by Bailey White
Staff Writer
Prudential Network Reality hopes its recent partnership with Jacksonville Concierge Services will provide prospective customers with an incentive to use the company for future real estate services.
Clients will now have access to a full range of concierge-provided services, including the set-up of utilities, the start of newspaper and cable subscriptions, and arranging meetings with home service providers.
“We’ll help with referrals to local service providers for all kinds of things,” said Dru Jensen-Jones, president of Jacksonville Concierge Services. “The fun part is that we’ll be able to provide access to restaurant recommendations and reservations, golf tee times and theater tickets. We want to help people get acclimated to their new area in a seamless manner.”
Nancy Massengill, director of relocation at Prudential, said the idea is based on the traditional services real estate companies supply to clients.
“We’ll be doing the customary things like turning on utilities and minor construction repairs, but this goes a step further,” she said, adding that real estate firms across the country have attempted similar partnerships.
“Other companies have failed because they were using national concierge companies, but it will mean a lot more to be able to provide more personal service,” she said.
Massengill said the success lies in having a local concierge service on retainer, giving customers easy access to the service via the Prudential website and a separate phone line to JCS for Prudential clients.
“We think it’s going to be a super venue for Prudential and we hope it’s equally good for Dru and Jacksonville Concierge Services,” she said.
Massengill also thinks corporations will appreciate being able to offer employees extra benefits.
“A lot of corporations we deal with don’t have any way to retain current employees,” she said. “This is something besides vacation and health plans.”
Prudential employees already have access to JCS services, with great results, according to Massengill.
“Everyone who has worked with Dru has been extremely pleased,” she said.
Jacksonville Concierge Services currently staffs concierge desks at Berkman Plaza, the Villas at Marsh Landing, the Grand Reserve at Windsor Park and the University Club.
“It’s been very exciting,” Jenson-Jones said of her expanding business.
She began conceptualizing ideas for her business when the technical consulting company she worked for closed its local office.
“In thinking about my next adventure I realized there must be a need for more personalized services,” she said. “In my research and development I realized there are these types of businesses all over the country and it made sense to have one here.”
Jensen-Jones, who was raised in Jacksonville, said it has been exciting to witness the growth of the city.
“It’s great to see Jacksonville growing,” she said. “We’re in this transition period and people think the idea [for concierge services] is cosmopolitan, but I think Jacksonville is ready.”
Jensen-Jones employees eight employees, and she’s anticipating growth as her company expands. Her staff will be trained in all the aspects of the business.
“It’s important that as we develop as a team we’ll be developing within different properties so that everyone is on the same page as to how we’re operating so our clients can benefit from all the services we offer,” she said.
Her Jacksonville connections have made it easy to put together a group of quality service providers.
“Dru has done a wonderful job of putting together a group of vendors,” said Massengill. “She’s made sure they have the quality of service we like to provide at Prudential.”
“We look for people who are as committed as we are to quality and customer service,” said Jensen-Jones, adding that she hopes to benefit her vendors as well. “It’s great to be able to partner with them to help them grow their businesses.”