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Letters From Our Readers
Dear Modern Butlers Journal, I am trying to gather information for a presentation and would like an anecdote or two on butlers who, in absence of their employers, administered the household with courage and wisdom and subsequently were compensated by the employer for their initiative in taking charge when others did not. I will be most grateful for your assistance. ... W. Walter Ramos
(If you have any such anecdotes, please e-mail them to the Modern Butlers' Journal.)
Hello to Estate Managers, Butlers and others in private service! I was having a difficult time finding a new position because of the general lack of high-end house staff here in Chicago. No local agencies even handle house managers, PAs, chauffeurs, etc. - just nannies and housekeepers. There certainly is not a lack of houses that need that level of staff though.
I found my current position by e-mailing all real estate agents selling houses over 5 million! A cousin of a friend of my employers forwarded my information to her. Talk about advertising yourself!
As for finding the right people to email to ... old-fashioned research ... but with the help of the Internet. I simply went to various real estate sites, Sothebys included, and did searches for estates in my area. Most of the real estate agents post their email (addresses) on the listing. I ended up sending out about 130 emails. I included other people in their offices as well. I did not send out my resume at first. I simply stated that I was an Estate Manager that recently relocated from San Francisco and was looking for a position. As well, I asked that if any of their clients with new homes asked about staffing, that they keep me in mind.
A butler in Chicago
Profile of a Modern Butler
If you ever wondered what Mr. Stevens in Remains of the Day was paid and how many days he could take off, you'd be surprised to know it was not much, but it was enough. Or so says Mr. Fink, who was beginning his career around the same time the plot of Remains of the Day ends.
"When I first applied for a job as a Butler in 1959, you would always find positions for butlers in The London Times under "Domestic Situations." A butler usually received £5-6 a week and accommodation, but when living out, received £10 a week. I supported a family of four and managed very well at that time. But pay scales today are very much different: one butler whom I trained recently receives around £450 per week as an assistant butler. The job has moved up into a profession these days.
As for time off, we had one day off a week but always had to serve breakfast before we could leave. A car was always provided.
"I remember in 1961 when my boss asked me, "Do you want to help a gentleman a few miles away with a large dinner party for about sixty guests, followed by a Hunt Ball (Cattistock Hunt)." The lady of the house put me onto laying of the table and then asked if I would clean some silver--mainly salt and pepper pots that were BLACK!
"I was togged out (dressed) in my best, so I wasn't that happy with the request. Then I served the dinner with only help from the cook, a first-timer from the local village, so I was guiding her the whole way. We made it, but not to a very high standard. When the guests left for the ball, the cook and I had to hand-wash everything: three courses of plates, a side plate, three glasses each and a pile of silver cutlery!
"I left at 04.30 a.m., drove back to the boss' house and spent the next hour picking up clothes and damp towels in every room, and turning down all the beds, as my boss and his guests had gone to the same party and had not yet returned. I was knackered by the time I went home. Total pay for the party was £3. Unbelievable in today's world, but if I hadn't done things like that I wouldn't know what to tell butler trainees what to expect on the job.
"It was always expected that the butler be a trained valet--they were expected to exist as one job. I have worked for families with a separate valet, but it was very unusual, only in very formal households when the employer needed a valet to be with him constantly. So, nowadays, I teach exactly as I was taught back then: butler-valets. Hence the name of my school: The Butler-Valetschool.co.uk"
Mr. Richard Fink
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 new service, the Institute now 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.
Interesting News Article Links
The image of a butler may seem firmly planted in the bygone world of Jeeves and Wooster, but there's still a demand today for high quality help:
http://www.recruitermagazine.co.uk/sub_features_item.asp?id=12979
Can e-butlers serve you better? Link sent by Chris Allen - Thank you!
http://www.expresscomputeronline.com/20050711/technologylife04.shtml
Seventy-five years after it was first opened to the public, George W. Vanderbilt's grand Biltmore House - the largest home in the United States - is showing off a new side. Ten rooms on the fourth floor - including several that housed the servants who kept the 250-room house running - have been restored and opened to the public for the first time. Link sent by Chris Allen - Thank you!
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/hotels/2005-07-18-biltmore_x.htm
Millionaire Manor
I work for Endemol UK, the UK's biggest independent TV production company and makers of shows such as Big Brother, Fame Academy and Changing Rooms.
I am currently working on a new show called 'Millionaire Manor', which is based around the lifestyles of the rich and famous. The entire series will be shot on location from a glamorous mansion/stately home, where families will compete to win the right to live a life of luxury inside for a week. A more detailed outline of the program follows below.
We are therefore looking for a BUTLER who is at the very top of his/her profession. This butler's main role will be to work for the resident family of 'Millionaire Manor'. But he/she should also be aware that this is a television show and therefore should be happy to appear on television as a 'character' of the show. We are hoping to film the show over a 12-week period starting in October 2005.
The central idea of the show is that ordinary families from all over the UK will have the opportunity to live the life of millionaires, without having to be one.
They will live for one week in Millionaire Manor, a large family home interior-designed to the highest standards. They will not only enjoy sumptuous living accommodations including their own gym, swimming pool and tennis court, but also the services of a dedicated team of staff including housekeeper, top chef, chauffeur and, of course, the very best butler.
During the week of their stay they will be able to make the most of their new lifestyle inside the Manor, whether it's throwing lavish dinner parties for their friends, enjoying visits from masseuses and personal trainers, watching a movie on their state-of-the-art home entertainment system, or just playing with the myriad of toys and gadgets that will fill the rooms.
Outside of the house they'll enjoy days and evenings out in keeping with their status - they'll go designer shopping, race sports cars around Silverstone, take in film premieres and leading sporting events.
On the Saturday of each week the family will be forced to compete to keep hold of their newfound status as three other families (who will be camping out in the Manor's grounds) challenge them for the keys to the Manor.
The main Saturday show will feature a series of fun challenges that take place inside the manor and are themed around wealthy lifestyles - perhaps valuing luxury items and antiques or answering questions about famous millionaires. The family that does the best will get to stay in the manor for the following week.
Millionaire Manor is an exciting new entertainment show--an aspirational reality event for all the family to enjoy.
The Millionaire Manor Butler
Smart and sophisticated, relaxed and refined; that's how we envision the 21st Century butler who is to be the welcoming face of Millionaire Manor.
We are looking for a dedicated professional who is not only at ease with the day-to-day running of a large family home, but who is also capable of making the resident family feel comfortable in their new surroundings--bearing in mind it will be an environment that they will not be used to and may be intimidated by.
Our butler must also be flexible to the additional requirements of a large-scale television production and relaxed even when those requirements conflict with their normal working practices.
The ideal candidate will be someone who is comfortable fulfilling this role both off and onscreen and who is happy to become a character within the program, without this being their primary objective.
If you feel you may qualify, email: Iona Mackenzie at iona.mackenzie@endemoluk.com
The Future Hospitality Professional
by Steven Ferry
As adventurous as it may be to predict the future, there is no doubt in my mind that we stand today at the same point as Dick Tracy when he conversed through a two-way, walkie-talkie video wrist-watch to a remote caller six decades ago. In other words, the prediction that hospitality professionals of the future will read the minds of guests may sound a far-fetched fantasy and possibly even ludicrous, but it will come to be. Why? Because it has been done to some extent for centuries by that quintessential service provider, the British butler, when in top form; and because the technology to bring all service professionals to that pinnacle already exists.
Here, we are not talking some corporate formula for guest interaction that too often results in canned phrases and plastered-on smiles; or a consultant guru's mantra for superior guest services that seeks to put a datum where intelligent observation and action should be. We are talking information relay followed by drilling on the "how to's" resulting in an ability gained. It's nothing mystic and has no relationship to any psychological mumbo-jumbo, but down-to-earth application of workable principles resulting in guests being properly assessed and treated in a way that they find pleasurable, which always leaves them feeling better than before the service was administered.
Such guest service employees of the future will be closer to Life Consultants than room service and will care as much about guests as their mothers. So says the crystal ball. Predicting the future can be fun. Take the "Future Holiday Forum" held in London, England recently for leaders in travel, technology and design. Their "2024: A Holiday Odyssey" according to a Forbes.com report predicted the future hotel for remote destinations as a foldable/ transportable, self-sustaining, low-environmental-impact pod on stilts in which guests could choose the images to be projected on the walls. The technology for such hotels already exists.
The line-up of future hotels that will similarly soon be with us includes underwater hotels and airship hotels that permit scenic views as one travels leisurely to one's next destination. Resorts in space no doubt lie in the future, incorporating spinning rooms for all the comforts that we have come to expect from living with gravity.
As for space-age technology addressed at specific hospitality issues, we already have 3-D hologram teleconferencing for hotels specializing in conference services. We will soon see smart cards containing all information on a guest, including likes and dislikes, as well as credit card information that will no doubt make check-in and customized servicing of guests easy.
Other technologies to be introduced into the hospitality sector include robotics for cleaning and check-in; biometric security such as retina scans for entrance to rooms and access to safes. Then there is nanotechnology (manipulating and manufacturing at the molecular level). While we are close to imprinting electronic equipment onto our clothing and even skins, there is talk of using nanotechnology to reconfigure rooms per guest wishes, transmogrifying the furniture, fixtures and decorations at the push of a button (so to speak).
However, notice that the talk of the future is invariably in the realm of gadgetry and machinery. Whatever happened to the human element? Are we giving up on our fellow man? Are we just using him or her until some machine can replace him not just on the factory floor but also in the giving of service? Just as Astounding Science Fiction moved beyond machines to focus on the human element regarding things from outer space during the 1930s, so I believe we need to move into improving the human element, rather than always focusing on the mechanical and even trying to substitute machines for humans. And by improving the human element, I mean moving beyond formulas and mantras to increase employee intelligence and ability to act self-determinedly, rather than other-determinedly by rote.
Butler as Future Service Standard
Whether or not Mr. Horst Schulze, former chairman of Ritz-Carlton, was serious when he announced his plans to introduce a six-star hotel chain that was defined in part by private butlers, he was signaling recognition of the value of a certain something that classic British butlers bring to the guest experience.
So what's the connection between the British butler of the past and present, and the future hospitality professional? How does one move service employees from transient, lower-paid wage earners to professional service providers acting with pride and knowledge, more akin to Life Consultants than room service and caring as much for guests as their own mothers?
Try the code and standards of the traditional butler: trustworthiness, loyalty, attentiveness to guests, predicting what they want and attention to detail in providing it before they even know they want it. Always calmly smoothing events into a successful conclusion with a can-do attitude and real caring for the guest; social graces, treating each person with dignity; the soul of discretion; never crossing the invisible line between friendliness and familiarity, attitude free; a superb organizer who always achieves targets set; able to deal with the raw emotions of upset staff, imperious or discourteous guests, indignant bosses, shifty contractors and suppliers and the best-laid plans falling apart at the last moment-all the while maintaining his composure, his desire to provide the best possible service, and ensuring events turn out satisfactorily. Who finally has the energy and humility to ask, "Was there anything I could have improved about my service today?"
That's the basic butler persona and mindset. But beyond that, we need something more to create the service provider of the 21st Century.
Current Best Practices in guest services result in an industry effort to have all guests greeted cheerfully or enthusiastically. That's fine for employees who are naturally cheerful or enthusiastic. But how fake the result when they are not. And is it really appropriate when every guest is so greeted when they are neither cheerful nor enthusiastic at that particular moment nor even as a general rule. One size does not fit all.
What is needed is an understanding of the human mind and character, how their emotions dictate their attitudes, and what they will find acceptable to talk about, consequently, and at what emotional tone.
Anyone who thinks that "emotion" is the opposite of "rationality" won't be tracking with the above. "Emotions" actually refer to the measurable wavelengths emitted by an individual as an expression of his or her like or dislike for various subjects. Some men are enthusiastic about football or conservative about receiving that promotion. Some women grieve over the loss of a relative or dissolve in raptures over a friend's new hair-do. The exhilaration of an individual who has just won the Lotto can be contrasted rather handily with the apathy exhibited by an individual who has nowhere else to go for help and has given up. Or take the boredom a man might exhibit during a business conference as it enters its fourth hour, or the covert hostility (the equivalent of the phrase "passive aggressive") exhibited by a woman as she smiles crookedly while saying "What a lovely dress. I saw one just like it in the thrift store yesterday."
These are emotions. Pegging a guest's (or boss's or co-workers) emotional tone allows one to read their mind and predict their behavior. This technology already exists.
There is more, though: being in the moment or now with guests. Presenting a guest with an attitude, or dealing with them while one's attention is elsewhere, completely misses the boat when it comes to making them the most important element in a hospitality setting. So the question is: how does one anchor employees in the now? It's easy. If you know how.
And when you have that licked, you will find employees will be there enough to observe what is right in front of their faces, compute intelligently, and then act effectively to predict and cater to guest needs, and more importantly, read their mind.
And that is why the future of hospitality lies with the ancient butler tradition, married to the latest in "mind-reading" technology to better read and serve guests. Fit that into the equation, and we will find those floating or space-based hotels, as well as the regular landlubber hotels of today, better serviced and continuing to attract guests who prefer the human touch. Robots for humans is about as satisfying as petting a Sony RoboDog instead of your loyal, lively and loving Lab.
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
What is Service?
by Josephine Ives
I have noticed lately, again, that a lot is written and talked about service. Service is supposed as a unique opportunity to make a difference to someone else's life! Sometimes that difference, however, is not always the positive one we hope for!
Trying to define service, in the first place, is tantamount to trying to describe love, and yet we persistently seek to expound our theories. The very word service can be further defined to give us more food for thought. If, for instance, you take the equation SERVICE = Technique + Attitude, then the following may offer some help towards defining the term service. The other equation involves passion, a word that is usually reserved for that other incredibly difficult word to define [love]: PASSION = energy + commitment.
Putting all this together, service becomes not only a good combination of technique and attitude but with energy and commitment there is passion, as well! However, developing the highest standards of service requires being motivated towards a deeper understanding of guests needs.
How can we achieve this? The first step towards great service is willingness. A willingness, not just to give service, but, to really understand the person who is requiring service, i.e. the guest or employer, and how and why do they need it [our product] in the first place?
The second step is grooming. This is not just in the physical sense, but looking the best one can, all the time, is crucial. It's all part of the big picture. Mental grooming supports both attitude and commitment. It not only makes us feel better, it inspires both us and our guests.
Since really good guest or employer service seems to be a strange blend of realism and idealism, how do we recognize great service?
True service comes from the heart, I hear some say! When we feel excited about the part we are playing in other people's lives - it shows. But, the relationship you have with your guest or employers starts with the one you have with yourself! The ability to make a difference to someone else's life is special, but you have to want to do just that!
Asked if you really like being of service to other people, regardless of the obvious financial benefits, do you still, honestly, want to do that? Service is, after all, about commitment, a form of unwritten contract, if you like. If service is not delivered, given properly or to required standards then the agreement has been broken.
This contract can take several forms, verbal, non-verbal, implied or telepathic, but whichever form it takes, in any other situation, breaking such an agreement might even have legal implications, but service isn't treated like that. If it were, lawyers around the world would be clapping their hands and jumping with joy, and, no doubt, laughing all the way to the bank.
To that end, service always needs to be taken more seriously, not just by paying lip service to a subject that is talked about so frequently. These discussions will always leave many issues unresolved, pending more pressing matters, such as the financial bottom line. But, in this instance, the bottom line is service and plenty of it. With the blend of those two ingredients; service and passion, it can happen.
By encouraging staff to indulge guests or employers, and because it's a two way street, both parties come away from good service feeling good. But how do we make our guests and employers feel really special?
Service is like playing the piano, you don't get any better unless you practice, practice, practice! Actors rehearse, they learn their lines, they pose in front of the mirror, and they have numerous dress rehearsals, re-runs and "takes" until they are sure they have got it right.
Actors take their talent for performance very seriously: service staff should do the same. The hospitality profession is not so different from show business, if you regard the 'back offices' as the wings and the front door as the curtain. What you have in between is one huge wonderful stage, and a truly inspired and disciplined artist can create a masterpiece.
When a guest walks out of your establishment, seemingly floating on air with a smile on their face: that is your product!
And that is what makes the service profession such a challenge! Putting smiles on people's faces.
So, what is the true purpose of service? Could it, simply, be the delivery of a 'product' - tangible or intangible - that goes beyond the guests' expectations? Can we really hope to define guest service? On the other hand, do we accept that in trying to do so, it will prompt a series of thoughts? Ideals and philosophies that, perhaps, could be useful tools towards developing a beneficial, substantial and more personal level of service?
Do guests and employers, in point of fact, know what they want? If they do, it will make our life slightly easier, but if they don't, we have to convince them! So this, in turn, means that we constantly have to be one step ahead. Hoping to know, in advance, what the guest or employer wants is tough. However, if you can anticipate a need, you won't have to solve a problem and in doing so you will save yourself a great deal of stress, time and energy!
To a certain extent, service can be construed and offered in so many different ways and guises, but guest or employer moods will reflect how it is received. A guest or employers' expectation of service can be high or low, but mostly it is based on the systems and/or culture that they are more familiar with. If the service is to match or go beyond these expectations then it will be regarded accordingly as poor, good or over-effective service. We do need, however, to be sure that the service we offer is relevant to the guests' or employers' particular needs.
Let's take a look at the word service. The dictionary tells us that it is the act of serving - i.e. the physical, but says nothing about attitude. I believe service is not just the physical product, but like all products, the ingredients have to be right. The delicate balance of skill and attitude, as essential ingredients, will dictate the level of service.
The individual service person's attitude, is based on several attitude issues. Firstly; the desire to put another's needs before one's own, secondly; the working environment; i.e. 5-star or luxury environments versus lesser establishments, thirdly; the need for financial remuneration, and finally an understanding of service via product knowledge and skill.
Taking each point on its merits, the desire to put another's needs first is often hard to acquire. Very often motivated by the individual's personality, giving service comes more naturally and easily to some than it does to others. The solution appears to be in the choice of self-motivated, sincere, and open-minded staff with a genuine willingness to offer a style of service that suits the establishment.
Here attitude is all-important. It's hard enough to define service let alone define the right attitude, but it appears that ego may have something to do with it! Ego-stroking and tempering attitude are delicate areas, many Human Resources directors and managers will readily admit that they spend a lot of time addressing these issues. Regardless of denials, everyone has an ego. Learning to use one's ego effectively is another matter, but it does have a great effect on our attitude. Recognizing how to indulge one's own feelings should not be seen as a selfish motive, instead acknowledged as an enormous benefit towards approaching other peoples' egos more positively.
The second issue: that of the working environment. Many establishments expect staff to be able to offer so much based on so little. The backdrop to successful 'attitude-building' has to be in the care and welfare of staff behind the scenes. A sub-standard 'back of house' environment does little to engender high self-esteem in the staff. Given this respect, and if staff are continuously regarded as intelligent, caring and useful human beings without any tinge of resentment, their self esteem will be raised and the atmosphere will be totally different. By respecting and nurturing staff carefully, they [the staff] will gain not only self-respect, confidence and self esteem, in turn they will show more respect and care for guests or employers including other staff who are the very important internal guests as well.
By creating a comfortable working environment, such as good staff facilities, many establishments have subsequently found that much more is achieved towards guest or employer satisfaction through higher levels of staff satisfaction. Staff will feel more important and vital, consequently, their attitude reflects how they feel, and this will ultimately prove to be much more amenable to guests and guest or employers.
The third issue is that of financial remuneration. It's often true that where no service charge is made, and where the individual service person is responsible for his/her actions, that this system still has the edge. A system however, where a blanket service charge covers all staff, often generates an undesirable lower motivation level amongst those actually designated to deliver the service.
The final issue is that of product knowledge and skill. These almost hold all else together. With the right personality and attitude, the result could be well near perfect. Without good product knowledge, no service operator can hope to serve successfully. Skill can, of course, overcome this to a certain extent. With skill comes a need for attention to detail. Where does one gain this attention to detail? Is it inherent in one's character or can it be acquired? It could be either.
Many so-called service professionals are not in a position to criticise constructively, simply because they have no personal benchmark or experience with which to make a comparison. Skill, product knowledge, attention to detail, quality awareness, a desire to serve and inspire guest or employers to relax, enjoy, spend money and come back and so on. But, a lot of this can only be gained by exposure to the right information or situations.
Often they [the staff] have never even experienced the style of service they are expected to give. It's like asking a chef to serve his food without ever knowing what it tastes like! Unthinkable! How could he possibly know what he is trying to achieve without first tasting, thus enabling him to continue in his pursuit of perfection? It's largely to do with training, not just skills, but carefully encouraging a basis on which to help promote the right attitude.
But, it could be argued, that service is the way guests feel after they have been served! It's worth remembering that we are in one of the few professions in the world whose assets continually walk out through the front door! Whatever you do for guests and employers, remember: you will also feel a lot happier if you think of it as doing it for yourself. Indulge yourself. In other words, enjoy guests and employers.
Each establishment has its own well-defined personality determined by a number of things: the lifestyle of the guests or employers; the culture of its geographical location; the style of its cuisine; the choice of tastefully appointed rooms and suites; and its own philosophy of service.
But it is how this service is delivered that will ensure a happy guest or employer. Well-trained, well-groomed, (mentally as well as physically), kind, courteous, confident and willing service professionals produce the right atmosphere, and with a little extra flair will create a memorable experience for guests and employers.
Practice is essential. Guest service staff should take every opportunity to make a difference to someone else's life, and demonstrate that true and real service comes from the heart. And remember, this business is like show business, have fun and show that you enjoy giving service!
Be innovative, if you see something about the service in your establishment that needs updating, changing or improving, set out to achieve that goal. If you want to know what more you can do to make your guest or employer happy, try the direct approach; ask them. When they give you the answers, write them down straight-away, this way they will realize you are serious about the question and don't forget to thank them.
Great service can be recognized by what the person did, not by what they said they would do. Some of these suggestions may be very worthwhile, follow them up.
This 'new' service initiative pays off, in much the same way as market research; you have to know exactly what it is that people want when they say they want service.
When a guest leaves your establishment, not just with a smile on their face, but having confirmed that they enjoyed themselves. If you also feel good about the service you gave, then you can feel proud of yourself and your fellow staff members for having achieved and excelled their expectations through your level of service. That is your product and should be your goal.
Josephine Ives is Owner / Director of Magnums Butlers located in Australia. Visit their web site at www.magnumsbutler.com
Who is a Modern Butler?
by Werner Leutert
Last issue I expressed my thoughts on knowledge that today's seasoned modern butler must have about "Lifestyle Management" in order to be both "hands-on" and/or able to intelligently direct others. In particular, the Butler must have or seek to quickly gain strong knowledge in three areas as they relate to private service: Lifestyle Management, Facility Management, and Business Management.
In this issue of MBJ we shall review the components of Facility Management.
Traditionally the overview of facility management of a private home or estate has been divided into the "Inside" and the "Outside." The Estate Manager has the overall responsibility and the he or she may double as the Outside or Inside Manager. Some organizations will have the Butler on the inside and a Property Manager on the outside, and then someone in the family office like a Director of Households who is the next link up in the organization. Or that D of H could be the employer.
A major tenet of facility management is effective routine maintenance. Daily Maintenance involves cleaning systems and techniques. Bathroom basics, carpet care, marble etc, dusting, vacuuming, basic laundry, order in the kitchen, car cleaning, raking leaves, cleaning windows all lend themselves to generally common sense approaches but as managers we should "expect what we inspect." It is important for both managers and workers to know what the proper technique is for each aspect of cleaning and to create a culture of attention to detail in the household. Respect for the cleaning materials used and a strong rule that when in doubt about how to perform routine maintenance, that one should ask how it is to be done. It is important to promote professionalism in cleaning and promote pride in this important part of the household service standards.
Good service can be expected from machinery, buildings and grounds when equipment is serviced regularly. When buildings are painted or re-roofed etc in a calculated schedule costs can be budgeted. Grounds need their seasonal treatments for fertilizer, pests, changing of annuals etc. Inside things such as filter replacements, seasonal preparations as for winter or hurricanes are best done on a schedule. Divide all maintenance into categories - daily, weekly, monthly and yearly - and develop your system for not only keeping up with the schedule but for adjusting the details and noting special things to remember next time around. Checklists and actual task descriptions can be helpful. Computers are good for this, but I also recommend a printed manual to compliment the digital details.
Butlers and Managers should have some basic understanding of household systems-electricity, plumbing, telephone, air conditioning, refrigeration, security, refrigeration and so forth. There are several books and computer CD's on the market, such as "Reader's Digest" Home Maintenance and Repair Manual: What to Do When Things Go Wrong, which can give you an overview of these topics. Also, take advantage of your vendors and "pick their brains" by asking a lot of questions and seek suggestions for reducing the need for their services.
Facility Management involves responsibility for home contents - every home has many things on display and in storage. Professional caretaking of possessions involves insuring that items are not only maintained, but also handled, displayed or stored properly and subjected to appropriate levels of light, humidity and human contact.
Vehicles, boats, motorcycles, aircraft fall in the facility management realm and require similar attention to details from maintenance, storage, to record keeping and to insuring that that the related paperwork like license renewals and insurance are properly managed.
This is just a brief overview of facility management. It is vital to understand that, as the Butler or Manager, you are not just a computer manager, but that you monitor and oversee the employer's property in a hands-on way. There are newly developed software programs that standardize and help insure professional facility management. Contact the Institute for details.
The art of Butling encompasses even more. Next issue we will take a look at concepts involved in Business Management.
If you have questions email me at wernerleutert@modernbutlers.com
Visit my web site www.homestaffingnetwork.com
Institute Training and Educational Programs
The International Institute of Modern Butlers draws upon the widest selection of trainers available in the field to train Hotel Butlers, and is the only source for training on the new Spa Butler program. If you are seriously considering butler service, improving or expanding upon existing butler service, or implementing the Spa Butler program in your hotel or resort, then contact the registrar or visit the Institute's website today.
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 $2,100 (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.
Cadbury - Advice from a Butler
Dear Cadbury,
We are back in Private Service since the beginning of January in a very prominent Swiss household. We are enjoying it very much, but are having a bit of difficulty adjusting to the very high demands placed on us by this very dynamic young couple.
The biggest problem we are having is getting through the ever-increasing amount of chores dished out to us, over and above the already busy daily schedule.
Being conscientious and grateful for having been given the opportunity to work in this very up-market and very well paid job, we don't quite know how to communicate our distress of having not enough hours in the day to finish everything to the high standard demanded, without appearing to be incompetent or complaining.
Although our official working hours are supposed to be 42.5 hours, by law and terms of employment, we are having to forfeit our break periods to get everything done. So we are finding ourselves working from 07.00 until 20.30 hours most days of the week without a break. We are off Saturday and Sunday, unless a special function is on.
The couple is very busy, with a demanding social schedule, and communication is of a very quick verbal or written nature. He has a very biting verbal attitude, that does not allow a reasonable discussion. We have had one "staff meeting" after the first month service and consequent planned meetings have been postponed time and again due to their busy schedule.
Maybe you have a suggestion for us as to how we can address the situation tactfully and respectfully, before it becomes an issue for either party. M & P
Dear M & P,
What you describe as happening with your boss is not uncommon. You are doing a good job and they don't really know what it all takes to do the work, so their expectations creep up--especially since you are polite and seemingly willing.
Since they will not have regular staff meetings, your only recourse is to increase the written communication. You do need to be assertive.
I always recommend that, in lieu of a staff meeting, the important matters need to be communicated in whatever manner works with the employer. Even if they do not read the material, they cannot then later say, "You never told us."
Prepare a 1-2 page document that can be called Weekly Status Report for Week of _____ that covers:
Important events of last week
Status of projects
Tasks deferred on priority list
Recommendations to resolve problem of deferred tasks - such as outsourcing, or another worker
Future items: next week, next month, next year
How are we doing? Please advise of any ways that we can improve
Our feedback
We have had to prioritize work in order to maintain the appropriate balance in our work time / private life.
We are very flexible and know that your long term best interests are served when we feel good about our work and ability to perform to high standard while not rushing or over promising what can realistically be accomplished.
Our recommendations are:
We plan to implement these protocols, unless we hear back from you.
Thank you. The important thing is to provide the Status Reports regularly. Ask for feedback and at some point stiffen the backbone and be assertive. One has to take care of oneself first in order to properly take care of someone else.
Cadbury
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