Ms. Dolecki

Concierge

Maximizing the Relationship Between the Hotel Concierge and the Guest

By Leigh Anne Dolecki, President, The Northern California Concierge Association

The hotel executive must be very sensitive to the relationship between the Hotel Concierge and the guest, as it is undoubtedly a key element in the success of your property. The concierge is the link between the guest and your property and a professional concierge can develop and nurture loyal relationships between your guests, your brand and your property. After careful examination of this relationship, we must acknowledge that every element of this relationship comes down to one word, and that is "trust". The relationship between the hotel concierge and the guest is based on and measured by the guests' trust in the concierge. Many elements contribute to creating and maintaining this trust, but at the end of the day it all comes back to that one crucial element: trust. The guest must be able to place their absolute trust in the concierge. Let's examine some of the qualities that a concierge must present in order to gain and build the trust of their guests.

Using intuition and being receptive

The concierge has only a few seconds to make a first impression when meeting a guest. Those first few seconds are critical in winning over the guest, and this is when the concierge's intuition most comes into play. Within one conversation an intuitive concierge can assess the guest and their requests, determine how best to respond, and what recommendations to make or pursue. The concierge's goal is to make the best and most personalized recommendations to every individual guest; this is when their willingness to be receptive comes into play. The guest's responses to a few key questions will reveal much about not only what they're looking for, but how best they will receive the response. The concierge must be receptive to their questions and responses. The concierge must assess if the guest wants a quick and brief answer, or the guest needs much detailed explanation in the response. You may notice your concierge presenting the same driving directions (to your property, for example), in completely different ways to different guests; some guests simply want to be handed a quick printout while others need very detailed verbal and visual cues. This holds true in the concierge's recommendations for dining, or where to go and what to see. The concierge uses their intuition and receptiveness to guest responses to make the perfect response/recommendation to the guest, whether the request is simple or highly complex. Few things make a concierge happier than the guest who says "...it was exactly what we wanted!" or better yet, "...how did you know?" The unspoken response to that question is "Trust me, I'm your concierge".

Education and credibility

The hallmark of a good concierge is the demonstration of education and knowledge. Most guests can immediately perceive if a concierge is sincere and knowledgeable in their recommendation or merely providing a pat or rehearsed response or worse yet a "fluffed up" response. In the latter scenario the concierge sacrifices their credibility and loses the guest's trust which is most difficult, if not impossible to recover. It is incumbent upon the concierge to keep up on their education, constantly researching the old and the new of their surroundings in order to be truly educated and able to respond to every guest request with the enthusiasm, sincerity and accuracy of first hand experience. When the guest trusts the concierge they are more trusting of the entire property.

Employing accuracy, and problem solving skills

These concierge qualities are vital in the relationship with the guest. Accuracy seems so obvious, but the lack of accuracy is often the cause of guest dissatisfaction. Think of the guests looking forward to dinner at the restaurant highly recommended by their concierge only to find upon arrival that the restaurant is closed for renovations. Their evening is ruined, and they are understandably reluctant to call the concierge for an alternative because they have lost all trust in their concierge. They have lost trust not only in the individual concierge, but the entire concierge team. It's not easy for the concierge team to keep up on absolutely everything, but it's necessary.

Many guests seek the concierge for help or advice in solving problems, such as a lost or stolen passport, or often much more complex and/or time sensitive issues. The Hotel Concierge must think and act quickly and often "out of the box" in order to provide a solution. The guest does not always need to know how a solution was arrived at; they simply want the resolution. These guests are usually extremely happy when the resolution is simply handed to them by the concierge, and their trust in the concierge is firmly established. These qualities in the concierge are absolutely vital and invaluable. It is incumbent upon the concierge to keep these skills honed and to always turn to their network of colleagues and providers for advice and help. Such problem solving creates not just trust, but profound trust in the concierge.

Communicate with the guest

The concierge's ability to communicate well with each guest is essential. Each guest receives and responds to information very differently, and the concierge must be receptive to their reception, and to provide accordingly. We touched upon this when discussing the concierge's intuition; this quality must not be overlooked or underestimated. Our guests can be intimidated or perhaps uncomfortable in asking questions of the concierge, or they can be mistaken or misinformed in their request. The receptive and intuitive concierge can sense their discomfort and read between the lines of their request, and gently guide and inform them towards what they are really requesting but perhaps not able to articulate. It is up to the concierge to graciously dispel the guest's discomfort and set them at ease. The concierge will win their trust, and the guest will not only be comfortable with the service, but much more likely to return to the concierge for further requests.

Respect and discretion

Most guests are acutely aware of being respected by the concierge, and most concierges will tell you that many guests are extremely sensitive to this. Why else would a guest, when asking for a recommendation would follow the concierge's recommendation with the question "Is it good?" as if the concierge would recommend something that is not good. Most guests need reassurance that their request has been given absolute respect and consideration, and the intuitive concierge is sensitive to this, presenting their recommendations and information in ways suited to each and every guest, again, with the purpose of gaining their trust. Discretion also comes into play in the relationship in many different ways, from planning surprises for loved ones, to the guest's confidence that their private information is being protected by the concierge. The concierge must never reveal, even accidentally, something that a guest would prefer to remain private, and the concierge must be sensitive and discerning to that end. The trust based on respect and discretion is immeasurable.

Educating the guests

Often overlooked is the concierge's ability to educate our guests on how best to use the concierge. Concierges are always extremely busy, and have to honestly and creatively deal with the challenge of making time for each guest. The concierge must always be aware that no guest should feel ignored or that they are receiving "lip service". The concierge should proactively avoid that scenario by "educating" the guest. The concierge should offer their schedule to the guest, and let them know the best time to reach them, as well as when to expect a return phone call from the concierge. The collective concierge team must promote themselves as a team and educate the guests to that, for example in reminding a guest that "I will not be here tomorrow, I have a day off, but my colleagues will be here, and they have all of the information, and will be happy to assist you further..." Guests are more often happy to be advised of what time is usually a rush for the concierge desk so that they may avoid calling or coming by during that time. They also appreciate that sometimes emailing or texting is more efficient than phone calls or vice versa; and are gratified by the efficiency. This reduces or eliminates the potential for guests being frustrated by what may well be perceived as inattention from the concierge.

All of these qualities are essential in a Hotel Concierge. In the past several years there has been much press based on the question "Can You Trust Your Concierge?" The question is a legitimate one, given the importance of trust in the relationship and the current trend of outsourcing concierge desks. Concierges are often asked about the most outrageous request they have received, or the most "unruly" guests, or the most demanding celebrity guests. Concierges are often erroneously perceived by the general public as living the high-life of wheeling and dealing. But does that perception really reflect the realities of the concierge service?

The concierge often finds him/herself involved in the private life of the guest. Every concierge can tell you a story such as the elderly couple where the husband was the caregiver to his handicapped wife. While on vacation he suffered a heart attack, landing him in intensive care. The distressed wife turned to the concierge team who not only arranged for her transportation and assistance in getting back and forth to the hospital but assisted in her daily needs. This included helping her to get dressed in the mornings and evenings, making sure that she was taking her meals, and making phone calls to their family until another family member arrived to take over. Who else but the Hotel Concierge can you trust to properly care for your guests in situations like this?

Ask your concierge about the most humbling requests they have ever received; the stories are touching; they illustrate the value and depth of the Hotel Concierge service. Every concierge builds his or her professional reputation on the trust of their guests. This trust creates brand and property loyalty that last a lifetime. This trust brings returning and new guests to your property, on the reputation of the relationship between the Hotel Concierge and the guest.

Leigh Anne Dolecki joined the hospitality industry after a 20 years in theatre production. Since becoming a concierge in 2000 she has served as vice president of the Northern California Concierge Association; at the end of 2007 she completed a two year term as president of the NCCA. She represented a membership of over 160 concierges. As president, Ms. Dolecki provided educational opportunities for members by planning meetings and events, as well as building relationships with service providers throughout northern California, keeping NCCA members on the forefront of guest services. Ms. Dolecki can be contacted at 415-955-5552 or ladolecki@gmail.com Extended Bio...

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