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40-487: The MVNO targeted individuals who desired a mobile phone with unlimited calling, plus an included concierge service. The initiation fee was $ 500, with a recurring $ 200 monthly charge (excluding tax). Included was a free customized Voce handset with damage insurance, free trade-in replacements every twelve months, and free accessories, unlimited domestic calling and roaming, unlimited directory assistance , SMS , and WAP , personalized setup and training, and unlimited access to

80-584: A personal assistant (PA) or administrative assistant , can have many administrative duties. The title "secretary," with its root meaning of "keeper of secrets," is not used as often as in decades past, and responsibilities have evolved in response to the technological age. The duties may vary according to the nature and size of the company or organization, and might include managing budgets, bookkeeping, attending telephone calls, handling visitors, maintaining websites, travel arrangements, event planning , and preparing expense reports. Secretaries might also manage all

120-677: A secretary or a personal assistant. In hospitals, concierge services are becoming increasingly available. A hospital concierge provides similar services to those of a hotel concierge, but serves patients and employees as well. This helps hospital employees who work long shifts and helps to provide work–life balance. There are numerous independent personal concierge companies that provide errand services and information services for their members. Services include informational requests, setting dinner reservations, making telephone calls, researching travel arrangements and more. Typically, concierge companies will bill on an hourly rate, and depending upon

160-485: A security guard over the late night shift . In medieval times, the concierge was an officer of the king who was charged with executing justice, with the help of his bailiffs . Later on in the 18th century, the concierge was a high official of the kingdom, appointed by the king to maintain order and oversee the police and prisoner records. In 19th-century and early 20th-century apartment buildings, particularly in Paris ,

200-726: A concierge for travel assistance, technical support, and other services. The original plan was for a $ 1500 sign up fee and $ 500 monthly charge, but with new handsets every four months. Handsets available were the Motorola KRZR , Nokia E61i , Nokia N95 , LG Prada , Nokia 8600 Luna , Sony Ericsson W880i . Voce was available in Arizona , California , Florida , Nevada , New Jersey , and New York . Controversy arose in January 2008, when many Voce clients were double billed on their last statements. Following this, on February 1, 2008, cell phone service

240-527: A general officer or flag officer himself/herself, typically at the 1-star or 2-star level, but he or she should not be confused with the 4-star officers holding the title of Chief of Staff of the Army or Chief of Staff of the Air Force . In the late 19th century, the invention of the typewriter provided many new job openings in business and government for women and men. At Chicago's Metropolitan Business College in

280-418: A higher degree of business acumen, be able to manage projects, as well as have the ability to influence others on behalf of the executive. In the past, executive assistants were required to have a high school diploma only, but increasingly jobs are requiring a bachelor's degree of any field of study or when complying with educational requirements within their given industry, may require specialized knowledge in

320-438: A management assistant) differs a great deal from that of an administrative assistant. In many organizations, an executive assistant is a high-ranking position in the administrative hierarchy. Executive assistants work for a company officer or executive (at both private and public company institutions), and possess the authority to make crucial decisions affecting the direction of such organizations. As such, executive assistants play

360-542: A role in decision-making and policy setting. The executive assistant performs the usual roles of managing correspondence, preparing research, and communication, often with one or more administrative assistants or scheduling assistants who report to him or her. The executive assistant also acts as the "gatekeeper", understanding in varying degree the requirements of the executive, and with an ability through this understanding to decide which scheduled events, meetings, teleconferences, or e-mails are most appropriate for allocation of

400-651: A service by financial institutions to their most valuable clients as way of retaining and attracting clients. Lifestyle and travel concierge companies often offer their service as a white-label or semi-branded product on a business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) basis. Banks who currently offer concierge services to clients include Coutts , China Merchants Bank , RBC , and HSBC . Airport concierge services help travellers make it through security, customs, and immigration faster, and provide lounge access. The owners and operators of concierge, lifestyle management, and errand service businesses are supported and advocated by

440-449: A specific fields of study through a bachelor's degree pertinent to the employer's industry or division's role within the organization. In the U.S. Department of Defense , the title of military assistant (MA) or executive assistant (EA) is typically held by Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps colonels , lieutenant colonels , and senior majors and Navy captains , commanders and senior lieutenant commanders who are in direct support of

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480-496: Is a contraction of comte des cierges ("count of candles"), a servant responsible for maintaining the lighting and cleanliness of medieval palaces. Secretary A secretary , administrative assistant , executive assistant , personal secretary , or other similar titles is an individual whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management , program evaluation , communication, and/or organizational skills within

520-477: Is also regarded as an "office manager". Today, many secretaries also conduct research, briefings, write memoranda , content writing , handle project management , program evaluation , stakeholder management , customer service duties, devise and maintain office systems including data management and filing, carry out background research and present findings, produce documents like white papers and gray literature , carry out specific projects, take on some of

560-425: Is an employee of a multi-tenant building, such as a hotel or apartment building, who receives guests. The concept has been applied more generally to other hospitality settings and to personal concierges who manage the errands of private clients. The concierge serves guests of an apartment building, hotel, or office building with duties similar to those of a receptionist . The position can also be maintained by

600-560: Is known as the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP). The organization developed the first standardized test for office workers called the Certified Professional Secretaries Examination (CPS). It was first administered in 1951. By the mid-20th century the need for secretaries was great and offices and organizations featured large secretarial pools . In some cases

640-508: The Secretary of Defense , Deputy Secretary of Defense and other civilian defense officials down to the level of a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense , as well as general officers or flag officers . The Secretary of Defense also has a lieutenant general or vice admiral as his/her senior military assistant. Like their civilian counterparts, EAs are also a resource in decision-making, policy setting, and will have leadership oversight of

680-478: The typewriter , more women began to enter the field and during the upcoming years, especially since World War I , the role of secretary has been primarily associated with women. By the 1930s, fewer men were entering the field of secretaries. In an effort to promote professionalism among United States secretaries, the National Secretaries Association was created in 1942. Today, this organization

720-412: The 1892-1893 were female; in the shorthand and typing courses, however, 90 percent of the students were female. For most of the 20th century, women with shorthand or typing skills could get secretarial jobs without further education beyond high school. The role of secretary emerged from European church and state bureaucracies as aspects of the role of chancellor became distinct, and encompassed managing

760-492: The National Secretaries Association, C. King Woodbridge, president of Dictaphone Corporation, and American businessman Harry F. Klemfuss created a special Secretary's Day holiday, to recognize the hard work of the staff in the office. The holiday caught on, and during the fourth week of April is now celebrated in offices all over the world. It has been renamed " Administrative Professional's Week " to highlight

800-400: The administrative details of running a high-level conference or meeting and be responsible for arranging the catering for a lunch meeting. Often executives will ask their assistant to take the minutes at meetings and prepare meeting documents for review. In addition to the minutes, the secretary may be responsible for keeping all of the official records of a company or organization. A secretary

840-427: The area of administration . There is a diverse array of work experiences attainable within the administrative support field, ranging between internship , entry-level , associate, junior, mid-senior, and senior level pay bands with positions in nearly every industry, especially among white-collar careers . The functions of a personal assistant may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for

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880-468: The benefit of more than one. In other situations, a secretary is an officer of a society or organization who deals with correspondence, admits new members, and organizes official meetings and events. But this role should not be confused with the role of an executive secretary , cabinet secretary such as cabinet members who hold the title of "secretary", or company secretary , all which differ from an administrative assistant. A secretary, also known as

920-561: The company abruptly went out of business. RCR Wireless News reports that, the former COO, Roy Kosuge, discovered that he'd been fired when his phone line was disconnected, he told the Los Angeles Times. This article about a telecommunications corporation or company in the United States is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Concierge A concierge ( French pronunciation: [kɔ̃sjɛʁʒ] )

960-424: The concierge was known as a "Suisse", as the post was often filled by Swiss people. They often had a small apartment on the ground floor, called loge , and were able to monitor all comings and goings. However, such settings are now extremely rare; most concierges in small or middle-sized buildings have been replaced by the part-time services of door-staff . Some larger apartment buildings or groups of buildings retain

1000-463: The context or for relatively modest positions such as administrative assistant of the officer(s) in charge, either individually or as member of a secretariat. As such less influential posts became more feminine and common with the multiplication of bureaucracies in the public and private sectors, new words were also coined to describe them, such as personal assistant. In the 1840s and 1850s commercial schools were emerging to train male and female students

1040-602: The demand was great enough to spur secretaries being recruited from overseas; in particular, there was often a steady demand for young British women to come to the U.S. and fill temporary or permanent secretarial positions. Several organizations were created to assist secretaries from foreign lands, including the Society of International Secretaries and the Association of British Secretaries in America . In 1952 Mary Barrett, president of

1080-451: The entire military and civilian staff supporting the civilian official, general officer, or flag officer. EAs are often interchangeable with other senior military officers of equivalent rank holding the title of chief of staff in other service organizations headed by a flag officer or general officer. In the case of unified combatant commands and service major commands, the Chief of Staff is often

1120-437: The executive's time. An executive assistant may, from time to time, act as proxy for the executives, representing him/her/them in meetings or communications and project managing the production of reports or other deliverables in the absence of the executive. An executive assistant differs from an administrative assistant (a job which is often part of the career path of an executive assistant) in that they are expected to possess

1160-406: The increased responsibility of today's secretary and other administrative workers, and to avoid embarrassment to those who believe that "secretary" refers only to women or to unskilled workers. In the 20th century, with the spread of the typewriter, shorthand saw competition from steno-typing. Typing thus became the prerogative of women, widows or relatively well-educated young girls, originally from

1200-490: The key person for all administrative tasks, and often referred to as the "gate keeper". Other titles describing jobs similar to or overlapping those of the traditional secretary are Office Coordinator, Executive Assistant, Office Manager and Administrative Professional. This should be distinguished from the company secretary , a senior role within a company responsible for compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements. The work of an executive assistant (sometimes called

1240-405: The manager's responsibilities, get involved in decision-making processes, handle public relations tasks, and/or logistics and procurement along with a wide range of other duties related to their specific industry. In a business, many job descriptions overlap. However, while administrative assistant is a generic term, not necessarily implying directly working for a superior, a secretary is usually

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1280-544: The middle class or the petty bourgeoisie, then from working-class backgrounds with the rise of the profession between the two world wars, which saw the women seize these innovations. Until recent years, the profession of secretary in the original sense was often subject, in the collective imagination, to stereotypes and pejorative connotations. Indeed, secretarial work was easily associated with low-value, thankless, and badly paid tasks, such as serving coffee to superiors, making photocopies or filing menial documents. In addition,

1320-634: The non-profit International Concierge and Lifestyle Management Association (ICLMA) and the National Concierge Association. The French word concierge is likely derived from the Old French cumcerges , itself related to the Medieval Latin consergius or the Latin conservus ("fellow slave"). Another possibility, suggested by French authors as early as the 19th century, is that "concierge"

1360-458: The passive participle ( secretum ) meaning "having been set apart", with the eventual connotation of something private or confidential, as with the English word secret. A secretarius was a person, therefore, overseeing business confidentially, usually for a powerful individual (a king, pope, etc.). As the duties of a modern secretary often still include the handling of confidential information,

1400-445: The profession was once exercised almost exclusively by women and considered a pink-collar job in previous decades, but in the 21st century many employers began re-classifying many entry-level positions, including white-collar jobs historically held by men in decades past, as secretary, administrative assistant, or program assistant roles. The term is derived from the Latin word secernere , "to distinguish" or "to set apart",

1440-407: The skills needed to work in a clerical position. In 1870, Sir Isaac Pitman founded a school where students could qualify as shorthand writers to "professional and commercial men". Originally, this school was only for male students. In 1871, there were more than 150 such schools operating in the United States, a number that grew to as many as 500 by the 1890s. In the 1880s, with the invention of

1480-569: The type of task, fees can vary drastically. Other companies bill a flat monthly fee based upon the number of requests a member is allowed to place each month. In the United Kingdom, since the year 2000 and as of 2010, concierge has become a key marketing and loyalty tool in the banking sector and offered as a benefit on luxury credit cards . This service offering is also known as lifestyle management. Concierges also entertain their clients. Additionally, concierge services are now frequently offered as

1520-415: The use of concierges. The concierge may, for instance, keep the mail of absented dwellers, be entrusted with the apartment keys to deal with emergencies when residents are absent, provide information to residents and guests, provide access control, enforce rules, and act as a go-between for residents and management when management is not on-site. A modern concierge may also serve as a lifestyle manager, like

1560-552: The work of a number of clerks gathered in the chancery . From the Renaissance until the late 19th century, men involved in the daily correspondence and the activities of the powerful had assumed the title of secretary. With time, like many titles, the term was applied to more and varied functions, leading to compound titles to specify various secretarial work better, like general secretary or financial secretary . Just "secretary" remained in use either as an abbreviation when clear in

1600-698: Was disconnected. Voce has never provided an official statement to its customers regarding the status of its network, but all company phone numbers are disconnected and Voce has now taken down their website. Following the elimination of cell phone service, many Voce customers complained to Neiman Marcus requesting refunds or store credit. Neiman Marcus did not issue any such credits, but referred existing customers to preferred vendors to replace their service. Most customers were referred to AT&T for cell phone service, and to Red Butler for concierge services. Company executives have reported being fired via text message, or simply having their phones turned off, confirming that

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