[from Sept. 1998] If you like to dress each day in a costume, can keep secrets, and can do multiple things at a time, consider a career as a Horizon House doorman. The job description lists 14 responsibilities, each of which could easily be done if it were happening all by itself. Usually, however, at least two and often five or more of these activities are happening simultaneously. Doormen are expected to:

• Assist all residents
• Receive and disperse packages and special mail
• Assist residents with packages
• Police the lobby
• Open the entrance door for residents and guests
• Open car doors for residents and their guests
• Keep the log book up-to-date and record any incidents
• Log all guests into the log book
• Keep the entrance to the building clear of snow
• Announce visitors
• Keep the package log book up-to-date
• Give out parking permits to guests
• Log all deliveries and contractors in the log book
• And finally ... Read the rule book and check every day for any new rules

Because of the large number of residents living in Buildings 5 and 6, these buildings also have assistant doormen between 11:45 AM and 8:15 PM. Their responsibilities are to:

• Assist residents with packages
• Deliver packages to residents’ apartments
• Assist the doorman
• Keep the lobby windows clean
• Dust mop the lobby floor
• Open the entrance door for residents
• Remove snow in front of the building when necessary
• Relieve the doorman for lunch

While these job descriptions are certainly extensive, the listing does not include the all-important, unwritten role of listening. Our doormen seem to function almost like proverbial bartenders—listening to residents’ troubles and joys, oohing and aahing over pictures of grandchildren, commenting favorably on new hairdos, remembering to ask about matters of importance—and managing somehow to keep all this information private and confidential.

Tim Riddick, a 10-year veteran doorman, has worked in both Buildings 5 and 6 and on every shift at one time or another in his long career. He says, "The best part of the job is dealing with the people—I’ve never met a resident I didn’t like." On the other hand, "The hardest part of the job is keeping everyone happy. People come to the doorman for help in solving all sorts of problems and it isn’t always possible to please one resident without making someone else unhappy."

Doorman Tim Lavin, of Building 2, agrees with Tom on the best aspect of the job. "The people are great!" he says. "But I find the hardest part of the job is monitoring the parking deck to be sure that vendors don’t park in residents’ spots. There’s nothing more frustrating to a resident than coming home to find someone else in your spot."

We are fortunate that our doormen, for the most part, are expert at their jobs and manage to fulfill their various responsibilities, even in the most hectic of times. However, as is true wherever people interact, performance of some individuals may not meet the demands of the job. If you observe that, consistently, a doorman in your building does not carry out one or more of the obligations listed above, contact Richie Pfitzner, day supervisor of the doormen, at 224-6300 extension 214. Richie will take the necessary steps to see that the problem is corrected.