Hotel concierge

A hotel concierge handing room keys

Description

Hotel concierges provide information to customers, assist guests with various tasks such as making restaurant reservations, recommending entertainment highlights, booking transportation (limousines, airplanes, boats, etc.) and other services, procurement of tickets to special events, and assisting with various travel arrangements and tours of local attractions.

The duties of a hotel concierge include, but are not limited to:

  • Making restaurant reservations or helping guests make restaurant reservations online
  • Coordinating hotel activities, including arranging for entertainment, activities, and special events
  • Providing information about local attractions, activities, events, and other travel information to guests
  • Helping guests plan special occasions such as birthdays or anniversaries by making arrangements such as reserving a restaurant or arranging flowers
  • Making travel arrangements such as booking flights or arranging shuttles to and from the airport
  • Explaining hotel policies and procedures to guests or answering questions about hotel facilities and services
  • Assisting guests with luggage or other items when they arrive at the hotel, checking them in, and making sure that they are comfortable during their stay
  • Managing the front desk area of the hotel, answering phones, greeting guests, and handling check-in and check-out procedures
  • Coordinating with vendors such as florists or photographers to ensure that all services are provided and that guests are satisfied with the results

Other titles

The following job titles also refer to hotel concierge:

hotel concierge
concierge
guest services manager
guest concierge
guest assistance manager

Working conditions

The work environment for a hotel concierge is usually fast-paced and hectic. They are often required to work long hours, including weekends and holidays. The job can be stressful, as they are constantly dealing with customer requests and complaints. However, most concierges enjoy the challenges of the job and the opportunity to meet new people from all over the world. They also find the work to be very rewarding, as they are able to help make people’s vacations and business trips more enjoyable.

Minimum qualifications

Hotel concierges typically need a high school diploma. Some hotels prefer an associate’s degree in hospitality or a related field. Relevant coursework includes hospitality management, business administration, marketing and sales.

Hotel concierges typically receive on-the-job training from their employer. This training may include learning the hotel’s policies and procedures, the hotel’s computer system and the hotel’s amenities. Hotel concierges may also receive training in customer service and hospitality.

ISCO skill level

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

  • the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
  • the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
  • the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Hotel concierge is a Skill level 2 occupation.

Hotel concierge career path

Similar occupations

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to hotel concierge.

hospitality establishment receptionist
hotel butler
night auditor
camping ground operative
restaurant host/restaurant hostess

Long term prospects

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of hotel concierge. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of hotel concierge with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

hospitality entertainment manager
rooms division manager
camping ground manager
accommodation manager
mountain guide

Essential skills and competences

These skills are necessary for the role of hotel concierge.

  • Comply with food safety and hygiene: Respect optimal food safety and hygiene during preparation, manufacturing, processing, storage, distribution and delivery of food products.
  • Maintain relationship with customers: Build a lasting and meaningful relationship with customers in order to ensure satisfaction and fidelity by providing accurate and friendly advice and support, by delivering quality products and services and by supplying after-sales information and service.
  • Greet guests: Welcome guests in a friendly manner in a certain place.
  • Handle customer complaints: Administer complaints and negative feedback from customers in order to address concerns and where applicable provide a quick service recovery.
  • Provide tourism related information: Give customers relevant information about historical and cultural locations and events while conveying this information in an entertaining and informative manner.
  • Identify customer’s needs: Use appropriate questions and active listening in order to identify customer expectations, desires and requirements according to product and services.
  • Maintain customer service: Keep the highest possible customer service and make sure that the customer service is at all times performed in a professional way. Help customers or participants feel at ease and support special requirements.
  • Assist clients with special needs: Aid clients with special needs following relevant guidelines and special standards. Recognise their needs and accurately respond to them if needed.

Optional skills and competences

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of hotel concierge. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

  • Distribute local information materials: Hand out leaflets, maps and tour brochures to visitors with information and tips about local sites, attractions and events.
  • Implement marketing strategies: Implement strategies which aim to promote a specific product or service, using the developed marketing strategies.
  • Maintain incident reporting records: Keep a system to record details of unusual events that occur at the facility, such as job-related injuries.
  • Assess cleanliness of areas: Evaluate cleanliness of areas in order to make sure that they are clean and presentable for customers.
  • Handover the service area: Leave service area in conditions which follow safe and secure procedures, so that it is ready for the next shift.
  • Handle personal identifiable information: Administer sensitive personal information on customers securely and discreetly
  • Process reservations: Execute customers’ reservations in accordance to their schedules and needs by phone, electronically or in person.
  • Ensure the privacy of guests: Develop methods and strategies to ensure maximum customer privacy.
  • Implement sales strategies: Carry out the plan to gain competitive advantage on the market by positioning the company’s brand or product and by targeting the right audience to sell this brand or product to.
  • Take room service orders: Accept room service orders and redirect them to the responsible employees.
  • Deliver correspondence: Distribute mail correspondence, newspapers, packages and private messages to customers.
  • Detect drug abuse: Identify people under excessive use of alcohol and drugs inside a facility, effectively deal with these people and supervise customers own safety while applying relevant regulations.

ISCO group and title

4229 – Client information workers not elsewhere classified


References
  1. Hotel concierge – ESCO
  2. Hotel Concierge Job Description: Salary, Duties, & More – Climb the Ladder
  3. Featured image: By © Jorge Royan / http://www.royan.com.ar, CC BY-SA 3.0
Last updated on November 30, 2022

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