Learn at the top end

A message from professional trainer, esteemed friend and World Cultural Heritage Rick Fink , Director of Rick Fink the Butler Valet School and Britain's longest serving Butler. https://linkedin.com/posts/rick-fink-587b0918_butler-valet-school-butler-courses-activity-7129958548142231552-H-dD

My way of teaching and training is to learn at the top end, the highest standard that I know, because if you do it that way one can always go down according to what standard one's employers require. But if you only learn this work below par you will never know what the top standard is and you will fail, because throughout one's career, you will need to know the very best way to do everything.

Very recently, I read an article stating that being formal doesn't matter anymore, many principals don't require it, and the article went on about as long as you serve the clients, they basically are happy and wouldn't particularly care if you served a drink in a T–shirt and a pair of shorts.

Well, I cringed at the time because I thought of all my years working as a Royal Naval Steward for nearly 7 years, as a residential Butler for over 24 years, and 42 years working as a freelance Butler, including managing our Butler Valet school at Ditchley Park for over 21 years.

And yes, I did work quite formally for many of them, but some of the time and different days, weekends I was employed by lovely families who were relaxed and were not going to get upset if I offered a G and T in perhaps not their usual glass or if the gravy was in a jug instead of a sauceboat on the hot plate when carving the meat off of the sideboard.

My way of teaching and training is to learn at the top end, the highest standard that I know, because if you do it that way one can always go down according to what standard one's employers require. But if you only learn this work below par you will never know what the top standard is and you will fail, because throughout one's career, you will need to know the very best way to do everything.

As you can see, I've done the years, so I do know. Learn the basics and get the best groundwork, because this is going to help you throughout your working life in this hospitality world. Nothing is easy and listen and learn from your peers.

There are some great trainers out there, but be careful and learn from people who have got some years behind them, because I can tell you there is no substitute for experience. Five, ten, fifteen years is nothing. One needs to learn from people who have a background, but none of us will teach you to wear a casual shirt and a pair of shorts and not to bother with the salver, your hand is just as good, so they say!

I think it is shameful that the Butler world is lowering its standards and becoming non-professional through people who think like this and are even out their training others. Who are these people, because we certainly don't need them or want to know them. Thank you, Rick.

Oh, I do have a little story and I know that one of my employers is on LinkedIn and they occasionally read my pieces. So one day, on a weekend, I was at home and the phone rang and it was my employer who said, "Oh Rick, help me! Princess So and So has just phoned and says she's coming to tea! What is it that you put on that silver tea tray when you are here, as I need to know desperately!?"

The point being that although one can be relaxed, there are times when you have to up market. My employer was a wonderful person and certainly knew how to do things, but this is where even they like your high standards.

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Hospitality is more than just great service