Deal with guest luggage

Basic requirements

In relation to guest luggage a valet needs to:

• Organize transfer of the luggage to the rooms using other Front Office staff, porters or housemen

• Unpack the luggage and store the items

• Check and service the luggage

• Re-pack the luggage when guest departs.

The need for care

As part of their duties, the valet must care for all guest property.

Primary requirements are you handle all items carefully to avoid damage, and action is taken to prevent theft or loss.

Care is needed when transporting luggage, when unpacking items and when storing them.

It is important to realize your actions when handling luggage or guest belongings is usually visible to others and they will quickly determine whether or not they believe you are treating items with care and respect or not.

Taking luggage to guest rooms

Porters or Housemen will usually take guest luggage to guest rooms.

They may do this independently of the valet, who may be with the guest in their room at this time. Alternatively the valet may accompany them and oversee or supervise this process.

It is possible one valet stays with the guest and another valet accompanies the luggage.

Luggage must be treated with care. Much of the luggage is extremely expensive and must not be treated roughly. Never throw luggage around and ensure the way items are stacked on trolleys does no harm to them. Avoid double-stacking as this can damage suitcases and crush contents.

Ensure luggage does not fall off the trolley. Not only does this look bad but it also presents very real risks of damaging the luggage and breaking contents within the bags.

A bag that is dropped and which contains a duty-free two-litre bottle of Scotch will not only smash the bottle, but will also damage clothes and other items in the bag

Points to note relating to transferring luggage to rooms include:

• Organize sufficient staff – multiple porters are usually required to handle the relatively large volume of luggage VIP guests bring with them. Liaison with porters is essential when dealing with VIP guest luggage

• Arrange for sufficient trolleys – if insufficient trolleys are available a plan detailing the sequence of luggage delivery to rooms must be created

• Ensure rooming sheets are available – and match luggage trolleys to each room being used by the VIP party. Each room must have its own trolley. Never try to accommodate luggage from different rooms on the same trolley

• The VIP guest must be serviced first – the focus of delivering the luggage must be to get the bags to the primary guest before their retinue receives their luggage

• Gratuities are never solicited – most VIP guests make an allowance for gratuities when they settle their account on departure. Porters will be advised during the staff briefing they are not to solicit gratuities

• Luggage trolleys must be clean and in good condition

• Porters must make VIP guest luggage delivery their priority – they cannot deal with other matters, provide service to other guests or take directions for other tasks.

Unpacking luggage

The valet must follow guest requests and instructions regarding the unpacking and storing of items in their luggage as each guest has personal needs, individual habits and their own way of doing things.

Remember, as valet you are there to serve and not to dictate.

First step

A first step in unpacking luggage is to obtain the keys necessary to open the luggage and the locks.

Advise the guest if there is evidence of tampering.

Comply with all guest requests and directions

Some requests from guests when unpacking and storing items may include:

• Sending clothing to be dry cleaned or laundered

• Sending clothing to be pressed

• Need for shoe care, cleaning or polishing

• Hanging of suit and clothing bags in wardrobes or on hooks

• Brushing clothing to remove lint

• Hanging individual clothes in wardrobes on appropriate hangers

• Folding clothes and placing in drawers

• Providing or arranging basic clothing repairs such as sewing on of buttons, mending tears and stitching

Additional points

When unpacking the guest‟s luggage, you may also need to:

• Check the outsides of the luggage – and clean away any marks

• Place luggage on an appropriate surface in the room to avoid damage – the luggage rack is the most common area to use

• Remove all items from the luggage – making sure all items are clean and dirty items are sent for laundering, or otherwise cleaned as appropriate

• Place clothing and items appropriately:

 Drawers – jumpers, casual shorts, T-shirts, underwear: ensure all clothes are neatly folded and stacked according to color

 Wardrobe – shirts, trousers, coats, suits, skirts, gowns

 Hang similar items together – all suits together, all shirts together

 The purpose of correctly hanging and folding clothes and other items is to keep the garments ready for use and wrinkle free

 Bottom of wardrobe – shoes:

– Place aside shoes requiring attention

– Position polished shoes in pairs and stack according to colour and occasions

 Bathroom or make-up room:

– Toilet bags

– Make-up cases.

Storage of guest luggage

Guest luggage may be dealt with in a variety of ways once it has been unpacked but guest preferences and directions must always be complied with.

Options for dealing with unpacked luggage include:

• Removal of empty luggage to the venue „Luggage Room‟. Every item is tagged to identify the room it came from to facilitate retrieval of the correct items for the correct room when re-packing and departure time arrives

• Storing of empty luggage in the guest‟s room in designated luggage storage spaces – suites and VIP rooms commonly provide specific areas where luggage can be stored in-room

• Leaving nominated items of luggage in the room and taking other items to the Luggage Room

• Moving empty items of luggage to rooms occupied by members of the guest‟s entourage.

Cleaning shoes

Quite often the valet will be required to clean and polish guest shoes.

This is probably the single most common job valets are asked to do.

Equipment required

The equipment necessary to polish shoes may include:

• Shoe-tree – this is used because it helps to retain shoe shape. You should never put a shoe-tree in a cold shoe as it may crack the lining and exterior and incorrectly stretch the shoe

• Different types and colours of polish as appropriate to the shoe being cleaned

• Different types of shoe laces. The valet should always check the condition of laces and replace them where they show signs of wear

• Brush Number 1 – to brush away dirt

• Brush Number 2 – to add polish

• Brush Number 3 – to polish and shine the shoes

• A soft cloth to buff the shoes after they have been polished.

Note: The venue is responsible for providing all the necessary items needed to clean and polish guest shoes. However in limited cases the guest may supply their own especially where there have footwear made from unique materials or they have a preference for a certain product Never use the one brush for different coloured polish. There should be one brush for applying, for example, brown polish and another for black polish

Maintain guest privacy and confidentiality

Privacy

Guest privacy refers to the right of the guest to:

• Enjoy their personal space and freedom in their room and elsewhere at the venue

• Be free from attention, interference and observation by other guests or members of the public

To help ensure this, you will need to:

• Inquire when guests wish to be left alone and comply with these requirements.

Guests may wish time to themselves or require privacy to meet with business colleagues or spend with friends or family.

Some guests require privacy at regular times each day, and other guests will request it as they feel the need arises.

Guests commonly request privacy shortly after they have checked in and been roomed

• Never disclose the location or room number of guests to anyone

• Not allow others to enter the guest room. This includes preventing other staff entering rooms at times when the guest indicates they wish their privacy

• Divert the room telephone at times the guest wishes privacy Liaise with other staff – such as:

 Security – who may man the door to the room to prevent unwelcome access

 Housekeeping – who may delay or re-schedule room cleaning and other associated activities

 Front Office – who will hold deliveries rather than deliver them to the room.

Confidentiality

Maintaining confidentiality is an absolute requirement for a valet. It is 100% non-negotiable.

Confidentiality means keeping matters to do with the guest to yourself.

The need for confidentiality

Valets have access to a guest‟s personal and private life.

The guest may discuss private and personal business matters, activities or aspects of their private life in front of the valet or with the valet.

None of this information, or issues discussed, can be shared with anyone.

This means:

• Anything you hear from the mouth of the guest must not to be repeated to anyone

• Anything you see in the guest room must not be told to anyone, unless it relates to illegal activity in which case Management are the only ones to be advised.

The valet, in some cases, may be asked to sign a confidentiality clause or contract that stipulates guest history, activities and other matters will be kept in the strictest of confidence.

This indicates how seriously some guests treat the matter of guest confidentiality

Valets must be aware there are ever-present dangers of being sued by clients for breaches of confidence. This especially relates to business dealings or issues impacting on their personal reputation.

Every venue will have their own policies and procedures on this matter, but the intent is the same – to maintain the guest‟s trust in you and the venue by keeping confidential matters, confidential. In brief, anything said or done in the privacy of the guest‟s room is private and must remain confidential.

Where celebrities are staying in-house it is not unknown for media people to try to obtain „inside information‟ about those guests. It is common for money to be offered as an inducement for you to tell. You must maintain your professionalism and refuse to disclose anything. You must quite simply „say nothing‟.

You must refuse to „confirm or deny‟ anything put to you. Refer the person to Management, stating it is house policy for the venue never to discuss or disclose anything about any of its guests.

Any approaches made to you by anyone seeking information about a guest should be reported to Management or Security.