Hotel Business Review

Ms. Stiel

Concierge

The Ingredients for a Great Concierge

By Holly Stiel, President, Thank You Very Much Inc.

What distinguishes the good from the great hotel concierges? For the past 30 years, I've been fascinated with their artistry. What sets them apart, and why do so many other industries aspire to emulate them?

I remember the very first article I ever read on the subject. It was in 1977, when only a few people in the United States had even heard of the concierge. There were only a handful of us here at that time. I found a cover story in Town & Country magazine, which featured photos of the great concierges from the five-star hotels in Paris. Each was holding two telephones (smiling, I might add), and the headline read, "Nothing But Nothing Phases The Omnipotent Concierge."

I read the article with enthusiasm and fascination, as I had recently stepped, or shall I say fell, into the position. Was I an omnipotent concierge? Was I expected to be all-powerful? Was I to create memorable experiences for our guests, be respected throughout the city, appreciated in my own hotel, well known among travelers? That was how the article described concierges. And I thought: Why not?

Today, everyone not only knows what a hotel concierge is, but the term has become synonymous with service excellence. Countless people have adopted the word. We have Concierge Towels, Concierge Carpets, and Concierge TVs. There are concierges at apartment buildings and department stores. We have personal concierge services and hospital concierges. A few years ago, the cover story of Worth magazine introduced concierge medicine-the latest trend in personalized service in the medical industry. Some people in the hospitality industry become annoyed at this "misuse" of our name, but I find it flattering that the word has become shorthand for over-the-top quality and professionalism. I also find it encouraging that other industries are following suit, though they might not even use the word "concierge."

Apple computer, for example, held a focus group to discover ways to set their new retail stores apart from their competition. When the group was asked about the best service they'd ever experienced, 16 out of the 18 participants said it was in a hotel. But of course! The concierge desk at a hotel has no other agenda, but to help. So, they came up with a bar-a bar that "serves up" helpful advice. Essentially, what they did was put high-tech versions of a concierge desk in each of their retail stores and populated them with "Geniuses."

Concierges-the excellent ones-are geniuses, magicians in the art of hospitality. They have a spirit that separates not only concierges from other professionals, but also the good concierges from the great concierges. I have identified five qualities that the greatest concierges seem to posses. They represent a few of the many ways in which concierges practice their craft and elevate it to the level of art. The first three of these qualities are willingness, commitment and readiness to take action.

1. Willingness is the capacity to be one of the greatest in one's field, while remaining humble. With humility, comes a passion for continuous learning and a deep-seated desire to be helpful.

2. Commitment is the unrelenting dedication to find a way to make it happen, no matter what "it" is.

3. Readiness to Take Action. To borrow the Nike tagline, great concierges "just do it."
   
   A story that illustrates all three of these qualities was printed in a small brochure that the Four Seasons hotels created to help their guests understand the role of concierges and take advantage of their services. (Remember, not all that long ago, the entire concept was brand new in North America.) The brochure, The Four Seasons Field Guide to the World of the Concierge, told a story that went something like this: A guest told a concierge, "Your cheeseburgers are really great here. I want you to send one to my brother who lives in Bahrain. And oh yes, I want it to arrive hot." The concierge's response: "Would that be cheddar or blue, sir?"
   
   I would repeat that story over and over, like a mantra to start my day. I did it so, when faced with a challenge, I wouldn't say, "You want what? We can't do that! " quite the contrary: An excellent concierge has the willingness to be of help, the commitment to the "cheddar-or-blue" mindset, and the readiness to take action. The next step requires the capacity to get it done, which often arises from drawing from one's personal experiences. This brings us to the fourth quality.

4. Make it personal. As they say in the Hokey Pokey, "Put your whole self in....
   
   For the excellent concierges, it's always personal-meaning they bring all aspects of themselves into their work. A perfect example: Two male guests approached a concierge, asking for a costume shop. Knowing that great masters pose questions and don't merely answer them, she asked what they were looking for. The answer: A man's French Regency costume. This prompted yet another question: "What are you using it for?"
   
   As it turns out, they were opera singers from Brazil and had been unable to source French Regency costumes in South America. If this concierge had been simply going through the motions, she would have sent them to a costume shop. Instead, she went above and beyond the call of duty and "put her whole self in." Since she happened to be a costume designer, in addition to a great concierge, she suggested purchasing patterns that could be made to order, rather than attempting to modify ready-made costumes. After the guests had checked out, she researched and found authentic period costume patterns and sent them on to their next hotel. This bit of whole-self personal service not only created loyalty and a good story, it saved the guests $2,000. Because this concierge was willing to draw upon all the "threads" of her life (so to speak), she was able to create an experience her guests would never forget.
   
   Making it personal (while not taking anything too personally) is a powerful tool. However, there are times when we need call upon others for help or offer help to others, which leads us to the last quality.

5. Master Collaboration: Success through teamwork and partnership.
   
   Here is a sweet story that vividly illustrates this quality: Mr. Grey, a dapper Scotsman, approached the concierge at The Campton Place, a Taj Hotel in San Francisco. He showed her his beloved eyeglass pouch, which he had purchased 20 years prior at a Mexican market. Since it was falling apart, he asked if he might find one in the city's Hispanic neighborhood. Knowing this would be an impossible task, she took a photo of the pouch with her cell phone and e-mailed it to a colleague in Mexico City. The colleague was unable to find the pouches anywhere, so offered to have it custom made.
   
   In the meantime, the guest returned to Scotland. I think the correspondence between the three parties is priceless and expresses the very heart of the concierge motto "In Service Through Friendship."
   
   "Dear my "New Best Friend, My colleagues and I in Mexico are very happy that you gave us the opportunity to create magic. That just reminds us what friends are for. I just want to share the letter that we sent with the eyeglass pouches:
   
   "Dear Mr. Gray, Half of the satisfaction that we got from this "saga of the eyeglass pouches" was getting them custom-made for you. The other half, imagining the smile on your face when you see them!"
   
   Mr. Grey's Response:
   
   "Brilliant! Amazing! The concierge network brings a ray of optimism to this benighted world. I can't thank you enough for your and your associate's success in resolving a problem, which, if it doesn't actually keep me awake nights, has caused a thread of disappointment since my original pouch began to disintegrate. Thanks to your kind initiative, the Mexican eyeglass-pouch industry has now fulfilled its biggest order from Dumfriesshire, Scotland. Being English and living in Scotland, I am rather envious of the variety of tartan pants that Scotsmen wear. Now, this formerly bland Englishman will be able to make his own colorful fashion statement. I may even set a trend."

Marjorie Silverman, former president of the international Les Clefs d'Or association, described the difference between concierges and everyone else as the dedication to saying "yes" and making it happen. Willingness, commitment, readiness for action, "putting your whole self in" and master collaboration are the underlying principles. When "no" and negativity are so prevalent in the world, the concierge is, indeed, a welcome haven. We harness the power of "yes" and make miracles happen. It's what we do.

After 17 years serving as the first woman concierge, Holly Stiel founded her own company, Thank You Very Much, Inc., to provide training for hotel concierges and customize concierge service philosophies and practices for all types of industries. A philosopher, published author, keynote speaker, workshop leader and consultant, her programs have been delivered in 25 languages, to businesses ranging from The Bank of America to NASCAR. Ms. Stiel has written four books : the newly released textbook, The Art and Science of the Hotel Concierge. Ultimate Service, The Complete Handbook to the World of the Concierge, Thank You Very Much – A Book for Anyone Who Has Ever Said, “May I Help you?,” and The Neon Signs of Service. Ms. Stiel can be contacted at 202-639-5712 or Thankyouinc@aol.com

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