The Modern English Butler
Butlers can be found working in many different arenas. In fact it
is only a small minority who work for what we consider to be the
nobility or on large British or American estates. Although they
may not have the title of "Butler" the functions of these people
are much the same if not identical: in private homes and estates
yes, but many many more in Hotels, Yachts, Business Clubs,
Sporting Clubs, Company Board Rooms. We even know of one who has a
3 year contract working in a Mobile home (RV) combining the
positions of Driver, Cook, Waiter and Valet as their employers
enjoy their retirement travelling around the American Continent.
Senior Members of the
Institute,
of
all nationalities whether Butlers, Stewards or Maitre d's,
chaperons etc. will have excellent
service skills including, hospitality, dining and entertaining.
They understand Fine furnishings, care of personal possessions -
Crystal, china, silver, antiques, artworks and clothing.
Most have an excellent knowledge of
fine cuisine, the rudiments of good nutrition and wine pairing.
They may also be trained in a number of other areas including
Facilities Management, inventory control, records, status reports,
scheduling, researching and staff management. |
Here are a few
examples of the type of people in Service today. *
a) Jenny, age 36 emphasises how today's Senior Butler role
has changed in many respects. She is, without doubt vastly more
representative of the expectations of employers these days. One
can always find the exception with a few English Estates and
romantic employers seeking their personal "Jeeves", however
we
cannot emphasise enough how many opportunities are being lost,
both by employers and service professionals due to limitations engendered by
misconceptions and old fashioned ideas.
Here then is the reality:
Jenny comes from events management background and works for a divorced
female co-owner of a Yacht manufacturing company in California.
Born in Leeds and educated to HND level, she is in every sense a
"lifestyle manager" for the whole family. She is not particularly
involved with the Business as her employer also has a p.a.,
however she does need to know a lot about yachts and how to sail
them and, of course about teenagers - and how to help them
navigate through life! Jenny does not cook or clean at home as she
manages a team of 3 others (cook, cleaner and a chauffeur who is her
husband who doubles-up as a second Butler and Sommelier on
occasions), however she is called upon to cook, clean and even
helm on the yacht.
When it comes to large formal occasions Jenny is in appearance
only a traditional butler. She wears a uniform and oversees every
aspect of service but since most of the staff are brought in, this
is where her events management experience is particularly
valuable. During these occasions Jenny will deliberately and
respectfully downplay any semblance of informality or family
friendship. Outside of this, the three children treat her as a member of the Family.
To them she's the boss, not a "servant" in the old fashioned
sense. She is also very highly valued as a loyal confidant/
personal assistant to their mother.
Jenny works 48-50 hours/week, earns $92,000 annually and has
opportunities for significant bonuses. She made $8,000 by simply
referring a yacht sale via a fellow butler [household manager] in
San Jose and another bonus by teaching him to sail. Her husband
works 28 hours/week, earning $37k but is also a Maitre D' at a
local restaurant. Now in her fifth year of service, Jenny does not
want to have children of her own and if she remains with the
family for another 15 years her contract states that she will
obtain a Condominium gratis (for her early retirement / career
change etc). It also states that she may have 3 weeks annual
vacation plus 6 weeks at the end of each 2 years with flights paid
to the UK.
We have a saying that "Loyalty and integrity reap gratitude and
replace servitude." Jenny demonstrates this admirably and
will deserve the bonuses that will come her way!
b) Richard, age 42 is a good example of a modern male
butler in a more traditional role. Richard trained as a Hotel
Manager and worked for several years at a Dubai Hotel with a large
Butling department. He now works for a member of the Aristocracy
in the UK. He is the Senior Butler with a staff of 7 and is
accountable overall to the Estate Manager. His role could best be
described as a mixture of catering and housekeeping management
combined with personal valet duties. He wears a traditional
uniform at all times when on duty and works closely with the
personal assistant to his employer who between them liaise the
social and business diary of His Lordship. Richard had a minor
breakdown a few years back (in Dubai) and, although he is now in
good health has no further career ambitions. A natural progression
would perhaps have been to the senior position of Estate Manager
(had he wished). He lives off the Estate, works 42 hours per week
and is happily married to a woman who owns a successful nannies
agency.
c) John, age 56 typifies a disappearing breed (thankfully).
John is a pretentious and pompous man whom the family of his
employer have come to despise in recent years. He trained via the
old school route on an estate in Worcestershire undertaking menial tasks
below stairs for several years until deemed worthy enough by his
seniors to rise into the presence of the family. The
Worcestershire
estate has long since been liquidated and John now works for an
elderly widow who has several residences. She is somewhat eccentric (to put it mildly) and
depends upon him a lot, however the family feel that he dominates
her and are concerned about his manipulative manner. John is a bitter
man. He has nowhere to retire, no family of his own and unless he
inherits something in the Will (there is no reason at all why he should,
and this being where the family fears lie) he is headed for a
bleak future.
What type of person is best suited and why is there such a shortage?
The type of person? All sorts and from all backgrounds although many
will often have had a Military or Hospitality background of some kind.
Some will enter service at a low level as trainees although
opportunities here are relatively scarce these days; others will attend
a training School and head for their first employment with a basic
knowledge and a lot of experience to gain. Some
people, notably Graduates see Butling as a necessary but enjoyable step
on the ladder to an executive position in Estate or Household
Management. At the moment there are far too few of them and it is an
area of development that we want to encourage. Not everyone
will have high ambitions and of course service at all levels is needed.
Why is there such a shortage? We have covered some of this
above but to
summarise our theory on this we believe there are three main issues.
1) A misconception of
what the job really entails and the idea that it's a dead end job - i.e. not
many know that Jenny-type jobs are out there and that a progression
above this station is entirely possible.
2) The devaluation by society in general toward a Service ethic
which is seen as demeaning: "we're all equal now - no
servants here", or so it goes. Yes, but we are all
serving somebody in one way or another! A Chairman
serves his shareholders; a waiter serves at table;
a solicitor serves his clients... and so forth.
3) Employers
not recognising the benefits, mostly because they have similar misconceptions - i.e. not realising that there are
Butlers (Service providing professionals) out there who will bring enormous benefits to their lifestyle...
and to their families in turn.
Our ambition is to see the image of Butling brought
into the 21st Century and to promote the art of Household Management
for the exceptional benefits that it brings to the lives of busy
entrepreneurs and industry moguls (i.e. not just to the
Aristocracy or upper echelons) - therefore to the fabric of
society overall, also for the significant
rewards and satisfaction that it can provide for those who enter the
profession.
The lighter and brighter side:
The Butler as golf caddy is really a "footman" who still drives the
buggy!
We know of an employer in Dallas who insists on his Butler/Caddy
wearing full uniform on the Golf course for at least the first 3 holes,
despite temperatures of 100 degrees plus. He then requires him to strip
down to a swimming costume to retrieve his golf ball deliberately driven
into a water obstacle. He thinks this is hilarious. It is actually
extremely funny to watch, he even calls him "Jeeves the Footman". The Butler
doesn't mind and enjoys the $200 bonus given on each occasion. He's
earning a fortune; his boss treats him very well in all other ways and,
let’s face it sometimes the rich and famous have eccentricities
that simply have to be catered to!
*Names & places changed
for security. |
