[Interview] Meet Seow Wei – Growing strong with a new career

As a former accounts assistant, Seow Wei felt she was going nowhere with her career. Since joining BUTLER back in 2018 , she has a newfound direction in life and is thankful for the opportunities – and supportive environment – BUTLER has given her. 

Curious about Seow Wei’s journey with BUTLER, we sat down to find out more about what made her join the team, her growth with us, and her love for the people she works with. 

Qn: Could you give a short introduction about yourself and your current position in BUTLER? 

Seow Wei: My name is Seow Wei, or Eva. I’m currently working as a supervisor at BUTLER. I am responsible for conducting training for the housekeepers and for arranging their daily housekeeping schedules to ensure every job is done seamlessly.

Qn: Could you run me through a typical workday for you?

Seow Wei: In the morning, I usually grab my breakfast to start off my day. I will first travel to the first house assigned to me and also check if there’s any housekeeper whom I have to assist with training. This morning routine never fails to make my day because I love to impart my skills to the newer housekeepers. Thereafter, I will go to the client’s house and guide our housekeepers on how to carry out more advanced housekeeping tasks which they may not be very familiar with, such as deep cleaning. Before I head home, I will then proceed to check on BUTLER’s housekeepers at their various assigned locations to ensure that their housekeeping work is up to standard. 

Qn: Why did you join BUTLER and has this broadened your perspective, knowledge and learning?

Seow Wei: Before I joined BUTLER, I was working as an accounting assistant. I left my previous job because I don’t like sitting at the office and I am someone who likes to be on the go. Thus, I decided to join BUTLER as a housekeeper because I would be able to be on-the-move constantly, which would help time to pass faster at work. It also makes me happy to interact with customers on a daily basis and working for BUTLER has allowed me to achieve all of these. I love the day-to-day interaction with housekeepers and customers that contributes to my happiness. I also relish the challenge that comes with having to be on-my-feet constantly, which is not something you can get from most jobs.

After having worked for BUTLER, I don’t think I will ever want go back to being a typical office worker again! Working at BUTLER has opened my eyes to a whole new world that I didn’t know existed previously, from the extravagant lifestyles of Ultra High Net Worth (UHNW) clients to the elaborate interior design of the landed property that I am doing housekeeping at daily. This has motivated me to work harder at my job so that I can one day, similarly enjoy the fruits of my labour after I retire.

Qn: Could you use three words to encapsulate your experience working at BUTLER thus far?

Seow Wei: Happy, enjoyable and upskilling.

“Happy” because my job gives me a sense of satisfaction knowing that I have made a concrete difference to my client’s life by freeing up his or her precious time.

“Enjoyable” because I truly enjoy what I’m doing and the on-the-ball nature of this job fits me like a T. I love taking care of people and make them feel special.

“Upskilling” because this job dedicates a lot of resources to training its workers and you will be given a lot of opportunities to develop both professionally and in your own personal capacity. You’ll be surprised to learn how many things I’ve learnt here over the last 1.5 years can be applied to my own daily life, be it in terms of housekeeping or social skills! 

Qn: Hospitality can be a challenging industry to work in. What convinced you to take a leap of faith by switching over with BUTLER?

Seow Wei: BUTLER doesn’t have shift work! *chuckles* I only need to work on weekdays, 9 to 6. Seldom do we end past 6 because our customers will be back home by then and they would want to have their own personal space to relax. This is also why BUTLER is redefining Singaporeans’ traditional perception of housekeeping services by respecting the privacy of our clients and ensuring that they too, can also seek respite in their own homes after a long, tiring day at work.

Qn: More than most workers, housekeepers need to be constantly trained in the most in-demand skills. How do you conduct training for the housekeepers?

Seow Wei: The training I conduct for BUTLER’s housekeepers is designed to teach our housekeepers all the basics of the job. It is a comprehensive training programme that equips our housekeepers with the necessary skills required to perform their job well. Besides the hard skills, I also try to inculcate in our housekeepers soft skills such as communication and household etiquette, because these are the ‘invisible’ assessment criteria that our clients would have. That’s also why I continuously try to drive across the point to our housekeepers that providing a holistic customer experience is not just about cleaning our clients’ homes, but also about maintaining a strong and tightly-knit client-housekeeper relationship.

Qn: What about yourself? What kind of training did you receive?

Seow Wei: Yup, I received training before becoming a housekeeper, and later, a supervisor. I feel that the training is very useful in allowing me to understand the different types of demands that come with the different positions. For example, when I was a housekeeper, my training was more focused on learning the hands-on parts of housekeeping, for instance, how to arrange items and wiping furniture. The training to prepare me to become a supervisor, was however, more relationship-oriented in nature because as part of my job scope of a supervisor, I would have to manage the housekeepers under me and liaise with clients more often. 

Qn: Building relationships with clients is important, but so is having a great community of colleagues to work with. How do you feel about the team?

Seow Wei: Yes, because we really take care of our staff. When the housekeepers under me are stressed, I will be their confidante and chat with them to understand how they are feeling. Our boss is also very caring and treats us just like his family. We also have a weekly dinner where we update one another on things that have happened in our personal lives, as well as job-related matters. This family-like corporate culture is very different from most other corporate cultures out there, because we can open our hearts to one another and share any concerns we have, be it personal concerns or work-related concerns. 

Qn: You’ve been with BUTLER for a while. What comes to your mind first when you think about BUTLER?

Seow Wei: BUTLER stands for excellent customer service. That’s the one thing which I feel that BUTLER really places a lot of emphasis on and it’s clearly ingrained into the company’s culture. I feel that this is a good value to uphold for a hospitality company because the very definition of “hospitality” is the friendly and generous reception of guests or strangers. In fact, I feel that this should be the mission that every hospitality company strives to embrace and I am proud of BUTLER for continuously emphasizing service excellence to our employees. 

Qn: What is some advice you would like to give to all the job-seekers out there, especially those who are hoping to join the local hospitality industry? 

Seow Wei: There are a lot of things we can learn in the hospitality industry. It’s exciting and never a monotonous job to be able to keep exploring new things, whether it is a hand-on task or soft skills like communication and management. At the same time, it is also challenging to do both housekeeping well and deliver a flawless customer experience simultaneously. Learning to accept feedback with open mind is a lifelong job for everyone of us. Regardless of which industry you choose to join, being receptive to feedback and criticism is a vital trait that will land you in good stead for attaining meaningful success in your career. 

Qn: Would you recommend BUTLER to jobseekers?

Seow Wei: Absolutely! After 1.5 years in BUTLER, I have not regretted once embarking on this journey, and it was probably one of the wisest decisions of my life. I’m sure that for anyone who wishes to join BUTLER, it won’t be a decision you’ll regret as well. 

Be part of a team that invests in you

Being a housekeeper can be uniquely challenging everyday, but being part of a family that supports you and wants you to thrive turns anxiety and frustration into self-fulfilment. Seow Wei is proud to be with BUTLER, and we are just as proud to have an outstanding teammate like her. 

When you join BUTLER, you are not just a housekeeper We:

• Train you as a full-fledged professional complete with an  all-rounded skillset
• Teach you all the latest in-demand skills so you can go the extra mile for clients
• Connect you to a wide network that opens doors even after you leave us 

Because at BUTLER, we put our people first. Want to join Seow Wei on her fulfilling journey with us? Write in to us now and thrive with a company that puts you first today!

About BUTLER

BUTLER is a property management and hospitality service company that provides individuals and businesses with property and hospitality services such as office management and events planning. 

At BUTLER, we are driven to serve with excellence in everything we do.

 

References:

[1] https://qswownews.com/singapore-polytechnic-hospitality/

[2] https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/adopt-progressive-wage-model-companies-urged

[3] https://hrmasia.com/employees-want-to-feel-like-theyre-part-of-a-family/