"People took a long time to understand this new profession": David Amsellem, John Paul

Who is "John Paul"?

David Amsellem - When we launched the John Paul brand in spring 2008, we wanted to personalise our service with a name and an identity. Paul symbolises French know-how and the first name John symbolises our international outlook.
Five years on, John Paul employs 120 people in France - including 70 concierges - and 180 worldwide, with offices in the UK, Luxembourg and Asia. Our clients include Air France, L'Oréal, Visa and Citroën.

What remains of the 'original' model, that of the palace concierge?

D. A. - They are the same people, but they have evolved differently. In the luxury hotel industry, a concierge deals with the requests of the person in front of them. And most of these requests concern the area around the hotel, with tasks that are often basically repetitive.
When we pick up the phone, we don't know whether the request is for Shanghai or Paris, booking a table in a restaurant or delivering penguins for a black & white party...

How is private concierge service perceived in France?

D. A. - It took a long time for people to understand this new profession. The concierges started out with a straight face. They thought we were stealing their business, but it's exactly the opposite. They have now realised that we are their allies, and the French market is rapidly catching up with the English-speaking countries.

What are your plans for the future?

D. A. - We are going to continue our international expansion by opening offices in three new countries by the end of the year: Switzerland, Italy and, above all, Brazil, in anticipation of the World Cup. In France, our workforce will reach 200 by the end of 2013.
But the big trend is digital: the mobile application is attracting more and more users and offering more possibilities. We're part of this dynamic and we're continuing to enhance our offering.