After hearing a variety of tales about the concierge service, I finally decided to give it a whirl. With a mix of trepidation and low expectations, I wasn't entirely sure what awaited me.

The request was straightforward enough, if somewhat ambitious: secure a table at one of New York's top-rated steakhouses for my birthday, with a mere 24 hours to spare. Just to add a bit of spice to the challenge, it was for a Friday night. I made two calls, both answered with impeccable politeness. On the second call, the agent immediately recognized the restaurant I had in mind. He informed me, in that delightful way service professionals have, that securing a reservation would be exceedingly difficult. This, of course, I already knew from my own fruitless attempts.

Yet, astonishingly, at 10 PM Eastern, the agent called the restaurant and managed to secure a last-minute reservation at one of New York's finest steakhouses for my birthday. This was a feat I certainly couldn't have accomplished on my own. While I’m not suggesting this will happen every time, I must say I was thoroughly impressed with my first encounter with the American Express concierge service.