Two US college graduates are enjoying a marketing bonanza after launching a business offering to help hungover party hosts clean up and recover from the night before.
“Hangover Helpers” is the brainchild of Marc Simons and Alex Vere-Nicoll, who only launched the service a few weeks ago in the college city of Boulder, in the western state of Colorado.
For US$15 per roommate they offer to deliver burritos and sports drink Gatorade to ease aching heads and calm fragile stomachs, while clearing up sticky glasses, empty bottles, stale food and cigarette stubs left by guests.
Photo: Reuters
照片：路透
“We can be called in the middle of the night, during the party, when they realize it’s getting out of hand and they want us to come in the morning,” said Vere-Nicoll, who took one call at 3.15am.
“I always call the next morning to verify, because a lot of the time they drink a lot (and) they don’t even remember calling,” he told AFP.
More organized party hosts book in advance. “But we also get calls from people who are lying in their bed, and they can’t face walking out to a stale beer-smelling house,” he added.
At the moment, business is relatively slow, as it’s exam season for students, and the pair are doing all the work themselves — but they are already hiring students to help them market the service, and plan to get more cleaners soon.
“We’re looking for the beginning of spring for things to get a little crazy,” said Vere-Nicoll.
Media interest started with an article in the local paper, but has snowballed massively. “We’ve actually been approached from a number of different locations, big party towns, like to franchise the business,” he said.
And what’s the worst post-party scene they’ve been called out to?
“I haven’t had one that’s really horrific yet. It’s mostly sticky counter tops, beer cans, empty liquor bottles, that kind of thing. And there are some pretty bad smells.
“But nothing crazy like dead animals or something.”
(AFP)
兩位美國大學畢業生發起一個參加隔夜派對後，幫忙打掃場地與替人消除宿醉的服務。
「宿醉好幫手」就是出自於馬克‧席孟思與艾力克斯‧費芮-尼寇爾之手。他們數週前才於西部的科羅拉多州博爾德市的大學城開始這項服務。
他們向每位需要服務的室友酌收十五美元，就幫他們送上墨西哥玉米煎餅與開特立運動飲料消除頭痛，並且讓肚子舒服一點。此時他們便收拾客人留下來黏黏的杯子、空瓶子、剩下來的食物，與煙蒂等。
曾經在凌晨三點十五分接過電話的費芮-尼寇爾說，「我們可以在大半夜、派對中接電話，只要是有人覺得快要失控，並且希望我們隔天早上過去的話，就可以打給我們。」
他告訴法新社，「我隔天早上總會打電話確認，因為許多時候人們總是喝很多，以致於他們根本忘記曾打過電話。」
比較會計畫的派對主辦人會提前預約。他補充說，「但我們也接過躺在床上的人打來的電話，他們不想走出房間就聞到整間都是啤酒味的屋子。」
目前生意不好，因為最近學生在考試，而且這兩位創辦人一切都自己上陣─不過他們已經聘請學生幫忙替這個服務打廣告，且最近也打算找更多清潔人員。
費芮-尼寇爾說，「我們正在等待春天，到時我們將變得很忙。」
媒體原本只有地方報紙報導過一次，但後來越來越多媒體報導，就像滾雪球一樣。他說，「有許多不同地方的人跟我們接觸，是從經常舉辦大派對的城市，想經銷我們的服務。」
那麼這兩位見過最悲慘的派對殘局到底是有多慘呢？
「我還沒真正見過很恐怖的。大不了就是洗手台黏黏的，到處都有啤酒罐、空的烈酒瓶之類的。還有味道挺難聞。」
「但還沒有瘋狂到看到動物屍體這種的。」
（法新社／翻譯：吳岱璟）
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