When providing excellent service, quality and consistency are really just the cost of entry, but don’t do anything to get you ahead of your competition or to make you special. With offering butler service consistency continues to be the basic foundation for excellence, only that your team now needs to know when exceptions should prove the rule.
Butlers need to know when they can and must make an exception of a value added service to go beyond and when to stay consistent, and this doesn’t come without challenges. Most hotels that provide butler service offer the following value added services that come with it:
- Packing & Unpacking Service
- Beverage Service
- Shoe Shine Service
- Garment Pressing
- eButler
eButler is the newest addition to the value added services provided by the butler and it gives your guests the opportunity to connect with their personal butler via e-mail or over an app on their smart phone from anywhere at anytime. So no matter where you are, the butler service is right at your finger tips.
But let’s go back to why consistency is so important. If for instance the garment pressing is complimentary for two items per person per stay, you’re not doing the guest any favor by making an exception one day offering three items for pressing, if the guest is expecting the same service the next day or on their next stay, and the next butler is staying consist with the value added service provided only making the guest unnecessarily upset and confused about the service.
So when can you make exceptions? You can make an exception when the guest is aware that you’re making an exception and that is a one time thing, that it is special. If the guest is coming back every week, you want to be careful not to create any false expectations. You’ll also come across guests who’ll try to take advantage and to get the most out of it, and that’s where you need to stay consistent. Exceptions can usually be made for special occasions, and they should always be perceived as being special. You’re not rewriting your hotel’s policy or standard operations procedures by making an exception that doesn’t hurt anyone, but you need to ensure to make a note of it, so your co-workers are aware of it… communication is everything! It’s important that your guests understand what the butler service includes and what it does not, especially when trying to offer a butler service consistent amongst your brand.
Butler service is about creating an unforgettable experience that goes beyond and connects emotionally, and the guidelines of your value added service should be considered as a framework for you to be spontaneous rather than a cage. Think outside of the box to make your guests happy. As long as it’s moral, legal, and doesn’t cause any harm to the hotel, your co-workers or your guests, you need to go beyond. Your guests have a choice to stay at your property or at your competition, and it’s the little things and small gestures that can make all the difference.
You’ll find more about the butler service at
The Butler Is Leading The Future Of Luxury
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