Month: May 2006

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What Are My Chances Of Being Placed In A Domestic Service Position?

The most important thing to understand when assessing your chances of being placed by a Domestic Agency is, “What does a Domestic Agency do?” The answer is very simple, but it explains why they may or may not be able to help you find a job.

The function of a Domestic Employment Agency is to find candidates to fill job vacancies for clients. In exchange for this service, agencies are paid a substantial fee by the client (The main reason they are in business). Simple, right? Then let’s consider what the value of this service is to the client, and why they pay the agency’s fee. Well that is simple too. A client will pay a premium to hire someone who has been proven successful in the exact same situation over many years. It is almost like buying a “guarantee of satisfaction,” or hiring a service that has been in business for a long time with similar clientele.

Therefore, the ideal candidate for any position will be experienced at the exact job description and have a lengthy work history to back it up. If you are one of the top applicants in a particular field, you already know it, because you have “been there” and done the job for many years, hopefully for the same employer. You are the applicant the agencies are screening for every day and can often place very quickly. If you are not one of the top applicants, you must try to fit a position where a compromise or exception makes you the best fit.

These “exceptions” are made in only two instances: When the job description is very unique and does not fit a particular category, or if there is a shortage of qualified, matching applicants for a position. In these cases the agency must choose from candidates with the most applicable skills and job history to fit the position. This would be considered the gray area where an agent must determine your placement potential based on several criteria. The order of importance is as follows:

Work History / References
Your employment resume is 95% of the placement criteria!

Have you worked in a private home, doing the exact job you are applying for? (as an employee, not volunteer or for family). If you have no experience in the position you are seeking, most agencies won’t even speak with you. Agencies are not in the business of “giving you a chance,” or helping you explore a new career direction.

Can we verify this employment and will the client speak highly of your work with them?
What a former boss says about you is weighted very heavily. Do you have a reference letter and current contact information? You should if you want to be placed! (Note: Some bad references are given by difficult employers in unfortunate situations. Agents know this and can usually tell the “true” statements from the lies. Of course this is only possible with several other “glowing” references!)

How long have you stayed in each position, and what was the reason for your departure?
A longer run with each job is better, showing loyalty, longevity, and dependability. The more short-term positions you have had, the worse you look as a candidate.

Applicable Skills
In addition to your work history, the specific skills you offer to an employer from other related jobs are important. For example, if you have an accounting background you might be more attractive to an employer requiring management of bills, budgets, and accounts. Or if you have been a fine dining server in a restaurant, you might be adept at helping set and serve table for entertaining. This does not mean that if you mowed your own lawn for 10 years, that you can oversee the landscaping and care of formal gardens! Trust me, we have heard people make far more ridiculous assumptions. And remember, even though helpful, related skills are only a part of the small 5% left to consider after your actual work history.

Education
This is a tricky topic, because some employers want an education related to Domestic Service, and some think it is not worth much. In the eyes of an agent, the client’s request determines how important any type of education is. Some employers will only hire candidates with four-year college degrees, while others don’t even ask if you have completed High School! Overall, no matter what the educational background of the applicant is, no related work history = very little chance of placement. The recent exception to the rule is the growing popularity of Butler and Household Management schools. There are occasional client requests for applicants with a specific degree from one of the schools like Starkey, Ivor Spencer, International Butler Academy, etc. Though not often, the training from these schools can sometimes combine with other practical experience to give you a chance at placement.

In summary, the agencies are trying to make perfect matches for each position, just like in any corporate recruiting. On a technical level, the history of a candidate’s work performance determines the best fit in a job, with other factors playing a smaller role in the complete package. So when looking for placement through an agency, know that your experience determines 95% of being a good candidate, and the other 5% might make you the right selection for a particular job opening.

We encourage applicants with related experience to apply with any agencies that will accept your resume because there is always a chance that you’ll fit some position out there. Newcomers to the Domestic field can find more helpful information in the article “Finding Your First Domestic Position.”

David Gonzalez
President, DPN

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Finding Your First Domestic Position

When considering a career change or starting out in the domestic field, there are a few very important considerations. The first and most important is “Why do I want to work in private service?” Second, “What are my immediate and long-term goals in the industry?” And third, “How can I be competitive in the job search process?” Carefully and truthfully answering these questions will dictate how to proceed.

WHY?

Many people looking for work in private service for the first time have an incomplete idea of the actual requirements for a position. Titles and job descriptions give some insight into the type of work expected, but the intangible and hidden details are where the true nature of the business is discovered. For example, can you honestly say that after years of building your own career and lifestyle that you now want to focus on the fulfillment of someone else? You need to understand that this is the one goal of service: to provide support for the employer above all. Are you capable of watching your boss spend more money in one day than you make in a year? You must have a disposition that allows for such dramatic realizations.

Likewise, although several skills from the business world apply to domestic work, can you spot the little things that create harmony in a luxury lifestyle? Can you be a Jack of all Trades to assure things get done, no matter what? If so, you may be headed down the right path. If not, look for another direction with your career. The best way to know for sure if you are cut out to handle a domestic position is to ask a veteran. Get in touch with someone you may know in your personal network, or perhaps ask an agency for a referral to a top candidate. Most people in the business are proud of what they do and are happy to give you some of their time. This is truly the only way to understand what happens on a day-to-day schedule, and the best way to know if it is for you.

WHAT?

What are your overall goals in the workplace for the next year? The next 3-5 years? The next 10 years? Do you have a plan that you are working toward such as owning your own business, retiring, going to school, etc.? If you know the answers here, you may be able use the domestic industry as your next steppingstone. For example, a domestic couple with some experience, excellent health, and flexibility with relocation can easily earn a salary of $70-100k and have all of their living expenses paid. With some planning and discipline, a 5-10 year stretch can put away enough money to meet some long term goals like starting a venture of your own or taking some time off.

On the other hand, a position in domestic service does little to advance one’s corporate career, if that is a future goal. So it is important to think a few steps ahead and look at your motivation when entering the private sector, because it is such a specialized and unique environment. Of course, if your true intention is to create a long-term career path within the industry, you are in the right place and the right frame of mind. If not, consider other options.

Another stumbling block in the job hunt is being able to prove your dedication. Newcomers and those returning to private service after a long time may find it hard to convince an employer that “this is what I really want to be doing.” Have a very concise, carefully thought out answer to the question: “Why do you want to do this type of work?” Using the specific information from a contact in the business, you should match the required duties of a position with skills and tasks you have been successful with or exposed to. This should give the impression that you know you can handle the upcoming job duties. Once you have it in your head and your heart that you want to do this type of work, it is time to begin searching.

HOW?

The most asked question of any agency is: “How do I get started without experience?” First, if you made it to this point of the article and were honest with yourself all the way, step 1, CONVICTION, is complete. Step 2 is PREPARATION. If you have not read and understood “Becoming a Better Domestic Employment Candidate”, you are not ready to proceed. Before you go any further, you must have the specific tools to be successful. There is a chart with detailed explanation in the article, so check it out. Step 3 is RESOURCES. Not everyone can do it alone. If you are reading this article, you probably are looking for some assistance in the search. Why not, its mostly free and those who help you typically will benefit in some way.

Agencies
Get on the phone and get on the Internet to gather all the information you can stomach. Call agencies and ask for advice or referrals. Go through a few interview and application processes with them. Make sure to read “Working with Domestic Agencies” to know the behind the scenes of what to expect. One of the best agency situations is a temporary agency. It will take some legwork to find one that has domestic or combination positions (domestic/executive), but this is one of the best ways to get experience with house management or personal assisting. For example, if you can get a job assisting a busy executive in their office, look for a situation where you can manage the personal duties as well. This includes gift buying, personal errands, pet care, scheduling and overseeing work at the residence, personal travel arrangements, etc.

Publications
Although classifieds are one of the oldest ways to search, they are also one of the best. Often employers will try their own search before calling an agency and those willing to hire for a “starting” position probably won’t use an agency. Check in the papers local to where you want to work and live. Most papers put their classifieds online, so check the Internet as well. Another great source for ads is the Caretaker Gazette. It is the only paper specializing in ads for caretaking and professional domestic positions, with some nice related content. Look them up online or call for information at (715) 426-5500. Another great feature of classifieds is that for a small fee you can place your own ad looking for the right employment situation.

Networking
If you are good with people, put the word out on the street about what you’re looking for. Tell friends, relatives, former employers, etc. and start spreading the news. Most of the positions in the domestic service industry are filled this way. If you were looking for someone to work with your family and home, wouldn’t you ask a trusted friend or associate? Of course. Just by getting your name in the right social circles you could end up with an amazing job. And perhaps a good showing will lead you to the next family on a referral from that one, and so on. Many long-time domestic professionals never go through a job hunt and frequently receive offers from friends of their employer. That is the level to aspire to.

Schools
There are several schools to train you in domestic service. This is a path for the truly committed, so as before, step one (conviction) is VERY important here. Schools are fairly expensive and do not guarantee placement upon graduation, but certainly the knowledge, experience, and dedication it takes to complete the courses is a step in the right direction. Also, each school will have a placement service or leads for you to network for a job. (More resources!) Consult with the different programs out there to see if it makes sense for you based on your goals and your finances. The better ones are listed on modernbutlers.com

In conclusion, a few basics are important to get started in the private service field: Be sure of what you are after; be prepared for the opportunities; and use all available resources to give yourself the “lucky” break into the business.

David Gonzalez
President, DPN

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Thinking Globally – Acting Locally

How does one turn individuals from no matter what culture, country, familial and social background, who follow certain moral codes or not, into the epitome of a British butler and the quintessential service provider? Not a question most people ask, but it is one that has challenged trainers at the International Institute of Modern Butlers and which parallels the task facing trainers around the world trying to bring about some standardized level of high-quality service by employees in their hotels.

We look for those with a service heart, with service experience, with some starting point upon which to hang the service culture established by corporate. And the result is generally mixed, ranging from very good to passable, more often the latter. Perhaps nowhere is it more important to think globally and act locally than in the hospitality industry of a global economy.

Trying to enforce a global model, a same-brand identity in all corners of the world results in the kind of behavior that can rankle with guests: such as having butlers slip notes under guest-room doors at regular intervals reminding guests to use their butlers; or guests being told “It’s my pleasure” by every employee in response to the slightest of acknowledgements by the guest. Sometimes, hotel-grading standards enforce this on hotel staff, such as the requirement that the guest’s name be used at least three times by each employee. This sounds natural enough when a butler is with a guest for several minutes, but what about the valet, doorman, and bellhop? They have seconds to fit in the mandatory greeting in triplicate, and the guest hears his or her name nine times within the first minute of arrival. What is happening here is a tendency to put a rule where an individual’s judgment should be; to make a rule stand in for the evident lack of ability of individuals to exhibit basic social graces and service functions. But does this not boil down to a failure to bring about an understanding of the principles of social interaction and graces, and of service, and be able to apply them when called for? In other words, as trainers, we seem to have hit a brick wall on having employees think for themselves and act responsibly.

We seem to have fallen for the line that people have to be programmed in the same way that one programs computers or robots. This seems like the only option that works, but the problem is, it does not work beyond a certain level, just like robots. Take the task of training a couple from the Far East as butlers in a private residence in three days. It was not possible, beyond training in certain set actions and phrases, which the couple would then use from then on out, whether or not they were appropriate to the occasion.

Where understanding is lacking, employees will ask earnestly for set patterns to follow. Even though they make very poor robots and have the ability to think intelligently for themselves, they want some stable datum to fall back on in order to deal with the confusion of some situation or in servicing a guest. There are many reasons for this tendency, including the Chinese School method of learning by rote…repeatedly reading something aloud until it is memorized, but with no faintest idea of the meaning of the words being spoken, or how to apply the procedures they may describe.

We are encountering the same in Western society, as education and reading standards continue to fall over the last four decades (in the US, since the Secondary Education Act of 1965 redirected schools away from teaching the three “R”s and onto psychiatric programs and drugs). Today, according to the US Government, half the adult population in the US is either functionally illiterate (44 million or 23%) or sufficiently illiterate not to be able to be trained (worldwide, the figure is 1 billion, or 16% functionally illiterate). When most people read today, they either go blank, having no idea what they just read, or they can repeat it all back but have no idea what it means, or more pertinently, how to do it (a la Chinese School). Has this happened to you ever?

In this sort of a climate of learning, it becomes very hard to train employees to think for themselves, to act intelligently, to apply the basic social graces, to serve with finesse. And so we resort to set patters and procedures in order to bring about at least a modicum of service.

But the problem with this approach is guests are not treated as individuals, but as items on a conveyor belt, a commodity that has to be dealt with. There is no real live communication, and often, entirely too much communication when acute observation and an understanding silence on the part of the employee would work far better.

So this is barrier #1, the solution to which is teaching people how to study effectively (the subject perhaps of another article) and so think for themselves, rather than requiring programming. The next hurdle to top is again one that relates to creating an ability in employees that is completely new in the field. Actually, increasing the ability to do two things: a) To be present in the moment and b) to observe the obvious.

These sound simple to do and are, but present a challenge to all who first attempt them. Too often in terms of being there in the moment, an individual will actually be thinking of something else in the past while addressing a guest: some upset, some problem, something they messed up on; or of something in the future, such as their upcoming vacation or the size of the tip they will receive in two minutes; or they think about something in present time, such as the bust line of the guest or of what to say next. All of these add up to being distracted and interiorized, instead of extroverted with all attention on the guest and servicing him or her.

In terms of observing the obvious, an individual will look at something and make all sorts of conclusions and suppositions from it and then present this package as a statement of what they see. For instance, asked to look at a guest, an employee might say, “I can see he has experience.” This is not an observation, but an extrapolation based on what is seen. All the employee can actually see, when pushed to clarify his statement, is that the guest “has wrinkles around his eyes,” which to that employee connotes “experience.” This is one of the key reasons twelve witnesses to the same accident will describe twelve different accidents. In the hotel context, if employees observe to observe the obvious, in other words, what they actually see, hear, smell, and feel (touch, not opinions) about their environment and guests, then they will be able to record that data in a rapidly growing guest profile for future use, as well as deal with the situation or guest appropriately.

The kind of observation that butlers (should) engage in is unobtrusive, the kind that notes without asking what the guests preferences are in terms of areas such as the arts, sports, food, drink, dress, transport; personal, familial, and cultural celebrations and customs, morals and ethics, and generational differences within families.

Alert employees able to think for themselves, will add to such a data base and use it. No amount of rules can bring about such attention to detail because the starting point, an alert employee, is missing. These are the underlying skills that smooth the way for interacting smoothly with diverse cultural groups with the alertness, intelligence, panache, equanimity, attention to detail, anticipation, and professionalism of the British butler.

Easier said than done? Yes, but still very much within reach.

This article also appeared in the Hotel Business Review section of HotelExecutive.com, in the 12 June 2006 edition of 4hoteliers.com, Airline New Resource July 2006, and Hotel Industry News, November 2006

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So How was Your Butler?

Ratings Keep Hotels Honest & Validates Serious Players

In an industry that is premised on service, increasing numbers of high-end hoteliers have decided to raise the bar by instituting butler service. Increased rack rates, customer loyalty, enhanced word of mouth and, on the employee side, greater retention and raised standards facility wide are the reward where true butler service is offered. A key question, however, especially in any country lacking a broad and long tradition of butling, is: “What exactly is butler service?”

Anyone who has experienced butler service in hotels and resorts may have seen butlers stretched so thin as to be invisible, pool attendants re-titled butlers, or any of the myriad other ways in which marketing departments and managers have demonstrated creativity in tapping into the prestige of things butler. While real butlers appreciate the recognition afforded their profession when offerings of superior service are personified by a butler figure, they are not themselves served well in the long run by this cheapening of their profession. More importantly, guests can recognize a gimmick when they see one and are left in a poor frame of mind at being handed a Mickey Mouse version of the service they had expected and paid for when booking into a facility.

As the standard setter for the profession, the International Institute of Modern Butlers has felt compelled to pick its way gingerly through the rubble of the castle walls and stand firm against the enemy: the inclination to cut corners on the way to status and higher revenues—always a self-defeating exercise in the long run. The Institute’s weapon of choice? A rating system that parallels AAA and Mobil ratings but which is focused on butler service in hospitality venues. The purpose of the rating is to help guests and travel agencies make informed decisions about the nature of the butler service being offered by a venue they or their clients may be considering; and to assist managers and butler employees in improving their butler services and achieving recognition for their efforts. Ratings are done by various sources: the hotels themselves, the Institute’s personnel and other butler professionals, and now, following Conde Naste’s model, by guests providing their input via www.modernbutlers.com/standards/butler-rating.aspx

The article that follows details the successes enjoyed by some hotels that have made earnest efforts to implement butler service and use the rating system to improve their offerings; as well as feedback and advice from managers and head butlers on instituting genuine butler service. All hotels have been given ample opportunity to self-assess, so those listed on the Web site as offering butler service who have not been rated would have some reason for pleading the Fifth that they may want to share with prospective guests and travel agencies doing their due diligence.

Where butler departments are established properly, they enjoy varying degrees of success based on their adherence to the basic purpose of butling: the providing of a discreet service that anticipates guest needs.

Failed butler departments are caused by violating a few basics: not selecting proven service professionals for butlers; not training them on the persona, mindset, communication skills, and service skills of the butler in a hospitality setting; launching the butler program without bringing the rest of the employees aboard, so it appears as a threat to their income stream; and trying to cut costs by cutting service, resulting in harried butlers providing an irreducible minimum of service to too many guests.

What drives these shortcuts? In my experience, it has been one or more of three distinct impulses:

  • Money motivation, where the goal is solely to increase revenue by riding on the coattails of the butler profession, with little patience for or interest in the financial outlay, sweat equity, and intelligent thinking necessary to deliver the actual service.
  • A manager either not understanding or taking a personal dislike to the idea of butlers. In one instance, an inexperienced and unethical GM was busy accepting personal favors, protecting his incompetent protegés, and creating a culture that put loyalty to his own agenda ahead of servicing guests. He resented being shown up by the service expectations of the popular Head Butler and the butler team. So the GM did everything possible, both covert and brazen, to undermine and end the butler service so desired by the hotel owner and guests. As the Head Butler at this establishment noted with typical understatement, “GMs unfamiliar with the service would do well to respect the advice of their Head Butler. If one has not worked with butlers before and does not understand the concept fully, it will be very difficult to provide the support/level of understanding required to make the program a success. Instituting a butler department is a project that requires dedication and support on all fronts—ownership, management, and operations—in order to succeed.” This story is still playing out, but the Head Butler is standing firm while taking over increasingly the functions of other departments being mismanaged by the GM that had been cutting across the ability of the butlers and the hotel to service the guests.
  • A manager focused on slashing costs. In one instance, an owner had invested heavily in establishing a butler department (on one floor of a brand new facility) that proved very popular with guests and media (almost always the case). Yet when the revenue began to flag facility wide after the grand opening (as a result of inadequate sales and marketing), he thought one solution lay in the savings that could be accomplished by firing all the butlers, and proceeded to do so. The hotel continues to flounder to this day, having lost its signature service and earned itself a poor reputation in the local community upon which it depended for its personnel, all on top of the original inadequate sales and marketing efforts which were not remedied by these firings.

Successful outcomes might include The Cloister, recently rebuilt and reopened on Sea Island, Georgia. Butler service was initiated at the behest of the owner, Bill Jones III, to all 125-guest rooms and 32 suites. Fiona Williams Cameron, the Head Butler who led the team that established the 55-person butler department, offers some pointers for the kind of success that led to a Four Butler facility with Five Butler service to its 32 suites.

“The more input you can have before infrastructure is in place, the better off you will be in terms of avoiding potential operational issues for the staff, leading to better service for†the guests. In terms of operational issues, it is only normal that various departments will be uncomfortable with a new concept, so communication is key among department heads.Lastly, we invested in a large amount of training for the staff and will continue to do so.

“The Hotel Butler Rating System is a wonderful benchmark that will help guide hotels in the direction of this personalized and quality service while also keeping competition alive. Achieving these standards is mainly dependent on training in the modern style. As an example, we have worked to find a happy medium between ‘good service’ as ‘discreet service’ and the warm, friendly service characteristic of Southern Hospitality that our guests are used to receiving.”

Leopoldo Perez is the head butler at One & Only Palmilla, voted best resort in Latin America by Conde Naste for the last two years. Butler service to each of the 172 rooms and suites has been a key element in this success. A dozen of these suites receive dedicated butler service, making One & Only Palmilla both a Four-  and Five-Butler facility. According to Perez, “All guests in suites with dedicated butlers are given cell phones for direct contact with their butlers (and nobody else). There is very little the butlers cannot do for guests, as long as it is legal, of course.

“Critical elements in building our butler department have been, firstly, having a trainer to guide the department in the right direction. Secondly, having management support and understanding of what the butler department brings to the property, so they were willing to invest in resources, staff, and training.

“Our guests were not used to butler service at first, especially in a relaxed beach-resort property such as ours, so they did not take advantage of our service and were not commenting on us in customer-feedback surveys. So we created new procedures and amenities, advertised on the Web site and collateral, and increased our staff numbers. The guests then began to notice and use the butlers, thinking of them as ‘my butler.’ We now enjoy 60% repeat guests and 20% of these ask for the same butler. We have doubled the number of butlers to 44 because of the demand for butler service.

“The physical layout of our property is not the normal monolithic building with suites easily reached by butlers on each floor. Our 172 rooms are in twelve separate buildings spread over 25 acres, which makes it difficult operationally to provide butler service. We have handled this by assigning rooms optimally and increasing staff numbers. We also set up mini pantries in each building so the butlers have easy access to their tools and supplies, instead of trekking to the two main pantries on site. And we have added butler runners to keep the pantries and mini pantries stocked and to take needed or requested items to the butlers for presentation to the guests.

“My advice to other head butlers is that even if you are already experienced, bring in a professional in the field to help launch the service. Secondly, if the hotel has not yet been constructed, you as head butler need to speak to the architect about designing the spaces and areas needed by butlers to service guests. Thirdly, you need to create your network, attend butler conventions, become a member of professional associations such as the International Institute of Modern Butlers, and use the network of individuals in the profession to give you knowledge and guidance. That’s how it has worked for me.

“From the GM’s perspective, it is very important that you understand what a butler is and decide what you want your butler service to do for the hotel before launch; then sit down with the head butler and communicate your expectations.

“The rating system has proven very useful. Many hotels are advertising that they have butler service as the next great thing in personalized and excellent service. Many guests are experiencing this butler service, often in hotels where they may not have the necessary resources to provide butler service or the proper training. So guests tend to be disappointed with their experience, which of course reflects on all hotels offering butler service. The ratings will allow guests to know what kind of butler service they will be receiving. In the same way, it gives hotels such as ours that offer butler service, the opportunity to see where they stand with regard to that service, and what they need to do to take it to remain at the same or move to the next level.”

George Sotello is the GM at One & Only Palmilla, and he reports, “The butler department has become an icon for the resort. Well-traveled guests know what to expect from their butler experience and feedback has been extremely positive. From the moment the guests meet their butler, there is an immediate connection, the guests understanding that they can call upon their butler to fulfill their every need. Some guests, coming from North America where butler service is not common, do not know what to expect from their butlers. We are working on an orientation CD to send first-time guests before they arrive. ‘Blow away the customer’ is our credo, and we rely on the butlers in a good part to deliver on that promise. We have had many guests contact the resort after leaving, stating that after experiencing the butler service at the resort, they feel lost and wish they could have a butler at home.”

Mr. Nakano, the Managing Director of the Rosewood property, Hotel Seiyo Ginza in Tokyo, has also utilized the Butler Ratings to help extend the butler service model across many guest contact points in the hotel, in addition to providing butler service to all guests—a first for Japan. As Mr. Nakano puts it, “No-one seems to realize how profitable butler service can be: it would be of great benefit to organizations considering implementing butler service to be coached on how it could enhance the organization’s ability to make more money and perhaps save costs through re-organization and consolidation. Our Rooms Division, for instance, is run by the Head Butler; his team of butlers also manages our PABX/Communication Center for all incoming calls to the hotel in addition to all Room Service orders and delivery. We have thereby eliminated the need for a separate PABX and Room Service department and staff. Few people appreciate how valuable and convenient butler service can be.”

Obviously, these benefits accrue where the players are serious about putting a real butler department in place, and a useful tool in achieving this is the Butler Rating System.

Rating Your Butler

Hotels and resorts offering butler service are rated here. This list is influenced by input from anyone qualified (i.e. anyone who works/worked at or has visited the facility upon which they are commenting) providing their feedback via a link on the same page.

Specific comments are not posted, but are used in assessing the real-time state of butler service—rather than annually as with other rating bodies. The Institute, likewise, does not take a passive/judgmental role, but works with hotels to alert them to issues so they can respond and/or act to improve.

The ratings range from “No Butler” to “Five Butlers” (briefly) as follows:

No Butler
The butlers are called such, but have no training or understanding of the nature or skill-sets of a butler, often having a modifier in front of their title, such as “fireplace butler,” “technology butler,” or “baby butler.”

One Butler
There is literally one butler on the floor, rushing to service guests who are kept waiting or improperly serviced. There may be more than one butler, but training on the skills of the butler or the grace of a butler are lacking, even though some of the service is being provided.

Two Butlers
The butler-to-guest ratio is still too strained, so guests are kept waiting or not fully serviced, but basic elements of butler service are performed and the butlers have been trained in their profession either in schools or on site. No night butler on duty and no butler coordinators to connect guests with butlers.

Three Butlers
There are enough butlers in shifts to manage guests, including night butlers, butler coordinators, and a head butler. The Butler department exists as its own department, not under Housekeeping, Concierge, Room Service, F&B, or any other department. Guests are offered a good range of butler services and these are satisfactorily executed. Butler service has been established and fine-tuned with the assistance of trained professionals.

Four Butlers
Butlers provide excellent, often invisible service to guests who are wowed by the attention to detail. Includes a full complement of butlers who have sufficient presence with the rest of the employees that they have raised their level of service and can obtain instant service for guests. Butler Department personnel receive ongoing training and quality control to keep them sharp and there is a Deputy for the Head Butler who facilitates this training and other organizational steps to keep the Butler Department running smoothly.

Five Butlers
Guests have their own private butler to attend to their every (legal and ethical) needs and desires, including accompanying them on excursions as chauffeur and guide. In the case of guests lacking companions, this level of service may extend to the butler being a companion for a guest, even being skilled enough to play such as golf or tennis (but sufficiently diplomatic always to let the guest win by a narrow margin—and never crossing the line). Where spa service is offered, the butler may also be the spa therapist or so knowledgeable in spa methodology that he or she presents a seamless experience for the spa-going guest.

The full list of requirements for each level can be found here.

This article also appeared in HotelNewsResource.com and AirlineNewResource.com

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Spa Service – One Key Flaw

Spa Service – One Key Flaw…It Ends the Moment a Guest Leaves the Spa to Return to His or Her Hotel Room

Many high-end hotels and resorts offer spa services and are looking for a way to excel even further and so differentiate themselves in the minds of their guests. The same could be said of the butler service offered by many such institutions. Both programs add value and prestige, but is there a way to improve these service offerings? The short answer is, “Yes!”

Spa service has one key flaw: it ends the moment a guest leaves the spa to return to his or her suite. The way to make a guest’s experience a complete one, and offer a total immersion in the “get away from it all” relaxation and rejuvenation, is to make the butler service an extension of the spa experience, wherein spa-trained butlers provide their usual high-end service in the hotel, but with the added knowledge and techniques that enable the spa environment to continue in the guest’s own suite.

A guest, for instance, may well undergo a catharsis or detoxification as a result of his or her spa experience knowing how to deal with this with understanding and empathy can create quite an impact on guests. Moments of drama aside, when a butler knows and understands the spa program of a guest, he can converse about the guest’s experiences with good reality, should the guest so desire, and can also take actions to enhance that program‹such as adding a complementary (not complImentary!) bath salt to the bath, rather than one that conflicts with the spa program.

The spa butler is really the architect of the ultimate spa hospitality experience, designing and arranging the entire spa guest experience. The spa still delivers the spa services, but the butler acts as the main point of contact before, during and after the guest’s stay. Because he understands and knows what the guest is going through, and the basic spa methodologies, he can be there for the guests and extend the entire stay into a smooth experience for them. That’s the simplicity of the program.

Translated into the real world, this program means the butler asks and cares about the guest’s goal in coming to the spa; he cares about the guest’s room, ensuring that the space reflects the guest’s needs and wants. The butler supports the guest by being a sounding board and conversing with understanding and empathy. He introduces the guest to the people, places and services he or she will be experiencing at the spa, answering all questions and resolving all concerns. He smoothes the preparations for each spa experience and helps the guest through the ramifications of each spa treatment, asking the right questions.

The spa butler understands the mechanism of each spa treatment in order to give accurate and convincing explanations of treatments to the guest. The application of hot or cold therapy to the body may seem odd or even silly to the guest without an understanding of the expected physiological effects and benefits. Earning the guest’s confidence and compliance with intelligent answers to his/her questions is an important part of the spa butler service.

Types of Guests
There are at least four categories of spa guests. Identifying them is key to serving them successfully.

“Fluff and Buff” guests are delighted with the ultimate in pampering. They are investing time, energy and money in the expectation they will be treated as kings and queens. They are enjoying a mini vacation from the stresses and strains of everyday life.

“ROI” guests are looking for a return on their investment. They are spa savvy, meaning that they have been to spas before and have preconceived notions about what a great spa experience is and should be. They expect their spa experience to deliver on the health enhancement and therapeutic expectations they have formulated.

“Solution seeker” guests want a spa experience to alleviate pain and discomfort from their ongoing medical conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, osteo-arthritis, etc. and are hoping to find relief and answers that will alleviate some of their suffering.

“Transformer” guests are committed to transforming their own worlds, understanding they play an integral and vital role in optimizing their health and well being. They trust the spa to have highly specialized facilitators who honor the holistic nature of man.

By knowing and understanding each guest’s goal and being there for them in their pursuit of that goal, the butler forms a unique relationship with guests and so brings about the ultimate spa hospitality experience.