Are Concierge services up to standard?

These a just a few examples where general Concierge Services can be improved on, leading to a shift from good Concierge to a great Concierge.

A lot of residents are seeking a good and consistent service with their Concierge to a similar quality to that matching with a Hotel Concierge, simply to improve the quality of their living space. However, all too often, their expectations are far from met. So what makes me an expert on this? Well, I believe we are all experts since we all have at some point experienced Concierge Services – some great experiences and some not so great. Either way, everyone has a valid opinion. My personal opinion stems from my extensive background in Hotel Hospitality and Security Management, having gathered over 25 years working in this Industry.

My name is Nick Regnier, and I am the Managing Director of Cledor Ltd – a bespoke management service for residential and commercial properties. Cledor was established 10 years ago when it was recognised that there was a big gap in the Market in supplying high-end Concierge and Security Services. Since Cledor’s launch in 2005, we have been able to expand our services to include Cleaning, Gardening and Comprehensive Management Support. What I believe has made us successful to date is our unique offering which bases all our services on the Hotel Hospitality experience, encouraging all of our staff to ‘go the extra mile’ in order to not only please the client, but exceed their expectations wherever possible. By creating such value, we have been able to expand in the way we have, but never forgetting our core principles of what makes us stand out.

Recently, over the last 10 years, we have seen an increased market demand for more affordable housing and flats in the UK, in order to enable first time buyers to own a property. This has resulted in a considerable increase of newly built properties offering a bespoke 24 hour Concierge service, as an effort to offer a high-end ‘value-for-money’ lifestyle property e.g. with indoor gym, spa etc.

However, whilst our expectations increase for Concierge services, many Concierge teams now struggle with evolving at the same pace as that of their clients’ requirements… And the gap between a good Concierge and a great Concierge is now increasing.

So, how do we achieve solving this challenge? What is the solution? Whilst there is no quick answer (or quick fix, for that matter), we at Cledor see the solution being ‘Training, Training, Training’.

In order to provide the comprehensive training that builds on the Hotel Hospitality experience, one would firstly need to understand how Hotel Concierges deliver first class service. Indeed, there is a lot to be said about these teams and their managers, who simply invest their time and expertise with regular and continuous training, year after year, ensuring their staff continue to please their guests and VIPs. One could understand why training in Hotels is paramount, striving to keep their returning clientele happy. Their reputation is ever more at stake due to this intense, competitive market.

Fortunately, I have had great experience and exposure to both Hotel Concierge and Security Services, where I have witnessed, time and time again, just how great Hotel Concierges operate in top end Hotels. They would simply never stop satisfying guests arriving in high volume, greeting them with a cheerful disposition and with a warm welcome at all times, no matter how difficult a situation or query they were presented with – some of which were difficult tasks or virtually impossible to achieve, but the Concierge would always know how to find the right solution to surely please their returning guests. Our Cledor Concierges know too well that I would not accept any of our team members closing a discussion with any resident or visitor, saying: ‘I am sorry, Sir/Madam, I do not know or cannot help you with your query.’

Our Cledor Training Programme teaches our team members to be far more customer-focussed and pro-active, aiming to assist all residents, property managers, visitors and contractors, and if there is something they do not know, they are trained to advise our clients that they just require a little bit more time to research/investigate, and if they could obtain their contact details, they team will be in touch as soon as they obtain full information to assist them with. Our teams are trained to be ‘completer finishers’, i.e. any request that starts with them is actioned by them.

This level of service can only be achieved with dedicated employers who train, coach and motivate their staff, enabling them to achieve their full potential, so that a high-end, bespoke service is finally rewarded to residents who deserve no less than a great Concierge in their living space.

Whilst we strive to ensure all our staff are trained to the highest level, we can never get complacent over this, since such training is a continuous and long term programme, that will have to evolve according to technology advances and the ever-increasing demands of our clients and their residents’ lifestyles.

So, the next time you meet a Concierge, do bear in mind your own expectations and ask yourself, did they help you?

Nick Regnier, Managing Director of Cledor Ltd