Concierge-Interview with Andras Jeney

Which hotel do you work for and how long have you been working there as a concierge?

I work for the The Chedi Andermatt since August 2016.

Are you living your profession under a certain slogan?

Yes, making the impossible possible.

Can you look back on a long career as a concierge?

Yes, I can. I was working as a concerige on a cruise ship for 4,5 years. After that, I have been working as a concierge in Wiesbaden and Frankfurt between 2012 and 2016. Since 2013, I am a member of Les Clefs d’Or.

Tell us about the profession of the hotel concierge. What is special about it, what connects you to this job?

You have to extend your network with suppliers. Additionally, you have to be able to fulfill the special wishes of your guests – for example organising a ticket for a sold out concert or football match.

What are the biggest advantages and disadvantages concerning your profession?

A big advantage is that you never exactly know what the day will bring. Every day is different. The wishes of the guests can differ greatly. You are never bored. The only disadvantage is almost never having your weekends off. Of course, that isn’t exactly a big advantage, especially if you have a familiy at home.

What was the most challenging task you received from a hotel guest that you could execute?

A foreign family wanted to go shop for clothes in the evening after 21.00 in a luxury boutique. To fulfill this wish, I had to have someone open the store exclusively for the family. Fortunately, I knew the private mobile phone number of the manager. Within 30 minutes, he opened his store. In total, 5 additional employees were present to serve and advicse the family. Of course, the guests bought almost everything in the boutique. I think the manager reached almost half of his annual budget with this purchase.

Did you have any influential experiences with a special car of a guest?

Yes. I was once allowed to drive the new Porsche 917 Spyder of a foreign guest over quite a long distance.

Have you seen the movie «The Grand Budapest Hotel»? What did you think of it? If not, how do you envision the concierge profession in 50 years? What will change?

Although I am from Ungarn myself, I haven’t seen the movie. Nowadays, the concierges obviously have the internet and Google at their disposal. Sadly, this causes many concierges to neglect their personal connections, as it is much easier to search something with Google. However, I think that our work won’t change too much overall because we happen to know the secret tips and don’t want to become „Google-Concierges“.

How does a concierge experience the Christmas season? Are you overwhelmed by countless requests of the hotel guests instead of buried in presents? Or do you still find peaceful time with your loved ones?

During the holidays and especially during the Christmas season, it is very busy for us. The guests want a Christmas tree in their room or need good ideas for presents and so on. I still try to occasionally take some time off for my wife and myself.

Lesen Sie hier die weiteren Artikel der Concierge-Serie:

• Concierge-Interview mit Jérémie Varry
• Concierge-Interview mit Florian Weidenbach