Further Reflections on the Real Concierge's Advice

Good morning, Live Better than a Billionaire-a-Holics!

Having slept on the advice of the real concierge for two nights now, I was reminded of part of my conversation with him that I did not relate to you . . . how concierges used to operate.

The best hotels used to have a policy of trusting their guests. This meant that if a guest with a reservation called ahead and asked the concierge to buy tickets for thousands of dollars worth of events, the concierge did. And the guest would eventually pay when she or he arrived at the hotel. I got a flavor of that experience when I first visited Vienna. Naturally, I wanted to enjoy many of the world-famous concerts there. Having contacted the concierge in our hotel, he informed me that it wasn't possible to buy tickets until a month before arrival. That's because Viennese musicians decide on concert on concert dates, programs and artists at the last minute.

He kindly offered to fax me the entire list of concerts for the month I was coming on the day that it was to be published. And he did. I circled the concerts I wanted to attend, wrote down how many tickets I wanted to each one and which price range I preferred. He faxed back to ask a few questions about cases where the price range I wanted was sold out. Did I want to pay more for a higher priced ticket? In some cases I did and in other cases I did not. The matter was settled within 48 hours after one telephone call, and he sent me a list of the tickets he would hold for me and what they would cost.

My wife and I arrived in Vienna ready for a dream week of concerts to help celebrate our wedding anniversary. The concierge had our tickets ready for us when we arrived and handed them over. He also took the time to show us each location on a map and to tell us when we could walk and when we might want a taxi. He also told us how to arrange to reserve a taxi on returning from the sites where we would need one. We tried to pay him and he waved us off. "It's on your hotel bill," he responded. When we checked out, we paid for the tickets and handed a large wad of cash to the concierge for this and the other great assistance he had provided to us. This concierge had helped us live our dream and had treated us like royalty in the process. He was a concierge who truly dealt in dreams.

In thinking about that experience, I realized that many people are reluctant to pursue their dreams because they don't know a dream concierge and most hotels don't provide them any more. They are naturally reluctant to pursue new experiences because they believe that there will be no one to treat them like royalty. So it all seems impossible.

But that's a false fear. In many areas of providing services, you will find people who delight in the special opportunities and challenges of helping you create something special. All you have to do is find such a person. Here's an example. My wife and I were once in Honolulu with five hours to kill between flights. I had always wanted to see the famous orchid garden in Honolulu and persuaded her to take a taxi from the airport to the garden. The taxi driver kindly pointed out where to go when he dropped us off and apologized for not being able to take us nearer. Once there, we were soon in a fantasy of floral display the like of which I had never seen before or since. In virtual silence, we glided through the garden drinking in its beauty and tranquility. After about 45 minutes, we were done and had big smiles on our faces.

Along the way, we had noticed an elderly man gardening on his hands and knees. We had smiled and said hello to him in friendly fashion and walked on.

As we started to head off, this gentleman approached us and asked us how we had enjoyed our visit. We gushed. He smiled. Then he asked if we would like a personal tour of the garden. We looked at each other, gauged the time left and said, "Sure." Then we entered the real realm of the garden.

This man was a retired volunteer who came almost every day to tend the orchids. And he loved to share what he knew about them. Because he had crawled around them from every angle, he knew them intimately in a way that no casual visitor could. We were shocked to realize that we had only seen about 15 percent of the varieties during our first, unguided trip through the garden. And we had missed most of what was interesting and beautiful about what we had seen. He taught us to see and told us wonderful stories about his granddaughter's reactions to the orchids and her pet names for them. I felt like an angel had come to earth to take us by the hand and show us what Heaven would be like. It was one of the high points of my life. We had a true dream concierge with us that day!

How can you find dream concierges wherever you go?

First, ask people who have been to the same site or activity before for their advice. Do this both before you leave home and as you get closer to your destination. In particular, ask them if there are guides you can hire. No two guides are alike, and the right one for you can provide an astonishingly good experience. In many cases you'll learn about wonderful activities that you wouldn't have dreamed were available.

Second, strike up conversations with people you meet who are pursuing similar activities. Ask them about what you plan and if they have any advice. More than half will have wonderful suggestions.

Third, contact the people who organize the activity and tell them about your interests. Ask their advice about how you can enjoy your activity more. They will often share little-known choices that are only available if you book in advance. We had that experience when we arranged for a U.S. Park Service ranger to be our guide for a half-day visit to the rim of the Grand Canyon. It was inexpensive and wonderful! And she helped us plan many other activities during the same trip that we would have missed otherwise.

Fourth, be open to changing your plans. You may find that you've arrived just one day early or one day late to enjoy something special. Make room for those experiences.

Fifth, check out Web sites, chat rooms, blogs and any other on-line sources you can find. They often contain little hints that even many of the most experienced don't know about. From such contacts, I've had people send me wonderful materials to study in advance.

Sixth, be persistent. If you haven't found just the right approach for you . . . keep asking until you find it.

Now, to many all of this inquiry will seem either like a burden or a waste of time. I've come to appreciate that these moments of shared contact and support can instead be part of the pleasure of planning a dream event . . . much like the service my wife and I received from our concierge in Vienna.

Enjoy dreaming about your dream experience, enjoy the journey to creating it, live the dream and live happily ever after!

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell

Be sure to check out my blog dated May 16, 2005 on how to plan Your Dad's Best Father's Day! and May 30, 2005 on Plan Your Best Fourth of July!