Weekend Exclusive: A “Quintessential” Day as a 1%er

I have a new mission in life. It’s to become a 1%er for just long enough to join Quintessentially‘s global “lifestyle management” and come up with a reasonable (and legal!) concierge request that completely stymies them.  (On my current earnings as a writer I estimate that it should only take a millennium or so to achieve!)

Over my global wanderings I have on occasion found myself fortunate enough to be an “HNWI by association.”  (That’s High Net-Worth Individual for you plebeian 99%ers).  I’ve flown in a Lear Jet, brunched in Palm Springs, taken a helicopter to lunch on an exclusive resort on France’s Île de Porquerolles, and hot air ballooned my way through California.  (I still kick myself for missing out on the Concorde’s final flight in 2003!)  I was the only one of my siblings NOT to be sent to finishing school (grateful eyes cast up to the heavens), but from the age of six, was expected to comport myself in a way befitting my station as an expat hopefully-not-so-brat in first class cabins and five-star hotels. (They didn’t have seven-stars back in the good old days!)

I have also played a role as “HNWI enabler,” beginning my professional career as a paralegal and personal assistant where my polyglot skills proved useful in wheedling sold-out tickets out of the Paris Opera and securing last-minute reservations at Positano’s exclusive Le Sirenuse hotel for my Europhile boss.  Conspiring with colleagues at a global consulting firm in China on how to get the ever-masked WWE wrestler Rey Mysterio, Jr. through immigration in Beijing without revealing his identity to the public and getting Meg Whitman’s corporate jet through the red tape of China’s People’s Liberation Army-controlled airspace also fall into this category of unique life experiences.

So it was with moderately experienced and very jaded eyes that I visited Quintesentially’s Jakarta office  today.  Co-founder Lius Widjaja graciously stopped in on my chat with Maketing and PR Office Darius Widjaja to learn more about this global yet local concierge service, and the expectations of Indonesia’s elite.

A number of things instantly strike me.  First, where one might expect airs and condescension, instead I found passion and commitment to service.  Second, a true “the sky is the limit” approach to the the job.  Literally.  (As I write this the team is negotiating with operators in Nevada for an Indonesian client to take a trip to space!)  Third, the insanely rich can be BATSHIT crazy.  (In my humble opinion. . .)

You can read almost any media article to understand the full range of services that Quintessentially provides around the world — from Abuja, Nigeria to Warsaw, Poland.  But what interested me is how this mammoth organization mobilizes to serve some of the most difficult (my word, not theirs) people on the planet — and what these people expect out of their travel experiences.  I explain that while Weekend Crossroad doesn’t specifically cater to HNWIs, what my readership has in common with this group is a lack of time, and a desire to experience unique journeys off the beaten path.

What does it take to be a Quintessentially Concierge?

Our Lifestyle Managers must be emotionally stable and have a good, positive attitude as HNWIs have high expectations and can be extremely challenging to deal with.  They must maintain a calm face at all times, have the patience of a saint, and be excellent multitaskers.  We frequently use the word “resilient” when we describe our work — Lifestyle Managers must be able to withstand all kinds of pressure and identify solutions for the most challenging tasks.  We save our panicking for behind the scenes!

This sounds like a 24-7-365 job.  How do you keep your team motivated and avoid burn-out?

Many of our lifestyle managers become close friends with their clients – which leads to mutual appreciation and respect.  We do encourage them to set reasonable boundaries, while our great CRM system  allows anyone in the world to step in seamlessly to help with a unique client challenge.  We also carefully limit both our overall membership numbers and the number of individuals that any single lifestyle managers oversees.  During busy times, even non-operations staff such as me step in to help.

What is the biggest challenge you face?

Time.  Most of our requests come at the last minute from extremely busy individuals or organizations who have extremely high expectations.  Most of the time we are able to make this happen.   Sometimes we get complaints about factors that are completely beyond our control — delayed flights, bad weather (requiring the cancellation of yacht trips, etc.)  But for the most part our loyal clients are extremely satisfied.

Where do you draw the line?

As you can expect, we get all sorts of crazy requests from members.  If it’s illegal or unethical this is a no-go for us.

Have you ever had to “fire” a member?

Happily this is a rare occurrence for us.  For the most part, there is a clear etiquette, ethical standard, and mutual respect between our staff and our members.  But if someone repeatedly crosses the line –for example, requesting that we procure prostitutes, or makes unreasonable requests that put our carefully cultivated relationships at risk — we have no qualms about letting them go.

Are there any experiences that you feel especially proud of? 

We once had a member whose luggage was lost somewhere on a journey between LA and Jakarta (via Singapore).  After EXTENSIVE legwork we discovered that the luggage had somehow been misrouted to Malaysia, where it was sitting unnoticed.  We delivered the newly-found bags to our member’s door, and learned that the luggage itself was of inestimable sentimental value as it was a vintage gift from his late grandfather.

I notice that your membership is heavily skewed to an older, male demographic — what, if anything are you doing to attract more women to your offerings?  

Given that our membership is primarily comprised of CEOs, directors, and entrepreneurs, today, approximately 70% of our members are men and 30% are women.  We absolutely want to increase our proportion of women members, and organize specific events — from fashion shows to exclusive personal shopping opportunities, and once-in-a-lifetime dining experiences.  We rely heavily on word-of-mouth and referrals, and this will be key to attracting more women to our services.

What kind of travel experiences do your clients expect?

As you pointed out, anyone can book a five-star hotel or a first-class air ticket.  We seek to provide our members with unique travel experiences — from the luxurious to the extreme.  For example, we once helped a member join a North Pole expedition (at our request he even planted a Quintessentially flag to prove that this happened!)  We also have a number of people on the ground who help provide what we call “local gems” — truly unique, individualized experiences off the beaten track.  Anyone can book dinner in Tuscany.  But can you have a home-cooked meal by a Michelin-rated chef with Andrea Boccelli?

True dat.  It’s gratifying to know that even though I won’t become a member anytime soon, I have a concierge expert one-tap away on What’sApp.