There's a common misconception about butlers. People often think of
them as those flippant, funny, hardly-ever-working type of characters so popular
on television sitcoms. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.
In fact, many butlers have bigger budgets and a larger number of staff
to oversee than some companies. It's their sole responsibility to ensure
their employers' various households and estates run efficiently.
To get a better idea of what a butler's role includes, forget about
the proper English gentleman standing at the door waiting to greet guests.
Instead, think of a busy, well-organized, extremely efficient personal assistant.
This person can handle several different duties in the course of a day's
work.
Butlers, who are often referred to as household managers, are multi-functional
people, says Carol Scudere. She is the school director for the Professional
Domestic Services and Institute in Columbus, Ohio.
"Household managers handle payables, correspondence, entertainment affairs
and much more," says Scudere. And the demand for these positions, she adds,
is definitely on the rise. That is why for the graduates of the institute,
it's not uncommon to receive four or five job offers each.
"The lack of understanding of what you do and the lack of respect from
the general public," says Werner Leutert, is one of the downfalls of being
a butler.
Leutert should know. He is the American representative of the International
Guild of Professional Butlers. Formerly, he was an estate manager for 18 years,
as well as a formal butler and house administrator.
Robert Wennekes is the managing director for a recruitment firm for private
staff. He is also chair of the International Guild of Professional Butlers.
He agrees with Leutert.
"It's a good profession if people respect you," says Wennekes. He
adds that unfortunately, many employers don't show enough respect for
their employees. However, if the working relationship is good, the job can
be extremely rewarding, exciting, and challenging.
In fact, Wennekes says, many GMs and CEOs of large companies would envy
some butlers' positions. "An executive manager of a household might be
in charge of multiple homes worth millions and millions of dollars," says
Wennekes, "with private jets and the like."
Besides overseeing several staff, some butlers also have enormous budgets
to work with. "They're responsible for the quality of somebody's
life," adds Wennekes. "Instead of cutting corners, quality always comes first."
He says that although butlers must follow a budget and stay within employers'
guidelines, their main purpose is to provide a good lifestyle for the employer.
Managing large estates, however, even with an unlimited budget, doesn't
come without a great deal of hard work. In one case, Wennekes knew of a butler
in charge of a royal household that oversaw 1,700 staff. Other butlers may
only oversee one or two staff, such as a nanny, housekeeper or cook.
Regardless of the number of staff they manage, butlers' days are often
long. Because they are personal assistants, they need to be available whenever
their employers need them.
Wennekes, who worked for six years as the head butler for one of the wealthiest
billionaires in the U.S., says you are generally on call 24 hours a day. "You
have to be there when your boss needs you."
He recalls canceling his Christmas vacation one year because his employer
was having dinner guests Christmas Day. Although his employer insisted he
take his vacation, Wennekes says there was no way he was going to let someone
else serve his employer in his house at Christmas.
This is the level of service that is required, says Wennekes, "and you
do this with a big smile because it's a pleasure to be of service."
And being of service is what all butlers strive to do, whether they're
managing a staff of 50 or tending to guests in a hotel.
Tim McDonald is a hotel butler. He performs many of the same duties a household
butler would, such as preparing breakfast, ensuring his charge's clothes
are ready for the day, greeting clients and packing his guest's bags
-- generally anything necessary to ensure his charge's needs are met.
And instead of overseeing household staff, McDonald manages the top two
floors of the hotel and the club lounge.
All of these skills, such as knowing how to set a table properly or being
able to organize a trip, are crucial. "However, the most important thing is
the butler's character," says Wennekes. "If you don't have the mentality
to provide that service, you'll never be a professional butler."
Scudere couldn't agree more. People who make good butlers, or household
managers, really care for other people, says Scudere. She managed a few large
estates before an injury forced her to take on a new role. But if she wasn't
teaching, she says she'd be back managing a house, because it was a job
she absolutely loved.
"It requires a lot of maturity, a lot of patience and a lot of trust,"
says McDonald. He says that sometimes butlers are put in situations where
they'll have to weigh the pros and cons when dealing with legal and moral
issues, especially when it comes to celebrities.
"If [what your guest does] is unethical and illegal, you have to know where
to draw the line," says McDonald. But he adds you also have to be flexible.
Gaining the trust of an employer or a guest by how you act and what you
say is an important part of a butler's job. Although an employer would
expect this level of professionalism, others aren't always sure how to
take it.
"People have the preconceived idea that you're snooty, that you're
uppity and snobbish," says McDonald.
Although he admits the butler must act proper, especially when meeting
a new guest, it's not a true sign of what the butler is really like as
a person. "Until you can gauge that guest and what they're like, you
are very formal, but it's just a mask you wear for that position," adds
McDonald.
The trust that is built between butler and employer often results in firm
friendships. And that, agree most butlers, is one of the best things about
the job.
Wennekes says he became very good friends with his boss, which made the
service factor that much more enjoyable. "It's very nice to take care
of people who enjoy your efforts and who respect you," he says.
He adds that he and his employer used to go the movies once a week, eat
popcorn and call each other by their first names. But the next day, says Wennekes,
he was expected to play a very different role, and that was sometimes difficult.
"That is the hardest part," admits Wennekes. "One moment you're somebody's
friend and the next moment you're somebody's butler."
Being able to distinguish between the two roles is what makes a butler
successful, adds Wennekes. That, and being able to offer a level of service
that is above and beyond what is ever expected.