A number validation label will be placed on the rear window of the vehicle, with a bar code which can be scanned by the authorities. The new plates will be fitted to the car by an accredited number plate manufacturer, and will be bolted on with tamper proof screws. The plates will incorporate an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, which apparently is designed to be read from no more than three metres away.

The new plates will be phased in over a two year period.

The “tamper proof” approach will, at least, reduce the problem of “number plate hijacking” where the hijackers swipe one of your plates while you’re parked somewhere, then chase after you waving the number plate as if it’s “fallen off”. When you stop to get your number plate back, your car gets hijacked. Road Safety Blog

There have been numerous setbacks in the process of getting the new number plate system implemented. The DA last year claimed that the way the RFID tag would be fitted to the new plates would violate the protocols laid down by the SABS, rendering any vehicle which used the new plates illegal. Wheels 24 – New GP number plates ‘illegal’

Many Wheels24 commenters were enthusiastically opposed to the new plates – some complained that drilling holes in a car was a sure way to reduce its value; others were concerned about the privacy and security issues involved – for instance, one commenter said “Imagine every criminal with access through a police buddy knowing you are not home. What an opportunity for house breaking!”

The new plates were supposed to have been officially introduced in January 2009, but in March it was announced that the implementation had yet to begin.

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Firstly, there is the ‘mystery shopper’ – someone employed by a market research company to make anonymous purchases from a client’s stores and report on the customer experience. They might be required to ask questions, or make a complaint, and provide feedback on what happened.

Another kind of professional shopper is the personal shopper, someone who helps a consumer by giving personalized advice. A personal shopper might assist the consumer to choose an appropriate outfit for a special occasion, or perform a colour analysis to help decide what colours look good on them.

If you’re changing careers, you might engage a personal shopper to help you choose a wardrobe suitable for your new position. The impact of appropriate clothing choices can be extremely powerful.

Finally, you can employ a personal shopper to reduce your workload. Having someone do your grocery shopping once or twice a week may seem like a luxury, but it can provide a high return for the small investment.

The biggest advantage is probably in the amount of time you can save. Of course, there’s the time you would spend running up and down the aisles of the supermarket. There’s also the travelling time, as well as the time spent waiting in the queue. But also think about the running cost of your car and the temptation to waste money on impulse purchases.

A shopping service can be very helpful when you are ill, or bedridden.

Personal shopping services may also offer assistance with gift buying, wrapping and delivery, as well as other chores like dry cleaning and laundry collection, document processing and so on.

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In modern times, the term usually refers to an hotel employee who attends to the special needs of guests. These might include making travel arrangements, recommending restaurants and nightclubs, procuring tickets to events or arranging spa treatments. In luxury hotels, the concierge is expected to be able to deal with any request, no matter how bizarre.

The saying among concierges is, “The answer is yes. Now, what’s the question?”.

Among the more unusual requests brought to light in a survey were a copy of the New York Times dated September 17 1957, 300km of barbed wire and an ostrich incubator.

But concierge services are also available outside the confines of upmarket hotels. Personal and corporate concierge services are becoming more and more popular, as people find their time becoming more precious. These services can help their clients who need “just a few more hours in the day”.

With services like errand running, document collection and processing and grocery shopping, local concierge services can easily be more cost-effective than having highly paid executives queueing for their own laundry.

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Any grocery shopping service will need you to provide them with a shopping list. Some services provide you with a list of standard items, where you simply check off the ones you need. Others prefer you to create your own list. This should be easy to do. Bear in mind that most services will charge you a little more if they need to go to more than one shop to fill your order.

You would simply email your completed ist to the shopping service, and specify your delivery address and a delivery time. You might want your groceries delivered to your office, or it might suit you to have them delivered to your home –
after-hours delivery might be subject to an extra charge, of course.

Make sure that your list is specific about any special dietary requirements you have, and include preferred manufacturers and alternatives if necessary. You should include your phone number in case there are any problems with your order, or with delivery.

Some grocery shopping services will charge you a flat rate for shopping and delivery, while others will charge a minimum amount plus a percentage of the grocery bill. The service will generally give you the till slip and their invoice, so that you can see exactly what you are paying for. If you decide to use a service regularly, you may be able to open an account, and perhaps get a lower rate.

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Using an errand running service will certainly help with your time management. Businesses rely on outsourced services for tasks which do not fall within the core competency of the business. There is no reason why you shouldn’t do the same.

If you can save an hour a day by having someone else pick up the groceries, and you can use the saved time productively, it makes sense to do so. Using an errand service to free up your time will also help you to achieve a balance between your work life and your social life. Additionally, you will find that your stress levels are reduced.

The feeling that there is not enough time to do all the tasks you need to do increases your stress levels. One way to get more done is by using an errand service. For example, a task which creates a great deal of stress is waiting in line to renew your vehicle licence. Queues are an inevitable part of shopping, banking and permit and licence renewal, and they can often be avoided by outsourcing.

If you work out the cost of performing petty errands yourself, you might find that they cost much more than you expect. Obviously a major part of the expense is your time. If you work out your hourly rate, whether it be from salary, commission or client billing, you can see that paying someone a portion of that rate could free you up to perform productive work, or simply spend more time with your family. If you earn R200 an hour, it makes sense to pay someone R25 an hour to mow your lawn, stand in queues or pick up the laundry. The other factor to consider is the cost of transport. Petrol is expensive, and so is the cost of wear and tear on your vehicle.

You can see that there are some really good reasons to consider using an outsourced service to run petty errands on your behalf. It’s certainly worth a few minutes of your time to find out how much it would cost, and compare that cost with the amount of productive time you could save, the amount of stress you could avoid and the cost of doing everything yourself.

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Errand services are a largely overlooked employee benefit.. And what’s more, the provision of errand services can have a significant effect on employee productivity. 

Studies have shown that most employees with an Internet connection spend at least 1 to 2 hours a week on non-work related tasks – paying bills, licence renewals, buying groceries and so on.

An errand service can improve worker productivity by eliminating many of these petty distractions. People are able to concentrate better when they’re not constantly juggling the little things that can eat up their time.

Happy employees are able to provide better service to clients. An errand service can change the way employees view the workplace, and can have a positive impact on employee satisfaction and retention.

Petty Erands provides errand, delivery and collection services which will fit in perfectly with your business.  Contact us for a free consultation!

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