AskJeeves - Over the phone in the UK.

[Brett_Tabke]

Interesting article on some of the changes as Ask Jeeves recently:

Ask Jeeves offers butler service over the phone [netimperative.info]

Question and answer search engine Ask Jeeves is looking for a new revenue boost from the offline world with the launch of a telephone concierge service this week in the UK.

The new offering, aimed at "cash-rich, time-poor" business people, will charge them a £299 annual subscription for access to 24-hour help with planning and booking DIY, travel, sports and other activities outside work.

[jeevesconcierge.co.uk...]

For an annual fee you will have a team of personal assistants at the end of the phone ready to help you. Additionally, your membership will give you access to an array of privileges and offers.

[Tor]

Excellent idea by Ask Jeeves! I`m sure that they will get plenty of subscribers to this service. Maybe I`ll be one of them as well? ;)

[Brett_Tabke]

You really have to go read their site to see what they are going to do. It's very creative and I can't recall this ever having been done before.

[Tor]

They have obviously invested a lot in developing this new service. It looks impressive and well researched. It even looks cheap to me with an annual fee of £299. I guess that they earn commissions from all of their suppliers as well.

[CuriousWeb]

I've just looked through the site and have to say that I think the idea is brilliant and will be very successful. £299/year is not a huge amount considering what you can gain from it...

[Dino_M]

Just me that thinks this is a complete rip-off then!

£299 so they can spend your money on their products (or their clients products) If they were to pay me £299 I still would think it was a rip off.

I wander who the companies are they will use, will they be the cheapest and the best quality or will they be the ones that jeeves makes the most dosh from?

[Dante_Maure]

This is a proven business model that's been around for years. Open any business or first class in-flight magazine and you'll see similar services advertised, since they are quite popular with executive travelers.

I would never have dreamed of a major search site making this offering, but it makes sense as it's a service completely in line with the AskJeeves brand and image.

Brand image aside though, I have to wonder whether their user demographic matches up with the type of people that traditionally pony up for such services.

[Brett_Tabke]

>but it makes sense as it's a service completely in line with the AskJeeves brand and image.

Too bad they couldn't call it "Net Butler" or something. It's like having a perm bell hop at your beck and call.

[Dante_Maure]

Too bad they couldn't call it "Net Butler" or something.

Too bad they don't have you on their brand development payroll. ;)

[Jon_King]

While it seems the vast majority of surfers are shopping price, I do enjoy watching where the "convenience web" is going! Are there spending stats for price vs. convenience shoppers?

[caine]

I think it is an excellant idea. Especially if you wish to spend your time making money rather than spending it, which can in some cases take just as long, especially if you are trying to find good service providers, such as plumbers, chippie's, plasterers, etc.

The question is, what level of protection are AJ offering by hooking oneself up to a service or a provider of a particular service from a quality point of view, are they verifying these services fit for their customers, somehow!

[Tor]

Has any of you British members tried this service so far?

[Tor]

Anyone?

[pendanticist]

I'm certainly not British, but I can offer some sketchy historically supportive data here.

When I lived in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania back in the late '70s there was a little known toll-free phone number one could call that did very much the same thing. Call in and ask anything you wanted and you got a precise answer within seconds.

As I recall it was either University of Pittsburgh or Carnegie-Mellon University.

Pendanticist.

[diggle]

"Call in and ask anything you wanted and you got a precise answer within seconds. "

That'll be the internet then...