A family that chooses its private concierge service does not commit for a quarter. She commits for several years, sometimes a generation. The choice is therefore patrimonial: it involves a relationship of deep trust, exposure to family intimacy, and an important part of the comfort of daily life. Here are the 12 selection criteria that our company recommends, based on ten years of market observation.
Why this guide
The high-end private concierge market is opaque. The houses do not publish prices or references, and for good reasons. This opacity makes selection difficult for the client: how can two proposals be compared without public benchmarks? How to verify commercial promises? How to avoid surface houses that sell dreams without delivering value?
This guide is constructed from the point of view of a house which regularly welcomes clients from other concierge services, and which sees the reasons for their change. It will allow you to ask the right questions during your exploratory interviews.
Criterion 1 — The customer-concierge ratio
This is the most decisive and most underestimated criterion. A serious house dedicates a representative concierge to each family and limits the number of families under the responsibility of this representative. The optimal ratio is 8 to 15 families per dedicated concierge. Above 20 families, the quality of the relationship erodes. Above 30, we enter the field of volume concierge service, which has little to do with our profession.
Question to ask: “How many families follow the concierge who will be my contact? » If the answer is unclear or if the ratio is greater than 20, be careful.
Criterion 2 — Team turnover
A concierge who stays in a house for 18 months will never capture the finesse of preferences necessary for excellent service. A concierge who stays for ten years knows your children, your cellar, your habits, your addresses, your sensitivities by heart. Team stability is a direct indicator of service quality.
Question to ask: “What is the average turnover of your concierge team over the last five years? » A rate above 20% per year is critical. Between 10 and 20%, to be monitored. Below 10%, a sign of a stable house.
Criterion 3 — Economic neutrality
This is a fundamental point of vigilance. Some concierge services receive commissions from the service providers (hotels, villas, caterers, agencies) that they recommend to you. These commissions, often invisible in the client contract, create a structural conflict of interest: the house is encouraged to recommend the service providers who pay the best, not those who best match your needs.
Reputable houses refuse this practice and document it in writing. Our house receives no commission from service providers and includes this clause in each customer contract.
Question to ask: “Do you receive commissions or benefits from the providers you recommend? Is this clause documented in the customer contract? » If the answer is unclear, do not sign.
Criterion 4 — Multi-site intervention capacity
A UHNWI family rarely lives in just one town. Main residence in Paris, chalet in Megeve, villa in Provençal or Saint-Tropez, possibly apartment in London or Geneva. Your concierge service must be able tor orchestrate these sites in parallel, with either their own local teams or exclusive and documented partnerships with houses of the same level.
Question to ask: “Do you have offices or teams in the cities where I have residences? Otherwise, who are your partners and how do you guarantee their quality? »
Criterion 5 — Sectoral experience
A family that rules a wine dynasty has different needs than a family that runs a technology empire. The first need someone who speaks wine, knows the merchants, and masters the codes of the Champagne houses. The latter need a contact capable of coordinating with Silicon Valley and large investment funds. A general home may be suitable; a house that has already accompanied similar profiles is more suitable.
Question to ask: “Have you already supported families in my sector/profile? What were the specific points that you learned to manage? »
Criterion 6 — Discretion and confidentiality tools
The volume of sensitive information that a concierge handles (addresses, calendars, travel, health, finances, children) requires a professional level of confidentiality. This includes: individual employee NDAs, IT infrastructure audited and segmented by client, encrypted messaging, emergency protocols, professional liability cybersecurity insurance.
Question to ask: “What is your privacy infrastructure?” Are communications encrypted? Are cybersecurity audits regular? Is a specific NDA signed for each client? »
Criterion 7 — The quality of the written proposal
A quality proposal is not limited to a generic commercial PDF. It must reflect the precise understanding of your household: number and nature of residences, annual calendar, anticipated points of tension, initial budget, methods of remuneration, termination clauses. A vague proposal with standard pricing is a red flag.
Question to ask: “Can you show me an anonymized example of your typical proposal for a family similar to mine? »
Criterion 8 — Contractual clauses
The contract must provide precisely: the duration of the commitment (with termination clauses), the payment terms, the scope of services included and excluded, the confidentiality clause, the non-commission clause, the non-solicitation clause (the house must not approach your household staff), the competent jurisdiction. A contract that does not mention these elements is incomplete.
Question to ask: “Can you send me your standard contract in advance of my decision, so that my lawyer can review it? » A house that refuses this request is disqualifying.
Criterion 9 — The quality of the partner network
The network of a concierge service provides its added value: hotels, chefs, villas, transporters, craftsmen, experts, lawyers, doctors, coaches. But the network is invisible before engagement. You can, however, assess its quality indirectly, by observing the accuracy of the answers to specific questions you ask during the interview.
Useful test: ask for a private chef's recommendation for a dinner for twenty guests in your main city. The accuracy of the response (name, specialty, predictable availability, base budget) is a direct indicator of network quality. An unclear or standardized response is a red flag.
Criterion 10 — Local anchoring versus international dimension
Certain families need a house strongly anchored in a specific territory (Champagne, the Côte d'Azur, French-speaking Switzerland); others need an international house present on several continents. Both profiles are valid, but do not overlapyou don't. An international house spread across ten countries does not necessarily know the local micro-ecosystems. A very local house will not be able to accompany you to Dubai or Hong Kong.
