An Introduction to the "Little Known Profession - Le Concierge"

Long a tradition with Grand European hotels, the concierge has become established in many well know hotels where Excellence and Service are the key words of commitment.

The word Concierge is itself of obscure parentage. One source says that it comes from the Latin expression 'con servus', meaning 'fellow slave, another derivation is 'con serviens', the present participle of the verb 'to serve'.

Apparently, the French picked up the word form one or the other of these Latin verbs, rendering it, 'Concierge' in old French. Yet another source say the 12th century French term, 'Comte des Cierges', Count of Candles, a formal title given to a Royal Officer working for the Palace Conciergerie and having great responsibilities. Later the title was extended to the Concierges of Royal or baronial houses. But… what exactly is a Concierge?

The Concierge has been described by seasoned travellers as 'part man Friday, part Sancho Panza with a goodly amount of Merlin and Houdini thrown in'. Whatever the ingredients, he, and now more increasingly she, will do anything humanly possible to achieve guest satisfaction.

Together with his team of assistants and uniformed services staff, he has but one objective…TO PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE SERVICE TO HIS HOTEL GUESTS.

After all, the Concierge and his staff are individuals that visitors come into contact with most of the time. And although the Concierge is in charge of a large number of staff, he is never too busy to assist guest.

A Concierge's services run an extraordinary gamut, services which were rendered in top rated hotels are now included and expected as the norm, the list is non exhaustive but includes :

	Meeting VIPs and special guests at the airport, railway stations or ports.
	Taking care of luggage, including safe custody, checking them in (subject to customs approval), having them shipped or even repaired.
	Air ticketing, all aspects involving flight reservations, ticket purchase, changing of flight dates, routes, meal and seat requests, city check in.
	Mail and courier services both local and overseas.
	Handling guest's messages, faxes and mail.
	Ground transfers, taxies, limousines, coaches and basically anything with wheels.
	Private hire of jets, helicopter, yacht.
	Arranging sightseeing tours, both conventional and customized, knows tourist attractions.
	Make onward hotel reservations.
	Making restaurant / entertainment recommendations and reservations.
	Shopping tips, as well as the occasional personalized shopping service.
	Arranging flowers delivered both locally and worldwide.
	And now increasingly, be IT savvy.

In other words, anything which is LEGAL and MORAL.

Additionally, he must tackle all kinds of unique requests and assignments as well and it is in doing the unusual that makes a Concierge shine. They all have their 'war stories' about extremely difficult task completed despite odds and datelines. And because so much of what they do is truly done on a personal basis, they must remain circumspect at all times, acting as much as a confidential secretary as a 'get everything done' person. Because he is a specialist in so many areas, he has developed a network of acquaintances, friends and contacts, both locally and overseas, just as the saying goes, 'a Concierge is only as good as his contacts'.

Most Concierge start as page boys, or porters and rise through the ranks, they must poses that special quality and the desire to serve. This takes years of hard work and training, and, to become a member of Les Clefs d'Or, he or she must be very qualified indeed.

To qualify for Les Clefs d'Or, he or she must have a minimum years of working experience at the Front of the House of which no less than three years must be as a concierge till retirement. Just like wine, 'they mellow with age', the longer they stay in the profession, the better they get.