I work at a fancy-pants department store where Service is spelled with a capital S. While a retail store is a smaller scope than the city of New York a lot of the same principals apply. You’re leaving from DFW in two hours and have dinner plans in Las Vegas at 8pm? Well the dress you want happens to be at Fashion Show Mall let me go ahead and have them ring that up for you so all you have to do is send your assistant to pick it up prior to your reservation. Not quite the same as chartering a private helicopter for a gentleman who wants to get to Atlantic City as quickly as possible but you get your fair share of people who have never heard No before.
Michael Fazio went to the Hotel Intercontinental as a temporary job while he figured out what he wanted to do with his life following a short career as a Hollywood agent and an even shorter career as a cruise ship singer. He was hired on as the hotel’s concierge and was bitten by the Service bug. While the majority of his job involved getting impossible restaurant reservations or front row center seats for Broadway plays Michael also had to take care of other requests in a discreet and professional manner. Raging case of VD and your wife is meeting up with you tomorrow? In need of a discreet escort? Want to hire a paparazzo to chase you down the street so clubs open their velvet ropes for you to “escape” into their establishment? Done done and done.
The stories in Concierge Confidential are outlandish but entertaining. If you’ve ever worked in a Service industry this is a fun read because you probably know some of these types of people. If you haven’t worked in the Service industry before perhaps you’ll get a new respect for the hostess at the most popular restaurant in town or a new perspective on what the “right” way to ask for something is…
