A member of a hotel staff in charge of special guest services, such as organizing theater tickets or guided tours. The roots of the title concierge come from the Latin word conserve, which means partner in bondage. The word itself is French and means keeper of the keys. During the Middle Ages, janitors did just that.
When castles across Europe welcomed visiting nobility, the concierge kept the keys to the castle's rooms and made sure that guests had everything they needed during their stay. In the 19th century, several buildings in Europe, from government offices to prisons, had their own concierge staff. A concierge works at a hotel to help guests make restaurant reservations, get directions, or anything else they need help with. If you were staying at a hotel, the concierge could recommend where to find the best coffee in town.
Although some university hotel schools offer hospitality programs and many of the larger hotels offer training for their concierges, most of the skills needed to succeed in the position are intuitive or learned on the job. Thanks to a web-based system, concierges can now track guest requests until they are fulfilled and can make reservations even before the restaurant opens. The goal of a personal concierge is to take care of all the small details that are overlooked in the frantic pace of daily life. A helpful concierge is one of the perks of a good hotel; the concierge's job is not to carry your bags or check in, but will help you with just about anything else, including buying tickets and making reservations for you.
Concierge staff also need great connections: a record full of contacts in the restaurant, entertainment and tourism industries. So when a guest comes to ask for tickets to a new Broadway show or front-row seats for a sold-out concert, the concierge knows exactly who to call to get them. They started in other positions at the hotel, such as bellboys or receptionists, and worked their way up to the concierge desk. They may wear a concierge uniform and provide the same services, but many are actually hired employees of hotel companies and ticket agents.
Knowing your city inside and out (every restaurant, theater, attraction and store) is essential to becoming a successful concierge. Next, we'll learn about the training needed to become a concierge and get a sample of some unusual requests made to janitors. Today, janitors offer a wide range of services in a variety of locations, from corporations to condominiums. For a fixed fee, companies such as VIP Desk provide companies with 24-hour telephone and email access to concierges for their employees and customers.
These example sentences are automatically selected from various online news sources to reflect the current use of the word “concierge”. And despite the misconception that janitors work only for the richest, their services are actually available to people of all incomes. The concierge usually sits at a desk in the lobby and guests can stop by or call with their requests.
Leave Reply