A concierge (French pronunciation: [k sj]) is an employee who either works in shifts within, or lives on the premises of an apartment building

or a hotel
[citation needed]

and serves guests with duties similar to those of a butler.

The position can also be maintained by a security officer over the graveyard shift. A similar position, known as the portero, exists in Spanish-speaking regions. The term "concierge" evolved from the French Comte Des Cierges, The Keeper of the Candles, who tended to visiting nobles in castles of the medieval era. In medieval times, the concierge was an officer of the King who was charged with executing justice, with the help of [citation needed] his bailiffs. In 19th century and early 20th century apartment buildings, particularly in Paris, the concierge often had a small apartment on the ground floor, called la loge, and was able to monitor all comings and goings. However, such settings are now extremely rare; most concierges in small or middle-sized buildings have been replaced by the [citation needed] part-time services of door-staff. Some larger apartment buildings or groups of buildings retain the use of a concierge. The concierge may, for instance, keep the mail of absented dwellers; be entrusted with the apartment keys to deal with emergencies when residents are absent, provide information to residents and guests, provide access control, enforce rules, and act as a go-between for residents and management when management is not on-site. Contents [hide]

1 Hotels 2 Other types of concierge services 3 See also 4 References 5 External links [edit]Hotels Hotel concierge staff have their own professional association, called Les Clefs d'Or ("The Golden Keys"). It was formed in France in October 1929. It now reaches over 3000 members in over 40 countries. Members can be distinguished by the gold keys they display on their lapels. In hotels, a concierge assists guests with various tasks like making restaurant reservations, arranging for spa services, recommending night life hot spots, booking transportation (limousines, airplanes, boats, etc.), procurement of tickets to special events and assisting with various travel arrangements and tours of local attractions. In upscale establishments, a concierge is often expected to "achieve the impossible", dealing with any request a guest may have, no matter how strange, relying on an extensive list of contacts with local merchants and service providers. [edit]Other types of concierge services In hospitals, concierge services are becoming increasingly available. A hospital concierge provides similar services to those of a hotel concierge, but serve patients and employees as well. This helps hospital employees who work long shifts, and helps to provide work-life balance. Today there are numerous independent personal concierge companies. Many of these companies provide errand services and information services for their members. Services include informational requests, setting dinner reservations, making telephone calls, researching travel arrangements and more. Typically, concierge companies will bill on an hourly rate, and depending upon the type of task, fees can fluctuate drastically. Other companies bill a flat monthly fee based upon the number of requests a member is allowed to place each month. Over the last 10 years in the United Kingdom, concierge has become a key marketing/loyalty tool in the banking sector and

offered as a benefit on luxurycredit cards. Concierges also entertain their clients.

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This service offering is also known as lifestyle management.

The owners and operators of concierge, lifestyle management and errand service businesses are supported and advocated by the non-profit International Concierge and Lifestyle Management Association (ICLMA) and the National Concierge Association. These associations serve their members through essential resources, continuing education, networking opportunities and other professional endeavors.

1. The Facts
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A hotel concierge position requires a passion for and an understanding of travel and the travel industry. While a degree in hospitality or other related field is often preferred and sometimes required, an in-depth knowledge of the hotel's local area is essential. The concierge position is often demanding and fast-paced, requiring excellent time management and problem-solving skills. On a daily basis the concierge will interact with guests from varied backgrounds and walks of life, and therefore an amicable personality is a must for a successful concierge--fluency in one or more foreign languages is also a plus.

History
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Taking a look back at the emergence of the concierge position you will find its beginnings in medieval France where castles and mansions employed a select individual to see to the needs of the household and its guests. Often, the keys to the castle or mansion were entrusted to the concierge. Over the years the concierge position has evolved into more specialized responsibilities making the modern day concierge, in essence, a dream maker.
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Function
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Working as a hotel concierge means that your focus is to ensure that the needs and requests of hotel guests are met, and that each guest has a memorable stay. The hotel concierge is expected to be an expert on his local area. Guests will approach the concierge with questions, seeking suggestions, and demanding problem resolutions. Often concierges will make reservations for restaurants, spas, shows and special events. Requests from guests can range from arranging transportation or providing directions to even the most outlandish seemingly impossible outing. The concierge must make an effort to develop relationships with local business owners and VIPs in order to facilitate the fulfillment of her guests' requests.

Significance
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Often the concierge becomes the face of the hotel for many guests, which means that appearance and demeanor are of utmost importance. The concierge desk acts as the hub for guest activity planning, which means that the guests' hotel experience depends on the

concierge's knowledge and prompt attention. Many business and VIP travelers depend heavily on the concierge, making the position respected and highly regarded.

Misconceptions
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Don't assume that the job description for a hotel concierge is set in stone, as a concierge receives a vast array of requests and is expected to make even the impossible and unusual happen. While it may seem that the concierge would be a great source for gossip, the opposite is true as the concierge is expected to maintain confidentiality. The concierge is not a front desk agent and does not take hotel reservations. In some cases the concierge is responsible for managing a section of the hotel's front end staff, so contrary to popular observation the concierge does not work alone.

Excellent Customer Service

The chef concierge must be able to able to read, in a few seconds, a guest's personality, needs and wants and be able to effectively execute these tasks in a genuinely warm and caring way using knowledge and talents. Chef concierges usher famous, popular and rich guests, but must understand that no matter how high the social standing of a guest, they are still human beings who want to feel welcome and sincerely cared for. Chef concierges must excel at customer service and be able to pass on this quality to junior concierges. At the end of the day, guests return to a hotel because they felt comfortable and at home.

Professionalism and Flexibility

According to Maurice Dancer, the chef concierge at The Pierre, and a nominee for the 2007 Chef Concierge of the Year, a concierge must be a professional who demonstrates exemplary efforts and actions while establishing a benchmark for providing ultimate service. A concierge is required to change constantly and adapt to improve his craft, which enhances experiences, inspires followers and educates viewers. They must maintain perfection while applying dedication to a vision that encourages discipline, humility, flexibility and attention to detail in an environment of evolving expectations.
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Experienced and Knowledgeable

Concierges must be widely experienced not only in guest relations requests, but also in knowing additional information that might be useful to guests. The role of a concierge has evolved from that of a doorman, replacing the toothbrush and toothpaste and securing dinner reservations, to a more defined role of insider informant. According to Forbes, a concierge is the ultimate insider. As concierge, you must take every opportunity available to make contacts at museum exhibits and art galleries, restaurants and movie theaters. This will invaluably equip you to be the one-stop assistant to your guests. According to the Chicago Hotel Concierge Association, the measure of a concierge is not only what they know, but also whom they know.

Critical Thinker and Problem Solver

Though the conservative duties of a concierge involve making her guests stay as comfortable as possible, that role has evolved with time to accommodate sophisticated guests. This means sometimes concierges attend to customized requests to suit their guests. Concierges go out of their way for guests to attend to their requests, as long as the requests are legal and ethical.

Physically Fit and Healthy

The role of a concierge is highly visible, being the first and last contact in a hotel. It is therefore important for a concierge to be physically fit and also look presentable to guests. Additionally, concierge duties sometimes involve standing for long hours and assisting guests with moving their luggage, which demands physical fitness.

Read more: What Is Required to Be a Chef Concierge? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_12045258_required-chefconcierge.html#ixzz1pfRfTDmZ

Guest relations

Overview According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, service occupations are by far the largest occupational group, accounting for two-thirds of the hospitality industry's employment. In 2006, approximately 62,000 establishments provided overnight accommodations to all kinds of people with different types of budgets and needs. In that same year, hotels and other accommodations provided 1.8 million jobs in the U.S. The overall hotel job growth between 2006 and 2016 should increase by 13.9 percent. Hotel guest services, which include the guest relations officers, will see a 6.7 percent job increase. Job Description A hotel guest relations officer (GRO) is at the forefront of customer service. He or she is one of the first hotel workers to greet guests as they arrive. The GRO provides hotel guests with above-and-beyond service to ensure their experience will be worth remembering. The position ensures that guests are happy from the moment they step into the hotel until they leave. Sometimes, he or she continues to provide superior customer service after the guests are long gone. Duties and Responsibilities A guest relations officer gives each guest a personal recognition. This could be in a form of memorizing names of the customers or addressing them with the correct salutations, such as "Miss", "Sir", "Ma'am" or "Senator." Although a GRO would not be able to memorize the names of all the hotel guests at a given time, he should remember a hotel guest's name after two transactions. A GRO meets and greets arriving guests and bids them farewell as they leave. He reviews the arrival list daily and assists in preparing and distributing welcome amenities. GROs escort VIPs to their rooms and check them in before their arrival. A GRO attends promptly to customers' inquiries and assists them with their needs. When it comes to complaints, he allows guests to speak first and then provides solutions to their issues or concerns. He logs the day's activities in a logbook to ensure that the next person on duty is familiar with everything that needs extra attention. A guest relations officer should always be present in the hotel lobby and should maintain proper decorum at all times. He should respond quickly to calls in case he is not at his post. He also promotes all the facilities of the hotel and knows the surrounding areas when asked for directions. A GRO should also be familiar with the best places to tour, shop and dine. Appearance The guest relations officer should always be neat in appearance. The person should always wear a complete uniform within the standards set forth by the hotel management. He or she should show his identification tag so

that guests know his name. Hair should be neat and should have a color that is within guidelines, which means no unnatural hair colors. A female GRO should wear makeup that is not overbearing, keeping the look simple, professional and natural. She should make sure her fingernails are clean with no visible tattoos and no earrings on parts of the face other than the ears. She should wear only a pair of stud earrings on her earlobes (men should not wear earrings at all). A GRO should not only look clean but also smell pleasant. Since most of the time the GRO will be conversing with guests, it is important that her breath smells fresh; however, chewing gum is not permissible at work. Benefits Aside from the job satisfaction of seeing that guests are happy with the services that they provide, GROs also enjoy the amenities of working for hotels. Hotel employees and their families get discounted rates at every location they serve. Some hotels offer employee discounts when dining at hotel restaurants or while utilizing inroom dining services. Depending on their employers, they may also get retirement benefits in the form of 401K, pension plan or stock options. Full-time employees also get health and medical benefits. According to indeed.com, as of 2009, the average annual income of a hotel guest relations officer was $49,000. Potential A guest relations officer can apply for promotion within the company. For example, he or she can apply for a supervisory or management position. A GRO can become a guest relations supervisor/manger, front desk supervisor/manager and may become a duty manager or hotel manager given enough experience, additional training and experience. To help gain a management position within the company, a GRO should pursue higher education; aside from a four-year college degree, he should also complete a master's degree. A good foundation would be a Bachelor of Science in Tourism or any business course, and then Master's in Business Administration.