Do it with love – the crazy but caring world of the modern concierge
Anna Endrihovskaya, chief concierge of the MOSS Boutique Hotel in Moscow, talks about the challenges - from the mundane to the outlandish - that she and her colleagues face.
In an essay for the international best concierge competition in
2013 I mentioned that people who always sacrifice themselves, their
interests and their time for other people, used to be called
"saints", but that today "saints" are concierges - and this is
still true today. You can't be successful in this job if you don't
appreciate the people and the things that the world can offer! You
have to be ready to help at any time of the day.
For example, I know every highly skilled doctor in Moscow, I can
cater to every kind of clients needs and wants. I know the best
stylists, but I can go to this cheap hairdresser's which happens to
be on the way to MOSS. But for me this is not the most
important, of course it helps to know people, but at the end of the
day it's the satisfaction and fulfilment you get when you see that
you did something special for a guest, when you hear words of
gratitude and you feel the appreciation, that's when you realise
that all your efforts and the total self-denial have not gone in
vain.
When hiring new staff members for the MOSS concierge team, I pay a
lot of attention to whether there is a fire and warmth in a
candidate. I am happy to watch my colleagues work. I can see that
their love for the job is sincere and conscious, and that they
always think out of the box, everything they do is driven more by
their heart than the rules.
By the way, Russian concierges are more sacrificing than Western
ones. In Europe there is a strict schedule about work-life balance.
Concierges on vacation or during their breaks are usually out of
reach. It doesn't work that way in Russia, concierge mode is always
on and this crazy 24/7 regime is perceived as something normal by
many people.
Recently, I was with my girlfriends in a Russian bath called
banya. It was around 11 pm when the assistant of a very important
person called me and asked to help with an urgent flower delivery
in Frankfurt. I told her that it was not the best moment to call
me. "Oh, I thought you are always at work," she replied. I just
couldn't say no. Of course, I texted my colleagues in Frankfurt and
the flowers were delivered on time.
And this is one of the simplest requests. As concierges we receive
quite bizarre requests. Once a very rich Russian guest had a bet
with another rich Russian about who could find the finest home-made
vodka. Each of them asked their assistants or concierges to start
searching. I found out that there is someone in Ukraine who makes
one of the finest vodkas. I was also asked to bring it over to
Moscow in an authentic old bottle. I used all my contacts to
purchase a bottle at a flea market in Odessa, then fill the bottle
with vodka and have it delivered to Russia. I don't know how they
decided which vodka was better, but we won!
My colleague was asked to buy a sports car of a specific brand and
colour in the middle of the night. When she got all the necessary
documents and a credit card the only thing she asked was "Do you
want it with a bow or not?"
And here is a story which happened to my colleague from another
Moscow hotel. A foreign guest was very impressed with the iron
floor in St. Basil's Cathedral at Red Square. He asked concierges
to find someone who would craft exactly the same floor for his
villa. This was not an easy task as the technology was lost
centuries ago. At some point my colleague felt very helpless but
finally found a Russian man in the US who could take this unusual
order. And when the guest returned back home, the floors were
already installed at his villa in Mexico.
We had a similar case at MOSS when a guest fell in love with our
corridors and decided to get the same walls at his home in Israel.
Natasha Belonogova, the interior designer of MOSS, helped us with
this request in a very short time.
Ironically, concierges don't hear the words "thank you" that
often. That is why I've been trying to develop a tipping culture in
Russia. At MOSS, for example, we introduced envelopes with cute
sayings like "Tipping makes you cool and sexy". It makes guests
smile and helps them to express their gratitude for the excellent
service they receive.
Sometimes there are tasks which can only be implemented through
the global community of concierges. There is no way we could ever
do this without the amazing support that we have for each other and
the natural kindness and benevolence we share for one another.
Every time I call the legendary concierge Benua from a grand hotel
in Paris, I feel very nervous. I'm imagining how crazily busy he
is, and everyone is literally tearing him apart, but I only hear
from him something like: "Anya, what are you worried about? You're
my sister. If I don't help you, then I will disgrace our family! Of
course, I'll help you! Of course, it's not difficult for me!" We
all are very proud that we have such a tight unity and brotherhood
around the world.
There is a story from my practice that proves that the concierge
community makes wonders. A famous Russian designer left her
cosmetic purse in Moscow when flying to Paris for a fashion show.
Her assistant called me at 3 am and begged me to have the purse
delivered by the morning. I tried to send the purse with the first
plane to Paris but there were no suitable flights. Then I called
the concierge I know at the Hotel Le Bristol. She said: "No
problem, my good friend works in a cosmetic store, I'll ask her to
come to work earlier and she'll get everything the designer
needs."
The world of concierges, just like many years ago, is based on
connections, and that's how we truly own the keys to all the doors.
I remember when one of our guests urgently asked for a specific
sneaker model, but it was out of stock. One of my friends called
someone, and magically the next day the sneakers appeared in the
boutique store!
Many of my colleagues from around the world are members of the Golden Keys (Les Clefs d'Or) concierge
association. This is a really powerful organisation, and I never
stop to admire the amazing wonders it does. The motto of the
association "In Service Through Friendship" explains it
all.
I am so proud to be a member of the association's executive
committee. One of my responsibilities there is developing the
educational program. Last year we held a congress in Berlin, and
this year we are going to Korea, where the best concierges in the
world will meet and share their experiences.
All the speakers at our events are truly outstanding people, like
Jean-Claude Beaver, the owner of the Hublot house. When I listened
to his speech, I thought to myself: "When I grow up, I will have a
Hublot watch." For me, it's like a talisman, because everything
Beaver has now was inspired by the love for his wife. And as I said
earlier, in any line of work, especially in hospitality, everything
should be based on love.