Doorman or gatekeeper - a person whose main duty is to meet visitors at the front door.

Doormen, as a rule, work at expensive restaurants, hotels or business centers.

Etymology

Borrowed in the 18th century from German, probably through Polish. German Schweizer(Polish szwajcar) originally meant "inhabitant of Switzerland". In those years, many Swiss immigrated to Russia. Historically, they worked mainly as doorkeepers, servants in hotels. Therefore, gradually the term "porter" from the name of ethnicity became the name of the profession.

The history of the profession dates back at least to the time of Plautus during the Roman Republic, where doormen were called ivnitor (from lat. Ianua-- Door).

Professional Features

The doorman's job is to open doors for visitors and check on visitors and supplies. He can also provide other services, for example, he can help the visitor carry luggage to the elevator or car, call a taxi.

Modern doorman

In New York, porters and elevator operators are unionized.

In 1991 they organized a strike, and another strike almost happened in 2006.

Doorman. This profession in the hotel industry is often called the "soul of the hotel." Of course, the main reason that the work of a doorman has received such an honorary title lies in the job features. The doorman is the first person to meet and receive visitors to the hotel.

At one time, the doorman's profession had a different name - a porter or gatekeeper. The wording doorman came later. According to one version, the reason for this name was the analogy with the Swiss Guard, which guards the Vatican Palace of the Pope. Another used designation for the profession of a hotel greeter is porter. The word "porte" is translated from French as "door", so it's easy to guess why it has taken root in Russian.

The doorman in his work is most closely in contact with another representative of the front office service - the administrator. In small hotels, the doorman and the administrator are the same person. However, large hotels do not mix the two positions. In hotels with a large number of rooms, the doorman has clearly defined job responsibilities and a clear area of ​​responsibility [Appendix 1].

In many chain hotels 3 * and above, positions for a doorman are divided depending on the shift: day or night.

In addition to meeting guests, the main duties of a porter in a hotel also include receiving mail, taking phone calls from hotel guests, maintaining a list of arrivals and departures.

The profession of a doorman does not require special skills. The main requirements for the position are, as a rule, age and the absence of bad habits. At the same time, in many 4-5 * class hotels, especially chain ones, those who want to get a job as a doorman must know English at a good level.

Due to the lack of qualifications, doorman is one of the lowest paid jobs in the hotel industry. The average salary in Russia is from $250 in an average hotel, $400-500 in a 5* hotel (fair for Moscow hotels).

Doorman, janitor and porter - today these are already different professions that should not be confused. The watchman is more of a watchman. Doorman - work associated mainly with the hotel, less often - with restaurants and cafes. The doorman performs not so much the function of a security officer as a representative of the reception service. Therefore, despite the fact that the doorman is responsible for protecting the lobby and hall of the hotel from unwanted encroachments, his first duty is to welcome the client.

The service manager reports to doormen, bellboys and concierges - although in some hotels the concierges report directly to the general administrator.

porters they are the first to meet guests at an informal level, open doors for them, ask how they can help.

There are different opinions in which hotels it is appropriate to single out the position of a doorman in the staff list. Some experts believe that in economy-class hotels designed for guests with an average income level, such a comprehensive and touching service may be redundant. This can put guests in some difficulty. Maximalists among hoteliers are of the opinion that any door over which there is a sign "Hotel" should have a doorman.

The organization of the doorman's working day depends on the individual settings of the hotel. If the work is carried out in 3 shifts, the porters replace each other every 8 hours.

I shift from 7-00 to 12-30

II shift from 15 to 23-30

III shift from 23-00 to 7-30

Half-hour meetings of 2 adjacent shifts are necessary for the transfer of duty, a report on the operational situation. In cases where a two-shift schedule is established for the work of a doorman, there is no third shift

The doorman's uniform is a kind of visiting card of the hotel and must fully correspond to its level and stylistic orientation.

For effective work, the doorman must be properly and comfortably dressed. During the shift, he has to leave the warm room on the street.

Opening regular or revolving doors plus the obligatory smile is the duty of the doorman.

The porter should say hello and ask "can I help you with something?". Depending on the organization of the hotel security service, the duties of doormen may also include the implementation of face control.

The doorman is the first of the hotel staff who meets the guest and it is very important how he does it.

People in this position usually receive quite a lot of tips, in the old days it was passed from father to son or passed on for several hundred thousand dollars. Rumor has it that this is one of the most lucrative positions in the hotel, bringing in income no less than the position of general manager.

You should not think that tips are typical only for foreign porters, by no means, you just need to skillfully remind them exclusively by your own affairs and the provision of quality services.

Meeting a guest, addressing him by name and looking smart is the first opportunity to earn a tip.

Compliments and wishes for a good day, living in a hotel - this is an appropriate reminder of yourself.

Strictly speaking, porters are professional psychologists on duty, they perfectly see the potential "giver" and in no case will and should not hint at the need to pay off those who are not inclined to help the porter.

• 1) is constantly at the entrance doors, monitors the cleanliness and order in the lobby and on the territory in front of the hotel entrance;
• 2) welcomes guests upon their arrival, helps them with luggage and packages, controls and organizes the entrance, parking and departure of cars from the hotel;
• 3) monitors the entry and exit of hotel visitors, checks passes for the right to take things out, etc.;
• 4) say goodbye to departing guests;
• 5) directs a taxi on request, assists guests when getting in or out of the car;
• 6) controls and directs porters to service the luggage of guests, helps with the delivery and loading of their luggage, packages and directs cars;
• 7) keep the hotel entrance clean and prevent traffic jams at the entrance.

It is under the direct control of the chief concierge and the duty service.

The porter performs all work on the instructions of the administrator on duty. Before the start of the shift, the porter checks the cleanliness in the lobby and on the site, if necessary, informs the administrator that a cleaner is required.

The porter's workplace is equipped with a table for storing passes, a telephone, and a reference phone book.

Must know the rules and methods of organizing customer service; types of services provided; resolutions, orders, orders, other governing and regulatory documents of higher authorities relating to the work of an enterprise, institution, organization; the management structure, the rights and obligations of employees and the mode of their work.

Everyone is always pleased with the attention, and even more so the attention of an official. And the first impression that we get when entering a crowded institution depends on the man in uniform. Always attentive and courteous, he opens the front door for us and invites us to go inside the room. And when we enter a hotel or restaurant, we are met at the entrance, without fail, by a doorman or a porter (receptionist). The porter will not only open the front door for us, but will also help bring things to the hotel room or tell us who to contact in the restaurant hall.

How did the profession of a doorman originate?

The history of the origin of the profession of a doorman goes back to the distant past. The first prototypes of modern hotels appeared in the Ancient East, in which people were required to provide guests with a certain range of services to serve guests. During the time of Ancient Rome, the number of establishments where merchants, pilgrims or artists could spend the night and eat increased dramatically. And at the entrance to the institution there were people who kindly invited me to go inside - to relax and have a bite to eat.

The etymology of the word "porter" has a dual interpretation:

• In the XVIII century, a lot of Swiss people immigrated to the Russian Empire, who mainly worked as servants in hotels and inns. And gradually, from the name of the ethnic group, employees of restaurants and hotels began to be called porters.
• Only the Swiss Guard guards the residence of the Pope in the Vatican.

Another name for the profession of a porter is the word of French origin "porter", which translates as the word "door".

Duties of a doorman

Doorman is a person who meets visitors at the doors of large institutions, hotels or restaurants.

The functional duties of a doorman in each restaurant, large business center or hotel differ from each other in minor details, but in general, the doorman performs the following functions:

• opens the front door and observes the entrance and exit of visitors to the institution;
• at the request of visitors, he can offer to call a taxi, tell where the sights or streets of the city are located;
• in the hotel helps to bring things to the room or taxi;
• in a large institution informs about the location of its structural divisions;
• monitors the cleanliness and order in the lobby, lobby and on the territory adjacent to the hotel or restaurant;
• if the front door is broken, he fixes it or informs the administration about the malfunction;
• if there is neon advertising on the building of the institution, then the doorman turns it on and off, and also monitors the alarm system.

Who is suitable for the profession of a doorman?

If you like to communicate with a large number of people every day, you are not a burden to answer the same questions of visitors, you like to help strangers find their way in a strange city or carry out their small assignments, this means that you can safely choose the profession of a doorman. After all, the doorman is, in fact, the face of a restaurant, hotel or large enterprise.

Not only the first impression of the entire work of the institution, but also our further actions depend on who and how will meet us at the door. We will think about whether to stay at this hotel or eat at a restaurant.

More than two hundred years ago, the word "porter" meant only one thing - a resident of the country of Switzerland. How did it happen that today "porter" is a profession? And the concierge? What is their difference from the doorman?

The soul of the hotel from time immemorial

The origin of the profession took place in the Ancient East. The appearance of the first hotels also belongs to this period. This is due to the fact that the number of pilgrims, merchants and wandering artists has increased dramatically. Therefore, employees began to appear at the entrance to the establishments, who invited them to come in and eat, relax or spend the night.

They called these people gatekeepers or gatekeepers.

Etymology

The most popular version says that the doorman - The eighteenth century turned out to be very difficult for Switzerland, so the indigenous people of this country were looking for a better life in the Russian Empire. Whole families ran. Due to ignorance of the language, they got jobs as servants at and in hotels. All that they said in response to any question was "Switzerland". The Russians quickly nullified the ending, and by the middle of the 19th century, the word was used everywhere.

Adherents of the second version to the question: "What is a doorman?" answer that this is an elite guard. The word came from the guard, which guards the residence in the Vatican of the Pope. For for several centuries now only the Swiss have been recruited into it. In Italy today, the word svizzero means both a resident of Switzerland and a "papal soldier".

Residents of the fifth republic are sure that the porter is a porter. The word has French roots and means "door" in translation.

incident

In 1806, for the first time, the meaning of the word "porter" and its definition appeared in the dictionary, which led to even more confusion. Ordinary people in communication and even newspapers described with this word both the belonging of a person to the Swiss nation, and the position. Therefore, the question arose of how to call the indigenous inhabitants of Switzerland. Thanks to this, a word appeared in the Russian language, which they began to call only the indigenous inhabitants of a small mountainous country - “Swiss”. The topic was closed.

Professional responsibilities

So what does a doorman do? The meaning and meaning of the word and expression today clearly indicate that the main job of a doorman is to meet visitors to a hotel, inn, restaurant, etc. Depending on the class or star rating of the establishment, the duties of a doorman may vary. But in general terms, the activities of such an employee are as follows:

Open the door for incoming visitors

Monitor incoming and outgoing guests

Know emergency phone numbers (ambulance, fire, police, etc.)

Follow the rules of service or accommodation,

Call a taxi at the request of the guest,

Know and be able to clearly describe the location of the nearest restaurants, cafes, museums, memorable places,

Good orientation in the city

Help carry things to the car or room or invite porters,

Know the location of alarms and fire protection equipment, be able to use them,

Provide information about any branch or structural unit of the institution,

Monitor the cleanliness of the area in front of the hotel (restaurant, hotel, etc.), in the lobby and lobby,

Clean and wipe the walls and glass in the territory entrusted to him, bring the metal parts of doors or windows to a shine,

In case of a malfunction of the front door, report to the management or repair it yourself,

Ensure that there is no accumulation of cars in front of the hotel (restaurant),

The doorman has the right to receive information from any employee of the institution in order to fulfill his professional duties.

This person bears criminal, civil or administrative liability for violations that occurred in the course of his activities. And also he is responsible for non-fulfillment or negligent fulfillment of the range of his duties, according to the job description.

Appointed and dismissed by the director of the institution. He has no subordinates.

Do you know the name of the person who opens the door? The first impression often leaves an indelible impression, and for the modern services market it is very important that it be as good as possible. Coming to rest or to a decent restaurant, we are often met already on the threshold. What is the name of the person who opens the door?

This humble profession is called doorman.

Where did this definition come from? Who gave the name to the name of the person who opens the door?

The term itself is very consonant with the word "Swiss", and for good reason. According to the first version, many Swiss emigrated to Tsarist Russia in search of a better life for themselves, who later became employees of hotels and restaurants.

The Russian language is considered one of the most difficult languages ​​in the world, and many migrants could not learn it. Therefore, they answered all the questions of the guests briefly “doorkeepers”, but the Russians themselves shortened them to the familiar “porter”.

Another version is a parallel with the Swiss Guard. In it, the Pope recruited mainly the Swiss, as they were considered the most excellent soldiers in Europe at the time.

The word itself was fixed in the dictionary in 1806, but for a long time could not be fixed in colloquial speech.

Many people think that a doorman is a person who only opens doors for us. In fact, the list of his work tasks is much wider:

• He makes sure that cars approaching their destination do not collide with each other, but follow in order without blocking the driveways;
• Calls a taxi for guests and accompanies them to the car;
• Helps to lift suitcases and bags to the room;
• And sometimes it can even do the job of a bouncer.

You can always ask him about local attractions, the best places for shopping or a delicious dinner with friends. A good doorman is a walking search engine, he knows everything and everyone. And if, God forbid, an emergency happens and you need the help of special services, the doorman will help you immediately call the right people.

Now do you know the name of the person who opens the door? By the way, they don't make much money. Therefore, the doorman, like a good waiter, should leave a tip in the amount of 1-2 dollars.