STEPHANIE HOO takes a look at some services that can help lighten your year-end load.
You need professional help for the holidays. Shopping help, luggage-carrying help, anything to lighten the load.
Even as we do more of everything online, there are times an extra pair of actual hands can help. Just witness the growth in everything from personal shoppers to dog walkers to spa services.
This holiday season, here are a few services to help get you through the year-end crunch, whether you need a porter to come to your house or just need advice picking out a TV.
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NO MORE LOST LUGGAGE
Luggage Forward will pick up your luggage at your home or office and deliver it to your destination before you even get there. No more checking bags at the airport, enduring security check-in and facing the risk of having your luggage lost and delivered three days late.
Luggage Forward will cost you, though. Think: hundreds of dollars. Prices vary widely based on destination and speed of delivery. A calculator on the home page offers instant estimates.
While the service may seem pricey for a regular vacation, it could prove handy if you're traveling with a lot of heavy sporting equipment -- and don't want to risk your mountain bike or surfboard getting placed on the wrong flight. Or if you're headed to a special event like a wedding.
"It's a door-to-door service," says Zeke Adkins, co-founder of the Boston-based company. Luggage can be delivered "to a hotel, cruise ship, golf course, ski resort, second home -- basically any physical address -- in the U.S. or more than 200 countries worldwide," he adds.
"And on the international side ... we take care of all the customs documentation and oversee the customs clearance process."
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PICKING A TELEVISION
Need a new TV but confused by all the newfangled choices? Panasonic is opening its "concierge service" -- normally offered just to Panasonic plasma TV owners -- to the general public until Dec. 31, at 1-888-777-7134.
"There's a lot of confusion out in the market," says Rudy Vidal, director of customer service at Panasonic. "It takes people an average of 15 hours online to research the purchase of a flat screen."
And the Internet can only go so far, Vidal says. "People go online, and in three seconds you could get three different opinions about the same problem or issue or concern," he says. Do you want to capture fast-action sports or are you struggling with a dimly lit room? "Very few Web sites have every possibility of your situation."
But surely Panasonic's service will simply steer you to a Panasonic, right?
Vidal says: No, not necessarily.
"We're trying to be very agnostic about talking about technology," he says. And once the technology questions are answered, "we hope that they choose a plasma from Panasonic if that's what's right for them."
asap compiled its own guide to television buying, from plasmas to LCDs to rear projection microdisplays, here.
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PERSONAL SHOPPERS
Personal shoppers aren't just for rich celebrities, says Linda Lee, group vice president for Macy's By Appointment.
"Whether you want one blouse to go with a pair of jeans or whether you want two gift items, we're the professionals," she says. "We know how much time that should take. We know the merchandise. We can get it for you quickly easily and efficiently."
Macy's is among the many department store chains offering free personal shopping. The goal is service, not steering you to the most expensive items, Lee says. "There is not a minimum purchase, either overt or implied."
Customers call the store ahead of time and stipulate what they need to buy, whether it's a great dress for a party or gifts for a list of people. The shopper then pulls an array of items in the target price range and the stated categories for the customer to peruse.
Need a different size? The shopper will bring it to you. Want to see a larger selection of grill pans? The shopper will get them.
Online is great, but "the benefit of this is that you have an exchange with someone," Lee says.
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Stephanie Hoo is asap's business writer.
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