Amex Concierge UK - how do you use them?
May 8, 2021, 10:19 am
#16
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
I've found the whole restaurant thing pretty disappointing with a RM. I have booked restaurants several times through my RM and the restaurant either doesn't know about the programme or tells me something like 'you get a free glass of prosecco'. It would have been much easier to just book myself.
May 8, 2021, 4:50 pm
#17
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: London
Programs: BA GfL & GGL, LH Sen, EK & VS Gold, Amex Cent
Posts: 1,719
To be clear its not about freebees or whatever. Just that at certain restaurants they have secured tables until 10am day of. So if you call up good chance can get it.
I generally use another concierge for restaurants tbh.
I generally use another concierge for restaurants tbh.
May 8, 2021, 5:17 pm
#18
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Ireland
Programs: BA: GOLD, MARRIOTT: TITANIUM, IHG: PLAT, HILTON: GOLD
Posts: 491
A couple of years ago I got a month trial on Fancy Hands, a US based concierge / virtual assistance service. They were very good, the Platinum concierge just aren't worth the hassle of picking up the phone now.
Jun 1, 2021, 8:08 am
#20
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 134
Originally Posted by AMEX
In regards to your contact lenses request, unfortunately we do not have any suppliers that offer this type of item, our retail team can only assist with specific items (watches, jewellery, bags) and luxury brands (rolex, gucci, etc)
The only time I used them, they failed me. They couldn't book a table for a place in Moscow. It took 2 days before I was told they couldn't do it. I called up the restaurant, stumbled through in poor Russian and got a table same day. Useless.
I would agree with others, this isn't a benefit outside a few limited situations, that I'm yet to encounter.
Oct 9, 2021, 8:46 am
#21
Join Date: Oct 2021
Posts: 1
Hi there everyone
Does anyone have any information to help me better understand the Amex Platinum (personal) UK concierge service?
I've been a Platinum UK member for about 10 years and I seem to remember a time when I could call the concierge, with a fairly esoteric or difficult request - and it would just get sorted - very quickly.
However, particularly recently, even fairly basic requests for restaurants / entertainment / gifts and general requests, have been handled in a fairly surly / belligerent fashion and haven't yielded any results that I couldn't have gotten through spending 10 minutes Googling. I know the world remains in a crazy place (and anyone is welcome to tell me I am expecting too much) but I seem to remember a better time, when I could make a quick call, speak to someone super helpful and my request was always actioned.
Now, I have to plead with someone to engage with my request or even address the request and after a few hours wait, no-one seems able to help.
Has anyone else noticed the concierge service nosedive?
Is it outsourced?
Am I expecting too much?
It genuinely has been so useful to me in the past, that given its nosedive and the unhelpful staff I've spoken to, I am really re-considering whether the card is right for me and my business.
I'd love some thoughts from others!
Does anyone have any information to help me better understand the Amex Platinum (personal) UK concierge service?
I've been a Platinum UK member for about 10 years and I seem to remember a time when I could call the concierge, with a fairly esoteric or difficult request - and it would just get sorted - very quickly.
However, particularly recently, even fairly basic requests for restaurants / entertainment / gifts and general requests, have been handled in a fairly surly / belligerent fashion and haven't yielded any results that I couldn't have gotten through spending 10 minutes Googling. I know the world remains in a crazy place (and anyone is welcome to tell me I am expecting too much) but I seem to remember a better time, when I could make a quick call, speak to someone super helpful and my request was always actioned.
Now, I have to plead with someone to engage with my request or even address the request and after a few hours wait, no-one seems able to help.
Has anyone else noticed the concierge service nosedive?
Is it outsourced?
Am I expecting too much?
It genuinely has been so useful to me in the past, that given its nosedive and the unhelpful staff I've spoken to, I am really re-considering whether the card is right for me and my business.
I'd love some thoughts from others!
I recently called (as they no longer accept emails or text messages) to arrange a dinner for my partners birthday in London.
Firstly, I was on hold for 41 minutes, within which time I could have certainly arranged it myself.
I asked for and received the following responses:
1. A special dinner reservation:
all booked using the card at a restaurant which AMEX recommends.
2. An event or experience for after dinner:
‘We don’t make bar reservations, but I can send you a recommendation for you to call yourself’
3. A present of a visit to a vineyard of English sparking wine:
’this sounds like something we may need to arrange online and we cannot use your card details online, you need to book it yourself’.
Overall, although the concierge was friendly and polite, I wasn’t at all impressed and I have returned the card to AMEX and started using my previous credit card.
If you can only contact by telephone, after a lengthy wait, and they cannot arrange anything but restaurants, nor order goods or arrange services, where is the value?
Jul 27, 2022, 9:32 am
#22
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: London
Programs: BAEC, QRPC, Amex MR, World of Hyatt, IHG one rewards, Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, etc…
Posts: 689
Degradation of service for UK Platinum cardholders continue although the fee went up only last year:
Reports on other travel site today confirm that Concierge UK no longer will make any restaurant booking outside of the Dining collection participating in the Cash Credit promotion, and no at all abroad… they also confirmed this via email..
I believe there are other options with similar cost that include a proper concierge service and I think we should all send the feedback in properly. To be a travel and/or experiences concierge means that I should be able to give them a short summary of what I want to do and they should arrange it for me, like they mostly did in the past
Reports on other travel site today confirm that Concierge UK no longer will make any restaurant booking outside of the Dining collection participating in the Cash Credit promotion, and no at all abroad… they also confirmed this via email..
I believe there are other options with similar cost that include a proper concierge service and I think we should all send the feedback in properly. To be a travel and/or experiences concierge means that I should be able to give them a short summary of what I want to do and they should arrange it for me, like they mostly did in the past
Jan 2, 2023, 10:50 am
#23
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 110
Amex UK Plat concierge team no longer able to book restaurants abroad?
Called up Amex UK today to try and get some bookings for restaurants in Japan and was very surprised to be told they don't do this anymore.
With restaurants in Japan being in a lot of cases hard to book as a foreigner, this was a pretty important benefit IMO - the UK team could liaise with the Japan team and get some quite hard-to-book spots. Is this really the case they can't do this or did I just speak to the wrong person? It seems a huge degradation of service if so and I am wondering whether it's really worthwhile for me to continue paying for the membership.
With restaurants in Japan being in a lot of cases hard to book as a foreigner, this was a pretty important benefit IMO - the UK team could liaise with the Japan team and get some quite hard-to-book spots. Is this really the case they can't do this or did I just speak to the wrong person? It seems a huge degradation of service if so and I am wondering whether it's really worthwhile for me to continue paying for the membership.
Jan 2, 2023, 11:41 am
#24
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
Jan 3, 2023, 5:50 am
#26
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: London
Programs: BAEC, QRPC, Amex MR, World of Hyatt, IHG one rewards, Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, etc…
Posts: 689
yes, big degradation of service as per my post last July. The other issues is that Amex UK will try to push you to use Resy App for reservations but the restaurants signed up to it in Europe, including the UK, are very poor (in UK a partnership with Sevenrooms would make much more sense, but Amex own Resy, so that is it).
however, for Japan reservations, you could try to use Pocket Concierge, via the Amex own link. It is a prepaid system, that also work with the £150 abroad dining credit for UK Platinum Cardholder (I guess you have enrolled). You won’t find the main Sushibashi Jiro, but his other son’s one is listed
(scroll up to Japan in the country selection): https://www.americanexpress.com/en-g...diningbenefit/
however, for Japan reservations, you could try to use Pocket Concierge, via the Amex own link. It is a prepaid system, that also work with the £150 abroad dining credit for UK Platinum Cardholder (I guess you have enrolled). You won’t find the main Sushibashi Jiro, but his other son’s one is listed
(scroll up to Japan in the country selection): https://www.americanexpress.com/en-g...diningbenefit/
Jan 3, 2023, 9:04 am
#27
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 110
yes, big degradation of service as per my post last July. The other issues is that Amex UK will try to push you to use Resy App for reservations but the restaurants signed up to it in Europe, including the UK, are very poor (in UK a partnership with Sevenrooms would make much more sense, but Amex own Resy, so that is it).
however, for Japan reservations, you could try to use Pocket Concierge, via the Amex own link. It is a prepaid system, that also work with the £150 abroad dining credit for UK Platinum Cardholder (I guess you have enrolled). You won’t find the main Sushibashi Jiro, but his other son’s one is listed
(scroll up to Japan in the country selection): https://www.americanexpress.com/en-g...diningbenefit/
however, for Japan reservations, you could try to use Pocket Concierge, via the Amex own link. It is a prepaid system, that also work with the £150 abroad dining credit for UK Platinum Cardholder (I guess you have enrolled). You won’t find the main Sushibashi Jiro, but his other son’s one is listed
(scroll up to Japan in the country selection): https://www.americanexpress.com/en-g...diningbenefit/
Oct 15, 2023, 8:20 am
#28
Join Date: Jan 2023
Location: North West, UK
Posts: 16
I know there's other threads for hotels booked but they're FHR and HC specific and we don't have that luxury of many FHR/HCs in the North of England for much choice, checked with Mia and was directed here 
We recently used the UK Platinum Concierge to book a hotel and restaurant in Manchester. They reminded me about the £150 credit so we went to The Lucky Cat on King Street. Food was pretty good, nigiri selection was lovely and could have eaten plates of that all night, the weeping tiger sirloin thingy... not so much - £45 for a bit of chewy meat. The sommelier there was great. I won't be going back, it was good to try but the ~£400 bill was only made better by knowing we'd got the £150 credit coming. We should have gone back to Tattu / Cottonopolis instead.
We stayed at The Edwardian, nice enough hotel, nothing special, what you see from the outside doesn't match the inside, good city views but a bit soulless. Staff were very attentive.
I'm not fussed as we don't gain anything given Plat gives you Premier status anyway, but an interesting data point - I assume it's because I'd booked through PTS - the trip hasn't shown up on the Radisson Rewards website, maybe it takes a bit of time to show up.
1 night, city views, king sized bed = £552.00.
We recently used the UK Platinum Concierge to book a hotel and restaurant in Manchester. They reminded me about the £150 credit so we went to The Lucky Cat on King Street. Food was pretty good, nigiri selection was lovely and could have eaten plates of that all night, the weeping tiger sirloin thingy... not so much - £45 for a bit of chewy meat. The sommelier there was great. I won't be going back, it was good to try but the ~£400 bill was only made better by knowing we'd got the £150 credit coming. We should have gone back to Tattu / Cottonopolis instead.
We stayed at The Edwardian, nice enough hotel, nothing special, what you see from the outside doesn't match the inside, good city views but a bit soulless. Staff were very attentive.
I'm not fussed as we don't gain anything given Plat gives you Premier status anyway, but an interesting data point - I assume it's because I'd booked through PTS - the trip hasn't shown up on the Radisson Rewards website, maybe it takes a bit of time to show up.
1 night, city views, king sized bed = £552.00.
Oct 15, 2023, 10:01 am
#29
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Scotland, Spain
Programs: Skywards Gold, Amex Plat, SkyTeam Silver
Posts: 1,166
Sorry, if the Concierge can't book restaurants or arrange gifts and deliveries, what is the point in the service? I'm not trying to be factitious, I mean genuinely what does Amex say on paper they can offer?
Oct 16, 2023, 7:13 am
#30
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: London
Programs: BAEC, QRPC, Amex MR, World of Hyatt, IHG one rewards, Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, etc…
Posts: 689
https://www.americanexpress.com/uk/c...concierge.html,
the same on one page of the welcome booklet and two lines (shorter message as above) on a fairly recent welcome letter with the same pack.