Attitude is defined as energy, commitment, attention to detail while striving for perfection.

A Butler typically

• Oversees the household staff usually of one residence.
• Understands concepts like being anticipatory, friendly not familiar, privacy and confidentiality, invisible and available.
• Answers residence phone, receives guests at the door and supervises the reception of visitors.
• Assists with staff training and organizes the duties and schedule of domestic staff.
• May assist or be charged with keeping the household budgets and inventory supplies.
• May schedule and oversee vendors of contracted services.
• May assist with household and family security measures.
• Oversees family packing and travel preparations.
• Understands social etiquette and formal service.
• Assists with planning and organizing parties and events in the home.
• Oversees and participates in proper table settings and entertainment prep.
• Serves meals and drinks and performs wait services related thereto.
• Knowledgeable about wines and spirits and oversees the wine cellar and liqueur inventory.
• May also serve as personal valet to the household and/or gentleman of the house.
• Performs light housekeeping duties.
• Coordinates with other staff as needed as well as with other parts of the employers organization.
• Works closely with the Estate Manager or Major Domo or House Manager and Personal Assistants

A Personal Chef typically 

• Prepares all menus for approval by the employer. Works closely with the Butler or Personal Secretary to plan /coordinate for upcoming activities such as guests and parties, birthdays, seasonal themes and such. Also, pays attention to any requests, keeps track of likes and dislikes, "hit" or "missed the mark" menus.
• Does the marketing personally or by delegation in some organizations. As possible develops relationships and strategies to insure that only the best ingredients are purchased and used.
• Performs or coordinates ( if not there), all the cooking in the residence, yacht, aircraft including baking, parties, buffets. Is sensitive to considerations such as strong odors, noise in the kitchen at meal times, and last minute requests. Understands the importance of beautiful presentation, but not at the expense of great taste. Exhibits attitudes and behaviors that are supportive of other staff and the combined effort of all to provide great service to the employer.
• Responsible for the cleaning of the kitchen and related facilities such as coolers and freezers, usually with assistance in the form of a helper or another staff person such as a housekeeper who pitches in at a proscribed time on a regular basis.
• Serving, depending on the specific employment situation.(with assistance when over 6-8 people) and also depending on the style of service and level of formality involved. It must be recognized that calm and relaxed dining is not enhanced by a professional who must rush in order to cover both the dining room and the kitchen.
  
  

Cook

"Our kitchen is staffed by cooks and not chefs" is how one employer explained the kitchen at his country estate. The local talent in the kitchen would put many a chef to shame. The basic difference is that a cook is home schooled and typically very talented in the local cuisine. Talk of Spa menus is likely to elicit a groan. The cook often does not create the menu.This task is done by the Butler / House Manager or even verbally by the employer. Prepared meals are often house favorites which grow in number over the years. Marketing may also be done by the driver or some one else on the staff. Cooking, cleanup and serving guidelines are similar to those of the Personal Chef.

Couples

Couples are committed to working together to provide a package of services to their employer. There is a great variety of skills and combinations of talent in different couples. Everyone should be aware that the common statement about couples is that they are often not a balanced team, with one partner being a stronger player. Maybe so, but there is a niche for them too. Two broad categories of Couples are:

Domestic Couples

Domestic Couple teams are generally inside / outside teams. One does cooking and cleaning and the other the outside work. Usually the employer is close at hand for purposes of direction. Each employment situation is different so this category can require very basic skills or be more sophisticated where the couple supervise other staff in their areas of responsibility. The tasks that are involved would incorporate aspects of the Maid, Housekeeper and Houseman and House Manager and Gardener descriptions.

House Manager Couples

House Manager couples are less hands on than the Domestic Couples and more managerial. While they may handle the cooking or the service (or both) they are expect to take charge and manage the service delivery to the employer according to the standards of the house.Often, one person will perform personal assistant duties while the other handles Butler or House Manager tasks. The major difference between the two types of couples is educational and private service experience along with the sophistication of their employment situations and salary history.

Estate Manager or Executive Estate Manager

An true Estate Manager is typically responsible in a major way for a substantial property (s) and aircraft, yachts and other employer personal interests.Management authority over both inside and outside staffs and operations is held at varying degrees depending on the employer.The Executive Estate Manager refers to the highest level in this category and in complex situations it is similar to the chief executive officer in the corporate world.

Typically, the Estate Manager will be concerned with these duties:

• Translating owners requirements into personnel and financial management plans for approval. Develop written position descriptions, standards of quality and operating manuals.

• Providing overall leadership to professional private service staff in general operations, job performance, standards of quality expected on the estate.

• Assuming responsibility for organization, planning and evaluation of all estate job activities.

• Providing primary human resource function for estate employees.

• Coordinating and monitoring from employer's perspective all building, development and maintenance on the properties.

• Coordinating and monitoring from employer's perspective all contracted services including security, outside cleaning services, etc.

• Communicating effectively with employer.
  
  

Gentleman's Gentleman

The Gentleman's Gentleman is a job that is similar to the broad array of duties that constitute the description of a Butler. The position is strictly focused on service to the gentleman employer. The role of the Gentleman's Gentleman involves an element of companionship. Duties may include attending functions with the employer along with insuring that all his needs are met.

Governess

In general the duties are to develop a safe, educational and nurturing relationship with the child. An understanding of and the ability to teach the importance of character, manners, protocols and general learning is important. Every day brings different situations and requires flexibility in organizing the time with the child. The Governess is expected to develop with family input, an overall program with goals for the day, week and month. These plans will complement the child's interests and the things that are going on in the child's life.

Household Manager

The Household Manager is another term for a Butler with few subtle differences. A Butler tends to be the preferred term in a formal residence. While a Butler manages to the same degree as the House Manager, he or she may be expected to be more knowledgeable and sophisticated in the finer details of privilege and wealth than the House Manager, particularly in the area of wines and food.

The Household Manager typically

• Oversees the household staff usually of one residence.
• Understands concepts like being anticipatory, friendly not familiar, privacy and confidentiality, invisible and available.
• Answers residence phone, receives guests at the door and supervises the reception of visitors.
• Assists with staff training and organizes the duties and schedule of domestic staff.
• May assist or be charged with keeping the household budgets and inventory supplies.
• May schedule and oversee vendors of contracted services
• May assist with household and family security measures.
• Oversees family packing and travel preparations.
• Understands social etiquette and formal service.
• Assists with planning and organizing parties and events in the home.
• Oversees and participates in proper table settings and entertainment prep.
• Serves meals and drinks and performs wait services related thereto.
• Knowledgeable about wines and spirits and oversees the wine cellar and liqueur inventory.
• May also serve as personal valet to the household and/or gentleman of the house.
• Performs light housekeeping duties.
• Coordinates with other staff as needed as well as with other parts of the employers organization
• Works closely with the Estate Manager or Major Domo or House Manager and Personal Assistants.
  
  

Personal Assistant

The Personal Assistant is a key position in the private life of an important person. Honesty, discretion, confidentiality and above all a meeting of the minds makes for a great relationship between the employer and the Personal Assistant. The Personal Assistant is a very broad category of private service employment. In a general sense this employment is focused on handling the details for a busy person in the areas of private life involved with communications-phone, letter, email, coordination with other staff, travel planning, errands, odd jobs and whatever comes along. It does not involve much involvement with domestic themes such as cleaning, cooking, driving and so forth.