THIS.

I've had a couple of useless encounters with the YYZ "kiddie concierges" recently. They could not think on their feet, they did not know the terminology, they could not figure out how to solve the problem, they confirmed they were doing something and yet not only was it not done but there was no follow up. I've sent emails to the YYZ address with no response. I then have to waste my time and theirs to call in, only to have another concierge apologize for no one replying. I don't want an apology. Same thing with reports from others in this thread and elsewhere on the forum, that calls to the central line are not returned.

I was able to speak with one of "the Adults in the room" and made it clear that some these kids should not be in the frontline positions they are in until they are ready. AC may think they are ready because they pass the pleasant & pretty qualifications, and can issue BPs and check bags, but frankly, some of the "experienced" check-in agents in the priority line know way more than these kids do.

A couple of the experienced YYZ concierges have left and it is frustrating when an issue arises that the "kids" can't handle.

Some lessons I learned early on in my industry:

* If you don't understand the question, find someone who does. And learn from the experience.

* If you can't handle the question, get someone who can. And learn from the experience.

* If you don't know the answer, don't guess, find someone who does. And learn from the experience.

* If you provide the customer with an answer that a service will be provided, then provide it. Don't have the customer show up and wonder if the lights are on but no one is home.

More than once I've had a concierge say something has been arranged and when I get there, the concierge on duty says they have no record of it. Really? Why?

There is a huge gap in experience and perhaps quality of concierges in YYZ versus some of the amazing ones I've met in NRT, HND, HKG, YVR, SFO, LAX, TPE and LHR. Even though there are many younger concierges on some of those teams, the professionalism and knowledge is vastly superior to some of those of similar age in YYZ.


And for those of you reading this post or this thread and thinking, "ah, elitist complainers, FWPs", yes, exactly. Air Canada publishes a service that they provide to customers who are eligible. This service is not consistent or always available as promised.
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It does sound like a plausible explanation... but like you said - I don't think they SHOULD be putting new hires in this role. Maybe the long timers don't want to deal with "Premium Pax" - so they had no choice LOL. However - in my conversations with in station concierges I didn't get the impression they were happy about what was happening. I've talked to 3 who said it's been rough dealing with the fallout of the "main concierge phone line" issues. I will say this - I've found that Rouge crew have gotten better with time - it's taken years... maybe that will be the case with this. The Concierge Service was one of two reasons I spend with AC (the other being the fixed Aeroplan reward levels) as I normally travel in J anyway. If it continues on like this I'll make a decision which best suites me.

The concierge training may not be adequate, the levels of service may have slipped and the airline's devotion towards SE customers may lag behind that afforded to passengers who pay full-J fares; this much is conceded. But what does the concierge's age have to do with this lament?

Many new hires may be better-suited to the role than senior employees. Plenty of twenty-something concierges may shine brighter than a 30-yr staffer. If there are deficiencies in training, that's a subject worth discussing, but to smear an entire demographic using derogatory terms betrays a narrow bias in spectacular curmudgeonly fashion.

Let's agree that the supposed decline in consistent personal attention is not necessarily a function of the age or even tenure of the people in the role. Let's also agree to turn the mirror around and explore our own expectations as to what exactly an airline concierge is required to do versus what they may have done for us in the past.

Kinda hard to learn from experience when you're too young to have any experience, don't you think?

Actually, I almost replied earlier with a similar sentiment as CZAMFlyer.

I've had plenty of early-20s concierges who are way more competent and helpful than the brand new 30ish concierges.

Because a 22 year old concierge who's been working since 18 has 4 years of experience, and a 30 year old concierge who was just hired has none.

Yes, statistically, an older employee will have more experience.

But it's not the age that matters. It's the experience. Actually, it's some combination of knowledge and experience. But it's certainly not age.

In an ideal world, you're correct. However, when you're paying 20-year old concierges $14/hr, you're not buying yourself a whole lot of experience. Those who stick around tend to garner experience as they age.

So it might be unfair to criticize young concierges for their inexperience, yet all the comments I read on FT seem to suggest they're inexperienced because they're young.

Full disclaimer: I've never used a concierge :cool:

The incompetent ones I've encountered in person had no physical characteristics in common.

No, I don't. Using that same rationale, we could point to many members of this forum who could be considered too inexperienced for their jobs based solely on the fact that they have yet to reach their 30th birthday. And I don't believe this to be the case for a second.
We have likely all have flown on an airliner piloted by a mid-twenties pilot who achieved their first licence within the past five years or less. I'm absolutely certain AC could find some intelligent young people, hire and train them and set them free into the wide world in which they'd excel with just a few month's employ under their still-skinny belts.

I've acknowledged that the concierge service levels may have slipped to the extent that they do not deliver what the airline promises and the customer expects. But it ain't because there's some young people in the role.

Perhaps the concierge service should be staffed by people with a minimum amount of experience. But might necessitate paying them more...

It seems this thread has wandered again so let's try and return it to the topic thread which is pointing out shortcomings in the service and not the larger discussion of concierges in general, their ages or skill set which are all topics best continued in another thread. Please note that further off topic posts will be deleted.

tcook052
Ac forum Mod.

A few months ago I had a YVR Concierge with a sign waiting for me after immigration. She walked me from a late LAX arrival through International check in area to domestic security to catch the last flight of the day (flying in J). That was nice as she radioed ahead to the gate telling them I was on my way. Last one to board T-10. Similarly, when I was flying EVA in J out of TPE recently, I was very late coming out of the Infinity lounge and running to the gate (much farther than I expected), There was a EVA staff with a radio running down the concourse looking for me. Are you XXX? I was afraid they were going to offload me as it was T-15 (still another 4 min walk to the gate). The EVA Concierge said not to worry, we won't leave without you with a smile. He radioed to the gate and told them I was on my way. Right there, what he said made a huge difference for me. He could also have said (I deserved it), "You are late, why are you late? You know you need to be at the gate at least 30 mins prior to departure....." I expected a lecture from him and I apologized to him for being late. It was on me. But it shows what you say to a customer can turn a stressful situation (even though it was my fault) into a very positive experience. That was impressive. I can't believe it. In a huge airport like TPE, they have staff running around with a radio looking for a passenger like me to make sure I get on that plane. That is why EVA is a top tier airline.

YEG have very experienced concierges and I got the impression that they worked their way into that position. They have done different roles prior and accumulated the experience. It shows. There was a recent retirement and I noticed they were training a person in that role. I think she will do a great job. I have seen her work check-ins and gates before. I suspect the Concierge position may not be coveted as much as it was in the past, therefore, you don't get as many experienced staff wanting to jump in. Think of it, a big reason is "you are always on" when you are the Concierge. In other roles, you can work but you can cruise as well. From that job description, for $14 an hour, they are asking a lot from the person for essentially a minimum wage job. Does the salary commensurate with experience? As in will AC offer $25/hr for that position to a great candidate? No wonder you don't get more experienced internal people chomping at the bits.

Picture this:

My connectors to YYZ are routinely very late or cancelled, and travelling recently with spouse in J with all J seats full TATL (anywhere) that night.

When our connector starts posting a delay I agree with concierge A that best to take VIA as if misconnect no options for 24hrs. Concierge A books us train seats and gives us locator and promised to fix seg1.

Nothing changes in app. 20m to boarding train . Call to make sure offloaded from seg 1. Concierge B ‘ No you are still still checked in and you can’t take train’ - ‘ but AC booked it for us, I shriek in horror !’

Put on hold while checks. Comes back and says if we take the train they will fine us $1000 and cancel our TATL J tickets. Protest, put on hold. Train is in sight and panic rises.

Call Concierge line again on other iPhone. Concierge C says man is wrong and he will go find him and sort out. Advise both that my foot is on the train steps and if they want us to return to airport instant reply needed. Told all ok and go ahead and they will sort out reservation. Luckily spouse carrying all bags (being handless ) and don’t fall up steps with an iPhone on each ear.

All seems well until the truly lovely lasses at my local airport call T-15 to connector departure and say they assume we got the train but we are still checked in and reservation not fixed. If not where the hxxx are we. So they fix.

What a hoot! Luckily someone answered x 3 though confess now and then wished they hadn’t.

Connector did eventually fly 2 hrs late and we would just have made it with a fast run probably.

My take - though it didn’t necessarily seem so at the time - A, B and C were all genuinely trying to help. But B had no clue of rules and needs - and not offloading from seg 1 is something that’s concierge 101 I would have thought. Thank goodness for C whose name I didn’t catch with all the binaural witterings !

Please note that a number of posts have been deleted as OP 's goal wasn't to initiate a wide-ranging discussion about the concierges themselves, their training or lack thereof, age, or salary but rather to document concierge service failings when they occur in the hopes it will spur improvements so let's try again and stick more to the facts as is the case with the LMU thread, for example, and record the basics such as

Date of interaction:
Nature of integration:
Why it failed, in your opinion:
Recommendation on corrective action:

And then a longer description of the encounter. Please note that further off-topic posts will be deleted.

tcook052
AC forum mod.

Awesome idea. Thanks.

Is Concierge no longer a 24 hour service? Just tried calling and was automatically redirected to the SuperElite line (no option to indicate whether I'm traveling today or not -- I am). It's 1:18pm Shanghai / 1:18am Toronto time right now.