When you opt for a travel destination or visit a place for business purposes, it becomes necessary to hire several services. Apart from airport transfer and accommodation, you may benefit by taking some third party services. These services can make your stay a pleasant experience. While there is no denying the aggressive invasion of technology in every segment, including hospitality and tourism industry, some age old services still hold their value. This is applicable for hotel concierges. The concierges are still quite popular among travelers who are not much comfortable with fixing everything online and prefer traditional amenities and services.
A concierge is an assistant working in hotels whose job is to assist guests to get their requirements fulfilled, both inside and outside the hotel, during their stay. While opting for services of hotel concierges is a good idea to enjoy your vacation to the hilt, you need to know the right ways to extract most out of the service provider. A Concierge helps guests get their needs fulfilled, whether it is a cab booking for sightseeing or dining out at the finest restaurants of the city. Below listed are a few tips that will keep the concierge happy and let you obtain optimum amenity and services.
Getting in Touch Early
To ensure, your concierge can help you with numerous aspects of your trip and staying in the hotel, it is better you interact with him before you reach there. Concierges usually prefer discussing with guests about their choices and special requirements in advance over phone but you can also use online communication modes for the same. A prior interaction helps the concierge to arrange for specific services for you and need not wait for them after you reach.
It Helps when you are Specific
Not every guest has similar needs, whether it is about eating out or sightseeing in a vacation place. Therefore, when you speak to a concierge before visiting a place, ensure you make your preferences clear. Instead of telling the concierge that you are a foodie or beverage lover, specify if you like Thai cuisine or have a penchant for wines over beer. This will make things easier for both parties. Vague queries can make the concierge feel unsure about your needs.
Courtesy Matters
It is true that a concierge is getting paid for catering to your requirements and getting things arranged for you. However, you need to remember he or she is also human and deserves a fair amount of courtesy in communication. If you treat a concierge with respect, he or she will fulfill our needs with extra care. A little appreciation here goes a long way.
Keep Expectations Grounded to Reality
You may have specific desires about a vacation place, such as tasting regional famous dish or exploring carnival that takes place at Christmas and so on. There is nothing wrong in asking the concierge at the hotel to help you fulfill such desires. However, you also need to think of reality. These service providers have contacts and access to means to fulfill your needs but they are not robots or super heroes and may not be able to fulfill all your needs instantly. Issue like availability of place in restaurants, scarcity of cabs for a particular place or timing restrictions of sightseeing venues can be beyond their capabilities. Besides, you also need to give them some time for fulfillment of your amenities and needs.
Tipping
This is pivotal aspect of dealing with concierge. You can give the concierge tips according to nature of service. If you are repeat visitor, the concierge will treat you with added attention if you pay tips decently first time.
Evans is a blogger and he is currently associated with Symbolic Concierge.