Concierge Service Research Articles

Adaptive dynamic programming approach to a multi-purpose location-based concierge service model

The multi-purpose location-based concierge service model is a new value-added service in the location-based service market, designed to provide the route and location of point-of-interests between an origin and destination with minimum total cost, including the purchasing and travel costs, in a multi-purpose shopping trip. Dynamic programming methods are developed to find the exact solutions for given problems. The dynamic programming decomposes complex problems into a sequential form that is easier to solve and the suggested adaptive method reduces the response time significantly. For a case in which multiple optional routes are preferable, a method that finds a second or third optimal solution is also introduced. These solution algorithms are implemented in the Chicago and Seoul metropolitan network. Test results show that the suggested algorithms can solve large size problems efficiently. The suggested methodology can be directly applied to the commercial-scale service model with a small number of shopping categories, and work as a benchmark for testing the accuracy of other heuristic algorithms for more shopping categories.

Nothing to Sell, Plenty to Offer

As a “lifestyle concierge service”, Ten Group’s approach to business is worlds apart from that currently inhabited by consumer goods manufacturers and retailers. Can we learn anything from it?

The Course Concierge service

AbstractA Course Concierge service helps students navigate a path through full classes and scheduling conflicts.

Concierge Club: Series a Round

Concierge Club is an early-stage company looking to raise $6 million of additional funding in a Series A financing in December 1999. Mary Naylor, the founder and CEO of Concierge Club, is a dynamic and energetic leader who has previously received backing from a Washington, D.C.-- based angel investor group. She established her business in 1987 as an on-site brick and mortar concierge service providing concierge services to commercial office buildings, residential buildings, and corporate headquarters. With the subsequent growth in on-line technology, Naylor is seeking funding in 1999 to become the first nationwide concierge service to offer full Internet capabilities to companies seeking to offer these services as a customer or employee benefit. The case includes materials from Concierge Club's business plan and pitch to investors, which allows students to assess the reasonableness for her forecasts, the level of competition, the adequacy of the $6 million in funding, and the value of the company. A key issue is whether the company can perform on the national level with a service based on exceptional local knowledge and assistance. The case is designed as a negotiation exercise in which teams of students are assigned to play the role of investor and entrepreneur (Naylor).

Transit Travel Time Forecasts for Location-based Queries: Implementation and Evaluation

Recently, the market for location-based services (LBS) has been rapidly expanding. As an LBS value-added service, a concierge service provides users with a minimum total cost route using multiple modes. One of the core features in a concierge service is a travel time forecast which undoubtedly affects decisions by users as to the selection of modes, routes, and time of travel. Multimodal travel time forecasts thus become an essential part of providing LBS. Many researchers have endeavored to develop reliable travel time forecasting models. Most of these studies, however, have shown general forecasting performances without carefully evaluating performances of models with actual time data. The aim of this paper is to implement a transit travel time forecasting model and evaluate the performance. The nonparametric regression model, developed in an earlier study has been implemented and evaluated using real-time transit data.

Heuristic Algorithm for Solving a Multimodal Location-Based Concierge Service Problem

As a location-based services problem, the concierge service problem is to find a minimum total cost for purchasing predetermined types and quantities of items with the shortest paths connecting the locations where the items are available. These locations are defined as points of interest (POIs). The total cost includes purchasing and stopping costs at POIs as well as the travel cost from origin to destination. To respond to a request for such a service, a search algorithm should be reasonably fast in computational time and high in accuracy. A heuristic search algorithm was developed by a Euclidean distance approach using a geographic information system. The algorithm was implemented with 1,248 POIs in the Seoul, South Korea, metropolitan area as a case study site. The road network is composed of 52,915 nodes and 77,339 links, and the existing subway network, and all existing bus routes were used for the implementation. Four scenarios were examined: a request for a service in peak and off-peak periods with and without turning restrictions. The results indicate that the computational time in each case is less than 4 s with the transit networks only and less than 30 s if the road network is used. The paper also evaluates the solutions generated from the algorithm.

Heuristic Algorithm for Solving a Multimodal Location-Based Concierge Service Problem

As a location-based services problem, the concierge service problem is to find a minimum total cost for purchasing predetermined types and quantities of items with the shortest paths connecting the locations where the items are available. These locations are defined as points of interest (POIs). The total cost includes purchasing and stopping costs at POIs as well as the travel cost from origin to destination. To respond to a request for such a service, a search algorithm should be reasonably fast in computational time and high in accuracy. A heuristic search algorithm was developed by a Euclidean distance approach using a geographic information system. The algorithm was implemented with 1,248 POIs in the Seoul, South Korea, metropolitan area as a case study site. The road network is composed of 52,915 nodes and 77,339 links, and the existing subway network, and all existing bus routes were used for the implementation. Four scenarios were examined: a request for a service in peak and off-peak periods with and without turning restrictions. The results indicate that the computational time in each case is less than 4 s with the transit networks only and less than 30 s if the road network is used. The paper also evaluates the solutions generated from the algorithm.

How Business Travelers Discriminate Between Mid-Priced and Luxury Hotels:

The purpose of this study was to determine which hotel characteristics differentiate between mid-priced and luxury properties from the viewpoint of the business traveler. This study is unique in that it uses a longitudinal sample of 1044 business travelers compiled from three independent annual surveys that used the same questions. Budget properties were not included because the sample was primarily composed of respondents who frequented mid-priced and luxury properties. To develop the dependent variables, respondents were assigned to either a group representing business travelers who frequented midpriced properties or a group representing business travelers who frequented luxury properties. The study's independent variables were 56 hotel characteristics. These included a variety of amenities, from personal-use items, to facilities and services, as well as other more subjective hotel characteristics, such as cleanliness, recommendations, and security. A discriminant analysis was performed to determine how these business lodging patrons discriminated between mid-priced and luxury properties based on the hotel characteristics they considered important in their hotel selection process. The findings indicated that low price, family restaurant, and pre-arranged check-in discriminated mid-priced properties from luxury properties. Bellman service, concierge service, gourmet restaurant, bathrobe, and hair dryer discriminated luxury hotel properties from mid-priced properties.

Expert-system technology for hotels: Concierce application

Concierge service at hotels can be augmented by installing an expert system, which makes use of artificial intelligence. Such a system can be a valuable supplement to human-concierge services and a...

Expert-System Technology for Hotels: Concierge Application

Concierge service at hotels can be augmented by installing an expert system, which makes use of artificial intelligence. Such a system can be a valuable supplement to human-concierge services and an improvement over existing commercial electronic-concierge systems. A multiunit firm can efficiently develop a generic expert-system concierge which in turn can be customized for use by individual properties. By using a hierarchically based development process, the firm controls the development costs. The system itself engages hotel guests in an on-screen dialogue to help them find information about hotel services and area attractions. For example, a guest wishing to dine out may be walked through the steps of choosing a preferred cuisine, indicating the amount to be spent, requesting a look at the menu, specifying a distance from the hotel, and asking for exact driving directions or the amount of cab fare. To demonstrate the feasibility of using commonly available technology to create such a system, the authors built a prototype.

Concierges in tower blocks: A strategy in the mediation of change

This paper discusses and evaluates the impact of the introduction of a concierge service into problematic tower blocks. The argument presented is that concierges have a particular significance in mediating design and management improvements in a time of change, and that one consequence of this has been to contribute to a more positive relationship between the housing organisation and tenants. The analysis is located within a wider discussion of the nature of caretaking, and makes detailed reference to one case study area. This case study demonstrates how concierges have used their unique position within the housing management service to develop a particular area of their work, the social and welfare role, and that this, together with their control over space, has been instrumental in situating them as mediators of change.

American concierges set service standards

Formerly a trendy amenity, concierge service has become an integral part of upscale hotel service. Not only that, other businesses are copying the idea to boost their own service standards

American concierges set Service Standards

American hotels originally installed concierge service to remain competitive in the 1980s' guest-amenity race. While recession halted the rapid growth in new concierge desks, many hotels have been loath to cut out their concierge service because concierges have proved their value to hotel guests. Indeed, guests expect hotels at a certain quality level to have a concierge. Concierges have professionalized their calling, through their association, Les Clefs d'Or, which now sponsors a certification process. Moreover, the concierge concept has been adopted by such other businesses as department stores and commercial real-estate concerns.

High Tech

This essay by travel-writer Paul Grimes chronicles his and others' not-so-good experiences with hotel technology and makes suggestions for providing guests with the comforts and conveniences they really want. For example, he questions the user-friendliness of video check-out systems, illustrates the inefficiency of most high-rise hotels' elevators with a couple examples, wonders about the placement of televisions and telephones, and bemoans the "amenities creep" that leaves no room on the bathroom counter (if there is one!) for one's personal toiletries. He discusses when it's inappropriate to apply high surcharges for pay TV, facsimiles, mini-bar "gratuities," and telephone calls. His suggestions for guest-service improvements include better room lighting, fog-free bathroom mirrors, swivel TVs, voice mail, functional desk space, a selection of newspapers, and, above all, good concierge service.

High tech: High touch or high anxiety?

This essay by travel-writer Paul Grimes chronicles his and others' not-so-good experiences with hotel technology and makes suggestions for providing guests with the comforts and conveniences they really want. For example, he questions the user-friendliness of video check-out systems, illustrates the inefficiency of most high-rise hotels' elevators with a couple examples, wonders about the placement of televisions and telephones, and bemoans the "amenities creep" that leaves no room on the bathroom counter (if there is one!) for one's personal toiletries. He discusses when it's inappropriate to apply high surcharges for pay TV, facsimiles, mini-bar "gratuities," and telephone calls. His suggestions for guest-service improvements include better room lighting, fog-free bathroom mirrors, swivel TVs, voice mail, functional desk space, a selection of newspapers, and, above all, good concierge service.