Just happened to catch this thread. I was pleasantly surprised to actually see a real concierge service at YYZ on my way back to LHR this past Friday. I had no idea this service existed and apparently it's the only one in existence at this point. It allows for the same service that you would get at a S100K check-in counter but a bit more personalized and with a chair on which to sit! It's still not what the AC Concierge service used to be at the very beginning - 1997 if memory serves me well - since I had managed to secure SE back then. Let's remember though that Canadian Airlines did provide some competition at that time although I can't really remember if CP had a similar service for their top tier clients. I can still remember a Concierge phoning me to ask me if I wanted them to buy my wife a birthday present since 'I must be so busy flying around'. I don't think they do that anymore.

It was epic fail for me. I wanted to see if they could assist with putting me on standby for and earlier yyz-yul after returning from overseas. I did so the day prior to travel ,via email. I did receive an immediate response via e-mail stating that they received my info and it will be processed and looked into. Up to this point, all went well.
Thereafter , I never heard from them again. Laughable !!

Had you been put on standby? The lack of a response is not the same as a lack of service. Although a response would be nice.

Every time I've emailed for a SDC or standby, it's been done.

I'm actually waiting for a callback from the concierge right now, because I want to know when they stop serving omelettes in YYC :p

9am

You don't need a Concierge to tell you that.

Not entirely a fan of the newest wave of YYZ concierges.

They are all very nice, but they do things at half the speed I find. Hopefully with increased experience, they become more efficient. Also, I find them to be a bit too mechanical... but then, being new hires, I'm sure they want to do everything to SOP... anally.

One time recently at YYZ Dom/Int'l SE check-in line, an agent walked over to me and directed me to the new concierge office to check-in. I actually felt hesitant because I find the agents in the SE check-in line to be quite efficient. I was willing to wait a tad longer in line rather than see one of the new concierges.

Concierges can't do that since it's against SOP.

All concierges can do for me is print my boarding pass in advance and have it waiting for me for pickup if I'm in a hurry.

Oh, and once in awhile they'll help deplane me on my super delayed flight and put me on another flight.

Imagine if you were a top spender with AC what real concierge service would be like!

I doubt it, especially with the new wave of hires at YYZ.

They don't seem to be "on the ball" with things like the legacy concierges were.

^^^^^^^^^

Exactly my experience a couple of weeks ago at YYZ. I asked 3 newbies the same question and each said they did not know as they were new, or did not work in that area or .....

OTOH, the vastly more experienced and/or professional concierges I have met at 4 other stations could run circles around this bunch. Maybe they need some "refinement" before they actually deal with customers.

Similar experience applies to a couple of the SE line check-in agents. Maybe the juniors can stand next to the seniors and see how it's done.


My personal favourite experience was the SE agent who said - as I approached the counter - "this line is for SEs only". I see, so do I need to wear the SE 100K tag around my neck now because she couldn't see it on my bag?


Oh wait, the is the 330 thread. OK, well I'll just move this to a concierge thread.
.

Ok, that's funny :D

Ah Nomad, thanks for this post.

So.......


^^^^^^^^^

Exactly my experience a couple of weeks ago at YYZ. I asked 3 newbies the same question and each said they did not know as they were new, or did not work in that area or .....

OTOH, the vastly more experienced and/or professional concierges I have met at 4 other stations could run circles around this bunch. Maybe they need some "refinement" before they actually deal with customers.

Similar experience applies to a couple of the SE line check-in agents. Maybe the juniors can stand next to the seniors and see how it's done.


My personal favourite experience was the SE agent who said - as I approached the counter - "this line is for SEs only". I see, so do I need to wear the SE 100K tag around my neck now because she couldn't see it on my bag?

Earrings.

Fantastic idea ^^

Oh look, I have 2 tags, one for each ear, or other parts as necessary :p

I've had the opposite problem where I've gone to the regular line to have an agent put me on the standby list (since YYZ premium checkin agents are utterly clueless on how to do this), and was scolded for not using the priority check in.

''This is for regular people who don't know what they're doing'' the agent retorted. To which I replied ''and their relatives are all staffing the priority check in line''

For me it's a fail because the lack of an update. I expected an agent at the gate , an email , or a voice mail indicating the status of my request. My complaint is not about if my request was granted or achieved. It's about being left in the dark and zero follow up. Epic fail! Don,t offer concierge service if you can' even communicate with the member .