DOORMEN: A PRIMER

“We get a lot of people who say they won’t move into a building [that doesn’t have] a doorman,” says Klara Madlin of Klara Madlin Real Estate, who makes the above estimate. And she notes it doesn’t matter whether there is 16- or 24-hour coverage since it's mostly about having "packages delivered or their kids are coming home and they want to leave keys for them ... [I]f the night shift isn’t covered, it doesn’t bother them that much.”

Hiring: What to Look for

Being personable is the most obvious item to look for when choosing a doorman ... or doorperson, actually, since the profession is largely but not exclusively male. “If you don’t care for people,” says Sammy Retamar, a doorman at 201 East 79th Street, a 21-story co-op building under Gerard J. Picaso Inc. management, “it’s not the job for you.” Kevin Ramkisoon, a doorman at the15-story luxury co-op 220 Madison Avenue, says his biggest skill is knowing how to handle the residents, whether that means giving a smile, a polite “Good morning,” or a stoic silence.

At 334 West 86th street, managed by Vintage Real Estate, 28-year veteran Jose Salazar (above) knows everyone in his building and also recognizes their parents, relatives and friends. But he knows when not to intrude. If a resident ignores him when he greets him or her, he understands. “Their minds are somewhere else," he says. "My work here is to keep them comfortable....”

Ramkisoon acknowledges one has to learn how to handle potentially tricky situations when people get angry. “Perhaps their dry cleaning didn’t come or a package hasn’t arrived. It’s not under my control. But I understand when people get angry, and you’ve got to be gentle.” He’ll offer to look out for the item. And he’ll say, “I’m sorry.”

As well, most good doorpersons make sure they have the latest information about the weather, the traffic and rail conditions, and other practicalities.

Teamwork

Beyond that, doorpersons must be able to work as part of a team. Lynn Whiting, director of management at The Argo Corporation, points to the 17-story Princeton House Condominium on West 95th Street in Manhattan. Donna Brown (right), the concierge, is one of the few women working in a lobby position, and from her control desk runs a tight ship with doorperson Carl Williams and lobby porter Valentine Cordero.

Retamar, of the E. 79th Street building, coordinates his duties with concierge Richie Coffey. Coffey’s desk is at the far end of the lobby, but the two work closely together, interchanging desk and doorperson duty to back each other up. When Retamar has to leave his post to hail a taxi or to help bring in luggage, he calls for Coffey to stand in at the door. When a resident asks Retamar to hold some packages for her till she’s parked her car, he radios Richie the phrase, “halfway.” And they do, indeed, meet halfway across the lobby. “That way,” Coffey notes, “we don’t have to leave the door for too long.”

Watching Out

A good doorperson must also be alert for possible trouble. As the Princeton House's Williams says. "You’ve got to know who’s who in the building" – and that's just the start. Salazar, at East 86th Street chats with supermarket deliverypersons passing by. That’s not idle gossip, however. Talking to them is very important, Salazar explains, since then you have "friendly people coming into the building. If a deliveryman comes who doesn’t understand what it is to be a gentleman, we understand that. So what we do is follow them to the service elevator.” And then he times them. Three minutes is the limit. “They take longer, I ring the tenant to see everything is okay.”

Indeed, Salazar has learned to be alert to what is happening around him. “We see people who don’t belong in the neighborhood, we recognize them right away,” he says. Immediately, he will move to stand in front of the door “to show them the building is protected.” While we speak, Salazar acknowledges the doorperson down the street and gets a friendly wave back. The block has a fraternity of doorpersons who know each other and create a line of security.

Interpersonal bonds

Finally, there is the ability to be trustworthy. Kiki Syrakis and her sister Anthea have lived at 220 Madison for over 50 years. Kiki says: “When you live in a building, you want to know that you can trust the people that work there. Kevin [Ramkisoon] isn’t like a worker, he’s a friend; he could be my son.” Anthea reaches up from her wheelchair to give Ramkisoon a big hug and says: “You grew up here.”

Friend, family-member, confidante, helper, the doorperson plays many roles – sometimes acknowledged but often unrecognized, even by those in the profession. Retamar (above), who trains the summer relief that take over during vacation periods, laughs as he recalls the initial reaction of newbies. “They come here and they say, ‘Oh, this is easy. All you’ve got to do is open the door and that’s it.’ I tell them, ‘No. It’s a lot more than opening doors.’”

Adapted from Habitat, November 2007. For the complete article and more, join our Archive >>

Photos by Renee Serlin