by Elizabeth Kye

Who would believe genies exist? If you're ever fortunate enough to stay at the Hotel Plaza Athenee, you would meet one right at the front desk. Chef Concierge Johannes Schaafsma, heads the concierge desk at the Hotel Plaza Athenee, and he makes certain that your wish is his command. Beginning his career in 1992 as a doorman at the Nikko Hotel in Mexico City, Johannes Schaafsma has worked his way up to become the head concierge at one of the finer boutique hotels in the world. He is also a member of two of the more prominent associations in the industry, Les Clefs d'Or (literally translated "the golden keys") and the New York City Association of Hotel Concierges. Johannes Schaafsma's insights into the life of a modern day genie.

Elizabeth Kye: How did you get started as a concierge?

Johannes Schaafsma: I began as a doorman at the Nikko Hotel in Mexico City. My progression from doorman to head concierge went from doorman, to butler, to concierge, then to assistant chef concierge, to guest service manager, and finally that led to my position as a head concierge (also called chef concierge).

EK: What do you like about being a concierge, and what are some of the perks about the job?

JS: I enjoy the diversity. As a concierge you are constantly meeting people from all over the world. I also enjoy the challenges of the career because you are always confronted with something new. New requests are new things to explore - new things to find out, you must be knowledgeable, but you can’t know everything, so you have to be resourceful as well. Another thing that is great is being a part of what the insiders call the “concierge world.” I am an active member of Les Clefs d’Or and the New York City Association of Hotel Concierges. We are regular people who love to service guests and network with our associates. As a concierge we have to form relationships with many people in the hospitality industry.

As for the perks, being a concierge you are invited to events, restaurants, or Broadway shows because these establishments want us to send them business. This affords us to provide educated recommendations to our guests. Many restaurateurs invite us for dinner, or we get tickets to a play, but that doesn’t guarantee that we will recommend them. If we like them, yes, but if we don’t, we won’t consider referring a guest to such a place. Part of being a concierge is being ethical; honesty is something that cannot be compromised. The guests at the Plaza Athenee are very savvy, they don’t want to go to a show just for the sake of going to a Broadway show, so at times they will ask me for a recommendation.

EK: What is the strangest request that you ever received?

JS: Recently, we had a guest request a grand piano to be placed in the hotel restaurant on the same day. However we could not place a grand piano in the hotel restaurant, as this would affect our other guests. So we arranged to have a piano to be delivered and placed in her room. We had everything ready to go, and just before the piano was delivered she canceled her request.

EK: Did her request to cancel bother you?

JS: Not at all. This happens sometimes. It’s no problem. We have many different requests, and many need to be filled on the same day, or by the next day. Some guests ask us to get them yachts or even private jets, another guest asked us to contact an artist in Tunisia to find out if he still had a specific painting available. If you are not happy to provide these services, you will not be successful as a concierge.

EK: So who are some of your favorite guests?

JS: Approximately 80% of our clientele are return guests, so many people become familiar faces. My favorite guests are the ones that feel like family. There are just some people who are warm and embrace the staff at the hotel. We have very good relationships with these guests and in time we will make more.

EK: The concept of the traditional concierge has evolved in today’s market. There are now companies that rent concierge services by the day or hour. What do you think about this?

JS: I think it is a great business. My only concern may be the professionalism, and the quality of service that a customer is getting. I know of a few companies that provide great concierge services, but I also am aware of ones that don’t. Some companies just do it as a business. They receive money from certain restaurants because they send a certain amount of customers to them; it’s the way their business works, they barter. Again, being a good concierge requires following a certain code of ethics, when you get accepted into an organization such as Les Clefs d’Or, it is because you have fulfilled certain requirements on a professional level. You must work in a hotel for 5 years, have 3 years experience as a concierge, and currently work as a concierge in a 4 or 5 star hotel. You also need the recommendation of your supervisor, pass a written test, and a practical exam registered by Les Clefs d’Or. But being accepted into Les Clefs d’Or also means that you have worked and continue to work in an ethical manner.

EK: Do you have any advice for someone who wants to become a concierge?

JS: They should try to make friends with a concierge to learn about the inner details of the profession. They should make sure that serving people requires that you have patience, and on occasion you may be talked to in a manner you don’t appreciate. However you must be gracious. Being gracious at all times becomes a part of you and is part of the profession. You can learn it, but you really need to like it to be a manager in the industry.