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HOT OFF THE PRESS - Industry News
Restoring the Art has been designated by the U.S. Department of Labor as the official association to grant and monitor National Certifications for the Private Service Industry! Restoring the Art must now become the official Association for Private Service Professionals and represent all who work within the Private Service Industry: Household and Estate Managers, Butlers, Personal Assistants and Private Chefs. To fulfill this ominous mission, Restoring the Art has obtained its 501(c)3 status as a non-profit. Memberships in Restoring the Art will be granted for the first time at the 2006 gathering in Palm Springs. See info on the Restoring the Art Conference elsewhere in this newsletter. (Source: Starkey International)
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The International Institute of Modern Butlers has been in contact with Cornell University to explore the concept of integrating professional Estate Management / Executive Butler training into their curriculum for hospitality professionals. As you see from the article elsewhere in this newsletter, there is movement to recognize and develop cross pollination of a broader base of talent for the hospitality industry. We would like to see similar cooperative efforts to help raise professionalism in private service.
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For those of you who are able to read Polish, some of Steven Ferry's articles have now been translated into that language and are being published on-line by the Polish publication www.ehotelarz.com. You can view Mr. Ferry's articles on this website by clicking here and here.
Letters From Our Readers
Dear Editor,
I have many years of experience in small luxury hotel management with a focus on guest satisfaction. Currently, I am pursuing a position in the management of private service for high profile individuals and families, and I am often asked about the service differences that may be encountered in making such a transition.
There are certainly differences between private service and hotel operations, but I think private service is easier to manage. The biggest difference is that private service focuses on the needs of just one individual and his or her family, whereas in the hotel environment one must be able to satisfy the needs of many different families simultaneously, which I have done.
In the hotel business, particularly the luxury segment, we are constantly striving to provide the highest level of personalized service possible. It would be wonderful if we could provide each and every guest with everything they wanted, down to the finest detail, but sometimes this is not easily accomplished in a hotel setting. Therefore we must establish a "standard" of service that will satisfy the most clients possible. For example, it would be both difficult and costly to provide the specific brand of toiletries that each and every client would prefer to have in their suite or villa. Instead, we choose one very high-end designer brand, well known for its high quality, and place it in all the rooms. This way we are able to deliver an amenity with which most, if not all, clients are pleased.
Private service is far more customized and client centric. But this does not mean it is more difficult to manage. On the contrary, I believe it is easier to meet the needs of just one individual family, even a large family, on a daily basis than it is to satisfy the desires of many different families simultaneously. Determining the specific brand, type of product or general lifestyle experience that a client prefers in the private service setting and delivering that service can be done more quickly and efficiently than in a hotel environment. The direct client contact that occurs in the private setting allows the service provider a much greater opportunity to get to know and understand the likes and dislikes of their client and the means to meet those needs.
There seems to be a notion that providing high quality service in a private setting is more difficult than doing so in a luxury hotel environment. I disagree. The fact that hotel workers have to serve many clients at once does not mean that they are unable to appreciate the detailed needs of one individual family. Individuals who work in luxury hotels are trained to provide the highest quality of service possible with great attention to detail. If anything, it should be easier for them to focus their attention on.
Norman Luxemburg
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Dear Editor,
My business partner Kevin Johnson and I have just launched a new website for the domestic staff industry, www.greenbaizedoor.com. It has been about 10 months in the making and we have just gone live. It is a forum for all domestic staff to post their resumes and browse advertisements for positions placed by prospective employers worldwide. We have created an internal messaging service, so complete anonymity for both parties is assured. We will soon be adding a concierge directory of the less easily found, but quality, trades and services required for a well-run household.
We would be really most grateful if you were to spend a few moments to look at our site and see what you think. All the services are currently free of charge. We are currently involved in making the site available to as many domestic service personnel and employers as possible, as we believe it will be a great asset to our industry.
Martin Higgins
Editor's note: What is a green baize door? According to the Green Baize Door website: From the mid-eighteenth century, the Green Baize Door became a feature of every staffed home. Generally, it was a swing door onto which green baize cloth was attached with studs made of brass. The purpose of the baize was to insulate against noise that would normally disturb either side. See also this URL for more interesting background information: http://www.foxearth.org.uk/BorleyRectory/BorleyRectoryandtheGreenBaizeDoor.htm
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Dear Editor,
And a Merry Christmas it was. I've got one for the private service books.
Last night the wife and I went out to dinner to celebrate our 25th anniversary. Upon arriving at the restaurant, we were met by the manager with glasses of champagne. We were informed our employers were taking care of the check for the dinner. They knew where we were going. A good time was had by all.
The best is yet to come.
When we got home, we stopped by the big house to thank them for the dinner. They told us that, for a combination of our 25th anniversary and our 3rd year with them, they were giving us a 30-day paid vacation this year (above and beyond our normal vacation), so we could go to Europe and a Christmas bonus that will pay for half the trip. We are still in shock. The employers go to Europe about twice a year and we have talked in the past to them about going for an extended stay someday. I think we will take the trip this fall.
Needless to say we will not be seeking new employment in the foreseeable future!
Howard and Chris
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Dear Modern Butlers' Journal,
I would appreciate your mention of Alternet,which is a Seattle-based firm with over seven years of experience in the unique field of home information systems. We work with some of the world's most prestigious families and their estates. Alternet is able to offer turnkey, modular packages to suit almost every need, but also retains the expertise and experience to work alongside clients to develop custom or tailor-made components that will function within and alongside the main software. Thank you!
John Oblanas
www.alternetestate.com
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New Book Announcement
The International Institute of Modern Butlers is proud to announce the release of the first Spanish-language text for Butlers.
Professor Steven Ferry's book BUTLERS AND HOUSEHOLD MANAGERS, 21ST CENTURY PROFESSIONALS, was translated by an England-based butler & member of the Institute who is fluent in Spanish, Mr. Amer Vargas. The Spanish title is MAYORDOMOS, PROFESIONALES DEL SIGLO XXI. Perhaps you know some Spanish-speaking butlers, major domos or other individuals who are in private service, who would be pleased to finally have access to a text for their profession or line of work. The book can be purchased from the bookstore on the Institute's website at or by going directly to Amazon.com and searching by author or title.
Important Industry Salary Survey
Dear Readers,
The Home Staffing Network salary survey is still in progress. We invite all private service professionals (Estate Managers, Butlers, Personal Assistant, Couples, Valets, Housemen, Housekeepers, Nannies and so forth), to take part in this important data collection. The form for submitting your input, together with the raw survey results to date, may be found at this url: http://www.homestaffingnetwork.com/tools_tips.php?id=17&category=5
Eventually the survey results will be summarized and made available to industry professionals such as yourself for review and use.
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United Brotherhood of Butlers
by Steven Ferry
Well, the title is a joke. For a start, we have many ladies in our midst these days. Secondly, we are probably the last group to form a union to press for our rights from "heartless employers." But it is true that we are growing into a recognizable, if ill-formed, group. This is indeed a good time to be in our profession.
For centuries, butlers have been somewhat isolated individuals, forming into loose-knit groups or clubs in one or two cities, but still insular. Today, we find ourselves at the forefront of a global service industry, touted as the paragons* of service, increasingly pushing the word out via the print and electronic media that butlers are the Bentleys and Bugattis of service (No, Bugattis are still being produced: the most expensive and fastest car on the road today is the Bugatti Veyron, experiencing a come-back much as butlers are).
We have a dozen schools teaching the profession mainly to private-household butler-trainees-from the venerable grandfather of them all, the Ivor Spencer School in England to the far-flung Australian schools, and points between. We have a handful of trainers visiting hotels and resorts around the world, giving them the basics of butler training so that service can be upgraded to the level guests and management seek. We have butlers such as Mr. Hogan (currently shooting on location in Canada) and Mr. Wennekes' school (involved in a TV-series shoot in Europe) keeping the basic idea of "the butler is the ultimate in service" alive in the minds of Earth's citizenry. We have texts for the industry (now even in Spanish), articles published continually about and by the profession, and one of our own (Ivor Spencer) even awarded an MBE (Member of the [Order of the] British Empire) for his services. We have the lessons learned by butlers over the centuries being accepted as valid material by the likes of Cornell University. We have a couple of professional associations, and even an annual convention, Restoring the Arts, hosted by Starkey International in the United States.
It is natural for any group in the history of the world to harbor competitive and personal tensions and complaints twixt its members, to have fallings out from time to time, even to have those who forsake publicly the basic tenets of the profession for the sake of personal gain or hubris; but all of these elements are just inevitable sideshows. Looking at the bigger picture, we are a force to reckon with, a profession with a large role to play across many service-based activities.
Whether or not we form a "Brotherhood of Butlers" in an organized sense or remain loose-knit but coordinated individuals and organizations, the key is to work together rather than at cross purposes; and for each of us to keep the bigger picture in mind, promoting unity and high standards within and without the profession.
* paragon, somebody or something that is the very best example of something
Professor Steven Ferry is author of the best-selling industry texts, Butlers and Household Managers, 21st Century Professionals, and Hotel Butlers, The Great Service Differentiators. He is Chairman of the International Institute of Modern Butlers. He can be contacted at stevenferry @modernbutlers.com
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Certificates for Institute Members
To become a member of the International Institute of Modern Butlers, simply visit our website's new membership page to study and pledge your agreement to the Code of Ethics for Household and Hospitality Service Professionals.
As a service to members, the Institute offers an official Certificate of Membership to those IIMB members who wish to display such a Certificate on their wall, or for inclusion in a resume/CV. Please visit the membership pages on our website, and follow the link to purchase a membership certificate. There is a small fee to cover costs and shipping.
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Private Service - A Growing Industry
by Werner Leutert
This month's newsletter brings word of an Association for Private Service Professionals to go under the name of Restoring the Art. Hats off to Ms. Mary Starkey for her many years of effort to bring professional recognition to private service. Restoring the Art, a non-profit entity, has been established as a result of her efforts and now it will be up to its Board of Directors to actualize the concept by setting the standards and goals. We at the International Institute of Modern Butlers think that good things will come of this. The next developments should come out after the initial Board convenes in May. The next issue of the Modern Butler's Journal (MBJ) will be reporting on their progress.
Another bit of news reported in this issue of the MBJ is the newly announced relationship between the Cornell University Hotel School and the Culinary Institute of America, arguably the premier educators of Hotel Managers and top Chefs respectively in the USA. (For more information, see article elsewhere in this newsletter.) At the International Institute of Modern Butlers, we have been discussing and have taken some small steps to articulate our belief that the hotel management education community, including Cornell University Hotel School and others offering hospitality training at the college level, should have links to the private service world. Specifically, there exists currently nothing close to a predictable career path for Estate Managers / Executive House Managers and similar job titles to track into positions with top private employers. The lifestyles of the wealthy continue to grow as a function of our economy and the demographics of aging. The lives of the managers of these lifestyles have become more complex as private homes and other possessions get larger, more sophisticated and more opulent. "Things" are nothing without good people to take care of them. There is a critical shortage of proven top talent in private service and in particular, persons with academic credentials to support their experience. We in the private service world have much in common with our friends in the hospitality world. The big difference is that our jobs are not based on profit performance and a company-wide system of doing things. There is objective measurement for success. Private service is all about meeting the employer's expectations in their very personal realm. Measurement of success is more subjective.
Four-year hotel school graduates are no better poised for success in private service opportunities than graduates of the 6- or 8-week training schools for Butlers and Estate / Household Managers. In the former case, students are not exposed to the private service world and in the latter, students have only a short time to be exposed to the private service industry and to begin to understand the mindset and technical issues involved.
The International Institute of Modern Butlers is not just about Butlers. We are for professionalism in private service and inclusive of all persons working in the employer's private life. We are old-fashioned in our service mindset, but we think in terms of modern models for success. In our view there is much to be gained if some of our country's hotel schools were to embrace private service as an important subset of hospitality, as well as a rewarding career path for their students. The Institute welcomes contact on this subject.
If you have questions email me at wernerleutert @modernbutlers.com
Visit my web site www.homestaffingnetwork.com
Letter from Toronto
by Paul Hogan
Worth a look and a couple of tips! For the past 6 months, I have been in Toronto, Canada, filming my new television show "Groomed." It's a half hour weekly program that is currently being shown on the W Network in Canada. I take on the role of a "gentleman's gentleman" and groom men for a major event such as a wedding, proposal of marriage, reconnection with family and such like. I am pleased to report that the show is being well received and we are hopeful that it will soon be taken up by an American network. The website for the show is www.groomed.tv.
Obviously I am getting the opportunity of getting to know Toronto, and what a great city it is. I would definitely recommend a visit, preferably in summertime, and I thought I would pass on a few tips for those contemplating coming.
The hotel at which we are based is the Windsor Arms, www.windsorarmshotel.com, a boutique hotel that has 38 rooms, an excellent restaurant, full spa facilities, gymnasium and pool, plus a tearoom that serves a traditional English tea, and for the gentlemen, a barber shop. Aside from its comfort and old world design, what has impressed me most is the professionalism of the staff and their dedication to ensure that guest service is paramount. Naturally there is butler service and each room has a butler's closet. What is also intriguing about the Windsor Arms is that you never know who you will run into in the foyer or the elevator. Suffice it to say that there has been a continual flow of "A list" celebrities and internationally known individuals through the hotel during our brief six month association with it. It's probably a bit pricey for the average butler, but if the boss is looking for somewhere to stay in Toronto, I would highly recommend it.
Thanks to the show and one of our grooming endeavors, I had the good fortune of meeting up with Zoltan Szabo, a top ranking sommelier who works at the Il Mulino restaurant, www.ilmulinorestaurant.com. Great food, wonderful wine list, appealing décor and of course, excellent service. Zoltan also offers private client consulting for those of you who may need help with establishing or organizing a wine cellar. Check out his website at www.szaboandszabo.com.
And finally, "Mixology" -- or should I say: bar tending taken to a professional level. Again, thanks to yet another successful grooming endeavor, I came across Dan Seneels and his partner Matt Jones, who are competitive bar professionals. Take a look at their website: www.flairco.com. Personally I prefer to sit quietly with a single malt or a fine cognac, but for those of you who are more flamboyant and thirsting for the latest cocktail served with "flair," you need to meet Dan and Matt. Besides being accomplished showmen, they are also extremely competent and efficient barmen who will delight and entertain your guests and at the same time introduce you to the latest intriguing concoctions.
And with that brief update, I need to return to my current principal task of transforming the Canadian male back into the gentleman he once was, one bloke at a time. Oh, and ladies, remember, you cannot change the man you love, but I can!
Cheers, Paul Hogan
Contact Paul Hogan directly with your feedback and comments.
Cornell Hotel School, The Culinary Institute of America Create Dual Degree Program
Ithaca, N.Y., January 9, 2006 - The Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) have created a dual degree program for students seeking a preeminent education in hospitality management and the culinary arts. Students who complete this intensive program will earn a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Hotel Administration and an Associate in Occupational Studies (A.O.S.) degree in Culinary Arts.
We are pleased to partner with the Cornell Hotel School to create a unique program serving students who have a passion for foodservice and hospitality operations," says Kathy Merget, dean of Liberal Arts & Management Studies at the CIA in Hyde Park, N.Y. "Under this collaboration, students will learn from two colleges that are established global leaders in hospitality and culinary education."
In this intensive program, students who earn their A.O.S. at the CIA now have the opportunity to complete their B.S. at the Cornell Hotel School in six semesters. Students at the Cornell Hotel School can earn both their B.S. and complete the requirements for an A.O.S. from the CIA during the course of their four-year program at Cornell.
Students graduating from this program will have added depth to their culinary knowledge and skills, and a broader perspective about the operations and impact of foodservice across the hospitality spectrum. At the Cornell Hotel School, students will learn restaurant design, development and management, and study foodservice in hotels, resorts, spas, stadiums, institutions and other hospitality settings. At The Culinary Institute of America, students will gain the culinary knowledge, techniques and skills used by leading restaurants, hotels and resorts worldwide.
The dual degree program is part of a broader alliance the two colleges formed in 2003. The alliance aims to enhance the educational experience for students and to serve the hospitality industry through education, research and professional skills development. The dual degree program will launch in May 2006.
"The Cornell Hotel School looks forward to working with our colleagues at The Culinary Institute of America to deliver a program that gives students a distinctive education that reflects the best of both institutions," says Leo Renaghan, associate dean for Academic Affairs at Cornell University. "This is exactly the kind of innovative educational offering that we envisioned upon forming this alliance."
For more information about the dual degree program, please contact Emily Franco, director of the Alliance, at CIA_Alliance @sha.cornell.edu or 607-255-4611.
The Cornell University School of Hotel Administration is shaping the global knowledge base for hospitality management through leadership in education, research and industry advancement. The School provides management instruction in the full range of hospitality disciplines, educating the next generation of leaders in the world's largest industry. Founded in 1922 as the nation's first collegiate course of study in hospitality management, the Cornell Hotel School is recognized as the world leader in its field. For more information, visit www.hotelschool.cornell.edu
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is an independent, not for profit college offering bachelor's and associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts. A network of more than 37,000 alumni in foodservice and hospitality has helped the CIA earn its reputation as the world's premier culinary college. Courses for foodservice professionals are offered at the college's main campus in Hyde Park, NY and at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, in St. Helena, CA. Greystone also offers baking and pastry, advanced culinary arts, and wine certifications. For more information, visit www.ciachef.edu
The above article is from Hotel-online.com.
Cadbury - Advice from a Butler
Dear Cadbury,
A placement agency that we recently contacted politely advised us that they are looking for more 'actual' experience in candidate profiles. This is in regard to a couple position in a private home. We have been working as innkeepers. From our experience, as we are sure from yours, people who have owned successful businesses over a long term tend to have an ownership mentality and they do what it takes to get the job done, no matter what. We wish over the years we could have imparted that same mentality to non-owners. Have a great day! Sarah and Mike
Dear Sarah and Mike,
I agree with you that business ownership does strengthen one's service mindset, because you are dependent on your own efforts to get any reward and you want happy customers. You don't just collect a pay check. However, private service is not exactly like a business. Profit and loss is not a factor, though prudent use of the employers money and resources is very important. In private service, you are an employee charged with managing a property and providing service as the employers direct. In business if someone does not like your service, they stop doing business with you. In private service you don't have the freedom to always do things the way you want or think that they should be done. Some people, especially those who are accustomed to full charge sometimes have a hard time adapting to private service situations in which they are expected to act and give service based on what the employer expects. They simply do have not been exposed to private service and that is why an agency is generally not able to thoughtfully represent them to employers.
Cadbury
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Dear Cadbury,
After working for more than 20 years as a property manager (or jack-o-all-trades), I retired after a heart problem. I have perfect knowledge of the great demand for any position as a household worker, such as executive housekeeper, houseman, house manager, butler, chauffeur, handyman, cook, etc. Because there's little or no chance to bring in new people from another country (with legal papers) to fill vacated positions that have accumulated over the last 10 years, I am wondering why there's no effort being made by any agencies to create a kind of school (affordable) for young couples to learn the trade. My wife and I came from families who worked all their lives as domestics in France and Portugal, so for us, it was really easy to start when we came to the USA more than 20 years ago. But, today, serving is not a well recognized job, and there is no tradition of service in the family. Why?!
Maybe because neither those of us who have worked in the field, nor the agencies who make their living from these people, have invested enough to attract new blood to the field by supporting young people with better ways of getting professionally prepared, without having to pay unthinkable amounts of money that they don't have and/or having to travel to UK, France, etc., to learn what they can learn here in USA.
A while ago, I had a invitation to go to the Philippines to train people, but the travel was a problem for my wife. So I declined, but that was like a wake-up call. Since I retired, I started paying attention to the fact that it's very hard to replace the people who retire, because immigration laws these days make it impossible to bring new people in from other countries. So, why don't we try to look around us and see if we can show young people the many, many advantages and benefits that domestic work has to offer.
Please, let me know if my thoughts are right or if my suggestion has any merit. The experience of my working life gives me the confidence to believe that I can help any person to become a property estate manager (but without the British etiquette) from gardening, repair work around the house, security systems, pool maintenance, formal table setting and serving, chauffeuring (etiquette), cooking, teaching English (if Hispanic), and all the rules and ethics for a household worker. I have done this for many years but only with people that I knew and encouraged to start working in the field.
Mr. Cadbury, please send a word about my idea and if is possible to make something from it.
Mr. Pinheiro, retired estate manager
Dear Mr. Pinheiro,
Thank you for your thoughtful comments on the state of professional private service in this country. Sadly there are only a few expensive schools and programs relating to service in the home, and even these do not address the basic skills involved in expert housekeeping, property management in the home setting and other aspects of fine service in a residence. Your concept of viewing service in the home as skilled trades to be learned early is a good idea. Unfortunately, I think that in the USA our culture does not encourage professional respect for service jobs in the home and therefore the schools are not responding to fill this need in the same way as they are for computer technicians, plumbers and so forth. I can not offer a realistic solution other than to suggest that there is a need for more specialized and affordable training that covers the basics, and I also believe that there is a demand.
We may hope that smart people involved with private service will see opportunity in filling this need.
Cadbury
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Dear Cadbury,
I just received an e-mail from a consulting firm about a position here in Northern California and I have over 40 pages of forms to fill out! Is it customary to have to fill out so many forms nowadays? I understand the purpose of the forms, but 40 seems a little overdoing it! In the last 15 years of service, I have never filled out so many forms. (12 was the previous maximum.) My heart says to withdraw from consideration. I feel my resume package contains all the information that an agency would need to evaluate me and decide if I'm suited for the position. MD
Dear MD,
I would agree that 40 pages is a bit much. It sounds to me like an amateur operation. Typically a search firm will solicit a resume and then go from there to request what they need. Depending on the position, there may be a multiple page application form. A Nanny application form may be longer, because the purpose is to better understand a candidate's thoughts and values in a specific area--children. This is not usually the procedure when working with senior level professionals such as Head Butlers and Estate Managers, because most would be turned off (by all that paperwork), as you are. If they truly want you, they will revise their requirements.
Cadbury
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Links of Interest to Butlers, Household Managers and other Industry Professionals
Are you looking for a specific item relating to private service? Visit the resource page of the Institute of Modern Butler's new website, where you can find links to dozens of useful websites, from employment agencies to technology services and uniforms.
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Institute Training and Educational Programs
The Modern Butler's Journal is the electronic newsletter of the International Institute of Modern Butlers. We are dedicated to raising service standards through on-site and long-distance training, consultation, books, and articles.
We train employees in establishments where attention to detail, and intelligently executed, anticipatory of, and almost invisible service is highly appreciated: Private estates, four/five star/diamond hotels, resorts, spas, retreats, hotel condominiums, private yachts & cruise ships, and businesses.
We also offer consulting services direct to employers and owners seeking knowledge and insights into building and maintaining world class service organizations.
The Institute is the only US-based organization teaching the skills and mindset of the traditional butler as applied to the modern world's service needs. We are the only training organization in the world that focuses on developing the mindset, persona, attitude, and communication skills that are vital to the butler level of service in today's employees.
Contact us for all your training needs via email at enquiries @modernbutlers.com or via telephone: USA 1-813-354-2734. We invite you to also visit our newly updated website, www.modernbutlers.com, for more information.
If You Can't Make it to a School, Try Studying at Home
Continuing education for those already in service, who may be long on experience but short on formal butler training, is hard to do when one is too busy to take time off work. The same holds true for anyone wanting to move into the service industry.
That's when a correspondence course has value. The Institute has therefore created two correspondence courses and is providing each at an introductory fee of US $2,000 (plus materials).
The course for those in the hospitality industry is based on the best-selling industry text, Hotel Butlers, The Great Service Differentiators. To see an outline, click here.
The course for those in private service is based on the best-selling industry text, Butlers and Household Managers, 21st Century Professionals. For an outline, click here.
Both courses include many other industry reference books and DVD's and numerous practical assignments.
For more information or to enroll, visit the Correspondence Course page of the Institute's website.
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