “put in more hours” and that isn’t the answer. More hours doesn’t always equal more work.

It’s a fact that more than 80 percent of employees spend time at work taking care of personal responsibilities and handling personal to-do list tasks.

That means employees are more than likely spending on-the-clock or billable hours on tasks like scheduling an oil change for their car, researching airfare and hotels for an upcoming vacation, or searching for just the right gift for an upcoming birthday.

The key to reduce employee stress, increase productivity, and build employee satisfaction, is to make them feel valued and respected, and to show them that their time is important.

An on-site corporate concierge from VIP Concierge is the perfect solution for businesses and corporations that understand the path to higher profits leads right to happy employees are committed to putting the employee first.

When corporations and businesses begin to view their employees’ happiness as an investment in their overall success, everyone wins. A concierge helps employees balance their professional and personal responsibilities and allows them to stay focused while in the office.

One recent study states the average employee in “Corporate America” spends up to 20 percent of their time at work taking care of personal tasks like filling a prescription, arranging child care, researching travel accommodations and airfare, scheduling oil changes and car maintenance, or even shopping for birthday gifts.

A concierge is the first step toward helping your employees achieve a healthy work-life balance and improved time management. At the same time, they can be completely present and focused while at work, which results in higher levels of productivity, reduced employee absenteeism, improved morale and retention, and increased satisfaction for both your employees and your clients and customers.

By investing in an on-site concierge, corporations and business provide employees the opportunity to delegate their personal errands to a high-level service professional and experience the peace of mind that comes with knowing their needs are being met and their tasks being completed.

This simple gesture shows employees that they are more than a “butt in the seat.” It shows employees that they are a respected part of the company and that their contributions are valued. It also shows employees that their time and personal life is important too, which is the ultimate achievement for the most successful “Employers of Choice.”

Call VIP Concierge today at 916.847.7782 to learn how we can customize an on-site corporate concierge program for you.

Employees may be working harder, but they aren’t always working smarter.

In fact, growing demands and increasing workloads are leading to overworked employees. Tired, stressed, overworked employees negatively affect customer experiences and have the potential to harm the business.

With the Internet, social networking, smart phones, laptop computers, and other mobile devices, employees are clocking more hours than ever before and often are checking and responding to email and managing work-related tasks in the evenings and on weekends.

But, while employees are working more, they are not necessarily achieving more.

Today’s employee’s are connected 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, and that connectivity is earning more resentment than gratitude from the employees who are affected. Job and career requirements and responsibilities are intruding on personal time more than ever and employees have had enough.

Studies have shown that approximately 40 percent of United States workers consider themselves to be overworked. In fact, 12 to 18 percent feel unable to use their vacation time because of their workload, and that is having a negative impact on the companies who employ them and the customers who interact with them.

The key to revolutionizing relationships between employers and employees is to recognize the connection between, employee satisfaction, customer loyalty, and higher profits. Partnering with a concierge service, like VIP Concierge in Sacramento, California is the perfect solution to reduce employee stress, increase productivity, and give them back their time off.

“Typically employees spend about 20 percent of their time at work handling personal responsibilities. But with a VIP Concierge on-site professional, employees can focus on their job because we help take care of their personal responsibilities,” says VIP concierge owner Phyllis Towles. “From errand services and personal shopping, to travel arrangements and reservations, to elder care assistance, we make employees’ lives easier by completing their personal to-do list for them.”

Achieving a balance between their work life and their personal life is the ultimate goal for today’s employees. More and more, it is the company that respects personal boundaries that acquires, attracts, and retains the best talent, over the company that offers the highest salary.

When it comes to their job, employees consider one thing more important more valuable than money, and that is time.

Partnering with a concierge shows employees that their time and contribution is valued and respected. It shows them the company cares about their family, their health, and their peace of mind. Providing employees with an on-site business concierge service is a benefit that will have an undeniably positive effect on a company’s brand, reputation, culture, and loyalty, which will in turn, positively affect the customer experience and ultimately, the bottom line.

Contact VIP Concierge at (916) 847-7782 or info@vipconcierge.com today for more information.

At VIP concierge, we understand that medical professionals give of themselves day in and day out to help their patients live long, happy, and healthy lives.

Unfortunately, we also understand that most doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals are so busy catering to others, that they rarely have time to spend on themselves.

Whether it is price shopping for a new car, finding a restaurant and coordinating reservations, picking up some items at the grocery store, or making travel arrangements, they lack the time most people have to take care of the needs that arise in their personal life.

Often times, doctors and nurses are trying desperately (and quickly) to attend to personal needs in between patient appointments and on breaks – when they have them. This leaves doctors and nurses frazzled and unfocused and results in rushed patient care that falls behind schedule.

At VIP Concierge, we know that stress is a major factor in doctor burn-out. We also know that the second biggest contributor is a lack of time to attend and manage the needs of their personal lives.

When hospitals and medical centers invest an on-site VIP concierge professional, they not only experience an increase in productivity, but they also increase their level of employee satisfaction and happiness, which translates directly to better patient care.

Hospitals and medical centers can help eliminate doctor burn-out by providing a personal concierge to doctors, nurses and other key staff members. A personal concierge will assist with their personal needs, eliminate stress about an errand they need to run or a personal task that just isn’t getting done, and give them the peace of mind required to focus on serving patients.

A partnership with VIP Concierge is the perfect way for hospitals and medical centers to show their doctors, nurses, and other valued staff that they are valued and appreciated. VIP concierge will help improve doctors’ work-life balance and at the same time, increase employee retention, increase productivity, and increase both employee and patient satisfaction.

Call VIP Concierge today at 916.847.7782 to learn how we can customize an on-site corporate concierge program for you.

Outside of the hotel industry, a concierge has also been defined as a person who has charge of the entrance of a building and is often the owner’s representative or an employee who screens visitors and accepts deliveries.

It is with this idea in mind, that corporate concierge services have claimed a vital place in the success of major corporations and successful businesses world-wide.

“Today’s, employees are stressed and unable to complete both their work tasks and personal tasks within their everyday time constraints. The result is unfocused, unhappy employees, which negatively impacts work productivity, increases employee turnover, and affects customer satisfaction,” states Phyllis Towles, owner of VIP Concierge, headquartered in Sacramento, California. “An on-site concierge is a natural fit for many different companies who want to build their brand reputation. Successful businesses that take care of their customers and their employees create fierce brand loyalty and are often considered to be the best places to work.”

Corporate concierge programs offer an efficient, cost-effective solution to employee and customer care by providing an on-site concierge to help alleviate the day-to-day pressures experienced by their employees.

An on-site concierge is perfect for companies like hospitals and medical centers, corporations, property managers, small businesses, building owners, and educational institutions. Just some of the services provided by a business concierge include:

• Errand running and personal shopping
• Home-based help for home and car care appointments
• Corporate support and information research
• Elder care support, errands, and appointment transportation
• Event planning and travel planning
• Appointment setting, research, referrals, and recommendations

Concierge service is a vital lifeline for employees balancing high-pressure careers with the responsibilities of personal life. On-site concierge programs can improve work/life balance, allowing employees to experience a less complicated workday and to fully enjoy their time off.

Achieving balance between work life and personal life is a leading factor in employee satisfaction and retention, which directly translates into higher profits and better customer experiences. More than an employee benefit, a concierge helps a company build loyalty in even the most competitive business climate.

Contact VIP Concierge at (916) 847-7782 or info@vipconcierge.com today for more information.

Common statistics show that personal tasks account for almost 20 percent of an employee’s time while on the job. The business market is competitive and that means professionals across the country are looking for tools and resources that empower them to do business better.

Traditionally, a concierge is associated only with elite hotels and the extremely wealthy, but corporate concierge companies are changing that perception.

“We offer a cost-effective solution and benefit for businesses by increasing employee satisfaction, productivity, and loyalty,” says Phyllis Towles owner of VIP Concierge headquartered in Sacramento, California.  “Our team of dedicated concierge professionals is available to not only help improve employees’ work/life balance but to position your company as one of the “Best Places to Work”!

In today’s fast-paced business world, executives, employees, and clients and customers are busy. They are expected to always be at their best, be everywhere at once, and sometimes, achieve the impossible. Often they have personal tasks that need to be completed and they simply don’t have time to do it all. That’s where a corporate concierge service steps in and provides an on-site assistant to help get the job done.

A professional corporate concierge can provide assistance with personal tasks and errands, including:

• Picking up dry cleaning, prescriptions, groceries
• Going to the DMV, getting a car serviced
• Waiting for the cable guy or carpet cleaner
• Coordinating transportation services that will take a senior family member to an appointment
• Making travel arrangements and reservations
• Implementing client and customer care programs

Loyal and productive employees have an undeniably positive effect on a company’s bottom line.

A corporate concierge service is the ultimate benchmark that takes a company, organization or association to the next level. It demonstrates a commitment to supporting and caring for employees. It shows they value human capital, value employees’ time, and value the contribution they make to the organization.

A concierge service will not only help attract, acquire and retain top talent, but will also lead to increased employee satisfaction, improved efficiency and productivity, and fierce loyalty in a competitive market.

Contact VIP Concierge at (916) 847-7782 or info@vipconcierge.com today for more information.