Since the implementation of the "prohibition of alcohol", driving is hot. The reporter found that since the beginning of this year, errands companies have also launched driving services to share the food market. It is understood that the charge for running errands is similar to that of special driving companies, and some are slightly higher than those of driving companies, mainly engaged in the business of regular customers. The relevant person in charge of "Ant Running Legs" revealed that driving has occupied a large part of their business.
"We recently added the service of' replacing traffic jams'." Miao Honghong, the person in charge of running errands in the new city, said that this is an "upgraded version" of the driving service, which is quite popular in traffic jams. The day before yesterday, one of their old customers had to arrive at the Overseas Chinese Hotel before 5: 30 pm to entertain the distinguished guests. As a result, the car drove to Liming West Road, and the traffic jam could not move, so they called them "traffic jam". The employees of the errand company drive motorcycles to "rescue" the traffic jam owners and drive them to the designated place according to the requirements of the owners.
In addition to blocking traffic on behalf of others, "fresh work" such as publicity and research on behalf of others is also the business scope of errands companies. Miao Honghong said that during the World Expo last year, they received the job of erecting billboards in the Expo site. Company employees went to 10 people, including round-trip travel and accommodation, and the commission for one day was in 300 yuan. The task is to erect billboards in the Expo site. There are also female customers who ask the errand company to go to the scene to confirm whether her husband is really socializing with customers. Business such as buying midnight snacks and diapers for babies is often received, as long as it is within the scope of not breaking the law.
Someone is chatting and singing with running friends.
"I made a girl' apologize' three times and sent different flowers each time." Mr. Ye, the person in charge of "Running Legs in Timely Rain", told reporters that it is very familiar for him to apologize for others. Some men and women apologize in anger, some friends fight and apologize, and some are in debt. "In order to be fresher, someone invited me to eat and chat, someone asked me to sing, and someone asked' running errands' to follow the bag as a bodyguard."
Miss Zhang, who is shy, has been working in Wenzhou for several years from other places, but she usually has no friends. Once she saw the advertisement of the errand company, she tried to get people from the errand company to have dinner and chat together. I didn't expect the other party to really agree. "Don't worry so much about chatting with strangers. Venting is decompression. "
"There are many things to eat and chat with you, and there are also people who ask to go shopping with you." Mr. Ye said that from time to time, some lonely guests asked to chat with them. On one occasion, they met a guest who was tone-deaf, eager to sing in front of others but afraid to sing, so they called the errand company to ask for accompaniment. Another girl who lives in the Central Mansion asked to accompany her to carry shopping bags. "After visiting Yintai, Le Jia, Lizi Huadu, Kaitai and Wuma Street all morning, I spent more than 30,000 yuan on clothes and was responsible for taking her' trophy'."
The way of running errands company
The way of management, one must be willing to bear hardships, and the other must be responsible. The fifth generation manager of Hangzhou errands said that as the first errand company in Hangzhou, Manager Wang and her company didn't have a big facade. A spacious office, two computers and several hotlines became her venture capital.
"At that time, I never thought about how much money I could earn. I just heard that two college students in Qingdao started an errand company. I feel very fresh and want to do one myself. " It is out of such curiosity that Manager Wang and her company received the first business. "The company was established in June 2005 at 5438+065438+ 10. The first business we received was to help a pregnant woman who lives in Huanglong Yayuan, Hangzhou register at the maternity hospital. " Because the company has just been established, manager Wang and her employees are inexperienced. "We went to the hospital for consultation at three o'clock in the morning, and then went to the pregnant woman's house to get medical records and medical insurance cards. We always run back and forth three or four times. It was winter and the wind was blowing ... "Manager Wang just shook his head and didn't go on. I'm afraid only she can understand the hardships. "Finally, the first deal was made, and finally the lady posted us a little more money. She said at the time that you were really hard and not easy. " Manager Wang said with a smile. Perhaps the first business was to help register, and now the fifth generation business accounts for half of the total odd number, nearly 60 orders a day. "Now there are two drawers of medical records in my office, many of which are old customers," said Manager Wang proudly. These medical records are proof of her and her company's performance. ?
"If you spend money to buy time, this market will definitely grow bigger and bigger. Nowadays, most of our customers are middle-income and high-income customers, but recently many people like children and the elderly have called us for help. I think I will stick to it and strive to be bigger and stronger. " Manager Wang said that her company is going to build a service platform online, and some rules and regulations have been formulated within the company to improve the professional quality of employees. "Keep time for yourself and leave errands for five generations." Now even buying a box of paper towels and helping children buy a box of silkworm babies has become the company's business. "I am very happy whenever I think of us." Manager Wang is somewhat helpless, but the increase in business is still the biggest affirmation for them.
Since the establishment of the fifth generation company, errands companies have opened all over Hang Cheng in a short time. For example, "Fast Horse Company" is one of them. Mr. Liu, the person in charge, said: "We are based on the word' fast'. If we promise to deliver it within one and a half hours in the city, it will be faster than the courier company. " Mr. Liu said that more and more people are looking for them to run errands, and sometimes they have to give up some business because of lack of energy. Kuaima also operates other projects such as web design, and only takes running errands as their 1/3 business.
Lazy economy
Facing the booming market, the prospects of Hangzhou errands companies such as "Five Dynasties" and "Fast Horse" are also optimistic. Taking the road of specialization is a direction of their development. So what makes Hang Cheng's "spending money to buy time" business so easy to do? Some people are even willing to pay 20 yuan for a pack of paper towels to invite people to "run". A customer who lives in Hangzhou Cuiyuan Community said that on such a hot day, it is still necessary to take a taxi when going out to do business. If you find an errand company to travel, it costs only 20 yuan, which is much cheaper than taking a taxi.
About 80% customers of Hangzhou errands company are middle-and high-income white-collar workers. Zheng Xiao, an employee of Five Generation Running Legs Company, said that many of the guests he contacted were bosses. Because of his busy work, he seldom has time to do trivial things in person, such as sending flowers to buy food and so on. ?
Dr. Jin Xiaohong, a sociologist at Huazhong Normal University, said that the rise of errand companies was further catalyzed by the "lazy economy" in today's society. "This is the inevitable result of the increasingly refined modern socialized division of labor and the highly developed mass service industry." She said.
Jin Xiaohong said that in western society, most people have fixed private accountants and doctors. People no longer need to spend more time calculating trivial things, but can make time to do other things they want to do. In London, there are only 65,438+00% industries, mainly the tertiary industry, and the social division of labor is extremely detailed. In Asia, although Japan and South Korea are relatively traditional countries, they are also moving towards the model of western society. Jin Xiaohong believes that modern people's psychological space is relatively narrow, and they have no energy and time to plan some complicated things. The errand company enables consumers to expand their psychological space through other people's behavior and obtain a kind of psychological satisfaction.
Did the "lazy economy" give birth to the "errand company" or did the "errand company" stimulate the "lazy economy" This problem, like the proposition that "eggs give birth to chickens and chickens give birth to eggs", has aroused widespread concern. Zhang Baixing, executive director of Zhejiang Management Research Association, said that he would rather call this new economic phenomenon "errand economy" than use the word "lazy economy". "From the national situation, Zhejiang Province is undoubtedly in a leading position in the development of the' errand economy'. Take Hangzhou as an example. The number and business volume of errands companies in this city are among the best in the country. This is related to the per capita consumption level and economic development level of this city, especially the development level of the tertiary industry. Zhejiang has a solid economic foundation, and its residents' income level ranks among the top in the country, especially in Hangzhou, the provincial capital. Because ordinary people have money in their pockets, they can afford it and are willing to spend it. Therefore, in the face of the emerging errands and hot weather, they are naturally willing to use money to buy convenience. " When Hang Cheng's "running errands" economy exploded, Zhang Bai said: "The heat and high temperature made people give up many thoughts of traveling. Compared with exposure in the hot sun, more and more people begin to choose money to buy convenience and comfort. This is the direct cause of the business explosion of the errand company. "
Public opinion; popular will
With the progress of society, people's income level is constantly improving, which also promotes the further refinement of social division of labor and the rise of service industry.
Especially with the rise of "lazy economy", more and more things don't need to be done by yourself. There used to be "fool" cameras and automatic cars, but now there are online shopping; From the popularity of door-to-door delivery to the popularity of errands companies, will people's mobility and communication skills begin to deteriorate?
Zhu Xiao, a student of a national key university in Zhejiang, said that if people blindly ask others to help them, even if they have more money, they can't make up for the adverse effects of lack of social life and physical exercise. She said: "I don't take a bus to work, I take an office. There are so many errands companies now that I hardly have to do anything myself. In this way, people will inevitably have a dependence. "
"At present, we cannot accurately count the number of so-called errands companies." Zhang Baixing, executive director of Zhejiang Management Research Association, said, "Are those small restaurants that deliver food to your door considered as' running errands'? Are logistics companies like ZJS also "running errands"? Therefore, the errand company has unconsciously penetrated into all aspects of our lives. "
In Zhang Baixing's view, the emergence of "lazy economy" is a good thing with more advantages than disadvantages, and it is the necessity of social development. "I don't agree that its development will make us human beings degenerate because it is the product of human wisdom. In other words, the smarter people know how to be lazy, which in turn can promote the progress of our society. The emergence of the' errand economy' is a phenomenon that conforms to the historical trend, an inevitable trend of economic development and an inevitable trend of the development of human society. " He said.
Jin Xiaohong, a sociologist at Huazhong Normal University, believes that the emergence of errands companies is a manifestation of a fast-paced and efficient lifestyle replacing traditional social ways. "For people themselves, this is neither retrogression nor progress."
"Phenomenologically speaking, the errand company can be said to be a low-cost new occupation. If their services are recognized by the society and bear certain legal responsibilities as legal persons, people will be willing to spend money to buy time, thus having greater enthusiasm for work and maintaining a happy mood. " Jin Xiaohong said.