Membership Prerequisites(金鑰匙會籍的先決條件)
For those who haven’t encountered the golden keys of Les Clefs d’Or in hotels throughout the world, it is important to note that it is a prerequisite of membership in Les Clefs d’Or is that the wearer of the keys must work at a hotel. No other industry is eligible to apply.
對於從未在世界各地旅館酒店遇到金鑰匙會員的人而言，有個重點要注意：具備金鑰匙會籍的先決條件是當事人必須在旅館酒店工作。其他產業人士無資格申請。
Wearers of the golden keys are required to follow a rigorous entry process that tests areas such as the candidate’s tourism knowledge, current events in theater and entertainment, hotel policies and procedures, airlines processes, duty of care, postage and courier procedures as well as restaurant knowledge. By enforcing these exacting standards on its membership Les Clefs d’Or is making a concerted effort to protect the integrity of its brand.
金鑰匙會員都必須經過嚴格的入會過程，檢測範圍包含候選人的觀光旅遊知識、目前劇院及娛樂活動的相關訊息、酒店政策及作業程序、航空公司作業方式、工作職掌的注意義務、郵資及快遞作業流程，而餐廳資訊亦包含在其中。金鑰匙組織藉由堅持成員履行這些精確的標準以一致性的努力來確保自身招牌的完善。
These members of Les Clefs d’Or from the sixties and seventies did a magnificent job of teaching the world about exactly how good customer service can be when delivered by a Hotel Concierge. The Concierge of Les Clefs d’Or were so good at fulfilling their roles within their respective hotels that they created a significant reputation for the word and appellation ‘concierge’. In time hotel concierge desks became the norm in all luxury hotels and the most significant outcome of the Les Clefs d’Or members’ working proficiency was that the word ‘concierge’ became part of the common vernacular with almost every world traveler. As more people traveled, there was a greater need to supply information and advice on things to see and do in each individual hotel location.
1960與1970年代來自於酒店的禮賓部門的金鑰匙會員在教導全世界何謂真正的客戶服務做出了重大貢獻。他們各自在所屬酒店中善盡職守並為「禮賓部」的稱號創造了絶佳的名聲。禮賓接待櫃檯成為所有奢華酒店的標準配置，而金鑰匙會員工作熟練的顯著成果是「禮賓部」一詞已成為全球旅人慣用語。隨著越來越多人旅行，提供每個旅館所在地的觀光資訊與建議之需求也與日鉅增。
The Concierge of Les Clefs d’Or are directly responsible for the rapid expansion of the concierge profession. The concierge ideal has now been imitated in so many customer service areas and so many unrelated industries that it has become a terminology synonymous for any customer service that is provided at a high level.
金鑰匙組織成員對於禮賓部專業的急遽水平擴張有直接關係。禮賓部的概念現今已被許多其他服務產業所模仿，同時也有許多非相關產業所採用，以至於禮賓部一詞已成為頂級客戶服務的同義詞。
It’s quite flattering to note as was written in a recent Les Clefs d’Or publication that, “the hotel concierge has become one of the world’s most copied models of service behaviour”. Apple technology stores have ‘concierge’ staff, car dealerships have ‘concierge’ staff, medical clinics have ‘concierge’ staff, and even office buildings have ‘concierge’ staff. Alongside the flattery, there is also a willingness among the current generation of Les Clefs d’Or concierge to remind our hotel guests and remind the customer service industries (as a number of our International websites now boldly declare), that “The hotel concierge of Les Clefs d’Or invented the modern profession the world now calls ‘concierge’. In the same way that true ‘Champagne’ must come from Champagne, a true concierge must come from a hotel lobby”.
雖說這樣挑明地講會有些拍自己馬屁，但金鑰匙組織的近期專刊曾寫道：「酒店的禮賓部門已成為世上複製模仿程度最高的服務模式。」蘋果專賣店有禮賓服務專員，車商也有禮賓服務人員，醫學診所亦採用禮賓人員的服務模式，甚至是辦公大樓(寫字樓)也配置禮賓接待人員。誇讚之餘，在目前世代的金鑰匙成員之間有種自發性的態度去提醒酒店客人及客服產業(如同現今一些國際金鑰匙組織網站也大膽聲明)「有金鑰匙組織成員的酒店禮賓部門創建了現代稱之為「禮賓服務部門」的專業，就如同真正的香檳酒必定要產自於法國香檳區(不然就只能稱做氣泡酒)，而真正的禮賓服務人員必定要來自於酒店大廳的工作人員。」
A true concierge is first and foremost a tourism professional. A true Concierge has an intimate knowledge of their city and is an ambassador for all that their city offers – whether that be restaurants, theatre, shopping precincts, attractions or even knowing about that little deli in the lane way behind the main street that serves an amazing chicken soup which according to legend cures the common cold.
首先，一位真正的禮賓服務人員會是位旅遊專家。一位真正的禮賓人員精通所在城市的相關知識，並且是所在城市的代表大使 ─ 不論是行家首選餐廳、劇院、購物區、風景名勝都在其人腦資料庫中，甚至知道某間隱身在主幹道後的巷子裡的小熟食店，它所供應的絶佳雞湯據說可以治癒一般感冒。
Adapting to change(適應改變)
While the core tenets of the concierge profession have remained essentially unchanged since the founding days of Les Clefs d’Or; the position of hotel concierge has never been an entirely static concept. There has, by necessity, been a great deal more fluidity to the nature of the profession. A concierge can never be sure what will be asked of them on any given day. The remarkable and extraordinary requests placed before concierge has become the stuff of myth and legend. The word ‘no’ has never been part of the vocabulary of the professional hotel concierge and this has ensured that those in the profession have always been adaptable and movable to the trends of the tourism and hotel industries.
從金鑰匙組織建立之時起，禮賓部門的核心宗旨基本上不曾變更過，然而酒店禮賓部門的職務未曾是全然停滯的概念。在實際職務需求上，禮賓服務專業的本質是要有很大的變通性。一位禮賓服務人員絶不可能確定每個值班的日子會被詢問哪些事情。禮賓部所面對引人注目且不尋常的顧客要求已成為許許多多的傳說與傳奇。專業的酒店禮賓人員從不說「不」，而這也讓禮賓服務能與旅遊與酒店產業的趨勢與時俱進。
In the mid-nineties as luxury hotels moved away from metal keys there was a modicum of concern among the hotel concierge of the day that because hotel guests would no longer have to come and collect their key from the concierge, they would have less guest interaction. In time this proved unfounded as the hotel concierge continued to evolve their specialist skills of tourism information along with their specific and intimate knowledge of their individual cities. The hotel concierge has always had a knack of remaining relevant to meet the needs of current trends.
當奢華酒店於1990年代中期開始不再使用金屬製鑰匙時，酒店禮賓人員之間就有些擔憂，因為住客就不會再到禮賓服務中心拿客房鑰匙，連帶與顧客的互動也可能減少。但當時證明這擔憂是多餘的，因為禮賓人員持續發展出其觀光資訊的行家技巧以及對於所在城市專精深入的知識。酒店的禮賓人員總能有符合現今潮流的相關需求的訣竅。
Les Clefs d’Or members meet at international congresses each year in addition to meetings held on an individual national level. The concierge of Les Clefs d’Or also regularly host local meetings in each of their own cities, where members meet to organize events and receive regular support and training. Training and development has always been a key to the continuing success of Les Clefs d’Or, both for the ongoing development of current members and also to foster the youth of the association.
金鑰匙組織成員除了有各國或地區層級的會議外，每年都有國際會員大會。金鑰匙組織也定期主辦所在城市的會議，而成員可藉此會面籌辦活動及獲得一般性支授與訓練。訓練與發展一直是金鑰匙組織持續成功的重點所在，不論是目前成員的持續性發展或是培養協會裡的年輕成員。
The association of Les Clefs d’Or recently celebrated 60 years since it was first organised in its transnational form. The profession of hotel concierge seems to really be hitting a comfortable stride as it enters this next decade. There is a willingness to improvise among the current membership and to experiment with new ways of approaching the concierge role. Contrary to some gloomy predictions of imminent extinction brought on by the digital age, the profession has continued to flourish and in some respects is now entering a golden age.
金鑰匙協會最近歡慶成立60週年(從首次成立為跨國組織起算)，而酒店禮賓部的專業似乎在進入下個十年之際確實進展合宜。在目前的成員間，已有成員有意即興與實驗關於顧客接觸禮賓部門的新方式。有些令人沮喪的預言指出數位時代來臨會造成酒店禮賓部門的瀕臨滅絶，但實際上禮賓部門的專業已持續蓬勃發展，現今甚至在某些方面已進入黃金時代。
Concierge in the digital age(數位時代的禮賓部門)
A contemporary brand study conducted for our most recent international Congress found through extensive consultation and a number of surveys, that the Golden Keys ofLes Clefs d’Or are seen as a trusted symbol of quality and that the wearers are viewed as respected customer service professionals. This has allowed Les Clefs d’Or national sections and individual members throughout the world to parlay this trust (that originates in the hotel lobby) into a combined significant worldwide online presence. An online presence that includes blogs, Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, Startle social media sites and other online resources, all of which offer first-hand credentialed and reliable information and opinion. The ability to provide objective and credentialed information that users and hotel guests can actually trust, is by far the most important and valuable asset to the association. A concierge will always endeavor to provide the best possible advice that meets the needs of the guest.
一項最新由國際金鑰匙會員大會所做的當代研究(經由大規模的訪談與問卷調查)指出金鑰匙被視為品質的信賴標誌，而且佩帶金鑰匙徽章的服務人員被視為受敬重的客服專業人士。這樣結果讓各國金鑰匙組織及個別金鑰匙成員能以此信賴(源自於旅館酒店的大廳)為本錢進入到綜合的網路實體與世界互通。網路實體包含部落格(博客)、臉書專頁、推特帳戶、驚人的社群網站及其他網路資源，而這些都提供第一手有憑據及可信任的資訊及意見。提供客觀且有憑據的資訊並能讓網路使用者及旅館客人所信任的能力是目前對金鑰匙協會最重要且珍貴的資產。禮賓服務人員總是會盡力去提供最有可能的建議以符合顧客需求。
Hotel concierge have continually endeavored to remain ahead of the curve in as many areas as possible and this has meant that they have most often been early adopters of technology. The hotel concierge of Les Clefs d’Or has been networking between nations since the nineteen fifties, so social media was a natural extension of the profession and quickly spread amongst the association. Within days of Apple launching the first iPad, one large hotel chain’s concierge advisory board announced globally that they would be providing the device immediately to every concierge desk at each of their hotel properties worldwide. These days most Les Clefs d’Or concierge desks would consider the iPad to be an essential tool of the trade, much as the rolodex and telephone directory were to our predecessors.
酒店禮賓部門持續努力維持在各領域有水準之上的能力，而這也表示他們經常是最早使用新科技產物的人。從1950年代起，金鑰匙組織在國與國之間一直交流互動，因而社群媒體自然成為專業的延伸，並在協會之中快速傳播。在蘋果公司推出全球第一台 iPad平板電腦後的數日內，一家大型連鎖酒店集團的禮賓部諮詢委員會對外宣佈他們將立即在全球每一個酒店據點的禮賓服務櫃檯提供 iPad裝置。近來大多數的金鑰匙禮賓櫃檯會考慮把 iPad 作為該行業的重要工具，就很像是電話簿及工商分類黃頁之於我們的前輩。
It is said that concierge Tom Wolfe, who founded Les Clefs d’Or USA in 1978 and turns 70 this year, has on his San Francisco Concierge desk, both an iPad and a manual typewriter side by side. (Tom is also a prolific Facebook user and has his own YouTube channel). While members like Tom form a bridge from the past to the present, there is an increasing number of young concierge who are very much of our times. Typical of this new breed is Jacob Detering, Concierge at the InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto. With a degree in Media and Communications, Jacob oversees Public Relations and Media for Les Clefs d’Or Australia and is heavily involved in administering our Facebook page, Twitter account and in establishing the Society’s blog. Tech savvy, highly articulate, and with an eye for brand awareness, Jacob represents the future direction of Les Clefs d’Or. A respect for the history and traditions of the past combined with a willingness to embrace the technology and changes of the future has always placed the Concierge of Les Clefs d’Or in an enviable position of solidarity amidst the ever changing marketplace of the tourism and hotel industries.
據說於1978年創立美國金鑰匙組織並在今年要滿70歲的資深禮賓人員Tom Wolfe在舊金山費爾蒙酒店的禮賓接待櫃檯同時擺放了 iPad及打字機 (Tom同時也是PO文多的臉書使用者以及擁有個人的YouTube頻道)。正當像Tom 一般的金鑰匙成員將過去經驗承接至現今，有越來越多年輕一代的金鑰匙成員與現代接軌並展望未來。其中一位新一代成員是墨爾本里亞托洲際酒店的禮賓人員 Jacob Detering。Jacob擁有傳播媒體學位，而他為澳洲金鑰匙組織管理公共關係與媒體的部份、澳洲金鑰鑰匙組織的官方臉書、推特帳號及建立社團部落格。Jacob 精通科技產物，並且能互通操作使用以及金鑰匙組織的能見度，他代表著金鑰匙組織的未來發展方向。對過往歷史與傳統的尊重並結合對未來變動及科技的樂意接納讓金鑰匙組織總能處於令人稱羨的團結地位，特別是在不斷變動的旅遊及酒店產業市場當中更顯見。
Although it may appear somewhat paradoxical that in order to remain a constant in the hotel and tourism industry, the Les Clefs d’Or concierge – steeped in history and tradition – have been required to unceasingly change and re-define what a concierge actually is. It has only been possible through the worldwide support, resources and innovation provided by Les Clefs d’Or that the entire concierge profession has gradually and continually shifted in synchronicity.
雖然這聽來有些似是而非，但金鑰匙組織(本身充滿歷史與傳統)為了維持在酒店旅遊產業的穩固地位已被要求不斷地改變並重新界定現今的禮賓部門。唯一有可能的是藉由金鑰匙組織所提供的全球支持網絡、資訊及創新，禮賓部門整體的專業已持續漸進地同步移轉。
Colin Toomey has been the Chief Concierge at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sydney for 19 years. He is also a 1st Vice President of Union Internationale des Concierges d’Hôtels.
Colin Toomey位居雪梨(悉尼)香格里拉酒店的禮賓部主管長達19年。他同時也是金鑰匙國際總會的首位副總裁。
派屈克沈的旅館園地 