HOUSEKEEPING NC II

Name of Learner: ______________________________ Quarter 3: Week 1

Section: _____________________________________ Date: _____________

THE BASIC ROLES OF A VALET OR BUTLER SERVICE

I. Background Information:
A valet, sometimes also known as a 'butler', is employed by a hotel to provide
a personalized and specialist service to guests for the duration of their stay. They
add a degree of service, class and style many people associate with indulgence
and opulence. Valet services are not common. Certainly not all establishments
provide valet service and the position may not exist in some countries. Many
hotels will only supply a valet “parking‟ service. However international guests
may have very high levels of expectation in relation to the service provided by
valets, especially American and Japanese guests. Many expect the same level of
service provided by other up-market hotels around the world.

The many roles of a valet

Many regards the valet as providing a combination of roles each with its own
demanding level of personalized and individualized services. The various roles
include:
 Housekeeper – performing a range of services normally provided by room
attendants in other rooms
 Confidant – being a trusted person whom the guest can confide in when
they need to talk or share an idea, experience or opinion
 Guide – informing the guest of what is available both within and outside
the venue, when it is available, how to get there and how to obtain entry,
tickets, preferential treatment
 Concierge – while all valets work together with the concierge in a venue,
many valets often take the role of concierge for the guests they are
looking after
 Organizer – organizing activities including reservations, tickets to shows,
entry to events, meetings with people, daily schedules, on behalf of and
under the direction of the guest
 Supervisor – overseeing the work of other people (venue employees and
outside workers) who provide products and service to the guest
 Guest relations – ensuring the guest has a pleasant stay in the venue,
ensuring their expectations are met and dealing with any problems that
arise during the stay.

It is true that a valet may be all these and more. Exactly what a valet is or the
services they provide, depends greatly on the needs of the individual guest.
There is a special relationship between the valet and the concierge, especially
the nature of the working relationship between them that demands instant
responses to guest needs, quick supply of information, and general professional
support. The valet must be able to respond immediately and appropriately to the

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needs of individual guests who may all have widely diverse demands. It is a
challenging position but, without doubt, an extremely rewarding one. The role of
valet would generally be undertaken by experienced staff members or other
people with sound organizational and interpersonal skills.
Depending on the organizational structure of the venue, “valet‟ may be in
Housekeeping, Front Office or another appropriate department such as Finance
or Sales and Marketing.

The valet is always:

 A front-of-house member of staff – they are not “back of house‟ staff who
work “behind the scenes‟
 A guest contact staff member – as opposed to a manager or
administration officer
 A service provider – while they perform some liaison and supervision
duties their primary role is one of service provision

The main duties of a valet

The main duties of a valet refer to the services they provide to their guests. The
Position Description for “valet‟ at your venue will provide a good starting point
regarding what they are expected to do. The nature and extent of these services
will vary between guests with some guests demanding constant attention and
others requiring little in the way of valet service.
Services can include, but are not limited to:
 Professionally and confidentially communicating – with the guest and on
behalf of the guest
 Unpacking and storing guest luggage
 Preparing guest clothes and footwear – ready for use
 Light pressing of garments – as required or requested
 Packing guest luggage – for their departure
 Cleaning and polishing shoes – as required or requested
 Repairing, or organizing the repair of, clothes and other guest belongings
 Providing assistance in relation to organization of guest needs and
requests including wake up calls, newspaper, coffee and tea
 Monitoring the provision of establishment services to the guest – both in-
room and throughout the venue. This may include:
 Arranging and supervising the provision of room service for meals,
snacks, parties and drinks
 Organization and implementation of functions for the guest in their
room or in a function room at the venue
 Recording services that have been delivered – for quality control and
accounting procedures
 Preparing room before guest arrives – by providing various items such as
fruit bowls, complimentary gifts, bathrobes, chocolates or flowers
 Looking after guest laundry and dry-cleaning needs – on an ongoing basis
for the duration of their stay
 Organizing and processing secretarial duties upon request – such as
messages, faxes, packages, translation, postage, and use of the business
facilities at the property

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  Arranging restaurant bookings, car hire, tours, specified purchases of gifts
or other items
 Organizing activities to meet guest needs – such as arranging special
functions in the venue, booking local excursions and tours, and making
reservations for the theatre, shows, dining and special events
 Provision of local advice (the „concierge‟ function) including:
 Recommendations for dining and shopping
 Suggestions for transport and sight-seeing
 Options for tourism and leisure activities
 Acquisition of personal services
 Making, altering or confirming travel arrangements.
 Prior to guest arrival the valet must:
 Investigate background information and knowledge about guest
preferences and previous history with the establishment
 Take action to ensure promises made to the guest are met when
the guest arrives.
 On guest departure the valet must record and process guest charges and
accounts – for billing and payment
 Assist in the maintenance of guest history file – to provide relevant and
up-to-date information about the guest/VIP
 De-brief with management – to identify lessons learned, determine
changes needing to be made to SOPs and whether or not management
needs to contact the guest to make an apology.

II. Learning Competency: (TLE_HEHK9- 12VS-IIIa-j-1)

LO 1: Display professional valet standards
I.1. Discuss basic roles of valet and butler service within the Philippine
hospitality industry

III. Directions/ Instructions:

General instructions for the activities:

• Activities are given to help you achieve our objectives in this learning activity sheet.
• If you are not sure about the activities, you may ask your teacher or any household
members who can provide instructional support for clarifications.
• If there are questions that are needed to explain, always answer in complete
sentences and be aware of your grammar.
• You can continue some activities on separate sheet if necessary.

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 Exercises / Activities

A. ACTIVITY NO. 1
True or False Directions: Read each statement below carefully. Place a T on
the line if the statement is TRUE; otherwise place an F on the line if the
statement is FALSE.
_____ 1. A valet, sometimes also known as a 'butler', is employed by a hotel to
provide a personalized and specialist service to guests for the duration
of
their stay.
_____ 2. Valet services are not common.
_____ 3. International guests may have very high levels of expectation in relation
to the service provided by valets, especially Asian guests.
_____ 4. A valet as a housekeeper performs a range of services normally
provided
by room attendants in other rooms.
_____ 5. While all valets work together with the concierge in a venue, many
valets
often take the role of concierge for the guests they are looking after.
_____ 6. The role of valet would generally be undertaken by unexperienced staff
members or other people without sound organizational and
interpersonal
skills.
_____ 7. Based on the organizational structure of the venue, “valet‟ can only be
located in Housekeeping. Not in the Front Office or other department
such as Finance or Sales and Marketing.
_____ 8. Valet service includes unpacking and storing guest luggage.
_____ 9. Valet services includes arranging restaurant bookings, car hire, tours,
specified purchases of gifts or other items.
_____ 10. A butler does not assist in the maintenance of guest history file.

B. ACTIVITY NO. 2
Matching Type Direction: Match column A with the correct answer on
column B pertaining the roles of a valet, write only the letter of answer on the
blank provided.

_____1. Being a trusted person whom the guest can confide in

when they need to talk or share an idea, experience or
opinion.
_____2. Organizing activities including reservations, tickets to a. Guest relations
shows, entry to events, meetings with people, daily schedules, b. Organizer
on behalf of and under the direction of the guest. c. Supervisor
_____3. Informing the guest of what is available both within d. Concierge
and outside the venue, when it is available, how to get there e. Housekeeper
and how to obtain entry, tickets, preferential treatment. f. Guide
g. Confidant

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 _____4. Overseeing the work of other people (venue
employees and outside workers) who provide products and
service to the guest.
_____5. Ensuring the guest has a pleasant stay in the venue,
ensuring their expectations are met and dealing with any
problems that arise during the stay.
Guide Questions:

1. If you will become a butler/valet, what role would you like to do?
______________________________________________________________
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2. What is the importance of valet/butler service in hotel operations?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
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IV. Reflection

What have I learned in this lesson?

V. References for learners

Provide valet services to guests, Trainee Manual, William Angliss Institute of

TAFE, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2012.

Prepared by:

MELODY M. VALLENTE
Teacher II
Balibago Primero Integrated School