Most ME concierges give good service a bad name

One of the privileges of working in the media covering the Middle East hotel industry is the frequent invitations to experience the best properties the region has to offer.

From glorious secluded resorts nestled at the base of Omani cliffs to gleaming towers looming out of Dubai’s increasingly crowded skyline, there is much diversity in the accommodation products available.

However with a few notable exceptions — all identities shall be removed to protect the guilty — the level of service offered by concierges in the region has been mediocre to say the least.

Far from achieving membership to the exclusive Clefs d’Or, some seem to be vying for admission to Clefs d’Poor.

It’s not like the requests have been out of the ordinary — it would be totally understandable if my last minute requirement for the Beatles White album LP to be playing from an original gramophone upon entry to my suite and the bellboy to be wearing an outfit from Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was not met in its entirety — but it seems many people behind the concierge desk are just there to make up the numbers.

From simple product information — what time does the pool close, does the hotel have ESPN on its television system — to destination information about nearby landmarks and sights, the knowledge base of many behind the desk is incredibly poor.

If the Middle East hotel industry wants to be taken seriously on a global scale, this is one critical issue that needs addressing. It is only after travelling to international properties that you realise exactly what is missing in local hotels.

Some in the Middle East hotel industry blame the lack of service on a numbers game, the argument being that hotels boasting enormous room counts should never be expected to offer such personalised attention.

Others blame the high turnover levels — how can the concierge be expected to know the local delicacies and organise last minute reservations when he is fresh off the boat and only been in the country five minutes?

And then there is the general apathy that somehow has become part and parcel of standing behind the concierge desk in the region.

My personal example of concierge ineptitude was only last weekend when I was staying at a newly opened property in Dubai. My sister telephoned me from Australia to let me know that my family’s property was involved in the bushfires sweeping the country — and then my phone credit ran out.

When I went down to inquire where I could purchase more phone credit, the concierge shrugged and said the lobby shop would be open soon.

I went back at the suggested time to be told it would open later. When I asked if there was no other way of getting phone credit in the hotel, he shrugged and told me to try somewhere else – ‘maybe a mall’ — before picking up the phone to make a call to someone else.

I can understand the concierge’s point of view, as getting credit for a phone is not part of the job description, but surely caring about the guest and simply wanting to help should be a fundamental tenet of the role.

And this experience is not unique — the details change from case to case but the fundamental lack of commitment to genuine service and care remains the same.

Those working behind the concierge desk are privy to one of the most exciting opportunities to change a guests’ experience for the better — to create an experience that they tell their grand-children about.

Hotels need to be sure that their concierges are up to scratch, otherwise the opportunity goes begging and that golden opportunity becomes a dark stain on the property’s reputation.