What is a Bell Attendant?
A bell attendant provides luggage service to and from the lobby and guestroom, and valet parking.
Bell attendants make guests feel welcome. Successful bell attendants are: friendly, sensitive to the needs and feelings of others, able to interact with strangers, tactful and considerate, reliable and trustworthy, good communicators, excellent team players, organized, ready to react quickly, able to handle change well, able to handle tasks carefully and correctly
Bell attendants are often the first hotel employee that a guest sees upon arrival and the last upon departure.
Working as a Team
To be excellent team players, the bell services department can:
-Respond quickly when guests need valet or luggage service
- Deliver emergency messages to guests when the PBX operator gives these messages to a bell attendant, and help locate guests in the lobby when they receive telephone calls
-Tell engineering and housekeeping about needed repairs or cleaning problems
- Learn the location and hours of operation of the area
- Take guest laundry and dry cleaning to housekeeping in a timely fashion
-Help deliver materials to function rooms for the banquet department
- Help the banquet staff move tables and chairs when setting up or breaking down a function
Bell Services Posting System
Most lodging properties have a posting system which allows the bell attendants to stage themselves so they can quickly help guests.
“Service, Please!”- A phrase called out by a front desk employee when a bell attendant is needed to perform a task that will likely earn a tip
“Courtesy, Please!” A phrase called out by a front desk employee when a bell attendant is needed to perform a task that will NOT likely earn a tip
“Post Position”- where bell attendants will stand while not helping guests or co-workers. By standing at this assigned spot, they will be available whenever someone needs help
Front- the post position from which bell attendants are called to perform service tasks for guests.
Last- the post position from which bell attendants are called to perform courtesy tasks for guests. When in last position, a bell attendant will be the first attendant called to help a guest with a task that is not likely to earn a tip
Some lodging properties may have several post positions.
Bell attendants stay alert while at the bell stand. They stand erect; they never slouch at their posts or lean against anything. They greet guests who pass by and invite them to enjoy their day
Logbook and Front Sheets
Most properties have a logbook and front sheets located at the bell stand for recording the duties and services that were performed during a shift.
Bell attendants check the logbook at the beginning of their shifts and pay close attention to entries about current activities, situations that require follow-up, and guest complaints.
Information in the logbook should include: the date of the incident, the time of the incident, details of the incident, action taken, name or initials
Bell attendants use the front sheets to record any guest services performed.
Information the Guests want to Know
Bell attendants should find out why guests are at a property and what kind of things they’re looking for.
Bell attendants should answer questions about the radio, free television channels, and pay movie channels, in-room mini-bars, in-room hot tubs, in-room safes, and Internet or e-mail access
| Business People | Health clubs, restaurants, dry cleaning and laundry services, news-papers, CNN and ESPN availability, express breakfasts, shoe shines, quick haircuts, gift shops, airport transportation, faxing, making copies, mail, messages, and jogging trails |
| Senior Citizens | A coffee shop, fire exits, door locks, a pharmacy, a gift shop, shopping, and bus tours |
| Younger People | Health clubs, night clubs with dancing, lakes, outdoor recreation, bike rentals, restaurants, tennis courts, golf courses, jogging trails, movie theaters, comedy clubs, and entertainment |
| Couples | Restaurants, plays, events, shows, shopping, piano bars, entertainment, and dancing |
| Single travelers | Safety features, bus tours, health clubs, shopping, and room service |
| Sports teams | Restaurants, restaurants, restaurants! If the team doesn’t have a scheduled pre-game meal at the property, the players will probably ask for restaurant recommendations. |
| Musical Groups | All-night cafes, privacy features |
Lost Luggage
The following are some steps bell attendants take for finding luggage that is lost at the property. Bell Attendants:
- Get a complete description of the bag: type, size, color, markings, luggage tag, etc
-Look in the luggage storage area
-Allow the guest to look for the bag in the luggage storage area, if the bell attendants can’t find it
-Check overflow areas for the bag. Find out whether their bags were stored somewhere other than the primary luggage storage area
-Call airport shuttle company or cab companies the property uses.
-If the wrong guest has the bag, work with a front desk employee to call that guest
Once the bell attendant is sure the luggage is lost:
-contact the bell captain
-Notify security and the manager on duty so they can get the information from the guest about what the luggage looks like, its contents, its value, etc. This is very important for insurance purposes.
-Get the phone number and address of the guest.
Respecting Guests’ Property
Bell attendants use the following guidelines to show respect to guest vehicles and property:
-Operate guest vehicles in a safe, steady manner. Never accelerate or brake quickly while driving a guest vehicle.
-Leave all guest possessions in the vehicle as they were. Do not alter settings on the various vehicle controls or disturb any other item in the vehicle. Never remove anything from a guest vehicle without permission from the guest or management.
-Protect the security of the guest’s vehicle and its contents by securing the vehicle once it is parked. This includes closing all windows, removing keys, and locking doors.
-Carefully open vehicle doors so as not to chip paint on the car while exiting or entering a vehicle.
-Do not search through or remove items from guest luggage.
-Secure guest vehicle keys in the valet key cabinet. Do not keep keys in pockets or loose on the bell stand. If the keys should be lost or stolen,, the security of the guest’s vehicle is compromised.
Key Control
Bell attendants can help maintain key control by asking guests they are assisting whether they have turned in their room keys at check-out. If they’ve forgotten, bell attendants offer to return the keys for them.
Bell attendants may occasionally need a master key.
Never leave a master key in a door’s lock, and never set it down; bell attendants keep their master keys with them at all times.
If anyone- even a supervisor- asks to borrow the key, bell attendants send that person to the front desk- they don’t loan their key to anyone
Always turn in the key before leaving a property for any reason.
Report any lost keys immediately to the front desk.
Guest vehicle keys are kept secure in the valet key cabinet.
Cash Payment, Tips, and Tip Reporting Procedures
Tips are a guest’s way of thanking a bell attendant for a job well done. Some guests give a large tip upon arrival to ensure great service throughout the visit.
No taxes are withheld from tips. However, the federal government still considers tips as income and taxes them. The federal law requires that workers report any tips that add up past twenty- dollars
When accepting a tip from a guest, bell attendants always look at the guest, not at the tip.
Always thank the guest for the tip
Bell attendants never wait for a tip
Tip-pooling policies allow all bell attendants to split the shift’s tips evenly.
Lodging properties that offer valet parking may have an additional charge for the service.
For guests visiting the hotel for dinner or other entertainment venues, cash may be required.
Bell Attendant Duties
Assist guests with luggage , including luggage storage and retrieval
Parking and retrieving guest vehicles
Delivering luggage and other items to guestrooms
Transporting luggage and/or guests in a courtesy vehicle
Providing guests with directions and other useful information
Performing many other miscellaneous tasks including performing errands, arranging for guest reservations, or escorting guests around the property just to name a few.
1. What are the primary responsibilities of a bell attendant?
Assist guests with luggage , including luggage storage and retrieval
Parking and retrieving guest vehicles
Delivering luggage and other items to guestrooms
Transporting luggage and/or guests in a courtesy vehicle
Providing guests with directions and other useful information
Performing many other miscellaneous tasks including performing errands, arranging for guest reservations, or escorting guests around the property just to name a few.
2. List three ways that bell attendants can be excellent team players.
Respond quickly when guests need valet or luggage service
- Deliver emergency messages to guests when the PBX operator gives these messages to a bell attendant, and help locate guests in the lobby when they receive telephone calls
-Tell engineering and housekeeping about needed repairs or cleaning problems
- Learn the location and hours of operation of the area
- Take guest laundry and dry cleaning to housekeeping in a timely fashion
-Help deliver materials to function rooms for the banquet department
- Help the banquet staff move tables and chairs when setting up or breaking down a function
3. What is the post position?
“Post Position”- where bell attendants will stand while not helping guests or co-workers. By standing at this assigned spot, they will be available whenever someone needs help
4. What are the bell stand logbook and front sheets used for?
Most properties have a logbook and front sheets located at the bell stand for recording the duties and services that were performed during a shift.
Bell attendants check the logbook at the beginning of their shifts and pay close attention to entries about current activities, situations that require follow-up, and guest complaints.
Information in the logbook should include: the date of the incident, the time of the incident, details of the incident, action taken, name or initials
Bell attendants use the front sheets to record any guest services performed.
5. What features of the local area are couples usually interested in?
| Restaurants, plays, events, shows, shopping, piano bars, entertainment, and dancing |
6. What is the first thing a bell attendant should do when dealing with a lost luggage item?
Contact the bell captain for help
7. List two ways in which bell attendants show respect for guest property.
Honesty and Loyalty
8. List two of the special key control rules that bell attendants obey.
Bell attendants may occasionally need a master key.
Never leave a master key in a door’s lock, and never set it down; bell attendants keep their master keys with them at all times.
If anyone- even a supervisor- asks to borrow the key, bell attendants send that person to the front desk- they don’t loan their key to anyone
Always turn in the key before leaving a property for any reason.
Report any lost keys immediately to the front desk.
Guest vehicle keys are kept secure in the valet key cabinet.
9. Describe the differences between tip pooling and no sharing.
Tip pooling tips are split evenly through bell attendants, no sharing they get to keep their full tip
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