Les Clefs d'Or
Concierge Job Description

Introduction to
Les Clefs d'Or Concierge Job Description

Concierges - where would hotel guests be without them? When it comes to customer service, it's the concierge that's usually there on the front line, not batting an eyelid at even the most bizarre request. Let's face it, requests can be pretty bizarre, but it is usually with the unusual that they really shine.

They do all kinds of conventional things, and you can actually leave with them any type of service that you require. You will find that all is completed and done to your satisfaction while you were away attending to your business appointment or sightseeing adventure.

A basic concierge job description will state that they will handle your mail and messages, make reservations for concerts and dinners, recommend tours, suggest restaurants and shopping locations, and guide you away from the local tourist traps.

They are also travel consultants, personal and business expediters, social advisers, confidential secretaries, and handymen. Because they specialize in so many areas, they can advise or help solve virtually every problem that might beset the international traveler.

As long as it's legal and moral they'll do pretty much anything. It could be the simplest things, like getting replacement shoelaces. Then you go to the other extreme, like having to book a private plane in five minutes. It seems good concierges are limited only by their imagination and not by their concierge job description when it comes to keeping guests happy.

The Concierge and the Internet

Concierges are fronts of local knowledge and hotel service information. They deal with guests' problems and queries, carrying out tasks such as organising travel arrangements and booking theatre tickets and restaurants.

A large number of these tasks could be done by any information clerk using the Internet but the Internet will never replace the concierge. It won't greet you, won't welcome you. It's people that make a property really wonderful and give it character.

Good concierges have contacts all over the world and a mass of knowledge, they can recommend places they - or someone they know - has seen or visited. It is the knowledge built up over years that makes for a top-notch concierge and much like good wines or cheeses they improve with age.

What Makes a Good Concierge?

As the role is highly visible and the concierge desk is often the first and last department guests see, the importance of being well turned out and "carrying oneself properly" is stressed. The importance of being a team player is also emphasized.

Other important qualities include discretion - and one of their major attributes is diplomacy, patience, good people skills and a "computer brain" for remembering names and faces. The job also requires bags of initiative and the ability to juggle tasks and keep cool under pressure. They are all human and sometimes the pressure will get to them, but they mustn't show it.

They must have a pleasant and welcoming appearance, good grooming habits, excellent sight and hearing and absolute integrity. It is important that a concierge be in good health and physically fit, with an ability not only to stand for a considerably long period of time, but also to get around actively when conditions require it.

How do They get Started?

At Les Clefs d'Or they encourage people to start at the bottom, but you can't teach someone to be a concierge, you have to have it within you. News of vacancies is often spread by word of mouth - especially among Les Clefs d'Or members - and not many are advertised or filled by recruitment consultants. Being in the right place at the right time also helps.

Concierges are remarkable people. And they did not get to be that way by accident. It takes years of hard work and training. The job however is very male dominated but the situation is improving. While the profession is "very traditional", the lack of women is not down to male chauvinism. There are lots of ladies who wouldn't consider doing it, but if they did consider it they would be welcome.

Some concierges begin as pages for bell staff and rise to bell captain, reception, or information clerk before apprenticeship at the concierge desk and before developing their own concierge job description. From the moment they show promise they will work under the watchful eyes and tutelage of the chef concierge. Eventually, the budding concierges may apply for membership in Les Clefs d'Or.

Pros and Cons of the Job

One thing concierges love about their concierge job description is the variety. They don't have a routine like in other departments. They learn every day and it can be quite exciting and challenging, and that's what's really rewarding. Concierges also receive free tickets to events and invitations to restaurants so they can better advise their guests. But the main buzz comes from helping people and turning around situations.

On the negative side the job is high pressured, and being on the front line dealing with guests all day can take its toll. Another common gripe is that the role of the concierge is not as highly regarded as it should be. Despite the negatives, it's fun.

A concierge works for tips and since they can provide such a wide variety of services, there are no standard concierge tipping guidelines in Les Clefs d'Or concierge job description. You may, however, visit Montreal Tipping Rules and find out more about concierge tipping.

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