Job Overview People who travel acquire the assistance of a baggage porter or a bellhop. Bellhops help travelers and guests to transport their suitcases. Similar to other travel accommodation professions, baggage porters offer customer service to visitors. Bellhops can also be found in transport terminals like train stations, airports and bus terminal. Baggage porters and bellhops are considered as one of the most important employees when we are talking about resort and hotel trade. At several hotels, they are identified as the uniformed service attendants. They are in charge for transporting guests’ luggage to their room on their arrival and carrying luggage back to the lobby when guests depart. Guests who need to store their luggage until a flight later in the day may ask bellhops to place their belongings in a storage area.
Education, Knowledge and Trainings Required
There are no specific requirement on the educational attainment for bellhops and baggage porters though a lot of hotels prefer that an applicant has at least a high school diploma. Different classes such as Speech and English classes in high school will enhance the communication and interpersonal skills of an individual. Customer relations will also be improved by taking Business class. Geography, History and Math classes are helpful for them to provide customers when being asked about a certain place or area. On-the-job training is given which may last up to one month. This will help the applicants know how to handle and store bags efficiently, safely and properly.
Skills and Abilities
Baggage porters and bellhops need to have excellent people skills. They need to know how to communicate effectively with different types of people. They need to create a good impression on the guests and must know how to deal with difficult customers.
Duties
Bellhops handle travelers' baggage within transportation terminals or for guests at hotels. They can be found transporting baggage to and from rooms, automobiles and loading areas.
Baggage porters and bellhops are in charge for transporting suitcases, and packages to and from rooms, by hand or by utilizing baggage carts. They provide visitors or vacationers with instructions, journey information, and additional data. It is their responsibility to welcome arriving visitors and accompany them to their quarters. They lend a hand to visitors that have physical disabilities and additional visitors with exceptional needs. They also perform as part of the safety measures group at passenger terminals and lodges. Their added duty is to convey messages and room service orders, and run errands for visitors. A lot of hotels in the world hire hundreds of people to work for their hotel or resort as bellhops.
Earnings and Job Outlook
Job opportunities for bellhops and baggage porters are expected to develop at a regular percentage in the years to come. Employment in the hospitality business, on the other hand, had seriously declined by financial conditions and some hotels would minimize hiring bellhops and baggage porters.
Paula Hiz is a researcher and a human resource specialist who helps newly graduates, job applicants and post graduate professionals be aware of their job opportunities and available trainings for skills and practice upgrading.