Images courtesy of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
Life ain't easy for a butler.
Just ask Sean Davoren, head butler at the Savoy in London.
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, which manages the Savoy, recently released an infographic on what it takes to be a butler at the luxury hotel, complete with quotes from Davoren. And, by the sound of things, you better be committed (and ready for anything) if you aim to meet expectations at the esteemed property.
Sure, there are the common tasks a butler performs, such as packing and unpacking luggage, serving in-suite dining, personal shopping, facilitation and management of dinner parties, running baths, arranging entertainment and booking travel experiences.
But even some of these common tasks include a bit more work than you may think (one guest regularly leaves 150 suits and 200 shirts for Davoren to take care of), and that's not including the countless odd (and rather demanding) requests Davoren gets.
Over the course of his service at the Savoy, Davoren has been asked to (just to name a few): take a trip to Wales to get authentic Welsh goat's milk for a guest's bath, find a new ball gown within hours of the £10,000-a-ticket Prince's Trust Ball for a guest who had lost their luggage on a trip from Australia and wash and dry a satin wedding dress for hours after the bride spilled coffee on it (of course, Davoren also played psychologist to calm down the bride).
Davoren's not alone, either. Other butlers around the world have had to do such things as: supply 20 pounds of ice for a guest's penguins (yes, penguins), find a backup monkey for a film shoot (apparently, monkeys aren't very good about arriving on time) and provide three red M&Ms (not packages, just single M&Ms)…complete with a picture of bacon on the bed ("I love pictures of bacon," the guest said). OK…
As you can imagine, one has to have the right attitude and training to deal with such things.
The Savoy actually has its own Butler Academy, where butlers-in-training have to complete at least eight units to get their diploma, including units on maintaining a safe and secure environment, customer/guest care procedures, maintaining effective working relationships (I'd imagine this is a point of emphasis), housekeeping procedures, food service operations, valeting duties and wines, spirits and cigars.
According to Davoren, the proper butler has an eye for attention and detail, has a detailed knowledge of current affairs, takes interest in everything, and has the right attitude.
"You need to have an eye for attention and always watch out for cues," Davoren said in the infographic. "Never take anything for granted, as preferences may change, so always be on guard for things that may arise."
The proper butler must also be a good communicator and listener.
"Deal with challenging people by truly listening to them," Davoren said. "Make eye contact, listen properly, potentially even take notes on what their exact problem is, and then come back with a good reply that shows that you listened and understood their problem. Sometimes people just want someone to properly listen."
The infographic also acts as a butler, providing some handy tips for travelers. Tips include: keep 1 cm of space in between clothes in the wardrobe to reduce body odors and wrinkles, roll up your belt and put it inside the neck of your collared shirts to keep them stiff when traveling, and avoid busy times of the day at tourist attractions.
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