Did You Hire Level 1 Staff, Expecting Level 10 Service?
I’ve been watching Succession, a brilliant, binge-worthy drama about a dysfunctional billionaire family running a mega-media conglomerate. This show is about siblings who try to gain power over the company and the family’s vast fortune from their aging, tyrannical father with failing health by winning their father’s affection, leaking detrimental press information that affects stock prices, and swaying board members to vote him out.
Within the family, the level of mind games, adversarial relationships, and verbal and physical – as well as drug and alcohol – abuse is hard to watch.
On a different level, watching the household staff and personal assistants work to support this family gives me flashbacks to my days in private service life. Although I didn’t provide service near Succession’s level of formality or scale, the show reminds me of the intense nature of working inside someone’s home and watching the family dynamics unfold.
Personal dramas clash with feelings of angst when the family shows up unannounced at their property. Staff members panic when a foul smell is detected within a newly remodeled home. Disgust permeates when it’s time to throw away thousands of dollars of unconsumed food or expired products that were all purchased “because we might need them.”
I don’t know how anyone who has experienced some level of trauma isn’t triggered by watching this show. I’m only on Season 2 but, somehow, I’m addicted.
Succession points to the frequent misalignment between service level expectations and staff investment among UHNW families in real life
During April, our team has been diving into the nitty gritty nuances between Service and Servitude. Since watching Succession, I decided to go deeper into the different aspects of service available to families of wealth.
If I had to describe a sliding scale of service, I would say that managing a 2,000-square-foot Malibu beach house for a wealthy individual with no children is Service Level 1, while running a 16,000-square-foot home on an 8-acre property in the Hamptons for a family of six – all having their staff, helicopters, and complex spousal relationships – is Level 10.
Service expectations at all levels are high. However, the story of an implied “win-win partnership” that I dream about for all service providers – let’s be honest – doesn’t exist beyond my imaginary Level 3.
To be clear, all levels of service are relevant. Neither is good or bad.
But my arbitrary service scale allows us to think more strategically about what level of service you require. As a homeowner:
Are you expecting Level 10 service with Level 1 staff?
Are you paying for Level 1 service and frustrated with the outcome?
Have you hired the right staff for the level of service you require?
Let’s look more closely at the needs and services to find your perfect fit
Here are a few aspects of service expectations that are often provided as examples of when a principal isn’t getting the service they desire. There are various degrees of service expectations; here are the extreme ends.
Consider your needs. Are you Level 1, Level 10, or somewhere in between?
Communication
Level 1 - Regular face-to-face meetings where goals and expectations are discussed
Level 10 - Figure it out and guess 20 ways to get it right
Service formality
Level 1 - I can get my breakfast
Level 10 - Formal table service for every meal
Advisory position
Level 1 – Research the problem and share with me your recommendation
Level 10 – Do what you’re told
Level of staff experience and education
Level 1 – 24/7 hybrid Jack/Jill of all trades to accommodate your needs
Level 10 – Your family office hires a chief of staff, an estate manager, house managers, and formally trained butlers along with full housekeeping staff
Operational budgets
Level 1 - There is a strict household budget
Level 10 - Whatever it takes to get the job done
Mechanical expectations
Level 1 - Let’s wait to replace that equipment until it fails
Level 10 - One day without AC, and someone will be fired
Technical know-how
Level 1 – Can they use a laptop and a smartphone?
Level 10 – Cybersecurity threats are a major fear for you and your family
Here’s the important takeaway
If the most frustrating issues related to being a domestic staff employer are unmet service expectations and high staff turnover, then let’s get clearer about determining the level of service you desire before hiring staff. If a servant is what you want, own it and fund it, and then hire staff who are more closely aligned with those needs.
