As life – both in and out of work – continues to settle following the incredible shifts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no doubt that expectations of companies have changed. Whether it be from great talent looking for employers who can demonstrate they value their work, or clients looking to do business with firms who are willing to go that extra mile.
Providing value and thinking outside the box is fast becoming a fixture of the new normal. “What we’ve seen since the pandemic is that retaining good employees, and indeed retaining good clients, is really important. It’s a very competitive landscape now, so added value is essential,” explains Darren Ellis, Group CEO of luxury lifestyle management company Quintessentially.
For two decades, it has been the go-to company for money-can’t-buy experiences encompassing areas as wide as planning for holidays, events and relocation including education organization and real estate. But what many don’t realize is that since it began, the company has been working with corporates on bespoke contracts to provide their impeccable service to clients and employees.
“Everyone thinks Quintessentially is all about the private memberships,” Ellis says. “But in fact, we’ve serviced corporates in one form or another since inception.”
Making life easier – and more fun!
The Quintessentially Corporate Collective reflects the more proactive approach the company is taking when working with businesses to help them add value and accommodate the changing ways of working.
“Within the corporate world, we have provided a concierge service as a ‘white label service’ to a number of senior credit card holders since we began – that is more of a reactive service, a request model,” Ellis explains.
“But with the bespoke Corporate Collective we’re engaging in a proactive way. A prime example would be our work with a technology company in Palo Alto where we have Quintessentially lifestyle managers on the ground in their offices.
“Within the corporate world, we have provided a concierge service as a ‘white label service’ to a number of senior credit card holders since we began.”
“They look after all the demands of the of the C-suite employees such as travel, experiences and restaurant reservations when they arrive and can also organize corporate off-sites and gifting. It’s not just about the local market, it’s about plugging into our global network.”
Although reach is essential, a personal service is always the aim with a dedicated team in place 24/7 to enable meaningful relationships.
When it comes to relocation, Quintessentially’s global reach, with offices in 40 countries, allows employees to hit the ground running. Every part of the move is covered, from housing to education, networking and even just understanding the customs of a new workplace.
“Say a client in the Middle East is coming to London, finding a flight and hotel is easy, but finding the right restaurant with the right ambiance to host dinner, perhaps with a private room, is not so simple,” Ellis explains. “Also, clients may have been invited to a shoot, for example, but don’t know the etiquette or what to wear.
“The objective from our point of view is not only to give them the experience but to also make them comfortable wherever they are. One of the big requests we get whenever we help locate someone is access to social circles and networking. We host a lot of events that can facilitate that and corporates tell us these added benefits really help with staff retention.”
As well as making their employees feel valued, it means that the client’s time is not spent worrying about daily details and they can instead focus on the job in hand.
Selling a lifestyle
Some companies are using the Corporate Collective for their customers and clients, too, with the luxury of a well-connected concierge service proving the best gift any of us could receive.
“In the retail sector, brands are increasingly moving into a more experiential realm. As an example, we are having a lot of conversations with automotives as it’s now no longer good enough just to offer an amazing product, you also need to offer a whole lifestyle with that,” he explains.
“The clients are coming to us to offer that service. We are also seeing this with other industries, as they are setting themselves apart with this additional offering of our lifestyle service.”
The future looks exciting, Ellis says, with plans to expand further into the increasingly popular South-East Asian countries and constantly finding new ways to create moments beyond clients’ wildest dreams.
“We were recently asked to arrange a dinner on an iceberg.”
“We were recently asked to arrange a dinner on an iceberg. The requests never cease to be amazing and for me, one of the most fascinating calls of the week is when the lifestyle managers talk about what they have been up to,” Ellis says.
“We welcome all the more remarkable requests, it means that we can turn that around when someone’s looking for an unusual event or an experience in the future. We can bring into play ideas our clients might not have even considered possible.”
This proves there is nothing that will phase the Quintessentially lifestyle managers, who keep going above and beyond to provide unique value to their clients.
