CHAPTER TWO
I settled into my seat and apologised to Ms Maroney. So far my morning had been a bad dream, how could I have been such a klutz? This job required me to be on the ball, organised and completely professional and I’d displayed none of which so far.
“I am so sorry Ms Maroney for disrupting your briefing.” I smiled apologetically to Abigail and the five other Concierge Attendant Trainees sitting around the table.
“Never mind dear, Mr Clark seemed to have your situation under control and please, call me Abigail. Now Alexis, just to get you up to date, Jessica, Samantha, Jonathan, Marcus and Lorell are all training as Concierge Attendants and you will each assist the Head Concierge from all 3 of City Tower’s Hotels. Alexis you will join Samantha and will Concierge here in City Towers, Jonathan and Jessica will Concierge in City Metropol and Lorell and Marcus at City Promenade. Alexis if you open your brief you will see a manual with everything you need to know about City Towers and the entire City Towers Complex, including the Casino and Shopping Precinct. Your IPhone and Keycard are your life; please keep them on you at all times. Your Keycard will give you access to every room in the Hotel, with exception to Mr Clark’s Penthouse Residence. Special instructions of his requests are also in your brief. Your IPhone is preprogramed with all relevant contacts. Jonathan and Jessica, City Metrolpol’s Head Concierge is Daniel and he is expecting you both in the Metropol Lobby. Lorell and Marcus your HC is Stephan and will meet you at the Concierge Desk in the Promenade. Enjoy your day and don’t hesitate to contact me if needed.” Jonathan, Jessica, Lorell and Marcus all stood up and made their way out of the room.
“Alexis and Samantha, as you are both aware I’m the HC here at City Towers and our office is in the Lobby, now for today I want you to familiarise yourself with the Hotel, you will need to know this building inside and out. You both have a timetable to follow for the week which enables you to get a good feel for how the Hotel runs on a day to day basis, again enjoy your day ladies and I will check in on you both as the day progresses.”
Samantha and I introduced ourselves properly on our way to the hotel’s kitchen. She was 23 and fresh from a Bachelor Degree of Travel, Tourism and Hospitality at Deakin, very similar to the Bachelor Degree that I had completed online with LaTrobe, whilst raising my children. Samantha was single and living with her parents in Doncaster and was approximately 5 foot 7, strawberry blonde and probably a size 10. She obviously took great pride in her appearance, her makeup was heavier than mine but suited her. She wore heals higher than the Eureka Tower and had a smugness about her. I liked her, there’s not many people I don’t like, but I could tell she was very competitive, minor things like entering each room just ahead of me, walking a couple of steps in front and she had a knack of asking questions over the top of mine, which became apparent during our tour of the kitchen and laundry, it was as though she had to have the last word. We decided, or more so Samantha decided, we would eat our morning tea on the hotel’s sundeck. The hotel’s kitchen also had an area dedicated to staff so we were able to get ourselves some fruit, Samantha also grabbed a tomato juice and I, a cup of tea. We sat at a small table shaded with an umbrella by the pool. It was simply beautiful and I’m glad Samantha had made the decision to take our break here, it was the end of Summer in Melbourne and my favourite time of the year. I loved 27 to 32 degree temperature days and the sun with its glorious vitamin D made this little lady very happy. I peeled my banana and opened my brief, there was a whole section devoted to Mr Clark and his Penthouse.
Mr Clark is the owner of City Towers Entertainment Complex and resides in the Penthouse of City Tower. As CA (Concierge Attendant) you are required to assist Mr Clark as a matter of priority. Any request he has must be adhered to as soon as possible. His meals are delivered to the Penthouse at the following times Breakfast 6am, Morning Tea 10am, lunch 1pm, Afternoon Tea 3:30pm Dinner 7pm and Supper 9:30pm. You are required to collect his daily brief from his Personal Assistant each morning at 9.15am which will contain instructions on the following day’s menu, and specific house cleaning requests. Mr Clark’s mail is to be delivered to him as soon as it is received by the Hotel’s Reception. His office also forms part of the Penthouse and all cliental by appointment are to be personally escorted to the Penthouse Foyer where his Personal Assistant will meet them.
“Mr Clark is so hot in his company picture, was he as drop dead gorgeous in the flesh? I couldn’t see when you came in.” Samantha was googling at me like a school girl.