She risks becoming one of the most famous faces and one of the most inescapable people of Istres: since December 15, Cynthia is in fact officially the concierge at the exclusive service of her fellow citizens.
A concierge ? Forget the cartoonish image of the concierge on the ground floor who observes all the comings and goings of the inhabitants of the building and peddles all their gossip. Forget also the luxury hotel concierge created to respond 24/7 to any whim of any star.
This municipal concierge would rather be a public service, both by its free admission and because anyone who is in the territory of Istres – merchant, resident, employee or even passing tourist – can in principle benefit from it.
The principle is simple and stems from an observation that many of us have already been confronted with:
during the opening hours of the stores you are yourselves at work and when you finally end your day, obviously, this is the time when the businesses are about to close, well from now on, it will not be necessary to juggling your schedule, picking up speed and struggling to find a parking space to finally arrive when the iron curtain drops under your nose.
Now, working from noon to 2 p.m., the concierge can welcome you during your lunch break – or take your phone call – you then entrust her with your wish to purchase and from 2 p.m., Cynthia contacts the appropriate merchant, passes him by your order, picks it up in the afternoon, if necessary, it even advances the payment and, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m., it waits at the concierge for you to come and collect your purchase and pay on the spot if you do not have not done so before.
Another example among many other possible cases: you are one of the people not at all comfortable with online commerce, but this time you need not a good but a service, for example the intervention of ‘a landscaper to “re-style” your garden which turned into an Amazon jungle during confinement: the reflex, go to the concierge, Cynthia then takes care of finding your craftsman-savior and, depending on her availability, it can even dispense you with a small remedial session so that online business has no more secrets for you.
The obvious goal – making life easier for both the inhabitants of the city and those who work there – is coupled with another interest, this time for the benefit of small traders. As we know, local shops have suffered for several years from competition from supermarkets located on the outskirts which contribute to making city centers bloodless, add to this all the pitfalls related to parking difficulties and you have an idea of the real route the fighter that buying in town has become. The concierge therefore provides an answer to all the constraints of “modern” urban life mentioned above.
And – this is what is called anticipating – while the project was born three years ago already, one could believe that it was implemented especially to allow the Istreans and their traders to face all restrictive health measures: confinement or curfew, which hinder the movement of consumers, up to the prohibition for stores to welcome customers.
Thus, alongside the drive and click & collect, the concierge offers businesses the possibility of not missing out on a sale. Istres businesses of course, the goal being to promote and regenerate a local business which, on a national level, comes out asphyxiated by the Covid 19 episode.
To know the range of services rendered by Cynthia, as well as all the practical advice, go to the concierge site (you will also find the list of partner shops and craftsmen there, a list that is still incomplete but which will grow gradually, professionals being invited to come forward to appear – free of charge – in the concierge directory, at the only condition of being established on the territory of the city of Istres)
Where when how ?
The concierge service is located in the premises of the new trade and crafts office located at 3, rue de la République, at the junction with allées Jean Jaurès and avenue Aristide Briand, in the heart of the shopping district and with facilities of parking in the surroundings.
It is open Tuesday to Friday from 12 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
You can contact her at 07 49 84 58 83 or by mail : [email protected]
Videos :
– Suzelle Ayot, Deputy Mayor for Trade and Crafts, details the process of creating the concierge, an interview preceded by an example illustrating the concierge’s activity.
– The quality of a concierge depends on the personality of the concierge, that’s what professionals in the sector repeat, listen to the interview with Cynthia Salaverri, the janitor of Istres and you will deduce that there was no casting error.
– Priscilla Cortes is the manager of a women’s ready-to-wear boutique in the city center of Istres, she settled at the worst time, in July, between the two confinements and in this leaden context, this young shopkeeper managed to keep afloat its activity, however considered non-essential. As soon as she was notified of the opening of the concierge, she rushed to register.
– Marianne Gay is the manager of a concierge company founded in Isère and originally devoted to companies only, it was she who won the call for tenders launched by the city of Istres, for her too, the creation a municipal concierge service is a first.
(images, editing and interviews! Michel Montagne / Maritima Médias)
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