what is a Butler anyway?
The cinema and various books create stereotypical butlers whom we find amusing for their restraint and biting wit in the face of monumental stupidity; and endearing for their willingness to work behind the scenes while their employers blithely strut across the stage, playing out their own pre-ordained roles. Yet, whether answering the telephone or dealing with difficult situations, there is something about the attentive and slightly aloof British butler that has a place in today’s modern hotels as much as in the 19th Century British stately home. Maybe it is their low-key approach to service, in preference to the maestro-center-of-the-stage performance so characteristic of many American service professionals. A butler is a frame of mind rather than a status or a series of duties. It is a mindset that anyone can adopt in any situation in life to very satisfying results, because it is founded on the truths that it is better to serve than be served, and that life can be rational and seren
Theres lots of useful domestic staff and service information out there. Here at the Butler Bureau we are attempting to collate it all so its all in one place. Here guest contributor Steven Ferry, butler trainer par excellence, discusses the role of the Butler in a hotel or spa setting. This new area has helped offer butlers worldwide an opportunity to work in something other than a domestic setting.
