Last November, Micah Bennett won the Innovator of the Year Award from the Think Dutchess Alliance for Business for his Poughkeepsie-based company Hudson Valley Concierge Service. But as Bennett recalled, the innovation for which he was honored had rather simple yet effective roots.
“I started in 2011 and I saw there was a need for working with seniors and busy individuals in my community in Highland, New York,” he said. “At that time, I was just cutting the grass, taking out the garbage, walking the dog ”” I really didn”™t know what to call these mundane tasks.
“And then for a job,” he continued. “I was working at the Marriott Residence Inn as a front desk rep. I knew that once the client walks through those double doors, you have 30 seconds to make them smile and give them the best experience. I said to myself, ”˜I think what I”™m doing is called a concierge service”™ ”” and that”™s where we started.”
Today, Hudson Valley Concierge Service has clients across Orange, Dutchess and Ulster counties. Bennett estimated that 60% of his clients are businesses and organizations and 40% are individuals, with services including personal and grocery shopping, house sitting, drug prescription deliveries, distribution of publications and flyers, and transportation to medical appointments, schools and airports.
Bennett has a six-person team for his business, and he pointed out that he was the youngest person in the company.
“I saw value of individuals that I could learn from,” he said. “I wanted to be around people who have a sponge mind and are willing to adjust, adapt and conform to the situation and know how to handle things presented in front of them. They don”™t always need me ”” individuals like that are hard to come by.”
But getting to that team was not easy ”” at one point, he had nine people and spent more time supervising his staff than handling other responsibilities.
“I felt like I was babysitting at that point when I had nine,” he lamented. “And I said, ”˜Why am I just hiring people?”™ So, I took my time and after probably going through 40 or 50 interviews I found the people that are on the team.”
The Covid-19 pandemic has proven to be a challenge for Bennett”™s business, and he estimated his peak of 300 clients has been “dialed down by 60%.” However, strong word of mouth has helped bring in new clients and many of those became clients after seeing Bennett”™s team in action.
“I can”™t tell you how many times I”™ve gotten a call from a senior housing complex where someone says, ”˜Do you guys drive to the airport? Because I liked how you guys handled Ms. Johnson and opened the door for her.”™”
Over the years, Bennett has discontinued several services, including moving and house cleaning, because they did not fit into his business plan of getting work done within a 45- to 60-minute time frame. As a result of this focus, his company limits its delivery and personal transportation offerings to a 20-mile radius, although he is willing to go the extra mile if clients call in advance for longer distance trips.
“If a client calls and says, ”˜Micah, I”™m in Albany and I need to get up to JFK,”™ as long as they agreed to the price, I”™m going to be right on time.”
