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Michael Fazio
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Concierge Confidential: The Gloves Come Off---and the Secrets Come Out! Tales from the Man Who Serves Millionaires, Moguls, and Madmen Kindle Edition

by Michael Fazio (Author), Michael Malice (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 215 ratings
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New York City's top concierge gives up a keyhole view into the luxe hotel rooms, private dining and dressing rooms of the ridiculous, rich and demanding

Michael Fazio is the ultimate behind-the-scenes support man. Want two orchestra tickets to the Broadway musical that just won the Tony? Call Fazio. How about an upgrade to first class on an overbooked overnight flight to Tokyo? Call Fazio. Or a roomful of fresh hydrangeas—in winter? That's right. Call Fazio. From his early start as the harried and neglected personal assistant to a typical L.A. casting agent, Fazio took what he learned there and moved into concierge work at New York City's Intercontinental Hotel, where he was eventually able to parlay his services into a large and successful business of his own.

In Concierge Confidential, Fazio reveals the behind-thescenes madness that goes into getting the rich and famous what they want, and shares some great insider knowledge on how to get access to the unattainable without making the concierge, waiters and other service people crazy.

A few of Fazio's tips include:
• When and how much to palm in tips
• How to get a seat or ticket to the hottest thing in town
• How to avoid being labeled a rube the minute you walk through the door
• How you can become your favorite store or restaurant's most beloved customer
• And much more

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  1. Print length
    286 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    St. Martin's Press
  5. Publication date
    February 1, 2011
  6. File size
    462 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
215 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the writing style easy to read and light. They also say the book is fun and provides a laugh or two. Readers also describe the content as amusing, informative, and relatable. They mention the tips for getting good service are helpful.

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Entertainment valueContentWriting style
52 customers mention "Entertainment value"48 positive4 negative

Customers find the book very entertaining, funny, and interesting. They also say it offers a fascinating look into the service.

"...I was sorry to see this book end, good fun and a total new respect for the people working behind the golden desk." Read more

"...Ignore the negative naysayers. This is a fun read that you can finish in one sitting if you wanted to." Read more

"...There is some side-line ingenuity thrown in there as well. Fun and light...with some interesting tips." Read more

"...a breath of fresh air, not stuffy or snooty just plain informative and fun!..." Read more

34 customers mention "Content"34 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's content amusing, informative, and motivational. They also say it offers a fascinating look into the service industry, with great tips on where to go in New York and how to treat people. Customers also say the book provides insider knowledge of the hotel business and helpful tips for getting good service.

"...The stories he relates are fascinating, and he goes into lots of detail to educate the reader about the finer points of this exciting business...." Read more

"A quick read, this is an entertaining, sometimes informative look at the concierge industry...." Read more

"...is a gift that keeps on giving with all the advice, insider knowledge of the hotel business, and great tips for travel and dining...." Read more

"...His story is informative and extremely encouraging for those of us who have ideas that we want to turn into a successful business...." Read more

22 customers mention "Writing style"17 positive5 negative

Customers find the writing style easy to read, full of well-written tidbits about hotel and private concierge services. They also describe the book as a fast, light read that's amusing and informative.

"A quick read, this is an entertaining, sometimes informative look at the concierge industry...." Read more

"Easy to read. Feels like you are getting secrets about the industry that is behind the scenes which i have never knew." Read more

"...It's not Shakespeare and its not trying to be. It is a well-written memoir about a career that few think of...." Read more

"...with the wrong version of the word "to," and there were some typos and syntax problems in the rest of the book...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Texaspalms
5.0 out of 5 stars Gold Plated Room Service
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2011
Verified Purchase
Classy concierge service goes way beyond show tickets and reservations at hot restaurants, and Michael Fazio holds all of the golden keys. His creative methods of securing the elaborate experience of a night on the town or a bath tub filled with chocolate make for a fun read.
"Concierge Confidential" takes readers into the concierge (con-see-AIRJ) business full-throttle.
His early experience in Hollywood working for a talent agent lit a spark in him that ignited into a bonfire of catering to the rich and famous. He turned that knowledge into a sucessful and lucritive business in New York once he learned the trade and started his own business with his partner, Abigail Michaels. The stories he relates are fascinating, and he goes into lots of detail to educate the reader about the finer points of this exciting business. I was sorry to see this book end, good fun and a total new respect for the people working behind the golden desk.
One person found this helpful
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jaybird
4.0 out of 5 stars Really fun read if you want an insight into the life of Concierges
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2020
Verified Purchase
I barely knew who used the Concierge counter at the hotel or what it was Really about.
Isn't google or a good guide book sufficient? There's more to it. Read and find out.

I found out about this book when listening to a Joe Rogan podcast when he was interviewing Michael Malise.
I'll provide an abridged version of some of the interesting pieces in the book as that helps me often decide if the book is worth reading. So here goes :

Some hotel guests ask for suggestions to the concierge only for validation. For e.g they might come in from another city gushing about some restaurant they want to go to (after having read about it in a book). He might know that nowadays it is not that great and a different restaurant that is not as popular has really good food and better service. If he tries to suggest it, they don't want to hear it. They just want validation that what they think is good is what is good. Also often it is about wanting to be able to say "I have been to so and so restauraunt" in NY.

This one dude comes in from another country. He comes up to the counter and asks in a thick accent - how long to NJ?. Concierge says 3 hours and the guy can't believe it. He wants to reach there in like an hour or less. Concierge suggests renting a helicopter though at this time of night it would be hard to find a charter. He says Money no object., do it. Concierge has to scramble and make calls all over to find a chopper AND a pilot willing to cart this dude over. Guy goes over to Ceaser's casino, spends a boat load of money and comes back the next morning.
Money flows like nothing with the rich folks using this service. A room alone costs $600 a night and above. He talks of 'triple platinum' members who travel all the world all the time and stay mainly in Inter-Continental hotels. They are treated like royalty.
At one point he is running his own service and not working at the hotel. So during this period this one guy calls him and says he wants to organize something really cool for a friend who wants to spend a week between Venice and some other port city in Europe (I forget which one). He asks the concierge for ideas. Concierge suggets renting a yacht that just goes back and forth between the two cities. Concierge calls all around Europe trying to find a Yacht that can do this. Cost - a few hundred thousand dollars. No problem. Do it.

There are many anecdotes covering the rich and famous obviously. Previously I had some sense of what rich people are like but after reading this I understood a whole new level of what they can afford. They are on a completely different plane. It is worth reading this book just to grok this fact alone as you will understand it in a deeper way.
What was hard to digest for me was finding out that many rich folks have super expensive houses (or should I say mansions) all over the country / world that they barely stay in. But they are staffed and taken care of to keep it in top condition. The house manager alone makes six figures just to manage the house - keep the garden looking good, make sure to keep all the light bulbs on, furniture sparkling clean etc. All this for a house that they might visit once a year or not even that. And we have people in cities working paycheck to paycheck barely able to make rent.

He does cover celebrity drama for a few like - Prince, J Lo, Norman Schwarzkopf, Bee Gees and maybe one or two others but there is not much more of that in this book. But that doesn't take away the joy in reading the book if you're more curious of what the job is about.
The requests by Prince for example : This one time he comes in just for one nights stay. His people come in advance, have every piece of furniture carted out, totally revamp the room with new furniture, candles , etc that are just right to his tastes. Make it look like a room in a palace. All for just one night's stay.

He is open about taking a cut from some of the various outfits that he uses for clients. Probably the same goes on with all concierges across most hotels. But I was surprised he put that in writing.

He seems to go the extra mile for his clients. He seems to truly enjoy what he does. He works pretty hard that I felt I could not do the work at the level that he does.
He actually started out working for Charlie Sheen/Martin Sheen's agent in Hollywood but eventually moved into the concierge career. Interesting anecdotes of the Hollywood celebs as well in that section.

I did like his various sections in the book where he lays out what constitutes good service. Some reviewers didn't want that obviously. But I did like it. I'm in a totally different line of work but am fascinated by other professions and how they operate. So I was really interested in how life functioned in this unique strange world.

Ignore the negative naysayers. This is a fun read that you can finish in one sitting if you wanted to.
7 people found this helpful
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W. Frazier
3.0 out of 5 stars Fun and light.
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2015
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A quick read, this is an entertaining, sometimes informative look at the concierge industry. In the genre of "service industry expose," this book follows the author's career path beginning as a Hollywood assistant and progressing through to hotel and apartment concierge service management. There is some side-line ingenuity thrown in there as well. Fun and light...with some interesting tips.
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amwild
5.0 out of 5 stars A real page turner!
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2011
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I not only read this book in just two sittings (I have a 13 month old, that says a lot!) but I feel like I came out of it with so much extra knowledge. It really is a gift that keeps on giving with all the advice, insider knowledge of the hotel business, and great tips for travel and dining. Michael Fazio is a great story teller and a breath of fresh air, not stuffy or snooty just plain informative and fun! If you like travel, dining out or want to know how to get vip without being a hassle or hitting the wallet too hard, get your copy of Concierge Confidential!
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Behind the scenes
Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2023
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Easy to read. Feels like you are getting secrets about the industry that is behind the scenes which i have never knew.
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jsbreads
4.0 out of 5 stars Different than I expected but much better!
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2011
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I've seen this guy all over television and I thought I was buying a gossip filled trash book. What I got was a fun and fast read that was completely entertaining with great (nothing insanely outrageous) stories. What I LOVED about the book was the chance to get to know what a real concierge actually does and what they endure to do what they have to do. His story is informative and extremely encouraging for those of us who have ideas that we want to turn into a successful business. I even think I learned how I can get star treatment for myself from now on!
3 people found this helpful
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Tom H.
5.0 out of 5 stars Very addicting! Beware!
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2013
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Originally, I meant to get just the sample of the book but accidentally purchased it. I am SOOO glad I did. It has been a very entertaining book with a LOT of little stories about what it is really like in the service industry. I have worked in hotels, as a valet, waiter and an assistant chef, I've been around the block when it comes to service, Michael does an awesome way of describing the interesting people you run into.

I have run into so many of some of the same types of people.

Long story short, if you enjoy reading about the interesting background in the service industry, BUY THIS BOOK!!
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D. Gibson
3.0 out of 5 stars Clearly the author never stops working
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2013
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This is an interesting book and I can't shake the feeling that, despite a few candid moments, the author is still on the job. I wasn't expecting to open this book and find Page 6 gossip, which it doesn't give beyond things already known (Salma Hayek can be difficult to work with), I also wasn't expecting what I found: someone in the concierge business that still has to be careful not to insult potential clients. I can't put my finger on what it is exactly about this book that makes it seem just too apologetic for the dirt that is shown.

There is no doubt that the author clearly appreciates the role he can play in people's lives, visible or invisible, I was disappointed at how much he backed off once he was getting to the heart of a matter.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Tom8osauce
2.0 out of 5 stars Not my favorite book
Reviewed in Canada on September 19, 2017
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This book wasn't as juicy as I was hoping it would be. I also didn't care for the protagonist, I felt he was whiney.
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