Golden Keys Concierge was held at the Sheraton Palace Hotel. About
70 concierges from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kaliningrad, Yalta,
Tbilisi and of course from Yerevan attended the event. The conference
consisted of several parts, after the introductory word from the hotel
management and the president of the Golden Keys Concierge association
the floor was given to the new members, who presented reports on the
work done and on future plans. There was also an educational part, the
first topic “Segmentation of clients in the luxury industry” and a master
class on the topic “Trends of the modern tourist”.
‘’Les Clefs d’Or’’ (translated as The Golden Keys) is a professional
association of hotel concierges, with approximately 4000 members
working in over 80 countries and 530 destinations, in literally every
corner of the world. Easily identified by the golden crossed keys on
their lapels, these members are an elite fraternity, globally connected,
committed to professional development, and driven to setting new
standards for guest service perfection. With roots dating back to 1929,
Les Clefs d’Or was officially founded in France in 1952 as a not-for-
profit organization based on two pillars: Service and Friendship. Before
earning the right to wear the golden keys, those who aspire to become a
member must have several years of experience as a hotel concierge, pass
comprehensive testing and prove, beyond doubt, their ability to deliver
highest quality of service.
Tell us more about your work as a concierge, why did you choose it?
he concierge provides the necessary information and fulfills almost
any guest request, without considering official duties. His job is to
predict the client’s desires, to work in advance. Imagine how difficult
this position is! Hotel concierge should know everything. He must
be “connected” to hundreds of sources of information. Besides, the
concierge should learn about this or that information in the blink of an
eye, very promptly.
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Armenian Concierge Association - ARMAN KHANYAN
Please, tell us about the idea of Armenian
Concierge Association. How it started, and what
was your vision when you decided to create an
association for your Armenian colleagues.
he idea of creating the Armenian Concierge
Association was proposed by our colleague
from Moscow, chief Concierge of the Hilton
hotel Leningradskaya Garegin Avagyan with the
support of Les Clefs d’Or Russia. Garegin is an
active participant of concierge community in
Russia and decided to help us in order to build the
same professional community. He has a big project
related to the development and popularization of
our profession in Armenia. Everything started with
a big meeting in The Alexander Hotel, where our
team together with concierges of the Best Western
hotel had meeting with Garegin. He prepared a
presentation about concierge community in Russia
and worldwide and also gave us information
about Les Clefs d’Or organization. We are looking
forward for the huge amount of work to be done in
order to develop concierge profession in Armenia
and will be pleased to have opportunity to become
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members of Les Clefs d’Or organization in the future.
Give us your idea and opinion about concierge
services in Armenia, how do you see it in the future
and what are the specifics, if there are any?
he position of a “concierge” in Armenia is a
new concept, if in European countries there are
already schools for the preparation of concierges,
then, unfortunately, everything is just beginning in
Armenia. This is due to the advent of the international
hotel Alexander. The international rules state that in
any four to five-star category hotel there must be a
separate concierge desk. The position of a concierge
is very promising and we hope that with the advent of
high-class hotels, the concierge culture will develop
in Armenia.
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In October you represented Armenia first time
in Moscow during Les Clefs d’Or event. Please,
tell us more about the event itself and about the
association in general.
n October 27, the annual Moscow meeting of
the Russian branch of the Public Organization
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What do you like most about your work and about hospitality industry in general!
here are some reasons, why I like my work. Firstly, you make people’s day, whether you’re a concierge in
a hotel, or a kitchen porter working behind the scenes, every time you come into work, you’re making
someone’s day little bit better. Your business is all about people. It’s not about widgets or spreadsheets; it’s
about making people happy. Second, it’s creative, as well as being a people-oriented industry, hospitality is
creative. You are creating a product — be that food, drink, or an experience — and there’s always scoping to
dream up new ways of making it more enjoyable for your customers.
Hospitality industry is probably the only industry that makes home feel a little closer even when you are
millions of miles away from home. You get to meet & interact with a lot of people from different backgrounds,
with interesting & authentic cultures in a friendly manner. These is some features that hospitality industry
has.
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What are the main qualities that a concierge must have?
n essence, all human and moral qualities are very important for a concierge, such as benevolence, sociability,
and ability to make quick decisions. Also, some other important qualities are stress tolerance and tranquility.
The concierge should be able to start a conversation and competently support it, and even more important is
the ability to listen and hear the client.
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Describe your one day at work.
n a typical day in my position I fulfill many tasks regarding tours, car rent, restaurant reservation and so on.
Throughout the day I complete various administrative duties as well, including answering phones, drafting
documents and emails, greeting customers, supporting and collaborating with my colleagues. I also provide
strong customer service and resolve customer issues.
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