Personal Assistant Apps — Do They Really Help?

woman stressed at laptop

You may have noticed lately that there seems to be an app for everything. 

From dating to meal-planning, from horoscopes to public transport information — it can be easy to download hundreds of apps in hopes of making your life a bit easier.

Although some of these apps can be helpful tools for organizing your day-to-day life, we firmly believe they can’t completely replace a personal assistant. They certainly can’t replace a personal assistant who specifically matches you and your unique lifestyle.

[Related: 6 Signs You Need a Personal Assistant]

What Are Personal Assistant Apps?

In sum, personal assistant apps are virtual tools that you can access on a smartphone or mobile device. Their goal is to help organize, schedule and streamline the details that threaten to take time from your day. These apps often promise to boost productivity and relieve stress.

And you’ll find tons of different personal assistant app types: 

  • Calendar apps
  • Flight-finder apps
  • Hotel-booking apps
  • To-do list apps
  • Budgeting apps

What Is a Personal Assistant?

You probably have a pretty good idea of the answer already.

Personal assistants, like our team at Pepper’s, are real people whom you hire to focus on making your life easier. A personal assistant dedicates their time to a person (you), which helps lighten your real-life workload. Plus, a personal assistant pays attention to your specific needs and unique lifestyle rather than general to-do lists. 

Personal assistant services might include these, among many others:

  • Laundry
  • Appointment scheduling
  • Grocery shopping
  • Meal planning
  • Bill paying
  • Personal travel information
  • Organizing
  • Prescription pickups

[Related: Do Successful People Outsource? The Answer Is Yes.]

Too Many Apps Can Be Overwhelming

Apps may be helpful to streamline certain aspects of your busy daily life, but juggling too many of them can be overwhelming. They definitely can’t replace having an actual extra set of hands.

For example, personal assistant apps like scheduling tools connect calendars and arrange meetings so that you can avoid double-booking and know what your day, week or month looks like. 

But when you have separate calendars for social events, work obligations, school activities and kids’ stuff, it can be exhausting. That’s especially true if these events change regularly or if you co-parent. 

This is why having a personal assistant to combine and streamline schedules is best. 

That isn’t to say your personal assistant can’t use the help of a scheduling app, but it’s one (or several) fewer things cluttering your smartphone home screen. And it makes a real difference being able to talk to your personal assistant about your specific scheduling concerns.

The same goes for tasks such as booking a flight or planning a vacation. Endless apps exist for reviewing vacation getaways, booking hotels and organizing budgets — but only you know exactly what you need. 

Scrolling through resort reviews or hotel-booking apps to find the perfect fit for your unique vacation vision can steal a major chunk of your day.

Instead, meet with your personal assistant and tell them exactly what you’re looking for. They can come back after using these apps with only the best options for you to choose from.

[Related: Will More Free Time Bring You Joy?]

Benefit of a Real Personal Assistant From Pepper’s

Ultimately, these apps are all helpful — but juggling them can end up making things more stressful than they were before. 

Personal assistant apps can’t anticipate something coming up last minute. They also can’t shift and adapt when an obstacle pops up. But your personal assistant can look at an entire project (or the entire week) and see how the different elements of your life should combine to form the big picture. 

While it may take several apps to take care of everything, just one designated personal assistant from Pepper’s can provide inimitable, dedicated, in-person support. 

Take your time back! Work smarter (not harder), and focus on what makes you feel best.

[Related: Our Advice for Getting Started With Your Personal Assistant]

Contact Pepper’s Personal Assistants Today

Have you decided that a personal assistant can help improve your life? 

At Pepper’s Personal Assistants, we’re here for you. Our personal assistants offer long-term, ongoing household support in the Puget Sound Area. 

Interested? Contact us today.

Featured image via Pexels

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Pepper’s Personal Assistant Reviews

See what it’s really like to work with a Pepper’s personal assistant!

A True Game-Changer

“Having Mary as my personal assistant has been a game-changer. I don’t have to think about laundry or the cat litter—she handles all those daily tasks I’d rather not do. She’s proactive, assertive in all the right ways, and totally in control of every detail. I’d rate her a 5 out of 5, no question!”

Brian T.

Proactive, Reliable, Caring Support

“Sarah has been such a reliable support—always proactive, spotting things that need to be done before I even ask, and taking care of them. She has such a positive attitude and is constantly looking for ways to add value and make things easier. And I love how much happier and more spoiled my dogs are thanks to her care. I barely have to think about her day-to-day, and I mean that in the best way possible!”

K.W.

Exceptional Home Management

“Bernice is simply amazing—I just can’t say enough good things about her. She excels at physical tasks and knows my habits so well that she can anticipate my needs without me even saying anything. As a house manager, she’s exceptional; she takes care of all those little things that I wouldn’t even think of. Over time, we’ve developed a wonderful rhythm, and it’s such a relief to have someone who just knows what needs to be done and does it effortlessly.”

J.H.

Exceeding Expectations Every Day

“My PA has truly exceeded my expectations. I really enjoy coming home now because everything in my home is something I know and love. She’s helped me with tasks I didn’t even know where to begin, and her ability to do the background work and present options has been invaluable. She has made it possible for me to manage things without feeling overwhelmed, and it’s been a game changer for me!”

W.W.

Bringing Joy and Efficiency

“My PA Tess is proactive and handles everything beautifully, from small tasks that bring joy to big projects like planning trips. She balances recurring tasks with high-priority work, and everything gets done perfectly. I didn’t realize how much joy small things like making the bed could bring until Tess started doing them. She has truly made a difference in our home, bringing both efficiency and a level of organization and joy we didn’t realize we needed.”

K.H.

Support That Makes a Difference

“Having Missa as a PA has taken me from daily treading water to swimming to the shore. I’ve gone from never quite keeping up with things to actually having extra energy to do more. She has been a tremendous help, reducing my stress and allowing me to rest and recover. The support I receive is perfect; Missa is a 5 out of 5 in meeting all my needs. I’ve already recommended Pepper’s to a few friends because having extra help makes all the difference.”

Kathy M.

Back-to-School Unmatched Support

“Having Jay as my personal assistant has been fantastic. She helps me tackle projects that were just looming over my head and has built a great rapport with my teenage son. She’s helped my son pick out his back-to-school wardrobe and coached him through decisions — I couldn’t ask for better support. I sometimes think about when I could handle everything on my own, but now I can’t imagine doing it without Jay’s help.”

R.B.

PA to the Rescue

“I am very satisfied with my personal assistant. The biggest relief is knowing that when things get hectic with work my PA is there to help us from lighting on fire, especially when one of us is traveling.”

Ana V.

Dream PA Experience

“I am very satisfied; My PA has everything dialed in and the schedule works really well and is flexible when needed. Honestly: My PA and I click very well, I love it, it’s a dream!”

Jodi K.

Stress-Free Travel

“One of the massive benefits of having a PA is during travel disruptions. When flights are delayed, the kids are upset, and you’re stuck in customs, coming home to a stocked fridge and a prepared meal eliminates the need for a late-night milk run. You don’t realize the stress these tasks add until you have someone to handle them for you.”

A.S.

11/10!

“My PA is incredible—an 11 out of 10—really thoughtful, thorough, intuitive. She is professional but friendly; she has just been great. A couple of times because of things going on with her calendar, Kandis has been flexible—coming 15 minutes later to drop the dog off at puppy play. She has been really great.”

Libby

Thoughtful and Detail-Oriented

“My PA is a thoughtful and discerning assistant. She pays attention to details in our home and makes great suggestions for how to improve and optimize our lives. We trust her judgment, and she communicates proactively and frequently. She is always on-site on time and patient with my unpredictable schedule. We communicate frequently, but she’s also very efficient in how we communicate. Great work!”

Client

Super Happy!

“[I] really do think Kandis is setting the bar! Having a new person come into your house can go either way. [I’m] very grateful for the time and energy and people that Pepper’s has. It’s a big step; no suggestions around onboarding. [I’m] really happy that we were able to board Kandis quickly; super happy for the West Seattle support.”

Libby

Organizing Superhero

“My PA is really good at organizing; it’s one of her superpowers. Some of the simple reorganizing things that she has done have made a big impact. She organized all the cat stuff in the garage and took the initiative on her own. She’s bright and cheery—no moaning, whining. Very great.”

Emma

One of the Best Decisions I’ve Made

“I just wanted to take a few minutes to tell you how much I have appreciated working with all of the Pepper’s staff. My assistant is so generous and thoughtful — she brings value to every interaction. I can’t remember a time when I’ve hired anyone with such a professional and high standard of customer service. Working with you all has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in a very long time!”

Libby

10/10 for Sure!

“Missa is a 10/10 for sure! She has been wonderful, and we check in regularly. I’m comfortable communicating with her about questions or requests, and she’s always been very responsive and also seems comfortable checking in if she has any questions for me. [The] biggest help remains pet care and household chores support, plus the help with one-off projects that come up. Missa has all kinds of skills she brings, (e.g., she’s currently putting together a ‘cat highway’ for the living room rafters).”

Homeowner

My Quality of Life Has Improved

“I used to spend every weekend and every evening doing chores and running errands. Now, I’m able to spend the time that I need to on my business, and then I get to enjoy my home and my life and the precious unstructured time that I have. The truth is, my quality of life has improved by having a Pepper’s household assistant here.”

Libby

Takes Initiative

“I want to mention what a fantastic personal assistant Billie is to me. We were on vacation last week, and she managed my household and vendors flawlessly. I even had her redecorate my office, and I gave her very little direction other than just to make it nice and functional, and, my goodness, did she ever! She takes initiative in my house in so many other ways but does not overstep or overspend. To strike that balance is really something unique and special. I feel really lucky to have her.”

Anura

I’m Blown Away

“[I’m] blown away by how much better the house looks already :)”

Graham

Kind, Caring, and Proactive

“My PA is a very caring person. I was incredibly ill last year, and my PA connected the dots that the washing machine had a lot of mold and thought the black specs on my clothes were from that. On her own time, my PA sent me an article about the impact of mold/washing machines. It was so kind of her.”

Emma

Goes Above and Beyond

“My PA has gone above and beyond. She’s organized my laundry room while keeping on top of laundry, which made it much easier to stay on top of stuff. She’s always ready to jump in and tackle items. It made this holiday season way less stressful.”

Andrea