Butler Service
What is Butler???
Butler is
the chief male servant of a household, usually in charge of
serving food, the wines , liquors and the care of
silverware, etc.
The main role of a butler is that a personal assistant,
anticipating guest’s needs rather than waiting to be asked. In addition to
housekeeping, food and beverage service, the butler requires to be well versed
in personal care and valeting.
A professional butler is prompt, courteous, organized,
well-groomed, honest, trusting and trustworthy, friendly but not familiar,
reliable, low-key, unobtrusive professional. A butler is committed to the
highest standards of service, anticipates as well as expedites, organizes as
well as implements, and delegates effectively. Butlers are very often the first
and last point of contact for the employer and guest and this is seen as the
best that can be offered, in fact, an ambassador of high standards.
Duties and Responsibilities
Butler
job duties include the following:
§
Receiving guests.
§
Maintaining the operations of the household
and/or running personal household tasks for clients or the employer.
§
Supervision of service vendors.
§
Arranging travel plans for the employer as well
as the household guests.
§
Maintaining household security.
§
Assisting in cooking as well as serving meals
and drinks to guests.
§
Arranging the table for serving meals.
§
Drawing household budgets.
§
Keeping wine cellars and having knowledge
regarding fine wines.
§
Offering general valet services.
§
Managing various supplies in secondary
dwellings.
§
Hiring and supervising junior staff.
§
Setting maintenance programs for miscellaneous
equipment within a hotel or resort such as planes, boats and stables.
§
Managing housekeeping duties.
Butler History
The word “Butler” derives from old French bouteleur (cup bearer), from bouteille, (bottle), and ultimately from
Latin. The role of butler, centuries, has been that of the chief steward of
household, the attendant entrusted with the care and serving of wine and other
bottled beverages which in ancient times might have represented a considerable
portion of the household’s assets.
In Britain, the butler was originally a middle ranking member
of the staff of a grand household. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the butler
gradually became the usually senior male member of household’s staff in the
very grandest households, though there was sometimes steward who ran outside
estate and financial affair, rather than just households, and who was senior to
the butler in social status into 19th century. Butlers used attired in a
special uniform, distinct from livery of junior servants, but today butler is
more likely to wear a business suit or business casual clothing and appear in
uniform only on special occasions. A Silverman or Silver butler has expertise
and professional knowledge of the management, secure storage, use and cleaning
of all silverware, associates tableware.
Who is using butler service
Beginning around the early 1920s (following World War I)
employment in domestic service occupations began a sharp overall decline in
western European countries, and even more markedly in the United States. Even
so, there were still around 30,000 butlers employed by War World II. As few as
one-hundred were estimated to remain by mid-1980s.
Following varied shifts and changes accompanying accelerated globalization
beginning in the late 1980s, overall global demand for butler since the turn of
the millennium has risen dramatically. According to Charles MacPherson, vice
chairman of the international Guild of Professional Butlers, the proximate
cause is that the number of millionaires and billionaires has increased in
recent years, and such people are finding that they desire assistance in
managing their households, MacPherson emphasizes that the number of wealthy
people in china have increased particularly, creating in that country a high
demand for professional butlers who have been trained in the European butlering
tradition. There is also increasing demand for such butlers in other Asian
countries, India, and Middle East.
Higman additionally argues that inequality/equality levels of
societies are a major determinant of the nature of the domestic servant/employer
relationship. As the 21st century approached, many butlers began carrying out
an increasing number of duties formerly reserved for more households’ servants.
Butler today may be called upon to do whatever household and personal duties
their employers deem fitting, in the goal of freeing their employers to carry
out their own personal and professional affairs. Professional Butler and author
Steven M. Ferry states that the image of tray-wielding butlers who specialize
in serving tables and decanting wine is now anachronistic, and that employers
may well be more interested in butler who capable of managing high-tech systems
and multiple homes with complexes of staff. Whilst in truly grand houses the
modern butler may still function exclusively as a top-ranked household affairs
manager, in lesser homes, such as those of dual income middle-class professionals,
they perform full array of household and personal assistant duties, including
mundane housekeeping.
Butlers today may also be situated within:
-
Royal
family - Cruise ship - Private House
-
Embassy - Private Villas - Apartment
-
Presidential
House - Yacht - Palace
PROFESSIONAL BUTLER JOB
DESCRIPTION FOR HOTEL/SPA/RESORT
Position :
Butler
Department :
Housekeeping/Room division Gender :
Male or Female
Reports To : Director of Room Division
Executive Team
Executive Housekeeper
Butler Hierarchy
Head Butler, Assistant
Head Butler, Butler Co-Ordinator, Assistant Butler, Valet
A Butler Mission
A Butler mission is to be
professional at all times, well-groomed, discreet, trustworthy, tactful,
honest, hardworking, proficient and sincere.
A professional butler will
demonstrate a unique ability to work in a quietly confident manner that will
create a calm, serene atmosphere and impress both internal and external guest
with the highest possible standard of personal butler service
Summary of Butler position
The Butler is key element in team of
professionals striving to deliver a level of personalized service that exceeds
not only the expectation of the guest but will add a point of difference from
the service provided anywhere else within the hotel/spa/resort
The position of butler provides a
very personal, detailed, seamless service to guests. A butler will take care of
guests needs in highly professional manner. The butler will take gentle care of
all their guests from arrival until departure without imposing themselves on
the guest. The butler will be seen by the guests in response to all the guest’s
needs and requests.
The attention to detail required, and
the ability to anticipate the needs of the guest’s, demand that the butler is
consummate hotel professional with impeccable presentation of the suites/rooms
and public areas of the floors.
Scope
The butler within their ‘hotel area’
is the direct front line must represent and deliver the service vision. The
butler will strive to create an atmosphere that makes a “wow” impression on the
guests.
The butler will presented, and indeed
present themselves as a “mini” hotel manager on the floor they responsible for.
The butler will develop his/her team of assistant butler and room attendants as
colleagues in this endeavor. Butlers will train not badger, coach not
criticizes, they will lead not follow.
As part of team they are expected to participate in all
activities on the floor.
OVERVIEW OF ROLE: MAIN TASKS
Butler basics
·
Maintain
a professional appearance and high standard of personal hygiene and
presentation
·
Understand
basic butler manners and etiquette
·
Provide
personal service
·
Possess
a good working knowledge of Concierge service
·
Have
a fundamental understanding of wealth and luxury and its effect on the position
butler.
Resort/hotel/local orientation
A butler
should:
·
Possess
a knowledge of /and local area information
·
Possess
a knowledge of resort/hotel/spa owner
·
Possess
a knowledge of spa products and menu
·
Possess
a knowledge of resort and facilities
·
Be
able to describe resort and suite facilities in a professional manner
·
Create
a record and keep themselves up to date on current activities in the hotel,
city and country generally
·
Create
a network of useful contacts
·
Be
aware of energy management and the impact of environmental issues
·
Be
aware of hotel policy regarding quality compliance
·
Be
aware of hotel security and safety procedures
Butler Administration
A butler will
be required to:
·
Anticipate
guests needs
·
Organize
and manage butler’s Pantry/Office
·
Create
roaster schedules and checklist
·
Update
and manage daily butlers work sheets
·
Handle
butlers communication method i.e. mobile telephone/palm pad
·
Assign
and inspect each room prior to guests arrival
·
Creates
a check list for rooms/suites inspections
·
Log
all faults and defects in suites in butler’s pantry log book and ensure
rectification
·
Undertake
final preparation of each suite/room prior to guests arrival
·
Register
the guest
·
Have
a working knowledge of the check-in procedure
·
Handle
guest’s messages
·
Have
a working knowledge of the hotel guest history system
·
Enter
guest preferences in guest history system
·
Use
guest history and update accordingly
·
Have
an understanding of foreign currency exchange
·
Create
and oversee airport/gate pick-up and drop off procedure
·
Handle
air ticket reconfirmation
·
Arrange
VIP greeting and escorting service to airport
·
Have
working knowledge of the in-room check out service
·
Ensure
buggy/boat/cart maintenance
·
Create
oversee secure storage and tagging of luggage
·
Maintain
or arrange security of luggage
·
Liase
as necessary with security staff
·
Be
aware of lost and found procedure
·
Ensure
butler’s pantry has necessary supplies, equipment and materials
·
Create
maintain a professional butlers/housekeeping emergency kit
Butler – Guest
relations skills
A butler will demonstrate competency in:
·
Ensuring
guests receive a warm and friendly welcome/farewell
·
Making
his or her own personal introduction
·
Explaining
to guests what services a butler can offer
·
Opening
car door and helping guests
·
Greeting
guests in lobby/shaking hands
·
Welcoming
the guest to their suite and advising of facilities within their suite
·
Addressing
a guest
·
Addressing
Royalty, Heads of State and other VIP guests
·
Using
the correct phonetic alphabet
·
Dealing
with guests in fast and accurate manner
·
Handling
spa/resort guests special request
·
Conversing
with guests
·
Answering
guests inquiries
·
Writing
a hand-written note to a guest or colleagues
·
Entering
guest room/suite
·
Handling
guest complaints
·
Assisting
in handling guests incoming faxes, mail, packages
·
Guiding
the guest to achieve correct computer, email and internet access
·
Servicing
the guest needs: immediate action
·
Handling
international suite/villa guests
·
Understanding
guest’s different cultures, moods and emotions.
·
Checking
guest satisfaction
·
Understanding
and fulfilling the guest’s needs for security, confidentiality, privacy and
privacy requested Policy within hotel
Traditional
Butler/Valet Skills
A butler will demonstrate competency in:
·
Offering
unpacking service
·
Handling
guests belongings whilst cleaning a guests rooms
·
Hand
sewing and repairing guests clothes
·
Offering
packing service
·
Handling
clothes in a wardrobe
·
Sorting
and storing other clothes & items in suite
·
Return
laundry and dry cleaning to wardrobe/closet, and where appropriate removing tags and pins
·
Tying
a bow tie
·
Have
correct knowledge of in-suite/room etiquette
·
Polishing
and cleaning shoes
·
Return
shoes in shoe bags or basket to guests suit and store them appropriately
·
Running
a spa/bath, including knowledge of safety issues
·
Hand
pressing of guest’s clothes
Butler: Extra
Special Care Services
A butler will also be required to:
·
Use
a silver salver / tray / for delivery of almost all amenities and appropriate
items
·
Personally
deliver arriving / departing guest’s amenity/gift
·
Arrange
wake-up calls
·
Check
and obtain guests daily itinerary
·
Advise
guest on how a butler can assist them
·
Arrange/organize
suite/room to be refreshed whilst guests are out
·
Provide
daily weather forecast service
·
Advise
and create reservations within hotel restaurants
·
Advise
and create reservations for outside restaurants
·
Welcome
guest when they return to the suite/room
·
Escort
the guest to lobby/restaurant/taxis/limousines
·
Have
a good basic knowledge of cigars, storage, handling and lighting
·
Arrange
a special occasion guest set up and service
·
Have
and understanding of certain festival, weddings, etc.
·
Providing
flowers and arranging flowers
·
Offer
the service of gift wrapping guest’s purchases
·
Deliver
a guest special request
·
Handle
late night requests for guests
·
Arrange
limousines / private aircraft / helicopters
·
Arrange
private parties and functions for suites guests
·
Attend
to personal shopping for guest/s
·
Escort
guest to entrance of events / functions / theatre etc.
·
Perform
other tasks as may be required from time to time
Butler: Housekeeping
Skills
A butler should demonstrate a
·
Knowledge
of housekeeping terminology
·
Knowledge
of set up care of maid basket/trolley
·
Knowledge
of hygienic handling of linen
·
Knowledge
of room attendants daily procedure
·
Knowledge
of cleaning rooms
·
Knowledge
of dusting and cleaning bedrooms
·
Knowledge
of dusting and cleaning bedrooms
·
Knowledge
of stripping and making bed
·
Knowledge
of cleaning bathrooms
·
Knowledge
of vacuuming rooms
·
Knowledge
of folding towels and set up
·
Providing
luxury turndown service
Butler: Suites
Duties
A butler may be responsible for:
·
Delivery
newspapers to guest rooms
·
Delivering
mails, packages, flowers etc. to rooms
·
Understanding
poolside care, maintenance and set up of beach towels and sandals etc.
·
Assisting
guest with suite/room changes
·
Knowledge
of TV, cable, CD Player and DVD player operation, setting TV to particular
channel in advance of guests arrivals
·
Basic
understanding of IT and Villa internet set up skills required for technology
butler
·
Knowledge
of other technical equipment in room/suite/business center/club lounge
·
Checking
replenishing and setup mini bar
·
Replenishing
ice in suite/room
·
Handling
and removal of room service tray and trolley
·
The
care of living plants in suites/rooms
·
The
care of flower in suites / rooms
·
Daily
replenishment of fruits
·
Replenishment
coffee and tea facilities
·
Delivery
of morning amenity, such as cookies, croissants or similar
Butler: Food and
Beverages Service in Suites
A butler will be required to:
·
Use
butler’s pantry connected to suite
·
Prepare
welcome drinks
·
Use
and serve pantry coffee/espresso machines
·
Open
champagne correctly and serve
·
Understand
and perform the correct service of caviar
·
Open
wine and know correct storage and service
·
Have
basic cocktail knowledge, prepare cocktails and mixed drinks
·
Serve
beverages in suite room
·
Arrange,
set up and serve breakfast to the guest in suite/rooms
·
Provide
service of drinks within short time i.e. 5 minutes
·
Present
a menu in rooms/suites for guest
·
Seat
guest
·
Arrange
the butler’s pantry mise-en-place
·
Have
good basic knowledge of menus, ingredients and preparation times used with
hotel
·
Offer
butler service of food in room/suite
·
Arrange
and utilize trays setting for food and beverages service
·
Carry
trays of food and beverages, safely and hygienically
·
Clear
suites/room quietly and proficiently
·
Present
guest check for food and beverages served in suite
·
Be
creative in up-selling when taking room service orders
·
Organize,
order and pack picnic for guest
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