I know that doormen perform many tasks beyond opening doors and taxi-related services, but I’d like to get a good idea of the scope of their services. This may only apply to those living in big citys, such as New York, Chicago, wait a minute, is this an east coast thing?
Anyway, I know that they serve as “pseudo-concierges” as innapropriate as that is, and building managers to some extent, but what do they do, that those of us out of the loop might not know about?
In a place where riding cabs is a major form of transportation, such as in New York, I’d imagine a big part of their job would be coordinating cabs for residents. But that’s just a guess.
They also close 'em.
They accept packages for the residents.
I would say that a doorman’s primary function is to control entry into the building. When guests, delivery people, etc., come to your building, they doorman will be the one to let them in.
How about just using an intercom with a buzzer? Well, that sort of works, but it’s still not quite the same thing. You can leave instructions with a doorman: “hey, my friend is coming in at around 2 pm this afternoon (when I’m at work) could you give him this key and let him up? He’ll be staying with me for the next week.” They also sign for packages while you’re out, let the cleaning lady in, etc.
I think it’s mostly a New York thing. I guess maybe a Chicago thing too, but I don’t think I know anyone in Chicago with a doorman. I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard of a building in LA with a doorman.
A friend of mine was once a doorman. He said his duties were mostly security type details. He kept a log of who came and went. He admitted people into the building that were residents, guests, or on a list for deliveries. If not known to him and/or they didn’t have an invitation or couldn’t show good reason to be there it was his job to escort their ass to the street.
Of course there were other more friendly responsibilities as well. He kept a list of names and businesses that were known to provide excellent services to which he would recommend and make arrangements with the tenants. He made more in tips and incentives (kick-backs) than wages BTW.
Oh…He also opened and closed the doors too. 
BUT he was always to be up front. Not making deliveries or BS…ing out back or whatever. That’s why he isn’t there now. Got caught in the bathroom when he was supposed to be up front. Zero tolerance!
In addition to **Tkeela’s ** job description,which pretty much nails it,in gated communities across the land the gate guard performs much the same functions as a doorman in a residential building.
Tho taxis/limo duties are usually left up to the residents.
Accepting packages is a biggie. The UPS guy can’t just leave it at the door, like he can in the 'burbs.
The doorman assists with a lot of things that aren’t so easy when you can’t just drive up to your doorstep. In my brother’s building, the doorman will help with all sorts of things. Like if you have to unload the car, you usually have to double park, take the stuff out, and then park. He’ll watch the stuff that you leave in the vestibule temporarily. (He’ll even help you unload, but he’s an especially nice guy.) He’ll open the service elevator if you need it. He helps me lift the baby carriage up the couple of steps to the elevator. He sweeps the sidewalk and keeps things tidy.
The doorman’s duties depend on the size and type of building, too. My brother’s building is small, so there’s only one doorman, and he does a variety of duties. The super sometimes mans the door, and there is only a doorman at certain hours. At many larger buildings, there are doormen 24/7, and they will tell you how to get to the apartment you’re looking for. My old mentor’s building houses many very famous people, and it’s definitely a high-priced joint. The doormen there were much more security-guardish, and were rather cold to me until they got to know me. (I was there frequently working on a project.) Once they got to know me, they were super-nice and helpful.
Doormen usually dress in normal clothes or security-guard uniforms, BTW. They usually only wear the fancy uniforms if they are working for hotels or really fancy buildings. And they don’t always hold the door, either. Sometimes they are behind a desk in the lobby.
When I was a college student in the late 60s and early 70s, my summer job used to be a white-glove doorman on Park Avenue and other fancy adresses. Besides opening doors, doormen basically acted as security, helped with packages and with loading cars, sorted mail (which was delivered by the elevator operators), etc. You also gave a cheery greeting and touched the brim of your cap as tenants entered or left the building.
One important function of the senior-level guys at the street entrance was to prevent tenants and their visitors from getting tickets when they were illegally parked on Park Avenue. The tenants would leave the keys with the doormen, and when the doormen saw the cop coming down the street they would rush around frantically to moved the cars that were double-parked or in front of hydrants to the side streets. Those guys made good tips.
I once had a chance to stay at the Four Seasons in Philladelphia (one of the big brass canceled, and I got his room … suite, actually).
A pretty neat experience: the rooms and facilities were about the same as any ordinarily good hotel, but the level of personal attention that the staff give you is remarkable. I could give a bunch of examples, but I don’t want to hijack the thread, so, back to the main point:
I went out in-line skating, and ten miles later pulled up to the front of the hotel, hot & sweaty, looking like scum in my skate gear. The doorman looked at me, and I expected him to request that I go the hell away. Instead, he opened a small door next to his station, pulled out a towel and a bottle of Evian, and tossed them to me, asked if I’d had a good run, and opened the door.
Pretty cool.
The one’s in New York are great for helping you when you get totally lost
Whatever you tip them for.
An indiscreet doorman is also a tremendous gossip source, because he knows who’s coming home with whom and when. A few years back, I remember certain guys asking me to take them to my place, rather than have their doormen see them.
WARNING, WARNING. Raving, pt-worthy rant below from a Manhattan resident.
I’ve never heard of a NYC doorman who wasn’t a greedy, on-the-make, lying prick. I’ve never lived in a doorman building, but all I’ve ever heard from friends who do is how they shake you down for gratuities and holiday gift$. It becomes their entire reason for living. They become score-keeping, vengeful tip addicts and all the tenants live in fear of them. Ifthey don’t like you they’ll still smile and “Yes, sir” and “No, sir” you to death, all the while they’re “forgetting” that that urgent FedEx package came for you this morning.
The only thing worse than being a tenant who won’t kiss thier @sses is someone who doesn’t actually live in their building. Bad-tipping tenants are dirt, but strangers are less than dirt. I can’t tell you how many curbside screaming matches I’ve gotten into with doormen who tell me I can’t park in front of their building because it’s “illegal.” They point to the homemade “no parking” signs they put out on the curb to discourage people from blocking their entrances. They shut up when I laugh at them and say, “Let’s call a cop and ask him. I want to see if he has more trouble with my car than your stupid illegal sign.” That’s when they usually launch into some song and dance about how Old Lady So-and-so is in a wheelchair and needs clear access to the curb. Every NYC doorman building has a wheelchairbound Old Lady So-and-so it seems.
Colibri mentions their parking duties. One trick they pull that pisses me off to no end is parking one car across 2 curbside parking spaces on their block. When their work buddy (or a prized tenant) arrives, they pull the car up so that the new arrival can park. I love docking my motorcycle into one of the half-spots and wrecking their selfish little scheme. Ha, ha!
One friend who lived in a doorman building had it right when she described them as “little door Nazis.”
stuyguy
Sounds like Ralph from “The Jeffersons”.
I recall him kissing ass and saying, “yes sir Mr. J or no sir Mr. J. …always with his hand out…then call him a little money grubbing worm behind his back because the tip was too small.”
Is that what you’re talking about s/g?
I’m gonna look next time I watch…seems like he did have a nazi appearance, something or other, swastika, gloves, boots, lots of brass…hat maybe? dunno but gotta look now
Well, I wasn’t, so now you’ve heard of one. 
Vitriol aside, I would say that the professional doormen I worked with did employ a lot of the strategies you mention. They did “keep score” on who tipped and who didn’t - they would often ask me, if they saw me doing something for a tenant, whether I got tipped or not. And as the low-man-on-the-totem-pole, I was of course relegated to positions where the opportunities for tips were minimal, like patrolling the inside courtyard.
But this said, while good tipping would get you good service and bad tipping poor service, I didn’t know anyone who was actually vindictive enough to sabotage a tenant by not telling them about a delivery, etc. And if a tenant complained about you, you’d get a good chewing out from the super or building manager. (This was a big building, with a crew of probably 70 staff, including doormen and elevator operators on three shifts.)
In a smaller building, the super also would probably not be too sympathetic to a bad-tipping tenant, so there would be more opportunity for abuse.