A concierge service arranges any aspect of your life that you want, so you can maximise your free time. This ranges from planning holidays and booking restaurants, to helping run your everyday life (finding a good cleaner, the best gym, a gift for a loved one, etc).
Some will always prefer to do these things off their own back, but people are increasingly turning to concierge services to manage it for them.
We asked Emyr Thomas from concierge service Bon Vivant to tell us exactly why their members love them, and why you should have a concierge service on your speed dial too.
1. A Personal Pro-Active Service Tailored to You
The best concierge services will give you your own personal concierge, so that you deal with the same person at all times, for all requests. By learning your tastes and needs, this becomes a pro-active service, pre-empting what you would like to do.
2. Your Personal Guidebook and Search Engine
Researching holiday destinations, booking hotels and restaurants or sourcing a unique gift can sometimes be an arduous task. Why search blindly on the internet when you can ask for a personal recommendation from an expert with a huge book of contacts? This removes the unknown element, and puts you in trusted hands.
3. Save Time
Most clients will say that the main reason they use a concierge service is to free up precious time, enabling them to experience the things they love instead of spending time researching and booking them. A concierge service offers today’s most priceless commodity – your time.
4. Access an Expert’s Insider Knowledge and Skills
A good concierge service will always be looking for the best of everything to recommend to their clients, so you will have access to their insider knowledge and expertise. Want to know the best hotel in Paris? The best new restaurant in New York? The secluded beach resort in the Caribbean? The hidden bar in London? Your concierge will know.
5. The Convenience
It’s not always about saving time or offering solutions to a problem you can’t solve yourself – it’s the convenience of having someone on hand, at the end of the phone or email, to help run your life, enabling you to maximise your free time.
6. Special Privileges and Complimentary Benefits
A true concierge service will strive to negotiate for special privileges and benefits for its members wherever possible. Upgrades at top luxury and boutique hotels, priority reservation and complimentary drinks at the best restaurants, free entry to exclusive clubs, or discounts at a host of other lifestyle services – a concierge service can add value, make you a VIP and save you money.
7. Know About the Latest ‘Scene’
At Bon Vivant, through our member newsletters and blog, we keep our members informed of the best new hotels, new restaurant and bar openings, and the under-the-radar exclusives, so they can remain on the pulse wherever they are. We also get invited to new openings, launches and exclusive events; which we can pass onto our members.
8. Grant you Exclusive Access
A concierge service can obtain tickets to a variety of exclusive and sold out events. Music concerts, theatre and opera, sports games, premières, charity balls and events in the world of film, fashion and TV. VIP and hospitality access to seats and boxes at the O2 Arena, Wembley Arena and all other major venues is suddenly reachable.
Conclusion
A concierge service may not be for everyone. Some people will always choose to research and do things themselves, whilst some feel they just don’t need external help.
But for those in the know, a concierge service can help them with every travel, lifestyle and leisure need that they don’t have the time, expertise or inclination to do themselves.
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About the Guest Blogger
Emyr Thomas is the director of Bon Vivant, one of London’s best-established concierge services, aiming to offer a more accessible and personal service.
For a taste of what a concierge service like Bon Vivant can offer, take a look at their newsletter and blog, and subscribe if you like what you see!