With the increasingly hectic, multi-tasking lives of modern urbanites, you hardly need to be Aladdin to yearn for a magic lamp-dwelling genie who can fulfil your every fantasy.
For the lucky few who can afford it, however, a life of ease where every whim can be realised is, in fact, not the stuff of fairy tales.
The people who make this possible – think of them as modern-day genies – range from resourceful concierge teams at top-tier credit card companies to the thoughtful personal shoppers.
It is not just the very affluent who can have access to these services, although that is the demographic slice most prone to such pampering.
Few people, for example, would pay upwards of $7,700 for a mobile phone from luxury British label Vertu, which gives them a free one-year personal concierge service.
This is accessed by pressing a special button on the phone.
The service can be renewed for an annual fee of about £650 (S$1,452).
Most hotels also supply excellent concierge services, although personal butlers for guests are available only in five-star hotels such as the Raffles Hotel and St Regis.
You can also make use of the personal shopper services at places such as Tangs and DFS Galleria – both offer the service free of charge but to qualify for the latter, you have to spend at least US$5,000 (S$7,508) first.
Earlier this month, luxury fashion chain Club 21 also launched a personal shopping service for its members and plans to extend this to non-members.
Offering such personalised services pays off in the long run, says Ellen Yeo, vice-president of store management at Tangs.
“We stock a wide variety of products and shoppers might not be able to pick out good deals or new arrivals.
The personal shopper service is one of our ways of helping shoppers make informed choices so they can stretch their dollar,” she says.
“When a customer is satisfied, he becomes a loyal customer and it turns into a long-term relationship that we treasure. Our loyal customers are a great asset.”
A dedicated luxury concierge service such as the Britain-based Quintessentially, which launched in Singapore in 2007, for instance, also has a range of entry points.
Annual membership fees range from $2,500 (you get to make 10 to 15 requests a month) to $72,000 (this is by invitation only, where the likes of Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow get to have a personal dedicated account manager in each of the 44 countries where Quintessentially is available).
If things go well, you can expect such services to grow.
Says Quintessentially Singapore’s director David Low: “Singapore’s ability to attract top events like the Grand Prix and leading entertainment acts and establishments like the integrated resorts should continue to drive demand for our services.”
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This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times.
