Building Service Workers Award Honoree Hamid Mouhcine: Going the Extra Mile

Hamid Mouhcine, 44, has been a concierge at 20 Pine St. since 2008 — before it even opened. He says he loves the building so much he calls it his “second home,” and waxes poetic about the friendly, respectful residents that have treated him like family over the years. Once, he says, a tenant moved away only to come back because the service there is so good. But Mouhcine is eager to credit his colleagues for this — he attributes the building’s desired atmosphere to their hard work as a team.

Mouhcine started out as a part-time porter, part-time concierge at 20 Pine St., and got his certificates in plumbing and electricity from 32BJ. He was planning to follow the career path of a super or handyman, but he showed an affinity for the concierge position. “So far, so good,” he says.

In his current job, he’s always willing to go the extra mile, including staying for double shifts and returning in just a few hours for his regular shift. He loves that his job allows him to meet people from different backgrounds. “After all these years that I’ve spent here I’ve built a great relationship with all the residents here. Even with their families, with their nannies, with visitors. If you need anything, people here are very nice,” he says. He’s seen tons of kids grow up, and has a photo album on his phone of pictures with him holding young children who live in the building.

Mouhcine enjoys solving peoples’ small issues, like getting locked out of their apartment or dealing with a loud neighbor. He likes that all of this contributes to their happiness, and does everything he can to make their lives easier. He takes great pride in being a source of information for tenants, and has even put together a guide to the neighborhood for new tenants with recommendations for where to eat and shop.

When he’s not at work, Mouhcine likes playing soccer and basketball with his eight-year-old son. He also does business as a real estate broker with Compass, and has been with them about a year now. If he’s not showing clients around, he likes exploring the city and cooking with his family. Mouhcine is originally from Morocco, and goes back to visit every year.