Hotel Concierge Interview Preparation Guide

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Maybe you want a more competitive salary. Perhaps you cannot abide your current manager. You may even be bored. Whatever the actual reason, find a way to stay positive. It may be easiest to focus on what you want from your new job—greater challenges, more advancement opportunity, a chance to learn a new aspect of hospitality—rather than what you didn’t like about your last one.

Whatever your hotel position, there are guaranteed to be days when you cannot complete everything that needs to be done. Hiring managers want to see that you have the ability to analyze such a situation, think clearly when under pressure, make a decision on a course of action and take responsibility as you proceed.

Do your homework prior to the interview. Doing the background work will help you stand out. Find out who the main players are -- have they been in the news recently? You're not expected to know every date and individual but you need to have a solid understanding of the company as a whole.

There are several ways of addressing this one. You may be the sort of person that works well under pressure; you may even thrive under pressure. Whatever the case, make sure you don't say you panic. You want to give specific examples of stressful situations and how well you dealt with them. You may also want to list a few tools you use to help you, such as to-do lists, etc. It is alright to say that you will ask for assistance when the job is more than what you can handle. It is equally acceptable to say that you work best under pressure if this is indeed the case and relevant to the particular role.

Before answering scheduling questions, it's important to be clear on the interviewer's expectations. If you haven't had a chance to clarify their scheduling needs, now would be the perfect time to ask! Consider asking, 'What are the scheduling expectations for this position?' If they expect you to work 12 hour days, it would be important for you to know that before you respond with, 'Absolutely! No problem!' You want to be sure that you can meet their expectations. If it turns out their schedule expectations won't work for you, think about what you CAN offer and see if you can meet in the middle. It's much better to discuss these things in an interview than for you to commit to a schedule that won't work for you. Keep in mind that, in most states, an employer cannot demand that an employee work more than 44 hours per week.

This question is really about your self-esteem, confidence and career aspirations. The answer must be a “yes”, followed by a brief explanation as to what it is about your career so far that’s made you happy. If you have hit a career plateau, or you feel you are moving too slowly, then you must qualify your answer.

This is something you need to have very clear in your mind prior to the meeting. There is no point in saying yes just to get the job if the real answer is actually no. Just be honest as this can save you problems arising in the future.

Select an achievement that is work-related and fairly recent. Identify the skills you used in the achievement and quantify the benefit it had to the company. For example, “My greatest achievement has been to design and implement a new sales ledger system, bringing it in ahead of time and improving our debtors’ position significantly, saving the company $50,000 per month in interest.”

This is a challenging question -- as if you have no weaknesses you are obviously lying! Be realistic and mention a small work related flaw.

Many people will suggest answering this using a positive trait disguised as a flaw such as "I'm a perfectionist" or "I expect others to be as committed as I am." I would advocate a certain degree of honesty and list a true weakness. Emphasize what you've done to overcome it and improve. This question is all about how you perceive and evaluate yourself.

This shows you really understand the industry and the main players.

Think about a few and say how you think they compare (similarities, differences). This is a good opportunity to highlight what you think are the company's key strengths.

Not all guest problems can be solved. Hotel employers want to hire someone who can empathize and remain professional even when they’re faced with an impossible task.

Obviously, you have bills to pay. However, comments about compensation or “I just need a job” are the last thing a hiring manager wants to hear. To best answer this question, you need to spend time learning about the hotel’s history, mission and culture. Check out their website and search the Internet for press releases and other news. If you have access, talk to a few of their employees. Then put together a response that shows you’ve done your research and are a good match for the hotel’s current and future needs as well as culture.

Front desk agents and concierges are not the only hotel staff guests turn to for advice. Before any interview, make sure you’re familiar with local attractions and think about those that would best appeal to a variety of travelers.

On the surface, this appears to be a simple question, yet it is easy to slip. I would suggest not mentioning money at this stage as you may come across as totally mercenary. If you are currently employed, you can say it's about developing your career and yourself as an individual. If you are in the unfortunate position of having been downsized, stay positive and keep it brief. If you were fired, you should have a solid explanation. whatever your circumstances, do not talk about the drama but remember to stay positive.

The purpose of this question is to find out what your definition of difficult is and whether you can show a logical approach to problem solving. In order to show yourself in a positive light, select a difficult work situation which was not caused by you and which can be quickly explained in a few sentences. Explain how you defined the problem, what the options were, why you selected the one you did and what the outcome was. Always end on a positive note.

☛ How has your training or work experience prepared you to be an effective hotel concierge?
☛ How would you describe your customers? What are their typical needs and expectations?
☛ Describe a typical day at your current/previous job. How do you prioritize your work?
☛ Which city tours do you recommend?
☛ What are some popular local options for entertainment?
☛ How does travel high season affect your work?
☛ What’s the most challenging aspect of being a concierge?
☛ What is the most unusual request you’ve ever received from a hotel guest? How did you handle it?
☛ When are you allowed to say “no” to a guest’s request?
☛ How often do you have to handle sensitive information? What does discretion mean to you?
☛ A guest tells you that they’re celebrating a special occasion, such as a child’s birthday, or a wedding anniversary. What can you do to enhance their experience at your hotel?
☛ Describe a time you worked with colleagues to meet a goal on a tight deadline.
☛ How would you get to know your colleagues during your first week on the job?
☛ Recall a time you resolved a situation with a difficult coworker.
☛ Hotel concierges often “work” a few extra unpaid hours to make sure they can give sound advice on local museums, restaurants, etc. What would motivate you to do this?

☛ Share an experience you had in dealing with a difficult person and how you handled the situation.
☛ Provide an experience in which you were sensitive to somone's needs or feelings. How did your helpfulness affect your work environment?
☛ Share an experience in which you successfully shared a difficult piece of information. (Make sure that the candidate has open lines of communication.)
☛ Share an effective method you have used to provide patrons with information about local features.
☛ What is the key to success when communicating with the public.
☛ Describe a time when you successfully provided personal assistance to a coworker or patron.
☛ Tell me how you organize, plan, and prioritize your work.
☛ Share an experience when you applied new technology or information in your job. How did it help your company?
☛ Name a time when your patience was tested. How did you keep your emotions in check?
☛ Tell me about an experience in which you analyzed information and evaluated results to choose the best solution to a problem.
☛ Share an example of a time you had to gather information from multiple sources. How did you determine which information was relevant?
☛ Provide an experience in which your ability to actively find ways to help people improved your company or your own work ethic.
☛ Provide an example of a time when you were able to demonstrate excellent listening skills. What was the situation and outcome?
☛ Give me an example of when you thought outside of the box. How did it help your employer?
☛ Share an example of when you went above and beyond the "call of duty". (Look for answers that show the candidate is dependable.)

Beware of this type of question! Under no circumstances is it necessary to break company policy to achieve something. Resist the temptation to answer and give examples, as what the interviewer is looking for is to determine how ethical you are and if you will remain true to company policy.

When presented with situational interview questions like this one, it’s important to create a clear and concise answer that describes the problem you encountered, the steps you took to address it, and the ultimate solution. Stay positive and show that you learned something from the situation whenever possible.

"On the odd occasion that a patron is upset with me, I remind myself not to take it personally. Most of the time, there's a reason behind the patron's frustration. Instead of losing my cool, I focus on my task, which is providing the best service possible. Sometimes, it helps to apologize to the patron for the stress they've gone through. Showing empathy and good manners can turn a situation around quickly." As a concierge, it is vital that you remain composed at all times. Your position is meant to alleviate stress from others, and so, if you react poorly in certain situations, that is counterintuitive behavior. Assure the interviewer that you can handle a situation, such as being yelled at by a patron, with professionalism and class. Use a real-life example, if you have one.

Turnover is often a major challenge for hospitality employers. They don’t want to spend the hotel’s time and resources to train you if you don’t intend to stay for long. You can reiterate your response to the previous question and assure the hiring manager that you see yourself working for Hotel ABC for a long time. However, if there is a reason you may need to leave in the near future—a cross-country move or going back to school for example—be honest. Accepting a position and then disappointing your employer by moving on too soon could be worse for your career in the long run.

Hotels employ a diverse spectrum of personalities as well as nationalities. Regardless of your position, teamwork will often be required. The hiring manager wants to select a professional who can work well with others even when they don’t see eye to eye.

If asked about disappointments, mention something that was beyond your control. Stay positive by showing how you accepted the situation and have no lingering negative feelings. If asked about your greatest achievement, choose an example that was important to you as well as the company. Specify what you did, how you did it and what the results were. Ideally, pick an example that can relate to the positions you are applying for.

Here the emphasis is on the implemented. You may have had many brilliant ideas, but what the interviewer is looking for is something that has actually materialized. Be prepared to briefly describe how it went from an idea to implementation stage.

Hospitality is all about customer service, so you’re just as likely to get this question when you apply for an administration position as when you’re after one at the front desk. While the answer is common sense, a good way to make a memorable impression is to work language from the hotel’s own marketing materials (such as their website) into your response.