Het grote conciėrge topic - Deel #4

quote:

A concierge (French), in French apartment buildings, is an employee who lives on the premises and serves as a general caretaker. In medieval times, the concierge was an officer of the King who was charged with executing justice, with the help of his bailiffs. The term concierge evolved from the French Comte Des Cierges, The Keeper of the Candles, who tended to visiting nobles in castles of the medieval era.

In 19th century and early 20th century apartment buildings, particularly in Paris, the concierge, often a middle-aged woman, had a small apartment on the ground floor and was able to monitor all comings and goings. However, such settings are now extremely rare; most concierges in small or middle-sized buildings have been replaced by the part-time services of door-staff. These are less costly and less intrusive. Some larger apartment buildings or groups of buildings retain the use of a concierge, without the traditional disposition whereas the concierge saw all comings and goings. The concierge may, for instance, keep the mail of absented dwellers; be entrusted with the keys of apartments in cases of emergencies in the absence of the inhabitant; and other services.

In hotels and certain other facilities, a concierge assists guests with various tasks like making restaurant reservations, arranging for spa services, procurement of tickets to special events and assisting with various travel arrangements and tours of interesting places to visit. In upscale establishments, a concierge is often expected to "achieve the impossible," dealing with any request a guest may have, no matter how apocryphal or strange, relying on an extensive list of personal contacts with various local merchants and service providers.

Hotel concierge staff have their own professional association, called Les Clefs d'Or ("The Golden Keys"). It was formed in France in the October 1929 [1]. It now reaches to over 3000 members in over 50 countries. Members can be distinguished by the gold keys they display on their lapels.

Today, "electronic concierge" services are a factor to be reckoned with. These mostly internet-based service platforms are imitating traditional, more personal Concierge services by offering similar, web-based services to fulfill customers' growing demand for concierge services, with the German "e-concierge" being the first company to offer such services.

The owners and operators of concierge and errand service businesses are supported and advocated by the non-profit International Concierge and Errand Association and the National Concierge Association. These associations serve their members through essential resources, continuing education, networking opportunities and other professional endeavors.

Today there are numerous independently owned and operated concierge companies. Many of these companies provide errand services, as well as informational services for their members. Services include informational requests, setting dinner reservations, making telephone calls, researching travel arrangements and more. Typically, concierge companies will bill on an hourly rate, and depending upon the type of task at hand fees can fluctuate drastically. Other companies have reinvented the business model by billing a flat monthly fee based upon the number of requests a member is allowed to place each month. The number of independently owned concierge companies has skyrocketed as the start up costs and barriers of entry are quite feasible for many entrepreneurs.

quote:

Op dinsdag 12 juni 2007 20:59 schreef Misstique het volgende:
Mag ik het hier op volgende discussie onderwerp aangeven?

quote:

Op dinsdag 12 juni 2007 21:26 schreef Misstique het volgende:
Maar nee! De concierges die mijn rolmodel zijn, dwalen immer door de lange lege gangen met hun grote rinkelende sleutelbossen!

quote:

Op woensdag 13 juni 2007 11:16 schreef Deoxyribonucleic het volgende:
mijn pa is conciėrge

quote:

Op woensdag 13 juni 2007 11:35 schreef Misstique het volgende:

[..]

Het causale verband ontgaat me volledig.