How'd it go? Giving 800 Saudi VVIPs in Thailand a high-end concierge service

It was in Thailand that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman also spent the maximum amount of time (three days) outside of his home country last year. The necessity to provide "zero mistake" services for 24 hours was the duty of one Thai company.

"They told us to be prepared for around-the-clock work. I thought, it's just a saying. But this was the toughest and most challenging work of my life," said Jakkapan Rattanapet, CEO of  WRS Group (World Reward Solutions), in an exclusive interview with The Nation.

What did you learn from servicing VVIPs from Saudi Arabia during the Apec meeting?
"We were under high pressure because there were many parties involved, not only the Foreign Ministry or Tourism Authority of Thailand. We had to ensure zero mistakes in whatever we did.'"

Though used to serving royal families, WRS's team of staff were not enough for the Saudi Arabia visit. The firm prepared another squad it named the "Avenger Team", who were told they weren't working for WRS but rather for Team Thailand.

The Avenger Team had to be able to handle high pressure and work for 24 hours. The other qualification was a can-do attitude, he said.

"Imagine a VVIP customer abruptly flying in by private jet at 2am. The team had to be ready to go. And at 2am, how can you handle protocols to get between one site and another, like parking and seeking permission from the airport? You need people with a can-do attitude."

WRS's concierge group was set up to liaise directly with each of Saudi Arabia's nine offices under royal command, including the medical team, food, and security. They also prepared interpreters, protocols, and drivers for different kinds of vehicles.

"We had around 100 people working as concierge staff and interpreters during the Apec meeting, in addition to drivers carefully selected from Thailand’s International Tactical & Bodyguard team."

 

Jakkapan said WRS deployed 250-300 staff to take care of the 800 delegates from Saudi Arabia.

“We rented a whole building for our staff to stay together as they need to be on standby 24 hours a day. The staff lived there together for 14-15 days.

"You would never know your schedule beforehand. You’d just know it's time to go, so get ready to take off."

Impacts of the Saudi visit
In addition to diplomatic ties, Thailand is now a focus for Saudi Arabia in terms of medical services, tourism, energy and sustainability.

"I now see an Arab country like Saudi Arabia in a new light. Since visiting the country again after the Apec meeting, I see things differently. I believe people who visit Saudi Arabia will learn something new, different from what we see in news reports."

He also sees new opportunities arising from tourism links between the two countries.

"Saudi Arabia has a long history and culture, their cities are sophisticated. They want tourists and Thailand's hospitality will be in hot demand. It's like they have prepared the hardware [buildings, infrastructure, new attractions], but they need software."

WRS and its plans
"I regarded my business in the first three years as ‘hi-tech plus high-touch’," he said.

Differing from others in the market, WRS launched its luxury-concierge business in 2018 as a start-up, offering technology-based services with a "digital butler", e-vouchers, royalty programmes and more to speed up service for demanding customers.

In the years before the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020, WRS flourished. The company earned around 90 billion baht in its first year and 80 million in the following year.

But the virus forced the company to stall its expansion plans. It had been eying five countries – China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Cambodia and Myanmar.

This year, WRS plans to resume its business in the target countries, excluding Myanmar due to the political unrest there. Some of its target markets are also emerging economies.

"Cambodia is interesting because the upper and middle-income groups have high growth. Vietnam caught my interest because we have found a local potential partner.

“People in Vietnam have trust in services from Thailand. Difficult to believe but during Covid-19, Vietnamese were among the top five nationalities buying condominiums in Thailand. They tend to spend in Thailand and Singapore.”

Jakkapan said Singapore remains the “hub of Asia” and so will serve as WRS’s springboard to other parts of the continent.

“Our brand is also attracting businessmen and investors from China," he added.

Saudi not in WRS’s initial expansion plan                                                                                                        In 2022, Jakkapan was onboard when the Foreign Ministry led 100 Thai CEOs on a trip to Saudi Arabia and other Middle East countries after Thai-Saudi diplomatic relations were restored after 30 years.

In the same year, Thailand hosted the Apec (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum, and thanks to his earlier trip to Saudi Arabia, WRS was selected to take care of the government's guests from the Middle East kingdom as an exclusive luxury-concierge service provider.

Concierge service from experienced professionals like WRS is unlike general VIP service.

"Commercial banks may hire a tour company to prepare services for their VIP customers. It's different from us. You could compare WRS to a tour operator or an event organizer, but in fact, we are not the same."

Concierge or high-end service means utilizing the total combination of knowledge and connection to turn customers’ huge demand into [business] success, he said.

"For example, when it came to serving the delegates from Saudi Arabia, others may have simply prepared a motorcade to take care of the visitors. But for concierge service, we go beyond preparing vehicles. We had to get drivers who can speak English and/or Arabic and they had to be ready 24/7.

If a customer wants a limited edition like a watch, we must be able to find it. Customers may want specific decor that they cannot find from their country or Halal food specifically cooked by a Saudi Arabian chef; we must be able to find them," he said.

In some cases, when VVIP customers' schedule requires privacy and security, many things are unplanned or unmentioned beforehand, especially when the customers have to deal with authorities. The concierge service needs to have connections to facilitate their needs, for example, travel to the airport.

"You may never know when VVIP customers want to arrive or fly out [so] you need to be well prepared and race against time pressure and the demands of the customer. You need to have 'access' to reach relevant authorities at the airport, for instance, to get things done," he said.

"You may never know when VVIP customers want to arrive or fly out [so] you need to be well prepared," said Jakkapan, WRS CEO.

Pre-Covid, WRS was focused only on Asean and China.

“We were looking for staff who could speak Chinese,” Jakkapan said.

But when China prolonged its lockdown, businesses tried to find other markets to replace China.

"Of course, Asean markets could not replace China. But the Middle East, where Saudi Arabia is like an older brother, has such potential. When Saudi Arabia takes action, other Arab nations pay attention.”

Gulf customers may not spend as much as Chinese customers, he said.

“But in terms of demand from high-level customers, their spending may double."

Saudi Arabian visitors stay an average of 10-14 days in Thailand, he added. They spend a minimum of 12,000 baht per night on accommodation and prefer private villas because Arab women often keep out of the public spotlight. They also tend to travel in large family groups.

VVIP corporate customers
Banks and insurance companies also hire concierge services like WRS to facilitate their VVIP customers.

"In this type of scenario, it is not the hirer but their client that uses the service.

What the corporate customers want from us is for their clients to be impressed by the treat and love their brand even more," he said.

Holding a Michelin-star dinner meeting has become commonplace these days but the organisation involved is far from simple.

"What WRS can do is hire a Michelin-star chef that has to be booked three years in advance or a chef that serves only royal families.

“We did fly in 13 chefs for an event called ‘Dinner Incredible’ for customers who invited elite clients. The 13-course set dinner was priced at around 25,000 baht," he said.

Who can work in this business?
Concierge service providers need to have a background that goes beyond "lifestyle" or "tourism". People from the hotel or travel industry may not be able to do the job.

Instead, Jakkapan looks for recruits with a background in luxury brands.

“They can understand luxury and will compare services from competitors. They travel around the world, not just to enjoy travel, flying business or first class, or staying at 5-star hotels, but they are required to understand luxury lifestyles and cultures and accumulate knowledge to make our services different from others.”

Other companies may hire staff on their ability to speak English, travel experience, and service skills. But that's not enough for WRS.

“Don't forget that the people we take care of have billions in their bank accounts and they travel the world over. [We have to ask] how can we cater to their needs?

“When such a customer contacts you to ask for a restaurant recommendation, and your staff simply speak English, that's not enough because their needs are niche.

“We need staff who have accumulated knowledge about luxury brands, fashion, history, lifestyle, diplomatic ties, etc. They are the ones with the experience and background that money cannot buy. We have these people and people with such connections," he said.

Related News

World-class priviledges for Apec travellers

New Saudi investment will raise incomes in Thailand, PM says

Thailand can expect THB300 billion in Saudi investment next year

Saudi Arabia-Thailand: New, fruitful cooperation