by CHRIS BARRY

Name: Louis Pereira

Age: 39

Occupation: Doorman

Bio: This gallant St-Bruno resident had been working in the hotel biz for years when he learned, in 1991, that the hours of his Château Champlain bellhop gig were about to be cut. Nonplussed, Louis marched right on over to the newly-opened Hotel Vogue on Mountain, sold them on his door-opening abilities, and the rest, as they say, is history. A graduate of Concordia's political science program, Louis says one of his primary motivations for attending university was the opportunity to play hockey for the Concordia Stingers, something he ultimately succeeded in doing. "You know, I never thought I would be doing this job for so long. But when you apply yourself you start to realize it's about much more than just opening doors for people."

What it's about besides opening doors for people: "My other role is as goodwill ambassador. Basically, upon a guest's arrival I greet them with a smile and am as pleasant as possible. But as goodwill ambassador I also smile at people walking up the street. Who knows? It might just make their day."

One challenge he faces: Being cognizant as to which guests want his attention and which do not. "Those that don't want my attention, that's fine, I'm still as polite as possible, saying, 'Bonjour, good morning, welcome to the Loews Hotel Vogue.' You know, I try and put a smile on everyone's face, but I'm not really the funniest or most amusing person. I still try though. Like over Valentine's Day, for example, when the guests were leaving, I would try and engage them in conversation. Like if it were a couple, I might say to the ladies, 'So, was he a good valentine this weekend?' and that would usually get a giggle. I said that on two or three occasions, and each time they'd say, 'Oh yes, he was a good valentine'".

Does he get to wear a nifty uniform? He sure does. "For years I wore a dark charcoal-coloured uniform with a red cape, but we've just switched over to new winter uniforms."

Did he ever feel just a little bit goofy wearing a cape every day? Nope. "Honestly, I think the uniforms at the Vogue are among the nicest in town."

One way he knows he's appreciated: By getting thank yous. "If you just open the door for people you might not get a thank you, but if you open the door and say, 'Good morning, how are you today?' they will usually say 'I'm fine, thank you.' A lot depends on what you say first. But most people do say thank you to me."

Will he open the door for delivery people as well? "Yes. And a lot of these guys say I'm the only doorman in town who will."

Childhood ambition: To become an astronaut

Musical preferences: U2, MC Mario.

Something which he "finds relaxing:" Sitting in bridge traffic every day.

Literary preferences: Le Journal de Montréal, La Presse.

Words of wisdom: "Respect others and you will receive their respect in turn."

Comments? dimwit@openface.ca