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Travel: The Concierge
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Customer service gets lots of lip service. Sadly, most of us don't ever encounter much more than the phrase "Have a nice day" unless we're really lucky or patronizing a business with an employee or two whose job is nothing but customer service like a concierge. Traditional concierge services are associated with the hospitality industry. Hotel guest services include errand running - picking up a tux, service providing - arranging a floral delivery, restaurant reservations, and obtaining event tickets. Today's concierges can also be found "acting as mother" at large companies that want their employees to be able to focus on the business of the company rather than the details of entertaining a client or obtaining a hard to find item. Like their hotel counterparts, concierge companies trace their origins to the days of the helpful innkeeper in a world without mass communication or guidebooks. In an interview with Renée V. Steiner of The Charter in Colorado's upscale resort of Beaver Creek, we discussed the customer service skills she and her staff call upon to serve guests at The Charter. The list begins and ends with people skills - the ability to relate to and communicate well with all kinds of people from all over the world. Other necessary skills are common sense - Steiner would never send a small child on a potentially dangerous river rafting trip, organizational skills and the ability to multi-task.
Nancy Kamp: How did you become a concierge? Renée V. Steiner: When I was six years old, I began helping my aunt in a B&B in Austria. You have to be born for it. I was a dental hygienist in Vienna when I married an American professor. We divorced and went into the hospitality industry in Virginia after owning a boutique in Ft. Lauderdale. I joined Marriot in Dallas-Fort Worth 1989 as a concierge and later became a restaurant supervisor. 10 years later, I moved to the Beaver Creek Park Hyatt as Assistant Banquets Manager. I began at The Charter in December 2000 and was promoted to Concierge Manager in April 2002. I learned a lot in the restaurant field. We were cross-trained. Every corporation has its own rules. Every hotel does things a little bit differently. I was trained on the job and I learned from experience. Nancy Kamp: Would you pursue a career in the hospitality industry if you had it to do over again? Renée V. Steiner: If I would be born again, I would do the same thing. I am very happy with my job. You have to be happy with what you do. I think there is always a way in this industry to please a guest and make him happy. I think we do a good job in American guest services. Nancy Kamp: Would you want your child to do this? Renée V. Steiner: Yes, if he or she would be ready to give 100%. But a middle aged person can handle this job much better than an 18 year old. Nancy Kamp: How do you keep track of things? Renée V. Steiner: It's part computer, part paper, part really good memory, part local knowledge. I take care of everything. I feel like a mother. When a guest comes back and says, "I was so happy with the trip you booked," this is happiness for me. Then I know I did my job right. Nancy Kamp: Do you have any horror stories you can share? Renée V. Steiner: When the guest's transportation to the airport didn't arrive, I had to get the shuttle and drive my self [to the Denver airport about 70 miles away]. You have to make it happen - whatever it is. When it was discovered that a jacket had been left behind by a wedding party headed for the top of the mountain, one of our employees took it up on the chair lift and was stranded for 1 1/2 hours on the trip down. When I worked as a banquet manager for Marriot, we had a guest who was upset and screaming because the kitchen was closed for the night so I made eggs. Nancy Kamp: English is not your native language. Do you ever find you yourself up against the language barrier? Renée V. Steiner: The language barrier can be overcome with a smile. Nancy Kamp: Where do you go on vacation? Renée V. Steiner: My boyfriend has a house in Hawaii, and I go home to Austria Nancy Kamp: What kind of service do you expect when you travel? Renée V. Steiner: I am not spoiled. I like friendliness. We get in such a busy world we forget it is so important to have personal contact. Nancy Kamp: What advice do you have for those might be considering a career in concierge service? Renée V. Steiner: Listening is very important. You have to listen to the guests. Is what they ask for what they really want? Is it dangerous for the children? You just use common sense, be patient and don't have a snotty attitude. If you cannot handle a guest's request, you should not try to do it. You should smile and be nice because the guest is always right. This is a hospitality service. You can never be afraid to apologize. Prompt service is critical. Do not forget the guest is paying a lot for this. Nancy Kamp: Is there anything you' like to add? Renée V. Steiner: You learn everyday something.
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