BECOMING A MEMBER

For a concierge to be accepted as a member of Les Clefs d'Or, he or she must meet certain minimum requirements. The applicant must:

• Be currently employed in a hotel of good standing
• Have completed five consecutive years in the hospitality industry
• Have been a chief concierge for three years (although consideration is given to members’ assistants who have held their positions for five years)
• Provide letters of reference from past and present employers
• Provide letters of reference from service industry sources
• Provide a full resume detailing personal details, employment history, education history and copies of relevant training, qualification and employment certificates
• Provide a statement of how in practical terms, he or she would contribute to Les Clefs d'Or should his or her application be successful
• Provide letters of introduction from two active members of the Society, one of whom is to be your Chief Concierge if you are an Assistant Concierge, who are prepared to endorse and support the application
• Attend an interview once the Interview Committee is satisfied all minimum requirements have been met, and that the application is in order. The Interview Committee usually comprises four members who ask various questions relating to the reason for the application, along with what it means to be a Les Clefs d'Or member. Particular attention is paid to the procedures and controls the candidate has in place in his or her hotel and how the concierge operates within his or her hotel (there are certain minimum policy and procedure topics the Interview Committee will expect to see). The purpose of the interview is to determine the level of professional development the candidate has attained, the idea being that a concierge wearing the crossed golden keys of Les Clefs d'Or has the ability to operate successfully in any hotel, regardless of that hotel's location, type, size, category or country. The Interview Committee then passes its recommendation to the Executive Committee for final approval of new members

If you wish to do any further reading, the books Ultimate Service, by Holly Stiel, and The Concierge by McDowell Bryson and Adele Ziminski are particularly worthwhile