YOU ARE A CONSTANT PERSON AND PLANING A WEDDING, WHICH SHOULD BECOME THE MOST UNFORGETTABLE EVENT IN YOUR LIFE. HOW ABOUT THE MARRIAGE CEREMONY IN THE SHADOW OF THE EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS IN GIZA DECORATED BY FIFTY PAULINE ALBINOS? YOU ARE HUNGER, AND WOULD LIKE TO FEEL THE TASTE OF FAVORITE CUPCASES FROM CONFECTIONERY LONDON AGAIN? WHY NOT TO ORDER MULTIPLE PIECES ON THE HOUSE?
Although all this sounds bizarre for most of us, however, these are real requests from some private clients. If you have enough money, almost all of the above and much more are possible. Today, wealthy customer service is a big and serious business. Luxury concierge services and diverse private clubs thrive in the UAE. Karim Hbib, the founder of one of such private private clubs, talks about his company UniK Concierge.
Karim, how did you get the idea to create such a service?
I moved from Switzerland to Dubai in 2007 with one suitcase and $ 1,000 in my pocket. What for? I decided to follow in the footsteps of my grandfather, who worked as a concierge with several prominent Emirate families, as well as in the Al-Thani family in Qatar and as an adviser to King Khalid bin Abdul Aziz in Saudi Arabia. In 2009, I decided to create my own business and opened UniK Concierge, a company providing luxury concierge services for rich and very rich people. Today we have 13 customers, in this sense UniK Concierge is an exclusive club. I know each of my clients personally. Wherever I am, in Oak or New York, for lunch or dinner, I always have direct contact with them.
Please tell us more about the company, and how can I get membership in your club?
We started our business three years ago. Membership in UniK Concierge is only possible at the invitation or recommendation of existing members. We consider each new application for at least two months. After a person becomes a member of the club, he can order anything. "Every whim for your money"! But, the most important thing is how we do it. The main services of the company include the organization of travel, assistance in finding a nanny, a gardener, and, even, feeding your cat during your absence. We offer the most exclusive services to our customers around the world. UniK Concierge strives to become the best concierge service company in the UAE and the Middle East region. We have offices in Dubai and New York. Customer satisfaction is our number one priority, so we work around the clock. My work day starts at six in the morning and ends at two in the morning. And all this in order to provide our customers with individual packages that meet their needs and exceed their expectations.
Who are your customers and what do they order?
Our clients are people with high and very high incomes who would like to live an interesting life, but do not have time for this because of constant employment and a busy schedule. The task of my company is to help them feel comfortable at any time and in any situation. Give them something that their neighbors or friends do not have. We are developing a series of exclusive offers that no one but us will provide. Once we had to hold one teenage party in Dubai in the original costumes from the Harry Potter movie, and we did it. Another client of mine wanted to buy a Ballon Bleu Cartier watch from a limited edition three days before my son’s birthday. The problem is that this collection was completely sold in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and throughout the Middle East region. The only way out was to import them here, so I flew to Geneva myself, bought a watch and flew back.
How many people work at UniK Concierge today?
Seven people, but I can say that soon we will be fifteen. We have people from different countries: the Philippines, Brazil, Switzerland and America. There are no Russian-speaking employees in the team yet, but if we need to speak Russian, we will hire the best professional translator. What are the basic requirements for hiring employees for a company? Be extraordinary and have original ideas. Each of my employees is simply obliged to think outside the box, make out-of-the-box decisions, because sometimes we receive such applications that it is impossible to fulfill them within the usual categories. Within a week, you can immediately see what constitutes and what each person is capable of. We have tremendous opportunities for growth.
How much does UniK Concierge membership cost?
Usually the cost of a membership card is from 10 to 25 thousand dirhams per year. We offer two categories of service. Standard concierge service, which includes booking tickets, hotel search, visa, excursions and transportation services in any country in the world. This service makes life easier and allows busy people to free themselves from the little things that sometimes take so much time. Our consultants will accept a list of instructions, execute them, so that the client does not waste time and does not postpone all the planned affairs.
The second type of service is UniKservice. It all depends on the client’s imagination. And fantasies are sometimes the most unexpected. To work in this business is a great pleasure for me. And I believe that over time, more and more people will come to the conclusion that it is better to pay for services for the high-quality organization of the trip and whether events than to spend a lot of time and effort on their own. For wealthy people, the most important value is time, and only then everything else that we can completely do.
Karim, you have a very interesting business. I wish you success and more new customers.
