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Bellhops and Baggage Porters carry baggage and perform a variety of personal services for hotel and motel guests and passengers on ships, trains, buses, and airplanes.

JOB DUTIES 

Bellhops and Baggage Porters may:

Escort incoming guests to their rooms and assist them with their luggage

Inspect the guests' rooms to be sure everything is in order and that supplies such as soap and towels are adequate

Explain the operations of television sets, telephones, and other conveniences

Inform patrons of available services of the hotel or motel, points of interest in the area, and entertainment attractions

Page guests in the lobby, dining room, or other parts of the hotel

Deliver messages and run errands

Pick up and return articles for laundry and valet service

Keep records of calls for service

Transfer trunks, packages, and other luggage to rooms or loading areas using a hand truck

Arrange for outgoing express and mail shipments

Set up conference rooms and display tables for sales agents

Supply guests with travel information

Compute charges for services rendered to guests

The tools, equipment & materials used may include:

OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTIES

Bellhops & Baggage Porters may specialize in these areas:

324.677-010 BELLHOPS serve hotel guests by escorting them to their rooms and assisting them with their luggage.

324.477-010 BAGGAGE PORTERS carry luggage for hotel guests.

357.677-010 PORTERS carry luggage for airline, railroad, or bus passengers to waiting or baggage rooms or to taxicabs or private automobiles.

357.477-010 BAGGAGE CHECKERS receive and return baggage to passengers at bus or airline terminals.

910.687-010 BAGGAGE HANDLERS load and store baggage on passenger trains, inspecting tags on the baggage to ensure that it is routed to the correct train, and unload baggage at destination.

In addition to learning about these specialties, you may also find it helpful to explore the following MOIScripts:

WORKING CONDITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

Bellhops generally work with other Bellhops and have personal contact with a wide variety of people. They are supervised by bell captains. Baggage Porters usually have less direct contact with the public and are supervised by head porters.

Bellhops generally work indoors in comfortable and sometimes luxurious surroundings. Those working in small hotels or motels may be required to transport luggage outdoors in all kinds of weather.

Baggage Porters employed by hotels spend more time outdoors than Bellhops do. Working conditions of Porters working for transportation facilities vary with the environment found in bus stations, train stations, and airports. They may also work outdoors.

Bellhops and Baggage Porters work between 35 and 48 hours per week. They may work any of three shifts, with more being employed during the day than at night. Weekend and holiday work is also required. Their work might be seasonal if they work in resort hotels.

They may belong to unions such as the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union and pay periodic dues. Some employers supply uniforms and pay for their cleaning. However, other employers may require the employee to be responsible for purchasing or cleaning the uniform.

You Should Prefer:

• Activities dealing with things and objects

• Activities involving business contact with people

• Activities of a routine, organized nature

You Should Be Able To:

• Communicate easily, tactfully, and courteously

• Accept complaints graciously

• Answer questions about attractions & geography of the local community

• Maintain a neat appearance

• Perform a variety of duties which may change often

• Repeat activities/tasks according to a routine procedure or sequence

• Respond appropriately to unusual requests

Math Problem You Should Be Able to Solve:

If a room is supposed to hold 4 people, and the average customer likes to use two towels each, how many towels would you make sure were in the room?

Reading Example You Should Be Able to Read and Comprehend:

A consumer is anyone who buys goods or services for personal use. At one time or another, everyone is a consumer.

Writing Example You Should Be Able to Produce:

You should be able to write a letter of apology to anyone that you may have gotten a complaint from.

Thinking Skill You Should Be Able to Demonstrate:

You should be able to decide the best way to handle an enraged customer without causing more conflict.

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EDUCATION AND PREPARATION OPPORTUNITIES

NOTE: A High School Diploma or Equivalent may qualify a person for this occupation.

The following education and preparation opportunities are helpful in preparing for occupations in the MOIScript:

***SCHOOL SUBJECTS***

0700 CAREERS

***VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS***

There are no Vocational Education Programs related to this MOIScript

***POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS***

There are no Postsecondary Programs related to this MOIScript

  Search for a College and/or Instructional Program

***APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITIES***

There are no Apprenticeships related to this MOIScript

***MILITARY TRAINING PROGRAMS***

There are no Military Programs related to this MOIScript

E-Learning Courses and Programs

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OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPERIENCE AND METHODS OF ENTRY

You may find summer or part-time work as a Bellhop or Baggage Porter in resort hotels or inns.

                School-to-Work opportunities include:

informal apprenticeships

mentorships

job shadowing experiences

touring a local Bellhop or Baggage Porter employer

internships

volunteer work with a Bellhop or Baggage Porter employer

community service work with an agency

The most common method of finding a job as a Bellhop or Baggage Porter is to apply directly to employers at hotels, motels, airports, passenger ship boarding areas, and bus and train stations. Assistance in locating a job may be available from a local office of Michigan Works!, a local union, or newspaper want ads. In addition, you should access and search the Internet's on-line employment services sites such as:

Michigan Talent Bank

Michigan Jobs & Career Portal     

  Yahoo! Careers   

Michigan Works!

You should also enter an electronic resume on these on-line services.

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EARNINGS AND ADVANCEMENT

Earnings of Bellhops and Baggage Porters vary with the type and size of employer, geographic location, union affiliation, and the number and kind of people they serve.

Nationally, weekly earnings for Baggage Porters and Bellhops ranged from $206 to $600 per week in 1998. The median weekly wage was $330. Baggage Porters working for railroads averaged $655 per week in 1998. Unionized baggage porters (skycaps) employed by a large airline earned from $263 to $498 per week (excluding tips) in 1999.

Depending on the employer, the weekly union wage rate (1999) for Bellhops and Baggage Porters at large Detroit area hotels were:

Most Bellhops and Baggage Porters receive tips which add to their incomes, sometimes doubling their weekly rate. Some Bellhops and Baggage Porters may receive weekly wages below the minimum wage level if their tips bring them above the minimum level. Baggage Porters working for unionized transportation companies, such as airline, bus, and train companies, generally earned more than those working for hotels earned.

Bellhops and Baggage Porters may receive life insurance, health insurance, and a retirement plan. Some hotels provide Bellhops and Baggage Porters with reduced rates on meals during working hours. Some workers in resort hotels receive free room and board.

Opportunities for advancement depend on individual work records, leadership abilities, and education. Experienced Bellhops may advance to bell captain or superintendent of services. However, advancement to these positions is limited, since there is only one bell captain and one superintendent of services on a hotel staff. Also, only a limited number of hotels employ superintendents of services. Bellhops with clerical training may also move into front office positions.

Baggage Porters may become head Baggage Porter or move into jobs as Bellhops. A very limited number of jobs as head baggage porters may be available to baggage porters working in transportation facilities. With additional training and experience, porters may become desk clerks.

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EMPLOYMENT AND OUTLOOK

Nationally, in 1996, about 37,825 Bellhops and Baggage Porters were employed. Employment is expected to grow more slowly than the average for all occupations through the year 2006. Opportunities for inexperienced workers are best at motels and small hotels, because the large luxury hotels prefer to hire experienced workers. Additional openings will occur to replace those workers who retire, die, or change occupations. The industry distribution for Bellhops and Baggage Porters looked like this:

About 675 Bellhops and Baggage Porters are employed in Michigan. Most of them worked in urban areas such as Detroit, Kalamazoo, and Grand Rapids. Bellhops and Baggage Porters were generally employed at hotels, air terminals, bus terminals, and train stations.

Employment of Bellhops and Baggage Porters in Michigan is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2005. An average of 20 openings is expected, with 10 due to growth and 10 due to replacement of those workers who retire or leave the labor force for other reasons. Additional openings will occur as workers transfer to other jobs or occupations. Opportunities will be best in resort areas where hotels are often open only part of the year. Increases in income, population, and leisure time may spur demand for Bellhops and Baggage Porters especially in the summer months.

MICHIGAN'S EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK TO 2005

SOURCES OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Printed Occupational information is available upon written request from the sources below.

SUMMARY PROFILE

The occupation of Baggage Porter can be summarized by the following:

MOISCRIPTS are Copyright 2003, Michigan Department of Career Development