I sat across from her on a small sofa. Patrons walked back and forth, and at the time I didn't much notice them. I felt quite at ease. I was busy observing this woman's poise, watching her fold her hands politely on her lap, noticing how her face had a softness one could only describe as maternal. I would be reminded of the periphery, however, when listening to the tapes and having a hard time making out her words over the din of the clientele.
I wondered how A got to B, how a little niña later becomes a concierge at the Drake. “I was given good morals and a good education, and I feel I bring that with me when I come to work,” Skoubis answered. But she doesn't feel that the skills of a concierge can be easily learned. “I think that manners and culture are just there. It has nothing to do with [the] job.”
Unlike Dowd , Skoubis has had a few star-struck moments such as when she escorted Anthony Hopkins up to his room (the word she chose for the occasion was “opportunity,” which I noticed to be precisely selected). But in her story about taking care of Sinatra it was clear where exactly her sense joy in her job came from. She described to me the many floral arrangements, which she said were the most beautiful she had ever seen. “He would insist on having a grand piano in his room,” a point that seemed secondary to the next particular he requested. “He used to like Tootsie Rolls and Cherry Life Savers in different places around the suite, so they'd be everywhere,” listening to her you'd think they were a rare delicacy, “and we'd get those [Boston] Baked Beans, too.”
Skoubis was also sincere when describing her job. “I think that the Drake is a place where people want to be spoiled, and we want them to be spoiled. We really cater to trying to make the guest feel welcome, and whatever they need we are here for them.”
In regards to whether or not she feels her job is glamorous, Skoubis replied, “As concierges, we get invited to restaurants and plays in order to get a sense of what we can offer our guests, but at the same time, there is the other side. A guest comes and asks me for a map to a certain restaurant, I don't just give him the map, I highlight it for them, I show them how to get there. Maybe I've showed this map to guests hundreds of times, but I have to be patient with each one.”
Both concierges spoke of Chicago with high esteem. That, of course, was not much of a surprise. Dowd claimed, “It's my favorite city in the world.” I told him I didn't believe him, but he assured me it was true.
“ Chicago I consider to be a world leader, I do not consider it a second city,” Dowd said knowingly. “There's a lot to this city. A lot of artistic endeavor. As a writer, an actor, I can be appreciative of what Steppenwolf does, of Chicago Shakespeare. For the most part Chicago is turning into a staging town.” Yet he seemed uninterested in big shows being brought in from New York or elsewhere. “ Chicago has as much writing and acting talent as anywhere else. It needs to start indulging and developing its own,” he pointed out.
Skoubis , too, is a fan of Chicago theatre. “Theatre is definitely part of our lives. We try to see as much as we can.” She then cited the Field and Science and Industry Museums as favorite local attractions, as well as the variety of Chicago 's neighborhoods. “I think there's so much to see in the city, within all the neighborhoods,” said Skoubis . “And it seems like people are wanting to explore each part of the city. There's even this wonderful company that conducts tours of the neighborhoods.”
And the food? “I like everything,” Skoubis admitted frankly, “I can go from a really good hotdog to having a meal at Charlie Trotters. It just depends on what I'm in the mood for. I don't really have favorites. All I can say is that Chicago has one of the greatest numbers of good ethnic restaurants. And there are a lot of places that have a fusion of different types of ethnic foods. I love those types of restaurants.”
It is with emphasis on the local that both concierges described their customers . Skoubis said, “A lot of our clientele is families, and we get involved with their lives, but always with a certain respect.” While Dowd summated the joy of his labor as, “There's something so enriching; to see someone [local businessman] acquit himself with distinction with the guy in the sharp suit and the funny accent. I like the look of respect on his kid's face when he walks away from my desk.”
Maybe it's not respect you're after, maybe you're not looking to be spoiled. Maybe you and a significant other were merely looking for a glamorous place to have pre-coital water gun fights after a Belle and Sebastian concert. I'm sure Sinatra had his share. But Mary Skoubis isn't going to disclose that, even if she had heard about water marks on the walls from the maid. And John Dowd isn't going to care how much you spent either, “I respect the man in the suite the same as the man in the $159 queen bed.” No, it was quite obvious both concierges love their job too much to be inundated with the pretenses.
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