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Concierge skills: what to learn first, and what can wait

Hotels hire concierges for what they can get done, not for how well they smile. The skills below are the ones a chef concierge actually checks for, sorted by when they start to matter. Start at the top and don't worry about the black book yet.

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Step one

Gets you the interview

Logging every request in a concierge systemDesks track requests in software like ALICE or GoConcierge, or in a shared log if the hotel is smaller. A request that isn't logged didn't happen, so say on your résumé that you tracked requests to close, not that you helped guests.

Booking through OpenTable and ResyMost dinner requests start in these apps, and a lot of restaurants hold concierge inventory you can only see with a hotel login. Know how waitlists, deposits and cancellation windows work so you can explain them to a guest in one breath.

Knowing your own neighborhood coldWalk the blocks around the hotel and learn the late pharmacy, the urgent care, the closest ATM and the best coffee within a few minutes. Interviewers often ask you to recommend something nearby on the spot, and a vague answer ends the conversation.

Phone and email etiquette for booking on someone's behalfYou'll call restaurants, drivers and box offices as the hotel, not as yourself. A short, confident script with the guest's name, party size, time and a callback number gets you further than charm.

Step two

Gets you the offer

Guest preference notes in the property management systemSaving that a guest likes a corner table, hates early tours or travels with a dog is what makes a repeat stay feel personal. Show the manager you know where those notes live in Opera or whatever system they run, and that you write them so the next shift can use them.

Charging vendor services back to the roomCars, flowers and tickets often go on the guest folio through a paid-out or a vendor invoice. Getting the amount, the approval and the receipt right keeps you out of the night auditor's bad books and the guest out of a billing dispute.

Saying no with a better yesSold-out shows and fully booked restaurants are daily events. Hiring managers listen for how you offer a close second, like the bar seating at the same place or a sister restaurant with the same chef, instead of just apologizing.

Knowing the gift and commission policyRestaurants and tour operators sometimes offer perks for sending guests their way. Know that most hotels have written rules on this, and be ready to say you'd disclose it and recommend on merit.

Step three

Gets you promoted

Building and sharing the vendor bookYour list of maître d's, car services, florists and ticket brokers, with notes on who delivers, is the desk's real asset. A chef concierge keeps it in a shared file so the desk doesn't collapse when one person goes on vacation.

Pre-arrival planning for VIPs and groupsEmailing guests before they land, building a full itinerary and confirming every piece the day before is how the desk earns praise the general manager notices.

Scheduling and training the deskRunning a concierge team means covering early and late shifts, pairing new hires with senior staff and teaching them your logging standard. If you've trained even one person, write it down.

Reading guest satisfaction reportsHotels track comments that mention the concierge by name in survey tools like Medallia. Learning to pull those comments, spot patterns and fix the process behind a complaint is the skill that moves you toward front office manager.

Certificates worth your time

Certificate	Best for	Effort	Worth it?
Certified Guest Service Professional (CGSP)	Front desk or bell staff moving onto the concierge desk who want something formal on the résumé	a weekend of self-study plus an online exam	Nice to have, not a hiring requirement. It helps most at branded hotels that already use training from the same institute.
First Aid and CPR	Residential and building concierges, who are often the first person on the scene when a resident falls ill	a single day, with a short refresher later	Worth it for residential roles, where some buildings ask for it. Hotel desks rarely require it, but it never hurts.

Check with the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute or the American Red Cross for current course formats and costs before you sign up.

Put it on your résumé like this

Weak

Helped hotel guests with restaurant reservations and local recommendations.

Strong

Handled 60+ guest requests a shift at a 300-room hotel, logged every one in ALICE, and was named in 45 guest reviews in one quarter.

Questions people ask

What should I learn first if I'm moving over from the front desk?

Reservation apps and request logging. You already know the building and the property management system, so the gap is booking outside the hotel and closing the loop on each request. Spend a few days shadowing the concierge and ask to see their log.

Do residential concierges need different skills?

Some. You'll use building software like BuildingLink for packages, visitor lists and work orders, and you'll deal with the same residents every day, so memory for faces and routines matters more than restaurant contacts. Booking dinners is a smaller part of the job.

How do I build contacts before I have the job?

Eat at the bar of the restaurants guests ask about and introduce yourself to the host on a slow night. Keep a simple spreadsheet of who you met, what they're good at and how to reach them. That's the start of the book.

Is Les Clefs d'Or a certificate?

No, it's a professional association you're sponsored into after working as a concierge for a while. You can't study for it, so build the desk skills first.

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