Having worked in hotels that offer butler service the question ‘so what does the butler really do’ is probably the one that I was asked the most. Many of us do not live in mansions, don’t have their own private yachts and jets, and don’t have personal assistants or butlers assisting them around the clock seven days a week, so for most of us it’s a new concept and challenging to enjoy at first when staying at a hotel that offers this type of personalized service. Frankly who of us would be comfortable at first to have another person unpack our suitcases for us and going through our personal belongings and underwear?

Butler Service Hotel Imperial Vienna

That being said the burden of informing our guests what the butler service is really all about, making them enjoy this superlative of service, and eventually getting them to a point that they’re waking up in the morning at home trying to call for the butler to have the morning paper and coffee delivered, is on us! It’s on the butler to greet our guests upon arrival and to make sure that they have a feeling of what this service incorporates and that they’re comfortable using it, and this first introduction upon arrival is paramount.

Every guest arriving at our property, not being greeted by the butler, is a lost opportunity. A lost opportunity to differentiate us from our competition and to build a personal connection with our guests that goes beyond of what most hotels can offer.

But again what does the butler really do? Many would answer this question by being very specific as listed in the job description. The butler will assist you to pack or unpack, shine your shoes, have your garments pressed, laundered or dry cleaned, serve you coffee in the morning and deliver your newspaper and so on… and while this is all correct, it leaves very little room for imagination and the understanding of the true concept of the butler service. Others would respond to the question of what the butler does less constricted by saying that the butler would do anything to make your stay more enjoyable and memorable (as long as it’s legal and moral)… and while this is just as true, it doesn’t tell our guests anything, and leaves our guests as confused as they were before inquiring about this service.

When being asked what the butler does, I respond that the butler provides a value, that no one can afford to buy, no matter how wealthy, and that anyone strives to have more of, the butler provides time… time when helping you to unpack your suitcases and having your garments pressed, so you can enjoy your stay at the hotel from the very beginning, time when helping you with your dinner, theatre or musical arrangements, and time when not having to worry about anything else but what’s truly matters to you.

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