The Modern Butlers’ Journal volume 12, issue 6

International Institute of Modern Butlers

Teaching Right Mindset, People Skills, & Superior-service Expertise

Message from the Chairman

The main item of news in the butler world this month is another example of a butler not following the code of ethics of the profession. In defense of Donald Trump’s former butler, one could say he was retired and so no longer beholden to our standards. One could also say he was entitled to express his opinion in accordance with the Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution that protects the right to freedom of speech. One could even say he was right in his views, and applaud his passion and concern for the welfare of the country, which he feels is being betrayed—for not much raises the hackles higher and faster than a sense of being betrayed.

On the other hand, one would tend to look askance at any professional who did not live by the standards of the profession, one of which includes discretion and the ability to communicate succinctly in a way that skewers the truth without upsetting many around with gratuitous venting that is designed to stir others to irrational action versus a measured presentation of the facts that enables others to make up their own minds toward constructive action. One would also expect a professional to have some foresight when it comes to the consequences of his or her own words for others—his former employer in particular—who felt compelled to disavow his erstwhile butler because his statements were not in alignment with the image he was attempting to portray in his bid for the presidency of the United States. One could also point out that the butler profession was not enhanced by the way in which the former butler expressed his ideas; and that his former employer was not well served by having his butler ride on his coat tails (add weight to his own ideas by advertising his former connection with Donald Trump).

What would I have done?

As Facebook is a public venue, not a private and confidential line, I would have recognized that my ideas ultimately would be unearthed by trolls or others attempting to smear my former employer. I would simply have expressed my sentiments under a nom de plume so that there was no connection with, and blowback for, my former employer—and in a more constructive tenor, so that perhaps some forward progress would come of my communications.

Hotel butlers are working hard to find ways to impress their guests—some creative, some far fetched—but if the guests appreciate it, who are we to judge? In another article, however, claiming to be about over-the-top hotel butler services, we have a compendium of no less than 16 services offered that are called “____ Butler” and whose only connection to butlers is that they offer a superior service of some kind and simply retitle the provider as a “____ Butler”—several of these being new to us: Oyster Butler, Serenity Butler, Picnic Butler, BBQ Butler, Ski Butler, Sunglasses Butler, Dog Butler, Fragrance Butler, Energizer Butler, Broadway Butler, Amphibious Butler, Ambiance Butler, Tartan Butler, Hydrotherapy Butler, and even a Bonfire Butler.

Along the same line, we have the “Pet Butler,” a franchised service being offered: “Picking up where your dog left off, since 1988.” At least these are human butlers. “Leo the Baggage Butler,” on the other hand, is now being piloted at Geneva airport—he or she is actually an “it,” another in the long list of “robot butler sub-professions” that has been brought into service over the last few years. As a note, Geneva airport introduced a customer service robot three years ago; KLM introduced the Spencer robot at Schiphol Airport half a year ago to guide passengers to their departure gate. Paris airport is piloting biometric robots for immigration officers that scan passports and record passenger images.

Predictably, Travelzoo found 80% of 6,000 people surveyed expect robots to play a large part in our lives in the next few years, 75% believing they will improve our lives and 66% feel comfortable with the use of robots by the travel industry: 92% of the Chinese being very comfortable with the concept, while the French and Germans were the least welcoming to the trend. In the article from which we are quoting, it also states that “At least 24,000 [robot butlers] are used worldwide in professional services, at a cost of $3.8 billion, according to the International Federation of Robots. In the Travelzoo survey, 81 per cent said robots would be better at handling data and that their untiring energy would be an advantage.” While we have been beating the drum for the increase in personable and live interactions as opposed to the canned/programmed approach to service interactions, it’s clear that we are swimming against the tide. If the ubiquity of maddening/frustrating company/government answering-machine trees is not an adequate warning of what to expect when all service interactions become automated, then we deserve everything we will experience! Mass-production “service” is the complete antithesis of the solicitous service style of butlers, in which the individual being addressed is the most important person in the world. If you agree, then we need to work hard and fast together to re-assert humanity in service.

Zenbo, developed by a company called Asus, is the latest home robot entering the increasingly crowded market for robot butlers.

In an article entitled Robot Butler’s Creativity Surprises Its Own Makers “We never taught it that,” Carnegie Mellon’s HERB robot is making progress on being able to act intelligently in the random clutter of a home—a much harder environment for programming than a factory floor where a robot has one set pattern package of actions. The goal of the program is to create a robot for the home rather than the factory floor.

An article about Georgia Tech’s robot butler, Nimbus, is entitled Your Robot Butler Is Ready to Serve (and Learn), meaning it can learn from any human, not just its programmer.

Are you formulating an idea yet about this robot butler trend? Will you be let go for having all the undesirable human foibles and weaknesses, such as wanting to be paid and take sick leave and not working 24/7/365, and be expected, as the final insult, to turn over your butler manual and position to a robot within the next decade? Don’t count on it not being so!

In another article, a butler-presented picnic is offered for 35 GBP per person—one has to suspect the quality of the offering, given the pricing.

We found a “Coffee and Tea” butler, which is a tray designed by an individual for use for her own guests, to present tea or coffee. The convenience of the design to the guest being the qualifier for the “butler” moniker.

We recently saw an advertisement for “An extensive program on professional luxury butler service” that offered a 5-day training period resulting in “7-star” service. Come on, colleagues, let’s be real! I am sure your program is good, but let’s not fall into the hyperbole (exaggeration) that plagued the cereal manufacturers in the 1960s, when promoting how big their box was: it is hard to beat “ginormous” (a combination word from “gigantic” and enormous”), but they managed to find words in the English language that communicated even bigger than “ginormous.” Yet were the boxes really “ginormous?” In the end, did mothers in the shopping isles pay attention to the claims on the boxes?

A Guardian newspaper article highlighted an anomaly for us: why is there the almost universal tendency to headline as “digital butlers” the functions of a Personal Assistant? A headline invariably reads “Digital Butler” yet the text is all about PA-type functions being offered by some software or gizmo. The two functions are royally confused at the corporate and media levels, and thus no doubt in the public mind in general.

Letters to the Editor

Creative Corner

How to Carve an Apple, Part 1

by Kobi Gutman

For the last few years I’ve been developing and practicing the art of apple carving (and related techniques, such as making soap) as part of my job as a Butler, in order to customize the fruit amenities given to guests on arrival and at turndown, or for special occasions. It is quite simple to do, unique, and being custom-made for the guest, it creates quite an effect. It doesn’t take much time at all and, to be honest, is quite fun for the Butler as well.

I intend, over the next few months, to share these various techniques so that other butlers around the world, whether in private service or hospitality, can offer their employers/guests the same solicitousness [showing interest or concern; eagerness to do something for another] and attention to detail.

The implements that you’ll need are as follows: Apple, knife (I use an X-Acto knife) and lemon (to prevent oxidation of the apple). For more complex designs, you might need a printer and some Scotch tape.

Definitions

I have made up my own terms, which while they may be fairly obvious, need to be defined to ensure no confusion:

Draw – to make grooves with a knife of the desired figure or design;

Frame – the shape that surrounds the figure. In the image to the right, it is the oval that surrounds the frog;

Cut out – to remove pieces of the flesh of the apple. In the image, the area between the frog and the frame is cut out and therefore embossed (a design carved on a surface that stands out);

Peel – to remove the skin of the apple without cutting out the flesh beneath it. In this image, it is the design within the frog’s body.

Technique

1. Choose the right apple—I only use bright red apples, such as Red Delicious, not green nor yellow, because the contrast between the flesh and the skin is excellent in red. Visually inspect the apple for any bruised, rotten, or over-ripe spots, and lightly press any suspect spots to see if they may be soft to the touch. The apple should be firm and red all over. It is not fun to discover such a spot after you have already put in time carving. I also recommend paying attention to the shape of the apple to make sure it will fit the type of design you wish to carve. A horizontal design (such as text, for example), will look better on a wider apple;
2. Draw the figure or design that you wish. Note: For a more complicated design, or even for a simple one, it is easier, faster, and more accurate to print the desired image, cut it out with the knife, tape it onto the apple, and use this stencil to cut the pattern into the apple. I will explain the technique for this in Part 2;
3. Draw the frame;
4. Either cut out or peel the area between the frame and the design and any other areas that are needed, according to your design. When cutting out the flesh, do it in small pieces, one piece at a time;
5. Spray lemon juice as you go so the apple doesn’t go brown.

I suggest practicing with simple designs to acquire the feel of how the technique works: Draw a heart shape on an apple, for instance, draw a circle around it as the frame, and cut out the area in between. You can even draw a small bean shape toward the top of the heart and peel it in order to add a small highlight/reflection of light. Remember to “lemonize’ as you go.

In the next part, I will provide some tips and tricks, as well as  explain the ‘print method’ in more detail.

Kobi Gutman is the Head Butler at the Fort Harrison Retreat in Florida. He can be contacted via the Institute: enquiries @ modernbutlers.com

Let’s Talk about Mixology, Part 12

In terms of planting, each rose variety has attributes that would determine its optimal location; in addition, it also has a growth pattern that best suits certain planting locations—whether large pots, hedges, over brick walls, on latticed arches, along walkways, etc. Roses with a strong fragrance, for instance, are best located near where people sit or pass, so they can appreciate the bouquets; thorny roses would best be placed where burglars need to be deterred discreetly. And this security aspect is the focus of this month’s article.

According to Allstate Insurance Blog, arranging a landscape to deter burglars is called CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design). The insurance company highlights four things that one should be aware of when working with the gardening staff to ensure the safety of one’s employer’s family and assets. Coldwell Banker Real Estate also advises home security through thorny landscaping.

• See & Be Seen: Use thorny rose bushes under windows and keep them to about 3 ft in height so that the area is still visible to neighbors and staff and does not provide “cover” for any intruder;

  

• Natural Access: Control the flow of people by providing clear lighting and pathways. Deter curious visitors from wandering into areas that are off-limits by use of “roadblocks,” such as boarder hedges of fragrant roses that entice passers by to stop and smell the roses while deterring them from crossing over the floral “fence.” Opt for open decorative iron fences laced with climbing and thorny roses. Lay gravel rock on the paths that not only deters weeds, but also creates sound with each step, alerting guard dogs and residents of an approaching visitor. Additionally, consider motion-sensitive solar powered lights. Avoid obscuring your employer’s home from public view, leaving enough of the house visible to neighbors or staff so they can notice intruders and alert authorities;

• Territorial Reinforcement: in those estates that are open to public tours, clearly mark with signs and reinforce with landscaping, which areas are private and which are open to the public. The same can be done for any property that is not open to the public;

• Maintenance: The “broken window theory” claims that if something is left in a state of disrepair, it encourages others to vandalize it and dump trash/rubbish there. If not for reason of aesthetics and pride, then at least for notions of security, it becomes imperative, therefore, that the gardening staff ensure the grounds are always well maintained, so as to dissuade or discourage those tending to act on their mischievous instincts.

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