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Luxury hoteliers looking to differentiate their property while also raising the bar on guest services are increasingly turning to butlers. While not as common in the United States as in other part of the world, this growing trend is on the rise.
While many hotels are competing with amenities, those properties with butler service are delivering the ultimate in pampering – which helps to achieve the quintessential guest experience.
Authentic pampering with personal service is the mission and raison d’etre through the heritage of the butler and The International Institute of Modern Butlers (“IIMB”) established by Professor Steven Ferry.
But even though butlers have been around for time immemorial, many hoteliers – and guests for that matter - are just not clear about what they do.
Ferry, a native of Great Britain, author and trainer of this growing field, is the first to comment that many travelers are not aware of services an in-hotel/resort butler offers, not to mention that of the condo hotel owner/guest. The butler is not Mr. Belvedere or Batman. Still not sure? “Speak up,” Ferry advises. . .”just ask if you’re not sure. The butler brings to the table a variety of skills, communication being one of them,” comments Ferry. The IIMB provides on-site worldwide training for newly-hired butlers and Ferry always advises the hotel/resort/condo management to verbalize as well as leave a written statement regarding butler services within the guest quarters. One hotel actually sent a DVD of butler services in advance of guest arrival for reserved bookings and this gesture was well received by the guest as well as utilized during the guest’s stay.
Recalling the incident of a hotel architect who objected to the presence of a piece of paper (the written explanation of butler service) in the accommodation, Ferry took advantage of an opportunity to dine with the architect during a site visit. The outcome was positive: the architect conceded to reinstall the statement, provided it was placed inside a desk drawer!
It’s that old standby – communication – which will never be out of date. It’s that same exchange that transforms a butler-serviced guest stay into an absolutely efficient, pampered, perhaps perfect trip. Often, one that comes with an invitation to the butler to return home with the hotel guest/family as their butler.
What’s the difference between a concierge and a butler? “Easy,” replies Ferry. “The concierge generally handles the front of the house requests like theater tickets, dinner reservations, delivery services, etc. The butler handles in-room services, whether they be packing or unpacking luggage, drawing a bath, arranging for an in-suite dinner, shopping, etc., whatever is relevant to personal service to better arrange the guest stay.”
This level of service, you’ll note, does not embrace the pop terms: sun tan, baby, dog/pet, pool, beach, technology, or Nanny butler – all of which Ferry views as siphoning off the cachet of the butler and degrading the profession in the eyes of the guest. The pool attendant/butler is the lowest in the rank of how a butler is perceived (if indeed he can even be counted as one). Ferry advises the uninitiated to look to his Institute for guidance. It’s difficult enough that people currently still don’t understand the concept of butler, but to reduce butler services to applying sun tan lotion is outrageous!
The butler does not execute housekeeping/maintenance duties such as tend the fireplace. Recall Anthony Hopkins’ performance in Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day illustrating the ethics, integrity and performance associated with the profession. Ferry believes butlers can be trained provided they have a disposition for service. It’s just a matter of the number of hours needed for training. “If excessive hours are necessary, it’s not an affordable option,” concludes Ferry.
Ferry states, “Ideally, the butler should be a member of a department by that name in a hotel. The service can be folded into Guest Services or Front Office but should preferably not be connected with Food and Beverage or the butler might be required to focus upon those duties.” To clarify expectations for butler service, visit http://www.modernbutlers.com/html/butler-rating-system.html
and select the tab, Standards. On this page of the web site, a visitor can also link to a list of hotels that ranks the services offered by butlers.
In addition to salaries paid butlers by participating hotels, most butlers expect to double their salaries through gratuities for services rendered. These can range from the paltry to princely, such as a thousand or more dollars, all depending upon the services rendered and how much the guest was wowed.
Without this kind of pampering service provided by butler, the taste of travel can smack of flat champagne!
Recently, the Luxury Alliance noted:
“A growing take-care-of-me attitude in the quintessential luxury consumer demands flawless service and flexibility by providers. In the highest luxury bracket, a personal butler for each individual guest is now the norm rather than the exception with leading hospitality companies, significantly boosting the staff-to-guest ratio.
Recognition through highly personalized, intuitive service has become a prerequisite in the luxury segment, and is noted as a key element in designing the vacation experience of the future. Key to ongoing success in this area of luxury travel is management by a well-run organization to ensure high touch for a tailor-made experience. Without this, providers will risk losing clients who find the ssecond-home concept overly demanding in terms of maintenance. Equally, individual styling in the design is imperative, and discerning clients look for properties with unique features that will distinguish them from all others.
Demand for the highest level of personalized, anticipatory service calls for extreme attention to detail. Twenty-four-hour concierge service is mandatory at top-end luxury properties, and butler service is called for with increasing frequency. Guest expectations will continue to rise, and providers should be prepared to deliver superb service at all times and in all places, not merely when guests are in residence or on board.
In extending the service ethic, it is vital that luxury travel providers focus on customer relationship management (CRM) in order to build loyalty. Small gestures like handwritten personal notes demonstrate recognition and a concern for guest welfare, and can be effective in building repeat business.
Superb service necessitates superior staffing. HR directors will find themselves under mounting pressure in the ongoing search for outstanding employees. Equally, keeping the best people will be increasingly challenging.”
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