Hospitality 101 with PACA President, Fran Nachman
Our PACA President, Fran Nachman, was recently invited to speak to The Community College of Philadelphia’s Hospitality 101 class.
A seasoned veteran in the hospitality profession, Fran is always quick to share her knowledge of our city as well as the concierge field. As President of our organization, she knows that our Mission is to encourage friendship, communication and integrity throughout the Philadelphia region and to promote, foster and enhance the skills and professionalism of all concierges.
With that in mind, here are her tips for aspiring concierge.
- A good concierge will always try to accommodate any request, as long as it is legal, ethical and moral
- There is no one-size fits all for guest recommendations. For example, Fran would not send a family with small children to the same Italian restaurant as a young couple that identifies themselves as “foodies”. Get to know your clients.
- Use of the internet is crucial to help us do our jobs. Some helpful websits include Visit Philly, Uwishunu, The Kimmel Center’s Schedule of events and of course, Open Table!!
- It is important to know that concierge don’t always know it all!! Networking is very important to this profession. For example, if Fran doesn’t know an answer, she has an entire concierge community (not only in our city, but in the region and across the country)! Also, if you had a moment to read Ken Alan’s recent article, The Art of the Reservation, Networking can help secure even the most difficult of reservations.
