City clients are increasingly demanding five-star service standards in the workplace, according to the boss of reception services company Portico.

Portico, part of the WSH Group that also owns contract caterer BaxterStorey, provides reception, concierge, reservation, switchboard and corporate helpline services to clients in London.

Set up at the start of 2005 the company has grown to employ more than 200 staff at 18 contracts with a turnover of more than £7m.

Greg Mace, who set up the business and has been newly promoted to managing director, said City clients were increasingly asking why the five-star standards enjoyed at hotels could not be recreated at their offices.

“There’s a definite move away from the security bloke on the desk,” he said. “We’re looking to recruit a lot of our members from the hotel industry as a result.”

Portico has recently won three-year contracts at the Ansbacher Banking Group and mining company Rio Tinto.

The increasing potential in the soft services market has not gone unnoticed with Compass-owned Restaurant Associates forming a Restaurant Associates Business Services division in May to win a greater share of business.

Greg Mace, Portico profile >>

Compass puts fine dining operations under its RA wing >>

Portico website >>

By Chris Druce

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