Ms. Stiel

Human Resources, Recruitment & Training

Adapting the Job Qualifications for Hotel Concierges to All Hiring Decisions

By Holly Stiel, President, Thank You Very Much Inc.

In the hospitality industry, our mission is to create a memorable, extraordinary home-away-from-home experience for our guests, making all aspects of their stays a comfortable and pleasurable experience—from sleeping, to eating, to personal care, to business, to entertainment and leisure. To make this happen, all members of the hotel staff need to pull together and embrace this mission, giving 100 percent to their respective areas of responsibility. Whether it’s the Housekeeping Department, restaurant staff or Accounting—all areas have a singular focus, each reflecting an important facet of the guest’s experience.

Concierges, however, have a more global perspective. They need to be knowledgeable about every function of the hotel and are called on to take ultimate responsibility for all aspects of the guest’s stay. While they often rely on other departments and outside resources to satisfy guest requests, ultimately the buck stops at the concierge desk.

There are special attributes and qualifications needed to excel in this unique and challenging field, which Management needs consider when hiring the concierge staff. Ensuring that candidates fully buy into the hotel’s culture and mission is critical, as the concierge sets the standards for service levels and professionalism throughout the hotel. It follows that ideally, these standards will radiate from the concierge desk throughout each and every department in the hotel.

This got me thinking that many of the qualifications we look for when hiring concierges can be adapted when interviewing candidates for all areas in the hotel. While there are always specialized skill sets required to perform department-specific tasks, there are also less tangible qualities to look for in all hiring decisions. I have outlined four of these qualities below, along with suggestions for interviewing that can help assess their presence or absence in potential new hires.

Spirit

While not the easiest variable to measure, it is the spirit in which the job is performed that makes the difference between doing an OK job and over-the-top performance. When staff members genuinely care, their performance transcends simply going through the motions and becomes a work of art in its own right

Talk to any concierge, and you will find they all share one essential quality that makes them successful: They love what they do. This is not only important in the case of the concierge, but applies to every area of the hotel. When employees have their hearts in their work, their performance takes on an added dimension, and they are better able to cope with the less desirable aspects of their jobs. The following are sample interview questions that can help assess this quality.

• What is your favorite aspect of your job?
• What do you dislike most?
• How do you make your least favorite aspects go a little smoother?
• What motivates you?
• What has been your greatest achievement?
• What irritates you, and how do you cope with this aspect of your job?
• How do you handle a “bad day?”
• What is fulfilling about your job?
• Describe what a perfect workday would look/feel like.

It’s not just the answers to these questions that are telling, but the way in which the candidate answers them. Notice their demeanor: Are they enthusiastic, do their eyes light up, do you hear sincerity in their voice?

Responsibility:

The importance of taking ownership in completing tasks within the purview of one’s immediate job goes without saying. Concierges are frequently asked to extend their reach and take steps to serve their guests in ways that transcend their official job descriptions. While other departments may not have this kind flexibility, it’s important that they are able to recognize when something needs to be done and report the situation to the appropriate party or their supervisor, if they can’t handle it themselves. One of the best ways to assess a candidate’s willingness and ability to take responsibility is to present theoretical situations and ask candidates how they would handle them. Here are a couple of examples:

1. When candidates are seeking a janitorial position, ask what they would do if they discovered a barely noticeable rip in the carpeting of a heavily trafficked hallway. In this instance, the ideal new hire would recognize the potential danger of someone tripping on it and alert his or her supervisor or apprise a member of Maintenance of the situation. A good question to ask after the candidate responds that he or she would report it is to then ask,
2. “What would you do if the rip was still there a week later?” When candidates are applying for a wait-staff position in your restaurant, you might present this scenario: You are taking a couple’s order, when they offhandedly mention that their dinner at the local restaurant the concierge recommended was terrible. The ideal candidate in this case would first apologize, ask for more information, and pass this feedback along to the concierge desk for follow-up. Depending on the extent of the guests’ displeasure, a free dessert or glass of wine might also be offered to compensate for the guests’ unpleasant experience.

Cooperation:

I love this acronym for TEAM: Together Everyone Achieves More. Some departments in the hotel require more of this quality than others, but all areas are dependent to some extent on the cooperation of others—both intra- and inter-departmentally. Regardless of the position, it’s always best to hire a team player, and the following are interview questions that can help bring this quality to the fore:

• Which do you prefer—working alone or with others?
• How do you handle interruptions by others when on the job?
• Would you be willing to pitch in when other areas are understaffed?
• What strengths do you bring to a team?
• What would your previous co-workers say about you?
• Do you now or have you ever participated in team sports? If so, what did you learn from the experience?

The Desire to Serve:

This quality lies at the very core of the concierge profession and forms the foundation for the three attributes listed above. To thrive—even survive—as a concierge, there must be a heartfelt desire to serve others. Again, this quality is a valuable one in every area of hotel operations, whether it’s serving a meal, cleaning a room, reconciling an account or helping plan a conference. Even in situations when a staff member is not directly serving guests, they are serving someone who does. Doing it with a heart-felt desire to serve adds a dimension to the contribution that may not be directly measurable, but is very evident in the smooth functioning of the hotel, heightened morale, guest satisfaction and ultimately a more robust bottom line.

I recently had an experience that illustrates the desire to serve very well. As I was walking back to the hotel after giving a workshop, I asked the doorman where I might find maple sugar candy. He told me it was sold in touristy shops of which there were several near where I had just been. A few minutes later, I received a call in my room from the valet parking attendant, who had overheard the conversation. He told me exactly where to find the candy—just two blocks away, then offered to pick it up for me! When I told him I would be happy to walk over and pick it up myself, he instructed me to ask for Andy, who was holding it for me, as there were only a few boxes left.

This was remarkable to me on many levels. First, the valet parking attendant had been caring enough to pay attention to the conversation I had with the doorman. He then took the responsibility to find out where to get the candies, call to be sure they were available and even offer to get them for me. Not only that, but there was an element of magic to it all: He had called me in my room, though I had never identified myself. His desire to be of service—far beyond his job duties—surpassed the sparkling chandeliers, heated marble floors, and locally inspired art in the hotel. Those niceties touched my senses, while the valet reached out and touched my heart.

Consider the following interview questions to help reveal this quality:

• What is your concept of service? How does this concept fit in with your job description?
• What was most rewarding about your last job?
• What is it about your work that makes you feel good?
• Apart from salary and benefits, what are some of the other rewards from your previous jobs?
• What is the nicest thing you’ve ever done for a co-worker/guest? What is the nicest thing a co-worker/guest has done for you?

While it can be more challenging to uncover these qualities than the more concrete job skills, it’s well worth digging a little deeper for the hidden treasures that they are. Carefully made hiring decisions in all areas to support your hotel’s culture and mission can have a tremendous impact. In situations when candidates are light on job-specific qualifications but have a terrific attitude, you may want to consider deciding in their favor. Training can always fill in the gaps in terms of technical know-how, while a responsible, enthusiastic, caring and cooperative attitude cannot be easily taught. Bottom line, staff members who naturally emulate the qualities found in the concierge are worth their weight in gold.

After 17 years serving as the first woman concierge, Holly Stiel founded her own company, Thank You Very Much, Inc., to provide training for hotel concierges and customize concierge service philosophies and practices for all types of industries. A philosopher, published author, keynote speaker, workshop leader and consultant, her programs have been delivered in 25 languages, to businesses ranging from The Bank of America to NASCAR. Ms. Stiel has written four books : the newly released textbook, The Art and Science of the Hotel Concierge. Ultimate Service, The Complete Handbook to the World of the Concierge, Thank You Very Much – A Book for Anyone Who Has Ever Said, “May I Help you?,” and The Neon Signs of Service. Ms. Stiel can be contacted at 202-639-5712 or Thankyouinc@aol.com Extended Bio...

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