Concierge - who is this? Everything you need to know about your future profession

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

European countries have long been accustomed to the fact that the concierge is the face of the house or hotel. A lot depends on how professionally he performs his duties. For example, whether its guests will be able to feel comfortable. Therefore, the requirements for this category of employees are very high. And no one is hired for this position. As for Russia, here, alas, the concierge profession is not so prestigious. And yet, many still strive to get this place. And therefore, let's talk about what are the duties of a concierge. Where are these professionals needed? And how much are they being paid today?

History of the profession

Looking back, concierge is a very ancient profession. So, the first such workers, called cumcerge, appeared in Europe at the end of the 12th century. In those days, this was the name of the servants who watched the candles in the castle. Naturally, over the years, the list of their duties has greatly increased, but they still fell short of modern concierges. Their field of activitywas somewhat different.

But the profession of a concierge as such appeared only at the beginning of the 20th century. For the first time, the owners of the Grand Hotel chain included it in their service. Then the services of these employees came to the liking of the guests. And soon they began to appear in other hotels. And in 1952, the first International Congress of Concierges took place, at which generally accepted rules of conduct for these employees were established.

Features of concierge work in hotels

A hotel concierge is, first of all, a person responsible for the comfort of guests. Especially those that stay in hotel rooms for a long time or are regular customers. In this case, the concierge is obliged to remember their faces and do everything possible to satisfy their needs. For example, a good employee knows everything about the tastes of his customers: from the type of tea to their favorite performer.

In addition, the concierge is the link between the guests and the staff. It is through him that people call to their room, say, a locksmith or a waiter. At the same time, the concierge himself must ensure that his wards do their job well.

Concierge in an apartment building

It should be noted that the job description of a concierge working in a high-rise building is very different from that to which hotel employees are accustomed. So, this subspecies of workers is engaged not only in internal, but also in external concerns. In particular, they are responsible for most of the work related to cleaning, repair and maintenance.landscaping the territory adjacent to the house.

Nevertheless, the main task of the concierge is to maintain order inside the building itself. He makes sure that no one disturbs the peace of the residents of the house, and even more so does not hooligan. The concierge is also responsible for the cleanliness at the entrance, on the landings and in the elevator. In addition, this employee often has his own set of keys in case the owner loses his.

Examples of concierge duties

In order to get a feel for this profession, here is a small list of those duties that a concierge job description may contain. So, this employee needs:

• Know all the guests by sight.
• Speak only in a polite tone.
• Submit all necessary information to your customers in a timely manner.
• Keep proper records of visitors, as well as record all their guests there.
• Notify residents in time of possible interruptions in water, electricity or heating.
• If necessary, monitor the quality of repair, cleaning or disposal work.
• In case of emergencies, report them to the appropriate services in a timely manner.
• Listen to all complaints and recommendations from guests or residents.

How to become a concierge?

So, anyone who has received a complete secondary education can get this position. As for professional skills, they are taught to the concierge at introductory courses ordirectly at work. However, if we talk about large hotels, then everything is much more complicated. Firstly, preference is given to those applicants who have a pleasant appearance and a well-spoken tongue. Secondly, only those who have an excellent memory or can competently keep a record of customers can become concierges. Thirdly, not a single decent hotel will hire an employee with a dubious past or a criminal record.

Advantages and disadvantages of the profession. Wages

If we talk about positive aspects, then we should note the high demand in the labor market. This is especially true of large cities, because the hotel business is well developed in megacities and new high-rise buildings are constantly being built. Among the minuses, the main one is the complete lack of career growth. That is, by choosing this path for himself, a person completely deprives himself of the opportunity to reach a higher position. The exception is those cases when it comes to temporary part-time work.

In terms of pay, she also wants the best. On average, a concierge working in a high-rise building receives 15-20 thousand rubles a month. But employees of elite complexes and hotels can count on more favorable conditions. Their wages vary between 35,000-45,000 rubles.