Taking care of the little things

Personal concierge services are helping new arrivals settle in faster. Tiffany Tan reports.

For Liu Yu, a typical workday involves going to the Beijing police to ask for a Certificate of No Criminal Record for a client. Or accompanying someone souvenir shopping and getting a full-body massage. A more unusual day would be buying a pack of playing cards, fishing out the Queen of Hearts and hand delivering it to a client's girlfriend without asking questions. This is Liu��s world as a personal concierge at Jasmine Beijing, a company that helps its busy foreign clients run an assortment of errands in person, over the phone and online.

Ordering food from restaurants and having it delivered to your door, making doctor's appointments, paying utility bills at the bank, picking up tailored suits, walking dogs - they are all services offered on Jasmine's website, along with a list of fees ranging from 150 - 300 yuan ($25 - $50) an hour.