24 May What Does A Modern Butler Do?

The word butler often brings to mind an impression of bygone days, where a well-dressed, middle-aged man attends to every whim of his employer. The job of this role has changed from its old days to a more executive capacity.

They often perform the role of the household manager, taking care of all the invisible needs of a home while overseeing all the other household staff. But the core aspect of a butler’s role remains unchanged, and that is discreet and competent service. Here are some of the things that a modern butler does. 

Oversee Cleaning and Maintenance

On some occasions, depending on the structure of the household staff, a butler is expected to take care of a household’s cleaning and everyday maintenance. It is where their leadership capabilities prove handy as they are expected to delegate tasks and ensure the gears are well-oiled. In this course, they may undertake many of the household duties personally. They are also expected to be proactive regarding any maintenance issues and coordinate with any maintenance contractors to fix them, such as plumbers and exterminators. 

Manage and Maintain Wardrobes

Taking care of the family’s wardrobe is also an important part of a Butler’s job. They are well-versed in everything related to caring for clothes and shoes. They are expected to clean the family’s clothing daily and prepare them for coming events ahead of time. As the direct attendant, they often conduct this latter part personally.

Care for Precious Antiques, Artworks, and Cutlery

Taking care of valuables is one of the key skills of a traditional butler, and they carry this skill to the present day. As they are highly trained in all matters related to household management, they are also tasked with caring for all precious items, including fine china, silver cutlery, precious antiquities, and artworks. As these professionals are typically employed by large households on the higher end of the economic spectrum, this remains an important skill sought out from them. 

Plan Events and Making Travel Arrangements

Being the equivalent of a household manager, the butler is well-versed in event management and planning. It includes any time their employer has to host events or parties at the house or for travel occasions. During these times, this role makes all the necessary arrangements, such as ordering party supplies, planning catering arrangements, purchasing flight tickets, making reservations, or packing the luggage for travel. 

This role is specially trained in skills related to event hosting and is well-versed in hospitality skills, including formal table service. Throughout their employment, they also learn about all their employer’s preferences so that they may pack correctly for any trip according to the employer’s needs. 

Manage the Wine Cellar

A butler’s most valued skill, returning to the old days, is managing the wine cellar. Butlers are well-versed in all matters related to wines and liquors, and traditionally taking care of the wine cellar and food storage used to form a big part of their responsibilities. Today, too, they take care of the wine and liquor inventories to ensure they are well-stocked and are well-versed in the etiquette surrounding them. 

Greet Guests

Once a butler is taken into employment by a household, they become the de facto face of that household. It means the butler is the first face any guest in that house encounters. They ensure that all the guests are given due diligence by properly receiving them. It allows the butler to weed out potentially unsavory characters related to his security duties. 

Answer the House Phone

These professionals are responsible for answering the household phone when their employer is not home. This way, they represent the household to any caller with their pleasant demeanor. They do secretarial duties by making phone calls and phone reservations as requested by their employer. They answer with promptness and a polite greeting by introducing themselves and the residents. These professionals maintain accuracy by taking notes and effective follow-ups.

Manage Security of the Household

A butler is responsible for the security of his household. In the past, this involved the knowledge of gun use and maintenance. In the modern day, they maintain the security infrastructure by ensuring all the security cameras and monitors are well-maintained and working properly. Their approach is proactive for the safety and well-being of the household. So, this role deals directly with any security staff employed at a household, as with all the maintenance staff. 

As Required by Employer

While there is a certain number of explicit responsibilities that a butler is expected to do, the butler’s job is not limited by specified requirements. That applies to the modern butler as well. Their job is to make their employer’s life seamless by caring for everything related to home maintenance.

They may have to do much more — from running errands to doing specialized and discreet tasks at the employer’s discretion. It may even include tutoring the family’s children, chauffeuring family members to different venues, or accompanying them to events as a personal assistant.

While a butler’s job may have evolved significantly from the old days to today, it is essentially the same: to make their employer’s life easier. Like some traditional roles that have evolved to a more modern form, butlers are also expected to know many new skills to keep abreast of the times.