“It’s here!” I opened the box.
I had just returned from vacation still beaming and my time away got me thinking. The hotel concierge desk was constantly busy with guests asking questions about the best restaurant, outdoor activities for kids, shopping, morning walking paths, hotel-specific inquiries, and anything else they needed during their stay.
They knew it all. And what they didn’t, they found a way.
‘Figure it out’ people.
Impressive customer service and always with a smile. It stuck with me.
What if we did that?
I took the shiny new call bell out of the box.
Ding. Ding, ding.
“Hahaha. It’s perfect,” I said.
The team laughed. “What’s that?” they asked.
“Procurement concierge.”
I’d been thinking: What if we used the concierge approach?
If colleagues had questions or needed help with a purchase, we’d assist them and provide answers with top-notch service. Ringing the bell was part of the fun.
I thought lets rebrand procurement and create a welcoming space. We’d recently relocated to the 5th floor, next to the office’s busiest kitchen. We could see everyone and they could see us. Front and center, just like the hotel concierge. The perfect location to try something new.
Our desk neighbors were first to notice.
“What’s that?” they asked.
“Think of us as your concierge. Anytime you need something to do your job—a new service, product, or license, anything—just swing through,” I said.
“And hit the bell!” Gracie giggled.
“Oh, that’s awesome. Kind of like when sales hits the gong after closing a sale.”
“Exactly,” I said. “Please, spread the word.”
And it did spread. Much faster than expected. We had to retire the bell because it rang so much that it got annoying in all the right ways.
It worked.
When you think differently, change your approach, and focus on solving problems for people, they pay attention. Hard to beat.
Ding, ding.
See you next week,
Mat
ps. There’s a society for the world’s top concierges. It’s called Les Clefs d’Or (The Golden Keys) and their motto is “In service through friendship.”
