Concierge–a man for everything, is an irreplaceable position in all big hotels, resorts, and apartment complexes. Making reservations for patrons, buying tickets, or just recommending them the club to spend the night at–concierges do everything to make the guests feeling comfortable, and cared for. But how can you get this interesting job in an interview? And what will the hiring managers ask you? We will try to find the answers in this article.
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Non-verbal communication, empathy, and listening skills
If you want to succeed in this interview, you should leave your troubles and worries at home. You will need nothing but your very best focus to succeed. Because interviewers observe way more than you think…
Do you listen carefully to their words? Do you talk to the point? Is it a pleasure to talk to you? Do you keep eye contact with them? What does your body language say?
They observe all of that, and more, while interviewing you for a job of a concierge. They observe it because unless you demonstrate your listening skills and friendly non-verbal communication in an interview, they will never hire you for this job. This is even more important than your answers to their questions. Keep it on your mind, and if you feel anxious, check our guide on How to overcome interview nerves to regain control of your emotions.
A certain aura of humility, and submission, will also help you greatly in this interview. Because that’s what the (often spoiled) guests of luxury hotels and resorts expect from the concierges–to humbly serve them. Nothing bad about it in my book, especially if they throw in a hundred dollar tip at the end of their stay :).
Questions you may face in your interview
The exact questions will differ from one place to another, but we can at least speak about some trends, and topics of conversation.
Most of the time the hiring managers will ask about your experience with customer service, your motivation and goals, and they will also outline a few scenarios from the job, wondering how you’d act in them. All of this helps them to understand your attitude to work, and whether you have the right personality for this position. Let’s have a look at some questions.
Why do you want to work as a concierge?
This job doesn’t belong to the high paying jobs, and it is not an easy one. Still, you can find a lot of good things about it. In your interview answer, however, you should refer mostly to things that interest the employer–your readiness for the job, skills that make from you a good applicant, your motivation.
For example, you can say that you are very good with people, that you can read their wishes before they even have the time to express them, and have a good understanding for the target group of hotel/resort guests. You can also say that you enjoy doing what concierges usually do, and consider this position a great start for your career in hotel industry. Most importantly, try to speak with enthusiasm.
The hiring managers should get the feeling that you actually want the job, and did not apply only because you need any kind of job.
Why our hotel (resort)?
Good research will help you a lot in this case. Try to show something that resonates with you, try to praise the hiring managers. You can say that you really like the facilities in the hotel, or the overall atmosphere of the place. You can also praise their values and goals, the way employees approach guests, or perhaps the spa in the hotel, or any other interesting service they offer to their guests.
Last but not least, you can point out their great location (both for you and for the guests) or a recommendation you got from one of your friends.
* May also interest you: Valet interview questions.
How do you imagine a typical day in work?
I know two types of concierges. The first type are people who hang around the reception, waiting for the gusts to approach them and ask them to do something.
The second type are people who actively look for things they can do for the guests, who will even give them suggestions, or at least regularly ask them if they need help with something (tickets, reservation, transport, etc).
It should not come as a surprise that hiring managers try to hire the second type of employees. And you should give them a good enough reason to believe that you belong to the second group. How can you do it? Say that you plan to proactively talk to guests, to offer advice, to always be there to help them.
What motivates you the most in this job?
As I said before, concierge does not belong to the easiest jobs, and you typically won’t earn more than $15 per hour (tips excluded). Nevertheless, there are many things that can motivate you to do this job well.
For example, you can say that you enjoy being around wealthy people, that you believe their company will have a positive effect on you, that you will learn a lot just from talking with them and listening to what they have to say.
Or you can say that helping others to enjoy their stay in any place helps you to feel good, that you naturally enjoy doing good things and helping people, and therefor you won’t struggle with motivation.
You can also say that you love to be a part of a team (and there is always a team of people working together in a hotel), and that you do not want to let your colleagues down, and therefor you’ll do the most for every guest.
* Special Tip: You can also download the questions in one page long .PDF, and practice your interview answers anytime later, even when offline:
Imagine that a guest complained about your service. What would you do?
This happens even to the very best concierges. Many guests are spoiled, and some will complain for no real reason.
Tell the interviewers that you would stay courteous, and apologize to the guest (even when you did not do anything wrong). This is just the policy, this is how it works in the hotels. Say that you would try your best to remedy the situation, and if you did not remedy it, you’d consult the manager or one of your colleagues for help.
* Do not forget to check also: Hotel front desk interview questions.
Imagine that one of the guests wanted to start a relationship with you (were flirting with you). What would you do?
This is another tricky question. The last thing you want to do is to upset the guest. On the other hand, relationships between concierges and guests are strongly forbidden in all hotels (though they do happen in secrecy).
Tell the interviewers that you would reject their proposal, in a most polite way. A good thing is to say that you have a husband or wife (even if you don’t), and say that it is a reason why you can’t accept their invitation for a drink (or any other invitation).
How do you feel about sharing tips with your colleagues?
Trying to encourage the team spirit and cooperation, many hotels apply a policy of sharing tips. Tips are collected in a box at a reception, and at the end of the day (or sometimes at the end of the week) all employees from the shift share them equally.
If they give you a question about sharing tips, the chances are high that they apply similar policy in the hotel. Tell them that you understand the importance of each staff member, that you know that every great hotel is a team effort, and do not have problems with sharing tips.
Some other questions you may get in your concierge interview
- Why did you leave your last job / Why do you want to leave your present job?
- What are your weaknesses? Do they interfere with your ability to become a great concierge?
- What aspects of this job do you dislike?
- Describe a conflict you had with your colleague. How did you solve it?
- Describe a time when you experienced a conflict of your personal and professional interests. How did you get over it?
- Describe a situation when you did not agree with the opinion (or decision) of your superior or supervisor, and knew that they were wrong. How did you handle that?
- How do you feel about working at night?
* Special Tip: Check our article about 15 most common interview questions to see great answers to some questions from the list.
Conclusion and next steps
Interview for a job of a concierge belong to interviews with average difficulty. Your non-verbal communication, and the demonstration of your listening skills (or of lack of them) play an important role, which makes things tougher.
Prepare for the questions from our article, and set your mind the right way before your interview. Show them that you have what it takes to become a great concierge. And do not forget to read also the following articles, to prepare better for your concierge interview:
- Hotel interview questions – Learn how to answer questions you can get while interviewing for any job in as hotel.
- How to dress for an interview – Choose the best possible clothes for your concierge interview.
- Salary negotiation tips – Basic rules you should remember when negotiating a salary in your interview.
