Have you ever wished for your very own genie who never says no to any demand of yours? Well, if you are willing to spend the money, companies are ready to queue up with not one but several such genies for their privileged customers.
AARTI CHOKSHI
Garment exporter, MUMBAI
From giving her a shortlist for the living room blinds to getting her movie tickets, Chokshi uses her virtual assistant at Big Help for everything.
"I don't like using my assistant at work for personal needs as I don't want my staff to know of my personal life, so I find the service of great help as it takes care of my problems."
From organising an evening in Paris at the best jazz bars to rustling up a Gulfstream for an investor meet in Dubai in a couple of hours, the modern-day genie may not come out of a bottle, but delivers results with epic proportions. Call it a sign of the time, as more Indians come into wealth, their needs too are rapidly changing. From throwing parties on private yachts to sending hot soup to a sick child at the Harvard Business School, the well-heeled are not just consuming luxury products but even services.
Dr Jai Kishan is the epitome of a professional in an emerging country. As head of the global healthcare operations of a Fortune 100 company, he's always on the move. And sometimes his business takes him to dispute-ridden parts of the world, but Jai Kishan and his family don't worry too much about such issues.
Be it transporting his son's admission forms to the London School of Economics in time to saving him and his family from entering a disturbed area in Kashmir, Amex concierge is at his service like a good old genie.
At 2.5 million affluent households, scores of millionaires in India want everything in their lives to be taken care of, because for them time is money. From PowerPoint presentations to college admissions for their children, they want all the painful chores to be miraculously taken off their plate.
ADITYA BAHL
Businessman, DELHI
Bahl believes the American Express Concierge Service is a lifeline for him.
"When my mother fractured her arm, I called the concierge and her admission to hospital and other needs were taken care of by the time we reached there."
Seeing an opportunity in this segment, a clutch of companies are offering personal concierge services to pamper their customers. Banks and credit card companies may have kicked off their services almost a decade ago in India for mundane chores like booking tickets and delivering flowers, but today personal concierge is not just a value added service but a distinctive category in the luxury consumption space.
Luxury and affluence for Indian consumers is not just about carrying the latest croc Birkin or a knot clutch, it's about redefining their social life. So rubbing shoulders with Gwyneth Paltrow at a post-Oscars party or chatting up Mark Knopfler backstage before his by-invitation concert is the new definition of a life less ordinary. Yes, a membership to any of these exclusive lifestyle clubs can automatically get you such invitations.
According to Shailesh Baidwan, CEO, American Express, "Global exposure and awareness has resulted in the Indian consumer evolving his outlook, aspirations and lifestyle needs and choices. Added to this, his sense of achievement and self-actualisation that emanates from his ability to achieve more in less time and this has led to a paradigm shift in the quality of products and services. These particular consumers typify the 'Time Poor, Money Rich' syndrome."
American Express has taken cognisance of the needs and aspirations of this affluent segment and put in place a worldwide 24x7 concierge service comprising a team of dedicated professionals.
Platinum Card members have access to varied services- from top quality medical assistance to legal aid; evacuation and repatriation in the event of a medical emergency; locating and purchasing goods and services to event tickets and exclusive restaurant reservations anywhere in the world. Be it tickets to an opera in Venice, booking personal villas in Ibiza or even flying Acai berries from deep within Amazon rainforests, this team will make it happen. This card comes for an annual fee of Rs 50,000 and the membership is by invitation only.
SERVICE: The personal concierge that functions more like an executive assistant who gets everything done for you. No extra charges are levied for requests, except the actual cost of executing the request, which would include vendor fees.
PROVIDER: American Express Concierge Service for Platinum credit card customers
ACCESS: By invitation only
CHARGES: Rs 50,000 per annum
SERVICE: A private club with a 24-hour global concierge service. With offices in 45 countries and 53 cities, members can access the best lifestyle experiences across the world. A "Q" membership is your passport to the very best that life has to offer.
PROVIDER: Quintessentially
ACCESS: Personal and corporate memberships
CHARGES: Rs 67,000 p.a. (regular membership), Rs 1,67,500 (a more dedicated service), Rs 6.7 lakh (top-end membership)
SERVICE: Global access to private clubs and restaurants, invitations to post-Oscar parties and anything else that a high-flier may want. The relationship manager promises to inspire, reassure, advice, plan, research for Vertu customers. News on latest offers from the world of luxury and city specific news will reach your phone when you travel.
PROVIDER: Vertu Concierge
ACCESS: To owners of a Vertu phone
CHARGES: $1,500 for a basic membership
SERVICE: A virtual executive assistant to cater to business and personal needs of individuals. From organising a plumber to booking a private jet for a last-minute business trip, the personal concierge firm does it all. It runs extensive researches for executives on the fly, be it holidays or the best gizmo in town.
PROVIDER: Big Help
ACCESS: Open to anyone
CHARGES: Starts at Rs 5,000 per month
SERVICE: Customised holidays and unique travel experiences for those who are bored of doing the usual things on holidays. From organising a hot-air balloon ride over the Taj Mahal to bespoke services, the butler does it all.
PROVIDER: Oberoi Hotels
ACCESS: Only to guests staying at their hotels
CHARGES: Room tariff
Even within the personal concierge space, there are different players offering services across different categories. So if you want a taste of all things good when you travel abroad or don't want to be on the waitlist for the latest Birkin bag by Hermes, then join exclusive clubs like Quintessentially or Vertu's Personal Concierge Service. As a member, you will certainly not need to worry about access to Annabel's in London or a table at New York's Per Se restaurant that is otherwise booked several months in advance.
DR. JAI KISHAN
Healthcare executive, CHENNAI
Last year, when he was on his way to Gulmarg from Srinagar, Amex asked the chauffer of the car to turn around as there had been an incident a few km away.
"They booked tickets within no time for a Celine Dion concert that was running house full and I was charged only for the tickets. It is difficult to imagine the kind of work they do."
Like Amex and Oberoi Hotels, mobile handset company Vertu is also offering privileged access to exclusive lifestyle experiences to its members. By wrapping a service offering around its high-end mobile handsets, Vertu is going the distance to make its customers feel special. All Vertu phones come with a button that connects them to the concierge service centre. This centre can be accessed from anywhere in the world. While membership is free in the first year, the service comes for a subscription fee from the second year on.
Says its Southeast Asia Marketing Manager Charanjit Kaur: "It's a global service for a very global customer. Members get access to everything that is exclusive worldwide, from Oscar parties to private clubs." Vertu also offers concepts like Vertu Fortress and Vertu Select to subscribers. At the flick of a button, data sitting on the phones of the consumers gets saved on servers in London, says Kaur. This is Vertu Fortress and this information can be accessed anytime by the consumer.
But if you don't like mixing business with pleasure, then join Quintessentially, a private members' club with a 24-hour global concierge service. With offices in almost every major destination and thousands of suppliers worldwide, a Quintessentially membership can hand you the virtual keys to any city.
AKHIL SHAHANI
Entrepreneur, MUMBAI
Earlier this year, Shahani was scheduled to meet HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, Big Help did all the coordination for him. It did all the required running around and paperwork for his daughter's Person of Indian Origin card.
"A service like this saves me a lot of time and gets things organised."
Explains Amit Datta, managing director of Quintessentially India: "When people go abroad, they typically don't have the same support system that they have here. From the mundane to the exclusive, we cater to all the whims of our customers." So the next time you want a private tour of the Paris fashion world or a VIP tour by the manager of fashion house Chanel, just make sure you are privileged member of one of these clubs.
But personal concierge is not only for the high and mighty. Mumbai's Big Help offers service that's a cross between a virtual assistant and concierge desk. Whether it's data management or converting your music into a digital format, Big Help organises it all.
Interestingly, this company swings between the luxury and mundane effortlessly at a membership fee of Rs 5,000 per month. Its 30-year-old founder Suresh Paryani explains the concept: "When I started I had an idea that we wanted to help get jobs done that people don't have time for. We relieve our customers of their headaches."
So the next time you need anything done at home or in office, just ask your own Jeeves.
