THE JOURNAL · GUIDES
How to choose a luxury concierge: twelve questions to ask before you sign
Twelve questions to ask before choosing a luxury or VVIP concierge: fees, commissions, confidentiality, suppliers, response times, coverage and who will actually handle your requests.
Published 30 October 2026 · ATLAS MAISON editorial team
- Ask first
- Who exactly will handle my requests?
- Fees
- Published membership fees versus hidden supplier commissions
- Confidentiality
- NDA before any details are shared
- Suppliers
- Licensed, vetted and paid by you directly
- Red flag
- Promises of guaranteed access to anything, anywhere
Luxury concierge services range from card-linked lifestyle desks to small private houses that look after a handful of families. The difference only becomes clear when something important is at stake. These twelve questions help you choose well before that moment arrives.
People
1. Who will actually handle my requests? A named, senior person who knows your household is worth more than a large call centre. 2. Who covers when they are away? Ask for a named deputy. 3. How many clients does each person look after? Fewer clients mean better attention.
Money
4. How are you paid? Membership fees, service charges and supplier commissions should all be stated. 5. Do suppliers pay you commission? If so, ask how independence is protected. 6. Who do I pay? Paying suppliers directly, at their price, keeps the arrangement transparent. See how much a private concierge costs.
Privacy
7. Will you sign an NDA before I share details? For public figures and families with complex lives, this should be standard. 8. Do you ever use client names, photos or testimonials? The best answer is never.
Suppliers
9. How are suppliers chosen? Aviation, yacht, security, medical and staffing partners should be licensed in their own countries and checked before they are recommended. 10. What happens when a supplier fails? A good concierge has a plan B and stays with the problem until it is solved.
Reach and response
11. When can I reach you, and how fast do you reply? Ask for published hours and response times rather than vague promises. 12. Where do you actually work? Real knowledge of a short list of places beats a claim to cover the whole world.
Red flags
Be careful with promises of guaranteed access to anything, anywhere; with ticket offers outside official channels; with pressure to pay a supplier through the concierge without a clear invoice; and with any service that shares stories about its clients. Our own answers to these questions are set out in our standards and membership.
How to choose a luxury concierge: questions
What should I ask a luxury concierge before signing?
Who will handle your requests, how they are paid, whether they take supplier commissions, whether they sign an NDA, how suppliers are vetted, their hours and response times and where they really work.
Do luxury concierges take commissions from suppliers?
Some do. Ask directly and prefer services that state their fees and let you pay suppliers directly at their price.
What is the difference between a lifestyle desk and a private concierge?
Lifestyle desks handle high volumes of requests for many members. A private concierge looks after fewer clients with a dedicated senior team and deeper knowledge of each household.
Is an NDA normal with a luxury concierge?
For public figures, VVIP and UHNW clients, yes. A mutual NDA before any details are shared should be standard.
What are the red flags when choosing a concierge?
Guaranteed access to anything, tickets outside official channels, unclear payments through the concierge and any use of client names or stories.
THE WORLD STANDARD
The best luxury concierge services worldwide, measured in writing.
A reply within two hours · one contact in five regions · twelve languages · an NDA before the first detail · every fee published.