vendors. Without this organization (which is proudly celebrating its 30th anniversary), we would not be able to bring in specialty speakers once a year to educate our members. A concierge association is vital to the success of any concierge to grow and be inspired for our guests. The concierge spirit can be seen almost instantly in most concierges. This spirit is really a combination of many wonderful qualities, including patience, a can do attitude, true care for the guest, and a genuine sense of hospitality. a favorite quote of any concierge is from Maya angelou, “i’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” This is what a concierge does. even though we are there to sell tickets, give directions, be a counselor, a detective, and more, our main purpose is to be there for our guests to make a lasting impression. This is what creates a returning guest, and why we get letters every year from returning guests telling us how excited they are to come back. how do we do this? We make a personal connection. Each person is unique and a great concierge will find that part of them and let it bloom into more than a professional relationship but an actual friendship. another important quality is the "can do" attitude. We know how to make everything happen, as long as it is morally and ethically acceptable. This spirit unlocks a special “wow” factor that will generate years of business for their property. 22 California Hotel & Lodging Association summer 2015 having a pulse on what is hot or dependable in your city is easy, it is how the concierge uses this information that makes them a memorable concierge. With a large city like san diego many of the places that we refer are constantly changing and new options are popping up daily. how do we keep track of it all? Once again, it goes back to the idea of taking a village to be successful. The association is a huge part of this. During networking at each meeting we share what is new or happening in each of our perspective areas. also, as a rule of thumb when a concierge is meeting a new vendor, we save all of their contact information. These contacts— whether it is a vendor or fellow concierge— help make the impossible, possible. a concierge in Beverly hills can call a concierge in san diego and make sure their guest making a day trip has the best lunch possible with our contacts and vice versa. Or we can call our vendor last minute to get a helicopter to Ensenada so our guest can attend a wedding. Without these contacts we would never be able to make our “magic” happen. To be a great concierge, it takes a special kind of person with a unique spirit, and it also takes the personal growth and commitment of a local association and connections to provide great hospitality and service to your guests. Originally from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Justin Sondgeroth has been a concierge for over eight years with experience in resort and convention hotels. Justin graduated from Gonzaga University with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, and study abroad experiences. He is a proud member of the professional hotel concierge association, Les Clefs d’Or, identified by the gold crossed keys on each lapel. This is his second year as President of the San Diego Concierge Association. He resides in San Diego and is quite possibly the city's biggest fan. If you do not have a concierge at your hotel or resort and are interested in starting a desk, you can find Justin’s contact information online at www.sdcaonline.org. great concierge, cont. “i’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou
CHLA Lodging News Summer 2015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above