May I Help You?

There are approximately 10-12 concierge services operating out of Delhi,with most having set up regional branches here over the last year or so. Unlike Quintessentially,which currently operates out of New Delhi and Mumbai,and is a luxury concierge service,the others cater to day to day requirements of individuals,doing things as commonplace as daily grocery or the laundry.

Aazzulikit Lifestyle Management Services,started by two Gurgaon-based sisters,emerged in February this year to service daily customer requirements. “We take care of everything,from errands like courier services,flower delivery,bill payments,filing income tax returns,laundry pick and drop and grocery shopping to car rentals,vacation planning and organising parties and weddings; basically all the things we wished somebody would take off our hands when we were working ,” laughs Sonalika Sengupta,one of the owners.

However,most concierge services will have you know that personal customers are still a rarity. For instance,even though Delhi-based Concierge4India has 150 households in Dwarka under their umbrella for servicing daily needs,corporate servicing is their main functionary. “Only the corporate sector services can survive in today’s environment since the volumes are not hard to establish,” explains Arvind Pandey,director,who has 60 companies under his umbrella with 150 dedicated vendors across India. Vivek Chadha’s Enhance Your Life,which formed in 2008,has 15 corporates under its belt. “Our motto is to reduce the burden on a corporate,” says Chadha,whose company assists in paying electricity bills,booking movie tickets,arranging holidays for corporates. “We are currently offering 50-80 services ranging from day to day activities to arranging family vacations abroad,” adds Chadha,who worked in the IT industry before quitting and setting up this venture with a partner.

Alternatively,when they do service individual clients,the segment is labelled as premium and offers deluxe services that can include anything from taking care of the pets when the family is away on a vacation to organising a party in a football stadium. Bangalore based Super Seva,which launched its Delhi branch in 2008,for example,has a premium luxury services wing. “This kind of service is only limited to the high net worth individuals who do not mind paying a premium to reap the benefits of hassle free living. We do not find it viable to venture into the retail domain yet,” reasons Kumud Sharma,CEO,Super Seva,which operates in 10 cities. The group has catered to demands from business honchos,like managing entire household operations while they are away,with activities like taking the dog for walks,getting the gardener to water the plants,apart from regular car washes.

The prices for each of these tasks vary. A basic bouquet of Rs 3,000 will include utility bills and errands,including grocery and laundry at Aazzulikit. Corporate concierge services usually operate on ‘cost per service’ basis ranging from Rs 300- Rs 5,000 depending on the job. The premium concierge divisions on the other hand,operate on models of membership. For an annual membership of Rs 2 lakh upwards,Quintessentially,provides a personal account manager who profiles his customer closely and then caters to his needs. “We once organised a party for our premium card members where we offered 15 per cent discount on Cartier products,” says Drummond. Super Seva has a Platinum,Gold and Silver membership scheme that come for anything between Rs 15,000 to Rs 60,000 annually,with varying perks. Pandey has 100 high net-worth individuals on his system with a dedicated concierge executive for 12 individuals.

The NRIs servicing industry is also emerging as a lucrative sector. Sahara Care House,a service group catering to NRIs and PIOs has become an established player in this field. Bangalore-based Your Man in India,another major player that has its branch office in Delhi,caters to the NRIs majorly. “Ninety per cent of our business is from NRIs who want services for their family and relatives in the country,” says Parasuram Prabhu,director. Minding your own business has never been easier.