The Residential Building Concierge or Mr. Do Anything

From calling taxis to feeding fish to being the keepers of unit keys in cases of emergencies, the concierge is a “can do” guy or gal luxury apartment and condo dwellers can’t live without. A good concierge must be able to multi-task, have good communication skills, and know the surrounding area (where does one get the best pizza or Chinese?). Talking to a few concierges around Westchester about their job however, revealed other skills they must have: lots of patience and a sense of humor.

At the Gramercy in White Plains, a resident’s dog constantly urinated on the floor in the building. A concierge politely asked the owner to have the dog trained—and the resident proceeded to slap the concierge. Police were called but charges were not filed. The resident now carries the dog as she walks through the building.

A concierge at Trump Plaza in New Rochelle has been called upon to handle some unusual requests. One involved retrieving a pair of expensive diamond earrings that a resident dropped down the elevator shaft at the high-rise tower. Another involved rescuing a resident's cat that got loose in the building and wound up on the roof!

At Trump Park Residences in Shrub Oak, a resident complained about birds cawing too loud outside his window. The resident expected the concierge to stand outside the window and play scarecrow.

The White Plains Trump Tower has a number of residents who don’t want their dogs to get wet when it’s raining. They’ll leave their pet with the concierge, leash looped around his/her wrist, while they run across the street to CVS or the bank.

The Trump Tower concierges do admit the job can be entertaining however—the design of the building entrance causes a wind tunnel during rough weather, and women walk by and up go the skirts. Also, the double glass doors are so clean that residents have walked into them!