The role of a butler is an incredibly important one. For centuries, they have been serving large households, keeping everything organised and on track. Traditionally, a butler will be in charge of a large team of servants, maintaining the dining room, cellar and pantry, and ensuring that all things service-related ran like clockwork. It takes a very specific type of person to be able to pull it off. So, I’m sure you can imagine that the responsibilities of a Royal Butler are even greater and of more importance.
In this blog post, we’re going to look at the top 5 characteristics of the Royal Butler skill-set. When looking for new staff to join our ranks, these are the qualities that we will be looking for. So, should you wish to pursue a career in this area, then you most certainly will need all of the following:
1 – A professional and attentive nature
If you’re not one to follow orders, then this role is certainly not for you. Whilst a Royal Butler is in charge of a large staff, they invariably have to answer to the Royal family that they are serving. – And so, maintaining a professional and attentive nature is paramount at all times.
One must pride themselves on delivering the highest standard of service and find pleasure in carrying out their duties with exceptional care and consideration.
2 – A keen eye and attention to detail
A Royal Butler is the glue that keeps the house-hold together and should be able to spot potential problems where others will not. To have a keen eye and attention to detail is one of the most important characteristics of a Royal Butler’s skill-set; for it is in the details where the precision lies.
If you want to deliver a wholesome and exceptional level of service, then absolutely everything must be accounted for. When caring for the highest class, there are certain levels of expectation and those levels are incredibly high. You must have the capacity and the desire to meet and exceed those expectations, every single time.
3 – An innate level of empathy and interpersonal skills
To be a truly successful Royal Butler, one must have an innate level of empathy. They must be exceptionally good at ‘reading a room’ and gauging the feelings of other people through body language alone. They must have pristine interpersonal skills, so that they can build strong and professional relationships both with those that work under them, and those whom they work for.
A Royal Butler should have a deep sense of empathy in order to help them deliver the highest standard of service. It’s about putting yourself in the shoes of others and judging whether or not the standard is indeed, up to par.
A good level of empathy also helps when it comes to the leadership role. A true empath will understand the appropriate action to take when dealing with disciplinaries and equally; handing out praise and reward for those whom have gone above and beyond.
4 – Perfect organisational skills & exceptional taste & knowledge in culinary
In order to run a large household and maintain strict schedules; one must be incredibly organised. In fact, a Royal Butler must have perfect organisational skills as careless mistakes are simply not acceptable.
Additionally, a Royal Butler must have significant knowledge in the culinary and hospitality industry. They must possess a broad knowledge and understanding of fine wine and foods. They must be able to judge the quality and suitability of a menu and the ingredients stocked for preparing meals, ensuring that they’re fit for Royalty.
One must be able to run the household like clockwork, whilst ensuring that absolutely everything is as it should be and again; to the highest standard.
5 – Well-groomed and pristine personal presentation
Whilst you might not consider personal presentation to be a ‘skill-set’; it takes a certain type of person, to be able to maintain their composure at all times. That in itself is a skill that few people have. In fact, it is something that can rarely be taught as well.
To be a Royal Butler, is to be able to maintain an even-temper, at all times. One must have exceptional personal hygiene and look sharp and professional, always.
Even when under stress or scrutiny, a Royal Butler must remain calm and lead their team through the difficulties. There is no failing or falling behind; only the successful delivery of a prestige level of service.
Do you think you have what it takes?
If you think you have what it takes to be the best Royal Butler and to meet and exceed the 5 characteristics above, then we’d love to hear from you. However, please be aware that we have a very thorough and rigorous recruitment process, so you should only apply if you are entirely confident in your experience and your abilities. That said, we’re always looking for new potential
candidates to join our ranks, so feel free to apply.