Emyr Thomas shares a similar passion with Fox&Squirrel, that of finding and sourcing the best London has to offer. We spoke to the owner of London’s latest concierge service, Bon Vivant for some insight into running a business during these difficult times.
Emyr please tell us a bit about yourself and when you decided to set up bon vivant?
I have always loved finding out about and trying new hotels, restaurant and bars, and after years of careful planning and developing an excellent network, I launched Bon Vivant in early 2009 to fill a gap in the market for providing a concierge service that focused on great personal service as standard, without charging an extortionate fee.
In my opinion, to get the most out of a concierge service, clients need to deal with the same person at all times, who will get to know you well and tailor the service to your specific needs – that’s why each Bon Vivant member receives a personal account manager as standard, and also why each member can add a partner or personal assistant to their membership for free.
The other driving force behind Bon Vivant was to look after those looking for luxury services and assistance who wanted to pay a competitive fee. As a result, our style of service is quick, intelligent, proactive and reasonably priced for the level of service offered.
From our own personal experience starting a company in the midst of the worst financial climate is incredibly difficult. How are you managing? And, what do you find interests your clients the most during these bizarre times?
Yes, it was extremely challenging to set up a new business at the height of the difficult economic situation, but it has also been for the best in many ways. Winning new business took longer and greater effort, which meant we were forced to work harder and spend more time developing an excellent service that clients really wanted. It also meant that the companies we now work with were more amenable to having discussions with us in the early days as everyone had to fight for new business and to retain regular clients.
While the first year or so was, without doubt, difficult, we are now growing steadily, making great progress, and we are perfectly positioned for the next few years. We have continued to grow our individual membership base as well as recently launching our corporate concierge service to help companies with their human resources and marketing strategies. We have also just launched a service for temporary visitors to London so that they can experience the same level of service and access as full clients, but for a shorter time period.
For our clients, dining at restaurants is still the most popular activity – through our newsletter and blog, we keep our members informed of all the new openings and the best restaurant for them based on their preferences.
What does a concierge service actually do and how does yours differ from the rest?
As a concierge service, we run the lives of our members, helping them with the things that they don’t have the time, inclination or expertise to do for themselves – whether it’s advising on and booking holidays, recommending and booking restaurants, bars and clubs, finding tickets to the theatre or for a sold out concert or helping with the every day tasks to help life run more smoothly.
Think of us as a virtual PA for your leisure time – we free up our clients’ time so that they can spend their free time enjoying life instead of organising it. Our members also have access to our insider knowledge and expertise – whether it’s knowing the best new restaurant, the hottest club or knowing where to locate an unusual item, they count on us for all of this and more.
The main difference with Bon Vivant is that we offer great personal service as standard and for a reasonable fee for the level of service offered. Most concierge services have multiple membership packages, with the level of service increasing with the cost of membership so there’s a real difference in the level of service provided.
All our members are equal and we only have one level of membership: each is allocated a personal concierge account manager to be at their beck and call for all queries, ensuring the highest level of personal service. Our concierges provide the best service by personally familiarising themselves with their clients, establishing exactly what they want and expect, and pre-empting what they would appreciate.
We are also very flexible and offer our members bespoke packages – we offer monthly, annual and pay per use plans.
Highs and Lows in the business?
There are many highs – the constant challenge of securing new clients, evolving with our clients’ changing needs, the satisfaction gained from helping clients and knowing we are making a difference to their lives. Oh, and the perks can be pretty good too!
As for the lows, work can involve long hours and being on call constantly, but thankfully it’s very rewarding, so you really don’t mind working every hour of the day!
And, where do you see bon vivant in 5 years time?
That’s a question that we try not to focus on too much as so much can happen in that time. Our main priority is to continue to grow our individual membership base and to develop our relationships with corporate clients. We will continue to focus on providing great personal service to our clients, always striving to be the best, and if international expansion follows, then we’ll firmly embrace it!
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