Learning skills to serve the super rich

Specialized schools and institutes set up in China to teach the art of being a Western-style butler

Dressed in a black tuxedo, with a bow tie and white gloves, Tang Zhiyong is struggling to iron a newspaper while keeping his feet straight and his waist tilted at exactly 30 degrees.

Part of a course designed for budding butlers, the 31-year-old from central Anhui province is hoping to follow in the time-honored European tradition of catering for the super rich.

"I have been practicing my ironing skills all day," he said. "But I never thought ironing a newspaper would be so difficult."

At exclusive Noahs Shanghai Yatch Club, Tang and 13 other students have paid thousands of yuan for a two-week program to learn specialized skills such as valet services and etiquette.

The courses are run by The British Butler Institute, a London-based training school, which entered the Chinese market in 2007.

Apart from valet duties and etiquette, the program takes in international protocol, knowledge of wines, food and cigars, as well as getting the temperature right when running a hot bath.

"I dream of becoming a butler because I can earn more money," Tang, who used to work as a manager in charge of cafeteria services for the five-star Jianguo Hotel in Henan province, said.

A typical private butler in a major luxury hotel can earn around 20,000 yuan ($3,175) a month, which is more than triple the average salary in Beijing.

Demand for qualified staff is growing as China's ultra rich pursue opulent lifestyles. This in turn has fueled a mini boom in training schools and institutes, rolling out the hidden arts and duties of a "respected man servant".

"The butler service sector in China is still in its infancy but we are seeing growing demand," Gary Williams, principal of The British Butler Institute, said. "We have grown steadily throughout China and we are currently providing training courses for an average of 850 students a year."

At this stage, it is difficult to gauge the value of the sector as there is very little data on the subject. But to put the industry into context, Hurun Research Institute, a wealth management research agency based in Shanghai, reported in its latest survey that China has more than 1.09 million people with assets of at least 10million yuan.

Naturally, this is good news for companies turning out skilled domestic staff.

One of them is the International Butler Academy, a Dutch institution, which opened a school in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, last year. The academy offers a six-week training program with enrollment fees of 40,000 yuan per person.

"China's service sector has failed to catch up with the country's breakneck economic growth," Pu Yan, who is in charge of marketing and public relations at the International Butler Academy, said. "Rich people are longing for better services and this brings huge opportunities for the butler market."

Chinese schools are also moving into the industry. Meiyu Home Service Coalition Organization Co Ltd, a service solution provider in Beijing, has linked up with Les Roches International School of Hotel Management, based in the canton of Valais in Switzerland, to provide courses.

The one month program costs 47,840 yuan and is split between Beijing and Switzerland. Courses include Western etiquette, international communication skills and event planning.

"The blending of training in two countries can help cultivate talent in China that meet international standards," Liu Yang, president of Meiyu Home Service, said.

Employing domestic staff in China is nothing new. During the time of imperial courts, employees were brought in to run the day-today royal household and look after foreign dignitaries.

But it is in the West where recent role models have come from such as Jules Verne's Passepartout and PG Wodehouse's Jeeves. Then, of course, there was Alfred from the Batman movie franchise.

Yet, the one that sticks out is Mr Carson, the head butler from the Downton Abbey drama series, which was made for television in the UK and now has a global audience.

"Downton Abbey is so famous here in China, that's the standard we are measured at," Thomas Kaufmann, the former head instructor at the International Butler Academy, told AFP news agency.

Still, unlike Mr Carson, most qualified butlers in China end up working in swanky hotels and exclusive private clubs. "We have seen the largest demand from five-star hotels, exclusive clubs and real estate companies,"

Fang Petersen, who runs The British Butler Institute's operation in China, said.

Xiao Feng is a potential client and hopes to use The British Butler Institute to train staff at his upmarket restaurant, Because of Love, in Beijing.

"A gap exists between China's catering service sector compared to Western countries," Xiao said. "Schools that are producing butlers will accelerate our efforts to make up for this deficiency.

"On the whole, people working in the service industry in China tend to be passive. They only do what guests ask them to do. But British butlers will prepare everything in advance and they are obsessed with details."

Real estate companies are also tapping into the market. As competition intensifies in the property sector, "promising a butler service is becoming a prerequisite rather than a bonus to sell a villa", one source, who wished to remain anonymous, said.

But there are still challenges to overcome if the industry is to expand into the "private butler" sector, even though international schools are starting to include courses in Chinese cuisine and the art of tea-making.

"It is still relatively difficult to offer a home butler service in China due to the lack of trust," Petersen, at The British Butler Institute, said. "Rich families rarely hire strangers to take care of their houses."

Cultural aspects also play a key role, according to Pu at the International Butler Academy. "Clients and butlers are supposed to be very intimate," she said. "Chinese clients are particularly strict when hiring butlers."

So far, the academy's Chengdu branch has trained only two butlers that have found positions with rich households. Part of the problem is that many Chinese clients are unsure what the duties of a butler should be.

Some simply treat them as nannies to look after their children or use them to greet guests.

"Clients usually live in big houses covering 1,000 to 2,000 square meters," Yang Xueping, training director at Meiyu Home Service, said. "So, instead of performing very specific tasks, the key job for a butler is to lead a team of four to eight people to manage the household."

To solve these problems, schools and institutes have launched promotional programs on what a traditional European butler does. The British Butler Institute, for example, has put part of its training course on Taobao, a shopping platform owned by e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

"We hope to use the Internet to help more people learn about butler services," Petersen said.

The International Butler Academy of China is also moving in that direction by explaining to the country's super rich the role a butler plays in a wealthy household.

"Home butler services are targeting people at the top of the wealth ladder," Pu said. "It may take some time for China's rich to adopt it, but it is a future trend."

Facts

The British Butler Institute

Location: Varied, depending on the business customer

Course: Selection of courses, including a one-week training program for hotel sector

Price: Tailor-made programs although the company declined to disclose its price range

Multicultural etiquette and international protocol, which involves understanding VIP and celebrity expectations. Lessons in body language, including facial and body expressions. Skills include valet services, and check-in and checkout procedures.

International Butler Academy of China

Location: Chengdu

Course: Six-week training program

Price: 40,000 yuan ($6,289)

Indepth study of the history of butler protocol. The use of modern technology to hone communication and leadership skills. Lessons in valet services, including ironing, etiquette training and cooking.

Meiyu Home Service Coalition Organization Co Ltd

Location: Beijing and Switzerland

Course: Selection of courses, including a one-month training program

Price: 47,840 yuan ($7,522)

The course involves two weeks in Beijing and two weeks in Switzerland. The program includes Western etiquette and international communication skills, personnel management and the ability to run a bar. Other lessons involve working on a private plane and a yacht as well as specialized knowledge of luxury brands. Valet skills and event planning are also part of the course.

masi@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 10/23/2015 page14)