If you’ve read, watched or even heard about “The Devil Wears Prada”, you’ll know all about the outrageous demands placed on the naïve yet eager assistant Andy Sachs. We’re happy to report that life as a VA isn’t normally as all consuming; none of our clients are as insistent or rude as the fictitiously fearsome Miranda Priestly. That said, we know VAs do come across some pretty unusual tasks from time to time. Variety is the spice of life and makes our jobs all the more interesting. Here are some of the best that the Timpi team have heard about.
The rich and famous are renowned for slightly bonkers requests. Here are just a handful of them.
“And RSVP ‘Yes’ To Michael Kors’ Party, I Want The Driver To Drop Me Off At 9:30 And Pick Me Up At 9:45 Sharp.”
OK, so this is from the fictitious Miranda Priestly, but we love the fact that despite the fact it’s startlingly rude, it is actually beautifully easy to accommodate. The fact this book is based on fact makes us assume it’s a genuine request. Amazing!
“Absolutely no carnations.”
Katy Perry loves fresh flowers in her dressing room, apparently. But not just any old flowers because giving her carnations in her bouquets is an enormous no-no. It might be super-specific, but again, it’s easy to accommodate.
“No crew members called Justin.”
Not so easy to deal with here. Yes, we understand why Selena Gomez would prefer not to be reminded of her ex, Justin Bieber, but by specifying the names of her crew members, is she taking it too far?
“Don’t forget teddy!”.
Even the rich and famous have their softer side. One assistant had to arrange for a forgotten teddy bear to be chauffeured to a very well-known pop star’s hotel room. We don’t know any more than that; it’s reassuring to know confidentiality reigns supreme.
Business support isn’t just about bookkeeping, email management and booking flights. Supporting busy business owners can mean VAs encounter all sorts of unusual requests.
“We need two penguins for a business pitch in two days’ time.”
We heard about one assistant who was tasked with finding a couple of the aquatic birds to accompany a very exacting and creative business pitch. Amazingly, a request like this is easier to deal with than you might expect… there are a range of animal actors and specially trained guest creatures would be happy to oblige. The only problem with this request is the timeframe. A week or so would mean a better choice of penguins to choose from and the chances of a better price
too.
“I forgot his birthday!”
You’ve had a heck of a month in the business, and it’s your partner’s birthday tomorrow. Help! Asking your VA to help you buy gifts is a fairly standard request, and yes, we’re happy to accommodate any request. And to take the heat off, we can also book a table at a lovely restaurant for you and your partner, making sure the maître d’ knows you’re celebrating a special birthday. Brownie points on tap!
All the knowledge without the effort.
Too little time and too much to do? We heard of one client who asked their VA to watch a series of documentaries on their behalf and then summarise the most important details for them to use in an upcoming talk. Perhaps the most interesting take on this is that those people you assume manage to fit so much in, actually just know how to get others to help them. No-one is a superhero, they just have an incredible team on their side.
You’re fired!
Not happy with an employee’s performance but can’t conjure up the time or energy to fire them yourself? We know of more than one assistant who’s been asked to fire employees by their client. Talk about being the bearer of bad news!
Lifestyle concierge normally focuses on helping out with those tasks our clients just can’t fit into their days. That said, for every grocery order we place and after school club we book, there’s always the possibility of a more unusual request.
“Can you bring me my bikini? We’re in the Caribbean.”
Yes, hand-delivering a forgotten item of clothing or prized accessory direct to a holiday location is the kind of thing some of our VAs would love! Realistically though, we’d suggest couriering the prized beachwear to its owner… it would be less pricey and get to the beach more quickly.
“I need someone to pedicure my parrot.”
Pet-specific requests can be wild and wonderful. We’ve heard of assistants who have been asked to arrange an Uber to collect a cat from the vets after an operation, those who have had to arrange pedicures for prized parrots and even had to head over to their clients’ homes to clip a cat’s nails. Pet-care requests are fairly common, so we have our network of specialist pet- groomers, vets and dog walkers on speed dial.
“Block her from my Insta.”
Social media accounts can cause all sorts of problems. So, you might not be surprised to hear that VAs are often asked to block past acquaintances from their clients’ social media accounts. It’s certainly one way of making your life easier and stress-free. We’d be happy to oblige.
Curious about putting our team of experienced VAs to the test? We’re happy to oblige with practically any request – there’s very little that fazes us. Book in a call and we’ll be happy to chat things through with you.
