Concierge George Hochschwender will book your flight or plan your child's party, so you have time for other things.
By JONATHAN MILTON
Published October 15, 2004
SOUTH TAMPA - From picking up dry cleaning to arranging birthday parties, George Hochschwender does it all.
As one of six concierges for Premier Concierge Services, he helps clients with every life detail.
Navigating streets in his black BMW sport utility vehicle, which doubles as his office, Hochschwender has had his share of unusual requests.
"The strangest thing I've ever done was to set up a marriage proposal for a client," he said. He helped him pick out an engagement ring and arranged a plane that flew over the couple with a sign that said "Will you marry me?"
His clients range from stockbrokers to lawyers who earn an average of $80,000 to $175,000 a year. At any given time, he juggles up to 40 clients, who pay $40 an hour for services.
Clients rely on concierges to do things they can't fit into their hectic schedules.
"It makes more sense for our clients to use us so that they can use their time more wisely," Hochschwender said.
Requests vary from person to person. He buys vegetables and chops them up for one client and arranges clothes by color in another client's closet.
"Different clients want different levels of service," he says.
The average day for Hochschwender begins at 8 a.m. and ends around 7 p.m. He typically makes a total of about 10 stops for four to five clients. He starts every morning at Premier Concierge president Jodi Forca's Palma Ceia home, where they go over the day's to-do list.
On a recent Friday, Hochschwender arrives at his first stop, Kalupa's Bakery, at 9:45 a.m. Armed with a drawing and a list of colors, he orders a cake for a princess-themed birthday party for one of his client's daughters.
Knowing it must be perfect, he describes the cake's design, down to the pink lettering and number of accompanying cupcakes.
"I want to be sure to carry out the company's motto that says, "Consider it done,"' he said.
That attention to detail makes him a good concierge, Forca said.
"He brings with him detail and punctuality with a wonderful attitude and smile," she said.
A Palma Ceia native, Hochschwender, 42, grew up learning about the people and businesses of South Tampa.
"I've lived in Tampa my whole life, so I have gotten to know who is good and who is bad in South Tampa," he said. "The clients know that we have great connections around town."
Hochschwender graduated from Plant High School in 1980. He earned a bachelor's of arts degree in studio art, art history and photography from Manhattanville College in New York and a master's degree in elementary education from the University of South Florida.
For a while, he worked for a company that sends people to local schools to teach health awareness. During his days off, he would go to Las Vegas to work as a personal assistant for a Tampa couple who owned a home there.
He liked the work - and the money - from being a concierge and decided to do it full time in Tampa. The constant hustle of going from place to place and interacting with different people suited him well.
"It's different every day, and you're kind of your own boss," he says.
Organization is critical to his success.
"I think it would be hard for you to do this job if you are not an organized person," says Hochschwender, who says he is able to get dressed in the dark at his home in Sun Bay South.
When Hochschwender isn't working, he meets with a personal trainer twice a week and spends time with his family. Eventually, he hopes to have enough clients to warrant a personal assistant.
"I hope one day that I will need my own concierge to run my stuff," he says.
