Cape Town City Centre: Head Butler

About the Role

The Head Butler position is a critical role in ensuring the exceptional guest experience at our hotel. As the leader of the butler team, you will be responsible for maintaining high standards of service, managing inventory and costs, and driving revenue growth. You will work closely with various departments to ensure seamless operations and provide outstanding hospitality to our guests.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain a beverage stock variance
• Achieve and maintain a low Room Amenity Cost with correct billing and ordering levels
• Maintain and regularly update a clear job profile for each individual butler
• Maintain the best possible guest satisfaction/experience at lowest cost
• Continuously achieve and improve on revenue income
• Coordinates and communicates closely with Housekeeping, Food Production & Service Department, and Engineering as required
• Hold monthly team communications meetings and distribute minutes to F&B Director and HR Manager
• Continuously improve and innovate upon product and services
• Plan and forecast occupancy and activities for the department on a weekly basis
• Implement systems and procedures that achieve higher cost efficiency and guest satisfaction
• Prepare monthly reports on the performance of the outlet
• Ensure that the outlet procures the best quality raw material and cost-effective equipment
• Conduct mid-month and month-end beverage inventory audits and publish stock variance checks, explanations, and remedying action plans
• Implements butler procedures and performance against results
• Distributes work assignments for each butler within the team
• Inspects all rooms sporadically to ensure that standards are met and maintained
• Manages processes to ensure no beverage or mini-bar stock item ever reaches its expiry date
• Conduct daily audits in the rooms to ensure compliance to standards
• Implement & maintain an effective system of recording guest history, preferences, and other guest-related data in Amadeus
• Give the guest a fond farewell and hands over all departure gifts and process relating to it
• Guide and help butlers in their daily tasks to ensure a consistently high quality of work delivered
• Makes training plans and audits members accordingly to improve overall staff potential
• Provides hands-on training for the team members on a continuous basis
• Manage the selection, training, and development of employees with an eye toward maximum employee satisfaction, productivity, and guest satisfaction
• Maintain morale of staff to achieve minimal department turnover
• Coach, counsel, and discipline staff, providing constructive feedback to enhance performance
• Approve leave requests after considering peaks and troughs in the business
• Ensure staffing and rostering requirements are met for the department and submitted to F&B Management and HR
• Facilitate learning and development for all team members of the outlet
• Ensure staff is well-groomed and well-informed
• Motivate staff through leadership

Requirements

• Relevant hospitality and butler qualifications
• At least 2 – 3 years experience in a large 4 / 5* hotel
• Fluent in English (additional language advantageous)
• Knowledge and experience of ALL hotel services
• Knowledge about Food and Beverage service, including cuisines, menus, accompaniments, wines, beers, spirits, cocktails, tobacco, teas, coffees, other non-alcoholic beverages and their service
• Rules of F&B service and service etiquette
• Ability to provide accurate information to guests in a courteous manner; fill all reasonable guest requests and requirements; anticipate guests’ needs
• Ability to know what activities are available in the city (i.e. theatre, the arts, special exhibits, concerts, shows, sports, leisure activities, sightseeing tours, etc.)
• Ability to recite all hotel services, hours of operation, key personnel, hotel policies, etc.
• Ability to keep Senior Management well informed of any guests’ concerns or complaints, and action taken.

Qualifications

No formal qualifications are mentioned in the original job description.