Butler Service

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

I.1. Background

Hotel is a type of commercial business that provides an accommodation service, food & beverage, and other facilities that are needed by the guest who stay in hotel.

The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms and air conditioning or climate control. Additional common features found in hotel rooms are a telephone, an alarm clock, a television, and Internet connectivity; snack foods and drinks may be supplied in a mini-bar, and facilities for making hot drinks. Larger hotels may provide a number of additional guest facilities such as a restaurant, a swimming pool or childcare, and have conference and social function services.

Nowadays, hotels are competition with each other to give the best service to the guest. One way is by provides butler service to the guest.

I.2. Purpose of Providing Butler Service

The purpose of providing “Butler Service” is to provide excellent service to the guest and also providing satisfaction to the guests who stay at the hotel. By provide the excellent service to the guest, guest will be satisfied and comfortable staying at the hotel. And that will increase hotel income.

Beside that, providing butler service also will make a skilled human resource in all areas of service. 

CHAPTER II

BUTLER SERVICE

II.1. Definition

           

Butler is originally applied to the person who had charge of the wine cellar and dispensed liquors. The Butler name derives from old French, Bouteillier, the cup-bearer or the one in charge of the bottles.

In the European ages it meant precisely this, bottle bearer, but in time it came to mean an official of the crown, who nominally had charge of the wine but who in fact was a person of high rank, having different duties in the different countries at different times.

            The Butler is the chief servant of the household and he or she supervises others employees, receives guests, directs the serving of meal, and performs various personal service.

            A butler is a servant in a wealthy, large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some also have charge of the entire parlour floor, and housekeepers caring for the entire house and its appearance. A butler is usually male, and in charge of male servants, while a housekeeper is usually a woman, and in charge of female servants. Traditionally, male servants (such as footmen) were better paid and therefore rarer and of higher status than female servants. The butler, as the senior male servant, has the highest servant status.

In modern usage, the butler is in charge of food service, wine, spirits, and silver, supervises other servants, and may perform a wide array of household management duties. Butlers may also be titled majordomo, butler administrator, staff manager, or head of household staff, and in the grandest homes or when the employer owns more than one residence, there is sometimes an estate manager of higher rank than the butler.

II.2. History of Butler

II.2.1. Ancient through medieval eras

            From ancient through medieval times, alcoholic beverages were chiefly stored first in earthenware vessels, then later in wooden barrels, rather than in glass bottles; these containers would have been an important part of a household's possessions. The care of these assets was therefore generally reserved for trusted slaves, although the job could also go to free persons because of heredity-based class lines or the inheritance of trades.

The biblical book of Genesis contains a reference to a role precursive to modern butlers. The early Hebrew Joseph interpreted a dream of Pharaoh's (shaqah) (literally "to give to drink"), which is most often translated into English as "chief butler" or "chief cup-bearer".

In ancient Greece and Rome, it was nearly always slaves who were charged with the care and service of wine, while during the Medieval Era the pincerna, usually a serf, filled the role within the noble court. The English word "butler" itself derives from the Middle English word boteler (and several other forms), from Old French bouteillier ("bottle bearer"), and before that from Middle Latin butticula. "Butticula", in turn, came down to English as "butt" from the Latin buttis, meaning a large cask. The modern English "butler" thus relates both to bottles and casks.

Eventually the European butler emerged as a middle-ranking member of the servants of a great house, in charge of the buttery (originally a storeroom for "butts" of liquor, although the term later came to mean a general storeroom or pantry). While this is so for household butlers, those with the same title but in service to the Crown enjoyed a position of administrative power and were only minimally involved with various stores.

II.2.2. Elizabethan through Victorian eras    

The Steward of the Elizabethan era was more akin to the butler that later emerged. Gradually, throughout the 19th century and particularly the Victorian era, as the number of butlers and other domestic servants greatly increased in various countries (including America), the butler became a senior male servant of a household's staff. By this time he was in charge of the more modern wine cellar, the "buttery" or pantry (from French pan from Latin panis, bread) as it came to be called, which supplied bread, butter, cheese, and other basic provisions, and the ewery, which contained napkins and basins for washing and shaving. In the very grandest households there was sometimes an Estate Steward or other senior steward who oversaw the butler and his duties. Mrs Beaton's Book of Household Management, a manual published in Britain in 1861, reported:

The number of the male domestics in a family varies according to the wealth and position of the master, from the owner of the ducal mansion, with a retinue of attendants, at the head of which is the chamberlain and house-steward, to the occupier of the humbler house, where a single footman, or even the odd man-of-all-work, is the only male retainer. The majority of gentlemen's establishments probably comprise a servant out of livery, or butler, a footman, and coachman, or coachman and groom, where the horses exceed two or three.

Butlers were head of a strict service hierarchy and therein held a position of power and respect. They were more managerial than "hands on"—more so than serving, they officiated in service. For example, although the butler was at the door to greet and announce the arrival of a formal guest, the door was actually opened by a footman, who would receive the guest's hat and coat. Even though the butler helped his employer into his coat, this had been handed to him by a footman. However, even the highest-ranking butler would "pitch in" when necessary, such as during a staff shortage, to ensure that the household ran smoothly, although some evidence suggests this was so even during normal times.

The household itself was generally divided into areas of responsibility. The butler was in charge of the dining room, the wine cellar, pantry, and sometimes the entire main floor. Directly under the butler was the first footman (or head footman), who was also deputy butler or under-butler that would fill in as butler during the butler's illness or absence. The footman—there were frequently numerous young men in the role within a household—performed a range of duties including serving meals, attending doors, carrying or moving heavy items, and they often doubled as valets. Valets themselves performed a variety of personal duties for their employer. Butlers engaged and directed all these junior staff and each reported directly to him. The housekeeper was in charge of the house as a whole and its appearance. In a household without an official head housekeeper, female servants and kitchen staff were also directly under the butler's management, while in smaller households, the butler usually doubled as valet. Employers and their children and guests addressed the butler by last name alone; fellow servants, retainers, and tradespersons as "Mr. [Surname]".

Butlers were typically hired by the master of the house but usually reported to its lady. Beaton in her manual suggested a GBP 25 - 50 (USD 2,675 - 5,350) per-year salary for butlers; room and board and livery clothing were additional benefits, and tipping known as vails, were common. The few butlers who were married had to make separate housing arrangements for their families, as did all other servants within the hierarchy.

II.2.3. Butlers in early America

From the beginning of slavery in America, in the early 17th century, African Americans were put to task as domestic servants. Some eventually became butlers. Gary Puckrein, a social historian, argues that those used in particularly affluent homes authentically internalised the sorts of "refined" norms and personal attributes that would reflect highly upon the social stature of their masters or mistresses. One of the first books written and published through a commercial U.S. publisher by an African American was by a butler named Robert Roberts. The book, The House Servant's Directory, first published in 1827, is essentially a manual for butlers and waiters, and is called by Puckrein "the most remarkable book by an African American in antebellum America". The book generated such interest that a second edition was published in 1828, and a third in 1843.

European indentured servants formed a corps of domestic workers from which butlers were eventually drawn. Although not the victims of institutionalised slavery, many of these had not volunteered for domestic service, but were forced into it by indebtedness or coercion. As with African American slaves, they could rise in domestic service, and their happiness or misery depended greatly on the disposition of their masters.

II.2.4. The modern butler

Beginning around the early 1920s, employment in domestic service occupations began a sharp overall decline in western European countries, and even more markedly in the United States. Even so, there were still around 30,000 butlers employed in Britain by World War II. As few as one-hundred were estimated to remain by the mid-1980s. Social historian Barry Higman argues that a high number of domestic workers within a society correlates with a high level of socio-economic inequality. Conversely, as a society undergoes levelling among its social classes, the number employed in domestic service declines.

Following varied shifts and changes accompanying accelerated globalisation beginning in the late 1980s, overall global demand for butlers since the turn of the millennium has risen dramatically. According to Charles MacPherson, vice chairman of the International Guild of Professional Butlers, the proximate cause is that the number of millionaires and billionaires has increased in recent years, and such people are finding that they desire assistance in managing their households. MacPherson emphasises that the number of wealthy in China has particularly increased, creating in that country a high demand for professional butlers who have been trained in the European butlering tradition. There is also increasing demand for such butlers in other Asian countries, India, and the petroleum-rich Middle East.

Higman additionally argues that the inequality/equality levels of societies are a major determinant of the nature of the domestic servant/employer relationship. As the 21st century approached, many butlers began carrying out an increasing number of duties formerly reserved for more junior household servants. Butlers today may be called upon to do whatever household and personal duties their employers deem fitting, in the goal of freeing their employers to carry out their own personal and professional affairs. Professional butler and author Steven M. Ferry states that the image of tray-wielding butlers who specialise in serving tables and decanting wine is now anachronistic, and that employers may well be more interested in a butler who is capable of managing a full array of household affairs—from providing the traditional dinner service, to acting as valet, to managing high-tech systems and multiple homes with complexes of staff. Whilst in truly grand houses the modern butler may still function exclusively as a top-ranked household affairs manager, in lesser homes, such as those of dual-income middle-class professionals, they perform a full array of household and personal assistant duties, including mundane housekeeping. Butlers today may also be situated within corporate settings, embassies, cruise ships, yachts, or within their own small "Rent-a-Butler" business or similar agency.

Along with these changes of scope and context, butlering attire has changed. Whereas butlers have traditionally worn a special uniform that separated them from junior servants, and although this is still often the case, butlers today may adorn more casual clothing geared for climate, while exchanging it for formal business attire only upon special service occasions. There are cultural distinctivenesses, as well. In the United States, butlers may frequently adorn a polo shirt and slacks, while in Bali they typically wear sarongs. In 2007, the number of butlers in Britain had risen to an estimated 5,000.

II.3. Service Philosophy

II.3.1. Provide a professional service

Professional services are infrequent, technical, or unique functions performed by independent contractors or by consultants whose occupation is the rendering of such services and a butler must have this.

II.3.2. Attitude, dedication and respect

            Good attitude, high dedication and respect are the important thing when we serve some one in this case is guest. By do those thing, we are giving intangible service to the guest, and the guest will feel welcome.

II.3.3. Duties and Responsibilities

            To give the excellent service, we have to know our duties and responsibilities and also we have to mastering all.
II.3.4. Professionalism without pretension

            Serve the guest with sincere without pretension to have intention.

II.4. Responsibility of Butler

            Butter uses his skill and attitude to provide service to his employer. Attitude is defined as energy, commitment, attention to detail while striving for perfection.  On corporate level a Butler typically has a more formal status and is often involved in functions and events for the Board of Directors. A Butler is responsible for efficiently running and supervising the specific needs of a household on a daily basis and especially during functions and events.

II.4.1. General Duties

o   Oversees the household staff usually of one residence.

o   Understands concepts like being anticipatory, friendly not familiar, privacy and confidentiality, invisible and available.

o   Answer residence phone, receives guests at the door and supervises the reception of visitors.

o   Works closely with the Estate Manager or Major Domo or House Manager and Personal Assistants

o   Assists with staff training and organizes the duties and schedule of domestic staff.

o   May assist or be charge with keeping the household budgets and inventory supplies.

o   May schedule and oversee vendors of contracted services.

o   May assist with household and guest security measures.

o   Oversee guest packing and travel preparations.

o   Understands social etiquette and formal service.

o   Assists with planning and organizing parties and event.

o   Oversees and participates in proper table settings and entertainment prep.

o   Serves meals and drink and performs wait services related thereto.

o   Knowledge about wine and spirits and oversees the wine cellar and liqueur inventory.

o   May also serve as personal valet to the household and/or gentleman of the hotel.

o   Performs light housekeeping duties.

o   Coordinates with other staff as needed as well as with parts of the employer’s organization.

II.4.2. Runner

o   Setting up the cutlery and check the mini bar.

o   Provide shoe shine service.

o   Taking room amenities to the pantry

o   Taking clean linens and put in the pantry.

II.4.3. Floor ButlerSimakBaca secara fonetik

o   Rooming for guests check in, especially the first timer.

o   Handle guest check out.

o   Preparing Expected Arrival Room

o   Taking orders from room service for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

o   Taking the dirty laundry of the guest rooms and deliver it to the laundry.

o   Deliver clean laundry to the guest room.

o   Creating good coordination with the Room Attendant when cleaning rooms.

o   Conducting the service quickly and do turn down service with room attendant.

o   At night, ask for a wake up call request to the guest.

o   Provide a welcome drink upon check in and offers unpacking at the time of check out.

o   Offers transportation for guest who will be checking out.

o   Check the mini bar, room service and report it to refill if any of the mini bar is consumed.

o   Deliver Newspapers to every in house guest.

II.4.4. Order Taker

o   Prepare Expected Arrival and Guest in house list.

o   Preparing Fruit Bucket for the in house guest and expected arrival room.

o   Filling forms that are used.

o   Perform cashiering mini bar.

o   Mini bar shut at night.

o   Maintain neatness and cleanliness counter.

o   Making summary of Food & Beverage at the end of each shift

o   Preparing the VIP amenities for every guest in house and expected arrival room.

o   Creating document reporting.

II.4.5. Preparing Expected Arrival Room

• Refilling ice bucket in the mini bar.
• Refilling mini bar and snack.
• Placed flower bucket in the room
• Placed fruit basket in the table.
• Refilling candy jar.
• Setting up VIP amenities.
• Checking cleanliness of the room and cutleries.

II.4.6. Check in-house Guest Room

• Refilling ice bucket.
• Checking the mini bar, and report to order taker if some of mini bar has consumed by the guest. And refilling the mini bar.
• Change the flower bucket.
• Change the fruit basket.
• Take the dirty cutleries.
• Take the guest dirty linens.
• Check the cleanliness of guest room and cutleries.
• Refilling candy jar.

II.4.7. Turn Down Service

• Open the bed cover and put it on the wardrobe.
• Placed the bathrobe near the bath room.
• Open the toilet bowl cover.
• Close the curtain.
• Open the mini bar.
• Close the bathroom door.
• Take the dirty cutleries.

II.4.8. Another things that must be mastered by the butler

• Organizing big event.
• Service the guest with genuine
• Setting menu
• Professional attitude toward all people.
• Making the guest fell welcome.
• Provide packing and unpacking.
• Preparing for guest clothing that will be used.

II.4.9. The Complimentary Services

• Welcome Drink.
• Unpacking Service.
• Welcome Pressing.

II.5. Gender and Butlering.

            Butlers have traditionally been male, and this remains the norm. Probably the first mention of a female butler is in the 1892 book Interludes being Two Essays, a Story, and Some Verses by Horace Smith. In it Smith quotes a certain Sydney Smith who had apparently run into lean times:

A man servant was too expensive, so I caught up a little garden girl, made like a milestone, christened her Bunch, put a napkin in her hand, and made her my butler. The girls taught her to read, Mrs. Sydney to wait, and I undertook her morals. Bunch became the best butler in the country.

   Nowadays, female butlers are sometimes preferred, especially for work within Middle and Far Eastern families where it may be religiously problematic for males to work closely with females in a household. Western female celebrities may also prefer a female butler, as may households where the wife is driving the decision to hire a butler. In 2004, Buckingham Palace announced it was actively recruiting females for the position. Despite these trends, the Ivor Spencer School asserts that female butlers are not easily placed, on the whole.

In ancient times, the roles precursive to butlering were reserved for chattel or those confined within heredity-based class structures. With the advent of the medieval era, butlering became an opportunity for social advancement—even more so during Victorian times. Although still based upon various antecedent roles as manifested during different eras, butlering today has frequently taken over many of the roles formerly reserved for lower ranking domestic servants. At the same time it has become a potentially lucrative career option.

Butlers traditionally learned their position while progressing their way up the service ladder. For example, in the documentary The Authenticity of Gosford Park, retired butler Arthur Inch (born 1915) describes starting as a hall boy. Whilst this is still often the case, numerous private butlering schools exist today, such as the International Institute of Modern Butlers, the Guild of Professional English Butlers, and The International Guild of Butlers & Household Managers; top graduates can start at USD 50,000 - 60,000 (GBP 25,350 - 30,400). Additionally, major up-market hotels such as the Ritz-Carlton offer traditional butler training, while some hotels have trained a sort of pseudo-butler for service in defined areas such as "technology butlers", who fix guests' computers and other electronic devices, and "bath butlers" who draw custom baths.

Starkey International distinguishes between the "British butler" prototype and its American counterpart, often dubbed the "household manager". Starkey states that they train and promote the latter, believing that Americans do not have the "servant mentality" that is part of the British Butler tradition. They stress that their American-style butlers and valets are educated and certified, although some students, numerous former Starkey employees, and several wealthy clients have criticised the programme and its owner. Magnums Butlers, a school based in Australia, conducts training after the British model at sites in Asia and the Pacific, Australia, the United Kingdom and the Middle East. The International Institute of Modern Butlers provides on-site training in various places around the world as well as via correspondence. In 2007, City & Guilds, the U.K.'s largest awarder of vocational credentials, introduced a diploma programme for butlers.

In addition to formal training, a few books have been published recently to assist butlers in their duties, including Arthur Inch's and Arlene Hirst's 2003 Dinner is Served. Moreover, websites, as well as a news publication, Modern Butlers' Journal, help butlers to network and keep abreast of developments within their field.

Ferry argues that what he calls a "butler mindset" is beneficial to all people within all professions. He states that an attitude of devoted service to others, deference, and the keeping of confidences can help all people succeed.

II.6. Fashion Statements for Butler

II.6.1. For a normal routine day a Butler wears a morning suit, which should be:

·Short black jacket.

·Black or grey waistcoat

·Pinstripe trousers

·White shirt with standard collar

·Necktie

·Black socks

·Black shoes

II.6.2. At special day-time functions a Butler would wear:

·Black tail-coat

·Grey waistcoat

·White shirt with wing collar

·Black or grey necktie

II.6.3. At special functions (black tie) in the evening a Butler wears:

·Black tailcoat

·White shirt with stiff front

·White bow tie

II.6.4. Do & Don’t

Do :

• Do iron the night before.
• Do wear a decent pair of un-scuffed shoes. Make sure your walkers are in clean, quality condition, and don’t forget to polish.
• Do check the mirror just before you do the operational. Make sure you’re tucked in, zipped up and free of particles in between your teeth.

Don’t :

• Don’t get tricked into thinking you wear jeans because you’ve been told that all the private staff in the hotel wears jeans.
• Don’t forget to remove the tags from your outfit.
•  Don’t even think about wearing sparkly jewelry.
•  

CHAPTER III

CLOSING

III.1. Summary

Hotel involves many concepts. The basis for providing effective to work begins with a new innovation of the employees and services. After analyzing these resouces, the new innovation can direct the hotel more effective, the objective of making a profit and delivering hospitality to the guest can be achieved easier.

Hotels are competition with each other to reach the guest by make new innovations. One of that is by giving “Butler Service”. The purpose of providing butler service is to provide excellent service to the guest.

III.2. Suggestion

            The purpose of providing butler service is to provide excellent service to the guest and make the guest feel satisfied and comfortable stay in that hotel. So, a butler must be mastering their duties and responsibility and also they must be responsible to it. A butler also must be honest to make the guest feel satisfied.