Cloakroom/luggage attendant

Cloakroom/luggage attendants are responsible for the safe storage of coats or possessions in a cloakroom or left-luggage office. They might also be responsible for taking payment for this service.

Also known as:

• Luggage attendant

Work activities

Cloakroom attendants work in hotels, conference centres, restaurants, nightclubs, exhibition halls, museums, art galleries, theatres and other places that have large numbers of visitors. The attendants look after the visitors’ coats and bags. Usually, cloakroom attendants work from behind a counter. The visitor comes to the counter and hands over their coat and/or bag (and sometimes a small payment for the service). The attendant gives the visitor a numbered ticket and fixes a matching ticket to the item. The attendant then puts the clothing and/or bag onto a rail or shelf in a set order. When the visitor wants their item back, they hand over the ticket and the attendant matches it up to the one on the rails or shelves.

In some places, such as nightclubs, restaurants and conference suites, cloakroom attendants look after coats only. Some attendants work in left luggage offices at, for example, railway stations, airports and bus stations.

Security is a very important aspect of this work. In some places, luggage is put through an X-ray machine. Cloakrooms are often near to toilets; attendants might have to oversee the washrooms, making sure that they are clean and tidy, and that there are enough supplies of soap and toilet rolls.

Being able to read, write and speak Welsh may be an advantage when you’re looking for work in Wales.

Personal qualities and skills

As a cloakroom/luggage attendant, you need:

• Good customer service skills.
• Good spoken and written English.
• To enjoy working with people.
• To be polite, helpful, honest, reliable and trustworthy.
• Fitness and stamina; you’ll be on your feet a lot and might have to lift and carry heavy items.
• To work quickly at busy times.
• To work calmly under pressure and to pay attention to detail.
• A responsible attitude to security.
• Number skills to handle cash and do basic mental arithmetic.
• Self-reliance and the ability to work without close supervision.

Pay and opportunities

The pay rates given are approximate. Hourly rates for cloakroom/luggage attendants are around the National Minimum Wage.

Attendants work a full-time week. Some jobs are part-time and evening only. Shift work, including work at weekends, is common, especially in hotels and places that are open for 24 hours a day (airports, for example).

Temporary work could be available around Christmas and New Year.

Employers include museums, art galleries, large hotels, nightclubs, large restaurants, theatres, conference centres and other places that hold entertainment or business events. Other employers are airport, bus and railway companies and specialist baggage firms, who run left-luggage offices at some railway stations and airports.

Opportunities for cloakroom/luggage attendants occur in towns and cities throughout the UK.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised in local newspapers, on job boards, and on the Government’s Find a Job service. Many large employers have their own website and usually advertise vacancies as they arise.

Entry routes and training

You can enter this career by applying directly for vacancies. For vacancies in nightclubs, you will usually need to be at least 18 years old.

For most cloakroom/luggage attendants, training is on-the-job. As a new entrant, you might receive instruction from an experienced worker. Some of the large hotels might offer more formal training programmes, with elements of off-the-job training, covering subjects such as customer care and security.

You might be able to work towards a relevant work-based qualification, such as a Level 1 award/certificate in introduction to the hospitality industry.

If you take on additional duties like cleaning cloakroom facilities, you might receive some housekeeping training.

Qualifications

GCSEs in English and maths are helpful but may not be essential.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits. Age limits might apply to jobs in nightclubs, where you will usually need to be at least 18 years old.

Some entrants have a background in security work, or have relevant skills and abilities gained in dealing with the public and handling cash.

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