The Butler Did It

He's a staple in classic Hollywood films, is often British, and appears to know how to handle just about anything.

Over the years, the butler-valet has become a familiar, austere presence in the wealthy households depicted in books and film. Think Bruce Wayne's trusted Alfred in the old "Batman" shows or Reginald Jeeves from the P.G. Wodehouse series.

But he is hardly a fictional character, nor is he an icon of a bygone, more civilized era.

Butler-valets are very much in demand and are still present in the highest echelons of society, performing their daily duties with discretion and good taste.

The modern butler-valet possesses both traditional and contemporary skills. He can organize a dinner party, select fine wines and properly pack a suitcase, and he's also computer-savvy and can manage sophisticated home electronics.

A good butler-valet will ensure that his boss's home (or homes) runs smoothly and that the staff performs its duties as required. Ideally he will learn to anticipate the needs of his boss without being asked, and thus become an indispensable part of the household.

At Your Service

Rick Fink has served as a butler-valet for 52 years, in some of England's finest residences.

At age 72, he is passionate about his life's work, describing it as a privileged position. "It's a lovely life if you just behave yourself and don't go revealing about your bosses."

Wise words for any profession, particularly one in which the worker is so intimately involved with the day-to-day lives of his employers.

"Indoor staff perform a lot of menial tasks that no one in an office or factory would do, like pick up after the owners, clean [and] wash laundry," Fink explains. "We don't retaliate or give the boss a black eye. The boss can be quite rude sometimes, and we just accept it. It's called discretion -- we are faithful, and he is lucky to have us."

As a young man, Fink served in the Royal Navy, then spent 21 years working as a residential butler, living with his wife and sons on the grounds of his employer's estate. "As long as I worked for them, I had a cottage and use of any of their cars. But the problem was it was never going to be mine, and I wanted some possessions of my own," Fink explains.

To view Brittany Umar's video take of today's Top 1% segment, click here.