FOH INTERVIEW: Holiday Inn Kuwait's 'Shoukri'
Chief concierge at the Holiday Inn Kuwait, Abdel Ghafour Shoukri Abdel Meguid Omar, known to colleagues and friends as ‘Shoukri’, offers an insight into the changing role and reveals what’s needed to be a top concierge
What are your main responsibilities as chief concierge at Holiday Inn Kuwait?
As chief concierge I am responsible for valet parking, the bell service and transportation — making sure that guests will be on time with their flight and that every booking of transportation is handled with care.
How do you motivate your team?
I motivate the team through proper training of my staff; making sure that we are always updated on all information we may need to know as well as IT training and familiarisation with technology.
What are the biggest challenges of your role?
Sometimes it can be challenging to implement new ideas and encourage the team to leave their comfort zones and challenge themselves in their roles.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
As chief concierge I am happy to meet lots of different kinds of people with very different personalities, who I can often learn from. And of course, I take pleasure in offering full service wherever needed.
What do you enjoy least about the role of chief concierge?
When occupancy is down we need to try to find things to do, unlike if we are busy when we’d be offering assistance non-stop.
How has the concierge role changed over recent years?
Previously the concierge’s role was very manual, but now we have adopted high technology we are able to increase our knowledge. This has enabled us to respond to our guests’ requirements much more quickly.
Do you use social media or other technology in your role as a chief concierge?
Today we use iPads and social media tools such as Facebook, as well as email.
How do you deal with difficult guests or other tricky situations?
It is important to always put yourself in the guest’s shoes; empathise with them and always clearly acknowledge their feedback. More importantly, act on that feedback right away.
Please tell us about a time when you exceeded the guest’s expectations.
One of our guests was very sick and her family was trying to contact her but she was not answering the telephone. The call from the family was transferred to me so I went to her room, with security, to find that the guest was unconscious.
We carried out first aid and I stayed at the hospital with her until 5am the next day. I also informed her company of the situation.
The lady’s family appreciated the help from me and my colleagues and I received a thank you letter from the hotel management, which made me feel that the hotel acknowledges my existence and makes me happy to be part of the team.
What is your ambition in terms of your career over the next decade?
Ten years from now I should say that I would be able to enhance my management career and I would like to try a sales and marketing career as well.
What makes a good concierge?
1. A person who always stays up to date on useful information.
2. Someone who is a ‘people person’ and enjoys talking to people.
3. Someone who is able to multi-task as on some occasions you may have to juggle several jobs at once.
4. A person who has very good communication skills.
5. Someone who takes good care of their appearance and looks professional and approachable at all times