Huffington Magazine Issue 20 | Page 73

HUFFINGTON 10.28.12 THE HELP COURTESY OF THE SPOT from a range of packages that might include shuttles to and from daycare and GPS monitored walks with a trained employee who has been through a criminal background check. NOT JUST THE 1% According to Melissa Hobley, a representative from the marketing firm Buyology, such extravagant offerings are a new expression of the American corporate tenet of customer service. As a result, she says, the concierge model is spreading upwards. Last spring, Lincoln, the luxury car division of Ford, paired with an international concierge association. To counteract the allure of the internet as an easy resource for people in the market for a car, Lincoln now has some of its employees trained by hotel concierges to offer a higher level of service. Virtual concierges are also on call 24 hours a day to offer online The storefront of The Spot, a pet concierge service that could cost from $400 to $1500 month.