How those trained by the Institute’s trainers feel about their experience
“Mr. Vargas proved to be a knowledgeable, patient, and passionate trainer and the feedback from the students couldn’t be better: In fact, they have all been united in their view that both the theory and practice classes were very interesting and exceeded everyone’s expectations. They have a renewed confidence in their skills and now know which areas they should develop individually, not only at work but also in their personal life. Our team members learned new communication and interpersonal skills that will no doubt allow them to meet every guest’s expectations in wow’ing them. It is indeed a joy to watch how engaged and involved they all are, contributing in excellent ways to the everyday hotel operation, constantly interacting with their teams and briefing them on ways to improve and develop their service delivery. In summary, we are truly honoured to have had Mr. Amer Vargas as a coach. Thank you for inspiring the team!” TM
The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.
Welcome to our new monthly column on training household staff.
Staff training is a crucial resource in improving service delivery. It is an investment both in the individual staff member, as well as an investment in the successful running of the household.
When hiring an external trainer, you can be sure the principal will want to see a return on investment. Even the best training, if poorly planned or inappropriately targeted, will have unsatisfactory outcomes. Having the knowledge to conduct good research and plan training properly is essential, even if you will not conduct the training yourself.
It is often assumed that smaller households lack the skills and resources to conduct their own training. This is incorrect. You should be able to train simple skills. Being an expert in your field is insufficient: training requires a different skills-set to serving and managing. Good planning, a structured approach, and sound training technique will not only improve service delivery and staff morale, but also reduce the costs and risks associated with running a household.
It is not unreasonable for an employer to expect you to raise service and safety standards through training. Doing so combines well with the butler ethos of constant improvement.
In next month’s newsletter, we will be looking at the argument for training household staff.
Frank Mitchell’s background is as a private-service butler who then became a head butler at a hotel, and then a butler trainer with the Institute. While he continues to train butlers for the Institute occasionally, his focus for the last decade has been on training staffs. He has written several columns for the MBJ over the years.
The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.
Teaching Right Mindset, People Skills, & Superior-service Expertise
Message from the Chairman
A lot of interesting subjects (to butlers at least) in this month’s MBJ.
This year has been quite tumultuous, one might think, if one is to believe the media and follow the effects being created by a very small minority of individuals and groups. It is not a dangerous world, as the media and such individuals would have us believe; and whatever problems they hammer continuously into our minds—to the point where we might throw up our arms in defeat and retreat into the smart phone, tablet, laptop, bottle or syringe—something can be done about them.
But more to the point, in the real world, most people continue to enjoy life and take pleasure in interacting and exchanging with their fellow humans, dogs, and life in general. This is the truth of the matter—not this virtual world of blood and guts, tragedy and collapse—and we will all do much better when we ignore the rantings and ravings, disconnect from the (bad) news, and simply focus on flourishing and prospering as individuals and communities. Certainly that is my wish for our profession and the people we serve.
Butlers in the Media
The use of robot butlers to deliver items to hotel guests is spreading, as Hilton joins the bandwagon. Some good news concerning human versus automated service providers: human concierges prove to be superior to app concierges by actual trial. Hopefully, this will help reverse the trend over the last three years that has seen a 20% drop in the number of luxury hotels employing concierges.
One misuse of the word “butler” that seems to have caught the media’s imagination is “Instagram Butler,” wherein a resort photographer provides guests with imaginative shots for their use on Instagram. A Realty Butler apparently makes Realtors’/Real estate Agents’ lives easier online; a Yard Butler landscapes the garden.
As Fran Nachman, concierge of the Sonesta hotel in Philadelphia pointed out in the above-linked article, “The word (concierge) has been co-opted by so many companies and products that some are forgetting that its original meaning refers to a profession.” The same fate could be awaiting butlers unless we keep the definition alive, and refer to any other use of the word “butler” as “any object or service trying to increase its prestige in the mind of the consumer by drawing on the superior-service reputation of the butler in looking after wealthy and powerful people.” Or does anyone have a better definition?
No less than three butlers were interviewed about their work for Hugh Hefner, who just passed away. One was complimentary and another was derogatory, painting two different pictures of the same individual.
Likewise, a butler to the Queen of England, no less, spoke about her abdicating. Whether made as an unofficial statement or an official release, a butler is a highly inappropriate avenue for such revelations, as it forwards the idea that butlers are blabbermouths if they are the first port of call for the media concerning celebrity business—hardly a part of the job description, or something we want to encourage as a reputation.
Finally, the chairman was interviewed for a short article about various things butler.
Professional Standards of Performance: Applications
By Professor Richard Ratliff
The International Institute of Modern Butlers has formulated a comprehensive set of Professional Standards of Performance for butlers and household managers. These standards have been published as detailed additions to A Professional Butler’s Code of Ethics. Copies of these standards are available from the Institute’s web site and are discussed at length in the new publication, Serving the Wealthy: The Modern Butler’s and Household/Estate Manager’s Companion.
We will be running a series in the Modern Butler’s Journal of brief scenarios showing how the new standards may be applied to specific circumstances faced by today’s butlers and household managers. The first in the series follows below.
Additionally, we encourage readers to email questions raised in dealing with difficult situations they may have encountered in the course of their duties—so we can discuss them further.
“…IN THIS HOUSE”
Scenario: A newly hired butler set the table for a family dinner on his first day of work: a standard, informal setting for plated service. The employer had requested a four-course sequence—soup, salad, lamb and potatoes, and sorbet for dessert. The butler set the soup spoons on the outside right of the plate, salad knives middle right, and main course knives next to the plate on the right. Forks likewise were placed outside left for the salad and inside left for the main course. Sorbet spoons were to be brought on the dessert plates when served.
The employer’s wife requested that salad knives be moved to the left of the dinner knives, and salad forks moved to the right of the main course forks. The wife’s request violates generally accepted practice in Western culture.
Should the butler comply with the demand?
Standards: While the new Professional Standards of Performance state that a butler should master generally accepted meal service practices, his “primary concerns are the comfort, pleasure, welfare, and security of the members of the household.” The standards clearly indicate that the butler is employed by, serves at the pleasure of, and “usually works directly under the head householder…,” and must be “gracious” and “flexible.” The standards specify “a properly working relationship between an employer and butler includes clearly defined roles, professional courtesy, mutual respect and trust, and effective communication.”
The correct answer: The butler works for the employer, and by extension, would cater to the wishes of the lady of the house as long as her wishes are not immoral, unethical, or illegal. The correct way is “how it is done in this house”.
Households differ, as expert opinions often differ—and who is to say what is right or wrong. Still, there must be consensus between the employer, butler, and members of the household. Unless the employer is recently wealthy and has no idea of normal protocol, in which case the butler might mention tactfully the standard practice (while signaling his willingness to acquiesce), he should simply move the knives and forks as instructed
Professor Ratliff began his butling career at 69 years of age, proving that it is never too late to enter the profession. While retired from full-time butling assignments, he still offers his services as a temporary butler. He co-authored Volume 1 of Serving the Wealthy and has published three other books and over thirty articles.
The Wisdom of Butlers Past, Part 6
In the last issue, we considered the nature of the employer one serves. In this month, we consider our own nature and that of those with whom we associate and bring into contact with the employer’s household. It may seem that the few who break the golden rules of butling (by stealing, breaking confidences, etc.) and capitalize, via a mass media yearning for sensation, on their new-found celebrity, succeed by growing rich; but one only has to look at the quality of their lives to see them struggling to find happiness in a life tainted by their own misdeeds.
“I trust, for your own sakes, you will make intimate companions of none other than persons of this [ethical] description. You must always bear in mind that your character is your bread and your all; you must therefore watch over it incessantly, to keep it unstained and undeniable, as without this, it is useless to seek after any respectable service whatsoever.
“Nor can we wonder at the scrupulousness of ladies and gentlemen in this particular, or at-the-minute inquiries they make into every point of a stranger’s character, before they are willing to admit him in the capacity of a servant beneath the roof; as, from the moment they do it, he becomes of necessity entrusted, to a certain degree, with their property, and even their lives. And how many sad instances are there, of which we have all heard, of masters being robbed by dishonest servants, and even their lives being exposed to danger through evil connections, formed unknown to them by the inmates* of their family!
“Remember also, that is not sufficient that your own conduct be good; if you associate with those whose conduct is bad, you’ll be judged by them at least as much as by yourself.”
* A meaning rarely used today, “one of several occupants of a house.”
Extracted from the 1823 book, The Footman’s Directory and Butler’s Remembrancer, re-published in hardback by Pryor Publications. You may obtain your discounted copy (with free s&h) by emailing the publisher: Mr. Pryor (alan @ pryor-publications.co.uk) and telling him you read about the offer in the Modern Butlers’ Journal.
Recent Graduations
This year, the Institute has held about thirty graduations in hospitality venues around the world. Here are some photos of recent proud graduates, equipped to excel:
Norwegian Cruise Lines “The Pride of America”, Hawaii
The Landings, St. LuciaParadisus Cabo, Mexico, Butlers and Concierges
The Butlers Speak
Finding & Managing Staff, Part 2 of 3
What do you do to introduce new hires to their positions and environment?
“We have developed written policies and procedures. For housekeeping staff, we have the residence split into zones with their own cleaning timetable each week. I switch the cleaning lists each week so the staff are fully cross trained. We also have pictures of the bedrooms on how beds are made, etc. I go over each room in detail and clarify expectations.” NS
“I spend as much time as is needed with new hires, asking and answering as many questions. I show them the house, highlighting the the standards of the house and what we expect. I have them shadow another staff member for the day and then meet with them at the end of the day to chat about their experiences and any concerns they may have. I also speak with the staff member who has been with them and ask for their input on how the day went.” PBW
“Initially, we do a property walk while the principals are not in residence. Hopefully, once hired, there’s an opportunity for a probationary period without principals present to train the new hire in a less-pressured environment. We also hold a new-employee welcoming party off-campus.” SA
“Introducing them to all other household staff is essential. If possible, I try to spend the whole of their first day at their side to literally walk them through their duties (establishing expectations and demonstrating standards) and to guide them through the house.” CH
How effective have these proven?
“Very. I’m a believer in team work and that you can never have too much information. I will always assist our staff in any way I can to help them develop their skills.” NS
“Invaluable, I wouldn’t do it any other way. I think it helps both parties tremendously.” PBW
“Works for me. The trick is to convince your principal that these steps remove a myriad of unknowns, and that I can be trusted to evaluate effectively the candidates beyond the capabilities of the agent. Since I know the context and environment, I become an essential bridge to a seamless transition of duties. When an employer tries to do more than endorse my conclusions, their criteria will inevitably lead to the wrong candidate. I have yet to meet an employer who is skilled at personality assessment. Skills are either good or can be learned. But personalities and motivation cannot be changed, or improved: either they are in place or they are not.” SA
“When I have been able to spend a day with a new staff member, the results have been delightful. Introducing them to (existing) staff—and detailing their responsibilities—has also proven to be quite effective in curtailing disputes over ‘who does what’ and in creating a team feeling.” CH
Temporary Butler Wanted in Carmel-by-the-Sea
Temporary butler wanted to assist with a 4-day family vacation in a rented home in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, during May 18-21, 2018. The family consists of 15 people and will be having one formal dinner during their time at the estate. They are looking for someone who can set up meals with already-prepared food, clean up after meals, keep the kitchen clean during their 4-day stay, mix drinks, make coffee/hot chocolate/snacks when requested, and set up/prepare some light decorations for the dinner (centerpieces, dessert table). The ideal candidate should be comfortable handling the above requirements and dealing with family gatherings and could be male or female; preferably you live fairly local (SFO/Bay area), although the family is willing to cover travel costs if needed for the right candidate.
If you’re interested in this assignment for May of 2018, please contact the Institute at enquiries @ modernbutlers.com with your current résumé and photo, for more details.
Book Review of Serving the Wealthy, Sections on the Role of the Butler and the Principal’s Wines
by Gretchen dePillis
Biodynamics and sulfites in wines & the bar
Serving the Wealthy’s section on stocking the bar and managing the cellar serves as a reminder for the expert and a useful guide to one with intermediate exposure to fermented beverages. It does not mention biodynamic wines, however, so my next few articles focus on sulfites, which are present in all wines, but only in very small quantities in biodynamic wines. Generally, when it comes to what we eat and drink, sulfites act as a preservative and can slow the browning of fruits, and inhibit bacterial spoilage as well as fermentation.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of sulfites in fresh foods in 1986, but sulfites are still added as preservatives in commercially prepared drinks and foods. In case an employer or guest has an allergy to sulfites, it might help to know which bar items include heavy doses of sulfites: wines, Maraschino cherries; pickled cocktail onions; bottled non-frozen lemon or lime juice; and grape juice. Medium amounts of sulfites are added to ciders, corn syrup, pickled peppers, cordials (alcoholic), and soft drinks.
Ms. dePillis is a freelance contributor to the Journal who is based on the West Coast of the United States. She can be reached via depillis @ gmail.com
Let’s Talk about Mixology, Part 26
The Champagne Cocktail
by Amer Vargas
This month we return with a classy, classic, elegant, and simple cocktail based upon everyone’s favorite French bubbly: Champagne.
Other than the main ingredient, three others compose this stylish cocktail: a sugar cube, Angostura bitters, and a lemon peel as garnish. With so few ingredients, preparation is really simple: place the sugar cube in a champagne flute (not a Pompadour low glass) and add 2 or 3 dashes of Angostura bitters to the cube. Pour the champagne gently, as the sugar will have a tendency to create more bubbles than usual with the fizzy wine. Before serving, decorate with the lemon garnish.
This lovely and sophisticated cocktail is ideal for casual receptions with colleagues and even for not-so-formal gala dinners with friends and family.
Cheers!
Mr. Vargas is the Institute’s President—feel free to contact him via email, AmerVargas @ modernbutlers.com
Consulting the Silver Expert
Cleaning and Polishing Silver, Part 6
by Jeffrey Herman
Removing Labels
If you have purchased a silver object with a price label that won’t peel off, don’t reach for a scrubby pad or steel wool. Instead, try using a hair dryer on a LOW setting (a heat gun is too hot) to gently warm the glue of the label. The label should then peel off cleanly.
If the label leaves a sticky residue, wait for the piece to cool and try removing it with some hand sanitizer, canola oil, or olive oil on a cotton ball or make-up pad. If that fails, rub a cotton ball or makeup pad, saturated with oil, on the residue and let it sit for one hour. The oils won’t harm the silver.
If this does not work the first time, repeat until the adhesive has dissolved and wipe away with a paper towel, cotton ball, or makeup pad.
Use Better Life Natural Glass Cleaner (which has a neutral pH) to remove any signs of the oil. If a discolored spot remains where the adhesive had been, remove it with one of the least-abrasive silver polishes.
Note 1: Never use a hair dryer on lacquered pieces.
Note 2: Products like Acetone, Goo Gone, Krud Cutter, Goof Off, and WD-40 will remove adhesive residue more quickly, but are less environmentally-friendly. Should you decide to use these products, make sure to wear nitrile gloves and perform the task in a well-ventilated area.
Mr. Herman continues to offer his services to our readers for any questions you may have about the care of silver. Either contact him at (800) 339-0417 (USA) or via email jeff @ hermansilver.com
The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.”
When you dream about beautiful suites, Mexican flora, a navigable lagoon next to the clear sand and quiet beaches of the Mayan Riviera, together with a passion to truly impress the guests, you are probably dreaming about Rosewood Mayakoba.
Over the month of September we experienced in this property the four seasons, from sunny and hot days on the beach, to warm and cloudy days for sweating in the gym and relaxING in the spa, to rainy days for enjoying a drink and a book at the bar, to chilly nights under the blanket of the stars decorated with a total lunar eclipse of a supermoon. Altogether, a place to remember always.
And we haven’t yet talked about the superb service every single staff member provides to his or her guests. Upon arrival, a little boat tour to introduce the outdoor facilities is followed by the welcoming butler who is ready to unpack your luggage. You are on holidays. No rush. Your butler encourages you to forget about everything and to start to relish every second whilst he or she takes care of everything. Fancy some action? These are the water activities I suggest you join. Looking for some tranquility and peace of mind? We have these great therapies in the spa or even in your suite. Want to visit an archaeological site nearby? My suggestion is that you fly there and have lunch at a local hacienda.
The butler is just pampering you, but wait until he provides the unexpected surprise… Once you are wowed, you will never forget.
Congratulations to all the Butler team at Rosewood Mayakoba!
A week lasts 7 days but it may feel as though it is only 2 days. In my visit to Park Bosphorus Taksim, I found one of the most desirables hotels in Istanbul. The location is pefect: right at the city center, round the corner from Taksim Square, within walking distance of Istiklal Street, very close to many public transportation lines to take you wherever you wish in the ever-hectic and cosmopolitan, Eurasian city. So are the views from most of the hotel rooms, facing the dynamic Bosphorus with its commercial ships, public yachts, cruise liners, and port-hopping boats; and the other rooms, facing the greatness of the city.
The building that more than a century ago served as a Foreign Affairs palace has recently become a 5-star hotel with all the commodities and services one would expect in modern day. And of course, besides the automatic curtains, jacuzzi bathtubs, and a decorative mix of minimalism and Turkish classic, the hotel provides butler service for those who want be to be pampered and wowed, rather than merely serviced.
Indeed, the management has done (and is still doing) a big effort to implement butler service for their most exclusive guests, and most certainly, they are working in the right direction.
During the training in Park Bosphorus Taksim, this instructor found an incredible team of willing butler students who will have no problem in surpassing the guest expectations. It is all about attitude, and all of the attendants showed an overwhelming willingness to learn, to practice, and to do.
“Good luck” is for those who are not prepared; good things come to those who are prepared. Great things await the Park Bosphorus Butler team.
Suaves arenas blancas, aguas transparentes como el cristal y una suave brisa del Océano Índico. Cuando los humanos empezaron a hablar sobre el paraíso, estaban realmente pensando en las Maldivas.
Al norte de la capital, Male, se encuentra Kunfunadhoo, una pequeña gran isla “desierta” que alberga Soneva Fushi, un resort concebido para esconderse en sus preciosas villas cubiertas por uno de los más exclusivos y exquisitos servicios de que uno pueda disfrutar.
Puede que no tan desierta. La isla tiene un personal compuesto mayoritariamente por miembros locales que se aseguran de que los huéspedes disfrutan al máximo de su estancia. Ciertamente, el lema del resort es SLOW LIFE (acrónimo en inglés de Sostenible-Local-Orgánico-Bienestar Aprendizaje-Inspiración-Diversión-Experiencias) se puede sentir desde la misma llegada a la propiedad. Soneva Fushi produce parte de su electricidad y recicla la mayor parte de sus deshechos; propone excursiones que hacen al huésped sentirse parte de la cultura maldiva, planta sus propias lechugas y algunas verduras, todo orgánico y sin tratamientos químicos y, desde que el huésped pisa el resort, la cultura de Sin Noticias-Sin Zapatos le sumerge en un estado de relajación que se puede completar en el Spa. Si los huéspedes quieren llevarse algo consigo pueden enrolarse en clases de cocina de diferentes estilos, aprender sobre corales y peces en compañía de la bióloga marina, o hablar con su astrónomo privado sobre estrellas y planetas en el Observatorio (el único en Maldivas). Si esto no fuera lo bastante inspirador, siempre se pueden apuntar a las lecciones de deportes acuáticos o actividades de buceo con tubo o con botella para ver mantas. Definitivamente, ¡un gran cúmulo de experiencias que llevarse a casa!
De vuelta dentro de mis zapatos, deseo lo mejor a todo el equipo de Fridays (un primo cercano del Mayordomo) que hizo de la visita del instructor a Maldivas un encuentro fantástico y memorable.
I had the particular pleasure of experiencing service levels in Taipei, Taiwan, as well as Phuket, Thailand, recently, and wanted to comment on them.
The staff I trained at Regent Taipei, the premier hotel on the island, were all university graduates, very intelligent, wanting to understand rather than learn by rote, very solicitous, and very professional in their mindset, approach, attitude, and behaviour. In a way, I found them as a group at the pinnacle of both Western and Eastern cultures and service standards. While every hotel has some individuals of this caliber, what impressed me was how every individual was of this standard. Part and parcel of this focus on professionalism was that there were zero politics and cliques, so that they always worked as a team within and between departments.
The MBJ includes some photographs of these stars. I include just one here of the Senior VP of Operations for the Regent chain, Peter Finamore, and his family, who were kind enough to take me to Taipei Palace Museum, which has many high-quality Chinese artifacts, as well as a special exhibition of Cartier jewelry. The statue is probably of Confucius.
Taipei is a vibrant city with swarms of kamikaze scooterheads swarming through the street, friendly people, and much to see. Definitely worth a visit, and I recommend using Regent Taipei, with its array of luxury stores and wide variety of quality restaurants, as your base.
In Phuket, the staff of the soon-to-be opened Regent Phuket Panwa Bay were not as professional in terms of behaviors: innocent and excited would be closer to the reality—but if there be any culture that can surpass even the group dynamic of the team in Taipei, it is the complete teamwork that the Phuket individuals exhibited. It came across as the sheer excitement of being with and helping other people, honestly caring for others and their welfare. I really hope that the coming ASEAN (Asian common market) does not prompt the Thai people to drop their wonderful friendliness and gentleness or allow it to be changed or pushed aside by workers coming in from China and Vietnam, etc., who may exhibit a more driven work-ethic while lacking the same friendliness and view of life as one constant mutual party—surely one of the reasons tourists come to Thailand.
Some of the butler-team graduates hamming it up at their graduation party—the hotel was still not open, so their party was a bit bare bones—but that didn’t stop them having fun.
This summer, I had the opportunity to spend a few months in paradise, while at the same time training the butlers in Soneva Fushi, located in the beautiful Maldives, and Soneva Kiri, located on the stunning island of Koh Kood in southeast Thailand. Each resort is completely different, with its own, unique features that wow a visitor from the moment one sets foot on the jetty to the moment one leaves.
The Beach in Front of my Villa
I had never been to the Maldives before – it’s a gorgeous island nation that is famous for its underwater reefs and one of the most perfect spots on the planet for snorkeling and diving. I had heard a lot about it and must say that it truly lives up to its reputation as one of the most unique countries I have ever visited.
I had never been to Thailand, either – and I had heard a lot about that country, too. I found it to be enchanting and beautiful, if somewhat wet (of course visiting during the rainy season contributed to that)! But I was especially impressed with the Thai people, who are gracious and kind, and welcoming to strangers.
Hiking the Beautiful Rainforest surrounding Soneva Kiri
Soneva pursues an unusual and progressive philosophy when it comes to managing its resorts. Included in this is their “no news, no shoes” policy, whereby guests and staff literally turn in their shoes upon arrival at the resort, and walk around bare feet. When I first arrived at Soneva Fushi in June, and had my shoes taken away from me, I admit it was a slightly unnerving experience – I was not used to this as a city dweller! But I soon took to the practice and found I really enjoyed walking on the sandy pathways that crisscross the beautiful private island on which the resort is located. There are no cars in either resort, so walking and bicycling are the perfect modes of transportation and totally safe. Soneva Kiri issues its guests with electric golf carts to help negotiate the hilly walkways to and from their villas and the rest of the resort, but I admit I enjoyed walking up and down those hills – what a perfect way to exercise! In addition, each resort touts organic gardens and various other eco-friendly features – with outstanding cuisine in both resorts, whose chefs happily use all the fresh, homegrown and locally caught ingredients. Now THAT was truly paradise to me!
I spent six weeks in each resort and during that time, trained two teams of Friday, as well as managers and trainers. During this time, I had the pleasure of meeting many delightful people – professionals with big service hearts who really take pride in providing great service to their guests, giving them the “experience of a lifetime”. Not surprising, this results in a high percentage of return guests, who swear by “their Mr./Ms. Friday”!
The Soneva Fushi Friday Teams:
Now that I am back home, I savor the memories of my three months in these two different slices of paradise. And I look forward to hearing of the successes from the Fridays in each of these resorts – both Soneva Fushi and Soneva Kiri were set to take their butler service to new, stellar heights following the training and with high season around the corner, they’ll have plenty of opportunity to show just how good they are!
Casi tres semanas en diferentes hoteles de la cadena Karisma para entrenar a sus mayordomos. Sin duda, un grupo que destaca por sus inmenso deseo de aprender, su intenso interés y su atención sobre todos los conceptos presentados, además de por su buen humor y grandes ganas de interactuar entre ellos y con el instructor.
Y mientras el que escribe las presentes líneas desarrollaba el curso de capacitación por la mañana y parte de la tarde, el resto del día lo dedicaba al disfrute de la zona, caracterizado por playas de arenas blancas, transparentes aguas azul turquesa, una flora plagada de “cocotales” de bellos verdes, y una fauna entre la que destacan los cangrejos de diferentes tipos, tapires, monos, iguanas, aves de peculiar graznido, tortugas, multitud de especies de peces que se pueden visitar esnorqueleando… y hasta cocodrilos (a los que el instructor les dedicó un sencillo saludo desde la segura distancia).
La capacitación se desarrolló cerca del tranquilo Puerto Morelos, una pequeña localidad situada a unos 40 km. al sur de la famosa Cancún, pródiga en manglares y cenotes (estanques de agua manantial en lo que en el pasado eran cuevas rocosas). Muy cerca, pero más al sur, se encuentra la ciudad de Playa del Carmen, más grande y con más variedad turística para el visitante, comúnmente americano y canadiense, que disfruta tanto del gentío como de la arquitectura típica de la zona.
Deja detrás el instructor a un grupo preparado para un futuro más que prometedor y a más de un/a mayordomo que en poco tiempo recibirá el reconocimiento del Sello de Oro en su Certificado.
Grandes cosas aguardan a aquellos que están preparados y trabajan con su mejor actitud de servicio… ¡Buena suerte!
An intense and fruitful week in Belek, near Antalya, located in the Southwest of Turkey. The Susesi Luxury Resort & Spa is one of the most prominent hospitality establishments in the region and this year, their aim is to be nominated as Best Hotel in the area. Even though this is not an easy task, Susesi has many elements in place to achieve this goal: marvelous infrastructures, different restaurants and bars offering international gastronomical experiences and, most important, a staff devoted to pleasing the guests. The latter point was reinforced by the most recent training conducted by the International Institute of Modern Butlers for the butlers that serve guests in the Villas and Suites to a standard of excellence.
The name of the hotel has been coined from the Turkish words “Su” (meaning water) and “Sesi” (meaning sound of). Thus, the name evokes the wonderful spa services available and the pleasure guests can experience through the water, in the form of the different fountains, swimming pools and the beach that are part of the resort.
All participants in the training proved their great abilities to work closely with their VIPs, using their distinct communication skills, observation, anticipation and attention to detail. The trainer left the hotel with the firm conviction that he will soon have to re-issue the certificates earned, to add a Golden Seal so as to acknowledge the great job performed by one or more of these butlers.
As these lines are written, high season has started! The hotel is going to benefit from a high occupancy rate for many months. This will provide the butlers with numerous opportunities to show off not just everything they have just learned, but also their innate kindness and care.
Many thanks to all staff that helped with the organization and good progress of the training, and who took care of the instructor during his stay, including Eric, the photographer, who caught the best moments of the certifications hand-out for posterity with his knowledge and savoir-faire.
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In Their Words…
Staff Training
The Champagne Cocktail
by Jeffrey Herman
