Gokis Kiosk Self-Service

Everyday errand service fosters work-life balance

Concierge services that promised to relieve overworked office drones from the hassles of picking up the dry cleaning, getting the car detailed and scoring choice concert tickets enjoyed a brief heyday during the height of the dot-com era, but most of these benefit vendors flamed out as quickly as their high-tech sponsors.

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But even as the high-tech driven labor market was peaking, an "everyday errands" service dubbed dock3 was founded in San Diego on the premise that employees could maintain higher productivity and a better work-life balance if their employer would take care of the laundry, car maintenance and similar chores for them.

Three years after its launch, dock3 is winning high praise from employers as diverse as Bristol Myers Squibb, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, National Geographic Magazine, Raytheon, Computer Associates, Perot Systems and the University of California San Diego.

dock3 serves some 30 employer locations with more than 100,000 employees, providing dry cleaning and shoe repair services, digital film processing, car cleaning, maintenance and repair services, and a shipping center combined with online sales from leading Internet retailers, according to company president/CEO Howard Katkov.

"This is a mass market concierge service. We concentrate on errands that everyday families do on a weekly basis. It's not dog walking at $40 an hour," Katkov explains. "Our objective is to beat the prices employees pay on the street for the services."

dock3 customers can also order and pay for discounted tickets to movie theaters, Broadway shows, plays and sporting events. The company has even created its own distribution network for DVD rentals and sales, allowing clients to order online and pickup their movie choice in 24 hours or less. Customer requests have also resulted in new teeth whitening services, Katkov reports.

The company is also working to introduce such personal services as haircuts and manicures in response to customer demand. All ordering and payment is conducted online, via the Internet, company intranets, and dock3-built kiosks.

"What dock3 does is allow you to take care of those things that you would normally do on the weekends and in the evenings. This saves time for employees, and helps build morale and appreciation for the employer," Katkov says. "Over 60% of our customers access dock3 services from home, after they put the kids to bed. Lots of eBay traders use our services to ship and receive their merchandise."

Turnkey solution

General Electric Aircraft Engines (GEAE) introduced the dock3 service to its headquarters in Evandale, Ohio, last summer, according to Cheryl Brantmeier, manager of recruitment and placement. Employee response has been very favorable, and GEAE is considering introducing the benefit to other locations following this year's pilot.

"dock3 came in with a great turnkey infrastructure that allows us to deliver these services quickly at a low cost. Having these services available helps employees maintain balance and productivity," Brantmeier explains.

dock3 installs a kiosk at each location that is staffed by the plan sponsor, and signs up local retailers and national business partners to provide services. Costs to the plan sponsor range from $25,000 to $50,000 per year, depending on the number of employees at the location.

"It's the little things that help you handle the errands everybody tries to run out and do during the day," says Brantmeier, who uses the service frequently. "Employee satisfaction and feedback about dock3 services has been very positive."

dock3 also works in partnership with Sodexo, a food service company that operates employee cafeterias, and hopes to introduce meal services that allow employees to pick up dinner from the kiosk on their way home. dock3 services help employers demonstrate their commitment to employee satisfaction, Katkov says.

"In a three-month period, our average utilization is 40% of the population, unique visitors," Katkov states. "It's very high utilization compared to other benefits." - C.G.

Posted by Craig at December 31, 2003 04:58 PM