YOU WERE TRAINED BY THE QUEEN ’ S BUTLER . WHAT DOES THAT ENTAIL AND HOW IS IT DIFFERENT TO BUTLER TRAINING NOW ?
Techniques are very specific to your principal ( the person you are in service to ) so training is very individualized .
When training for the royal visit , you are taught how to take care of the needs of the specific person – breakfast requirements , items to be replenished in the room at all times , laundry services / pressing , how a bed should be turned down , night digestif , etc .
In hotels , you act in accordance with standards of the hotel and personalization occurs not to the extent of the royal visit .
HOW HAVE YOUR GUESTS EVOLVED IN YOUR CAREER ?
Many of my relationships have become lifelong . If guests know you can deliver , you become their go-to hotelier .
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE STORY ?
Many , but I remember during my tenure in Washington D . C . we had a guest that was unable to go home for his daughter ’ s first Halloween because his meetings on Capitol Hill got extended . Working with his wife , we were able to get a picture of his daughter in her Halloween costume and placed it by his bed in a picture frame with a fax and sentiment saying , “ we love you , daddy .”
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNED . CAN YOU SHARE IT WITH US ?
No matter the caliber of the guest you are dealing with , going with the heart makes you memorable .
26 ILHA