It's the little things that make the difference

What does a butler do and what can the hotel industry learn from this? Hotelvak asked Fabian Dendoe. He graduated from School for Butlers and Hospitality in 2020 and is employed by Michel Perridon. This Rotterdam-based entrepreneur is known from the TV programme Dragons Den, among others.

"I really enjoy helping people. That's why I used to be a social worker. In that profession, you help different people, with whom you have short contact moments. Thanks to a job coach and a documentary on the Butler course, I got the idea to change direction. As a butler, you provide service to one person and can really go into depth. This seemed very nice to me."

"In my year of study, I was the only one from the Netherlands, but I had fellow students from all over the world. Wherever wealthy people live, butlers work. There are domestic servants in the Netherlands too, but people (unlike Mr Perridon) often keep this a secret. In addition, I think there are many ladies and gentlemen who do not call themselves butlers, but do almost the same job."

"One of my teachers advised me to gain experience in a Michelin restaurant first. However, I was stubborn. Using the Quote and Forbes, I wrote a handwritten letter to many wealthy people, because you have to stand out! Mr Perridon had a butler by then, but did write back to me. I then worked as a host at Restaurant Lindehof in Nuenen for 1.5 years. Here I learnt a lot about hospitality. When Perridon's previous butler started his own hotel, I was approached by a recruiter and allowed to come for an interview. Part of the application process was a cooking job, so my experience at the Lindenhof came in handy."

"I try to make Mr Perridon's life easier. I do this together with the caretaker and housekeeping. There are a few recurring tasks, such as shopping. Because Mr Perridon is not always in the Netherlands, this does not have to be done every day. I also have contact with housekeeping. Are there guests coming? Is any maintenance planned? The coach house, which contains meeting rooms and Mr Perridon's flat, is currently being renovated. I try to plan the work so that guests are not inconvenienced. Furthermore, every day is different; today, for instance, I have a meeting with a bread supplier. Dinners are also often given at Welgelegen, Mr Perridon's country house. However, because he travels a lot, things can change quickly. So it is important to work with fixed, flexible suppliers." 

"The butler training focuses on hospitality a taught me how to make people feel welcome. Then it's often the little things that make the difference."

- Your use of language is very important, when a regular guest returns, you can give him a different feeling by your use of words "what can it be for you today?".

- Take notes. Is someone drinking coffee, or just cappuccino? If he comes back, you can ask if you can make/serve this again. 

- There is room for a joke. For instance, one guest said, "From the previous butler, I always got biscuits! So next time I put biscuits down.

- Know where your guest is coming from. If it is cold then offer a hot drink. If guests come in irritated then cheer them up with a welcoming welcome or a joke. I also used to do shoulder exercises with guests to loosen them up and relax them.

Dendoe concludes, "The butler's job is also a bit of acting, I imagine it is the same in the hotel industry sometimes. You play a game with the guest, with the aim of making them go home feeling happy."