Similar to personal shoppers, a concierge job description shows that they need to help guests or residents with anything they may need help with. Conceivably, people are staying in hotels for many different reasons. The concierge is the point person for getting what they need inside the hotel and pointing them to various resources to enjoy. These professionals maintain a network of connections to make things happen for the guests or residents. A lot of their income comes from tips and gratuity given to them by the people they serve.
There are a lot of paths one can take to become a concierge. However, there are essential requirements and skills that one will need to possess if they want to pursue this career. This concierge job description will cover all facets of the job. This includes a basic job description, typical responsibilities, expected skills, required education, average working day schedule, and career outlook.
What Does a Concierge Do?
The actual responsibilities of a concierge will vary depending on where they work. For example, if they work at a resort on the beach, they may help guests with setting up their activities for the week. Whereas, if they work in a business hotel, they could set-up dinner meetings or reserve conference rooms. They are at the whim of the guests or residents as to what they daily responsibilities may look like. In addition to taking care of guests, they may receive and send packages that are requested. While many concierge work in hotels with front desk duties, this is not the only industry for these professionals. There are concierge who may work in apartment buildings or hospitals.
The minimum education for a concierge is a high school diploma. However, for lead concierge roles employers prefer a degree in hotel and restaurant management. There is not experience required to begin working as a concierge. The concierge job salary is $14.84 per hour, but this is highly variable because so much of their income is from tips and commission above the base salary.
Concierge Job Description for Resume – Responsibilities
Customer service is of the upmost importance for concierge. Therefore, many of the responsibilities listed below relate to some aspect of satisfying the customer or client. Make sure to tailor these points according to your specific experiences and expertise.
- Welcome guests to the hotel and ask them if they need anything upon arrival.
- Go above and beyond to make guests feel special and tailor to their needs and interests.
- Arrange outings with local tourist facilities and procure the travel arrangements.
- Leave extra trinkets and memorabilia for guests who are part of frequent traveler or VIP programs.
- Help with special events from planning to setting up and tearing down.
- Assist guests in pulling off special events such as proposals or weddings.
- Process the packages that come in and out of the hotel.
Concierge Required Skills
- Approachability skills. The concierge are often the front of the hotel and the first person that a guest interacts with. They must be extremely approachable and inviting to guests. This is a fine line between helping guests and overreaching, and it must be balanced.
- Relationship building skills. In the brief period of time that a guest interacts with a concierge, they must build rapport and trust with that person. In this sense, being able to quickly build to a certain level of relationship is a must.
- Professional reaction skills. This skill is a bit ambiguous. However, it means that the concierge must react to all situations with a degree of professionalism and handle crises in stride. There will be guests who are unhappy with their experience, and the concierge must not let their personal emotions interfere with the guest experience.
- Respect skills. Concierge must build a network of people and resources. This is because they will use this network to plan events and activities for the guests. Therefore, they must treat others with respect at all times to not damage these relationships.
These skills are based off a list articulated by a chief concierge on Hotel Executive.
How to Become a Concierge
A high school diploma and background in customer service are seen in a typical concierge job description. Some businesses prefer someone who has a post-secondary degree in hotel management. These professionals receive on-the-job-training and will work under a more experienced concierge until they have developed the necessary expertise to work independently.
Education & Training Requirements
As far as teh concierge qualifications go, they need to earn their high school diploma. In addition, they must show a willingness to work in a public facing career. There is no required certificate or license to practice as a concierge. Some hotels require an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in hotel restaurant management for lead or supervisory concierge positions. Another option is to take courses in tourism or recreation management. This is due to the nature of experiences that guests typically want help with.
Someone who takes the initiative to take additional courses in customer service or personnel management will have a competitive edge in the marketplace. A concierge must absolutely be very familiar with the area in which they work. Many tourists will want to experience the area like a local would. Therefore, getting educated on all the area has to offer is very important.
Work Experience
There is no universal level of experience that concierges must have before they begin their career. However, this will vary by job level and place of work. Some hotels, particularly luxury hotels, will want a level of experience or evidence that the individual has excellent interpersonal skills.
Previous guest service experience is preferred for many positions. This reduces the need for extensive on-the-job training and the business potentially hiring an individual who is not a good fit for the role of concierge.
Work Schedules
One of the most interesting parts of the concierge job is their work schedule. It will look different depending on where they work and what the expectations are. A hotel will generally need to keep a concierge on the schedule 24 hours a day. The same goes for those working in a hospital. Guests or patients will have demands at all hours and expect a level of service regardless of the time of day.
In terms of their daily responsibilities, there is no typical day part of the concierge job description. They are at the expense of the guest and that that person may want. Some of the activities they complete on a fairly regular basis are making restaurant reservations, getting tickets to concerts or other events, ordering groceries or other products, and calling for a taxi or private car to take the guests where they want to go. Whatever the guest wants, they try to make it happen.
Career Prospects
Concierge can expect a median salary between $12.00 and $15.00. Much of their income is from tips, commission, and profit shares. Companies value concierge who have the ability to sell services. The majority of these professionals in the United States are women at 67 percent.
There is no job outlook specified for strictly concierge by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, the job growth for all receptionists is projected to be 10 percent through the year 2024.
There is a high potential for advancement for concierge. They gain valuable experience in customer service, marketing, tourism management, and sales. This can translate into higher positions within guest oriented industries. That is why sales associate experience could aid.
Conclusion
This concierge job description has covered many aspects of what it is like to be a concierge. If you love interacting with people and making their day better while on vacation or business then being a concierge would be enjoyable. While their median pay is on the low end, they receive a lot of additional compensation through tips. Therefore, an excellent concierge as a much higher earning potential.
