At your service — relief for the ailing or time-crunched

Gig Harbor business caters to busy people

Sarah Kehoe

Special to the Gateway

For Ken Hazelton, owner of At Your Service Gig Harbor, helping people who are busy, sick or those who just want some free time is what it’s all about. “Every service provided is exciting,” Hazelton said. “It is empowering to know that you are helping someone, and that you have their respect and confidence.”

Hazelton, his wife, Sharon, and their daughter, Kiersten, have run At Your Service, an errand and concierge business, out of their Gig Harbor home for the past two years. Customers, who make requests through phone calls or e-mails, tend to learn about the business through word-of-mouth or via the company Web site, www.atyourservice.com.

At Your Service takes on duties that include personal shopping, assistance for senior citizens, help for those who are housebound, as well as other assistance around homes and offices.

“Basically, we take care of anything you don’t want to do or don’t have time to do,” Hazelton said. “We tailor our services to meet individual needs.”

At Your Service also provides an array of concierge arrangements, such as reserving golf tee times, ordering travel tickets or making dining reservations.

“The people we usually help are very scattered,” Hazelton said. “They are sick, working hard or have emergency situations.”

At Your Service charges $25 an hour. Costs for services over an hour are calculated in 15-minute increments. The business offers a 10 percent discount for senior citizens.

The Hazeltons employ about a half-dozen on-call employees to take on some of the responsibilities. The employees specialize in different areas.

The Hazeltons also divide the tasks of the day between the three of them.

“We put up a request of things that need to be done, and then we pick based on who is the best fit,” Hazelton said. “My wife doesn’t like to drive, and I don’t mind, so I usually am the one to pick people up from the airport.”

The Hazeltons have always been a close-knit family, working together in business adventures. Prior to starting At Your Service, Ken and Sharon owned and operated three other service-related businesses for 15 years. They have always received help from Kiersten, who developed a love for entrepreneurship by watching her parents’ business endeavors.

“We get along very well,” Hazelton said. “We love to work together because we can spend more time with each other and share and understand things that are going on because we are having similar experiences.”

Despite the recent economic downturn, business remains good because of the Hazeltons’ dedication to their customers. Satisfied business people, doctors and other busy professionals spread the word about the family business. As a result, existing clients help attract new customers.

“The reason we have gotten as far as we have is because we work together so well,” Hazelton said. “That is a big factor.”

The family hopes to continue to make At Your Service Gig Harbor grow and expand.

“A goal is to grow into a retail office and provide a visible location for ourselves,” Hazelton said. “But mostly, we just want to continue to do what we do — provide good relationship and customer service.”