Andrea Buschini is Maître D’ at the Gstaad Palace. Andrea spoke to GstaadLife about his 21 years at the hotel, staying calm and Dijon mustard.

You became Maître D’on Gildo’s retirement. What was that like?
Gildo worked here for 49 years – he’d known people my age since they were babies – so my focus was on building good relationships. I’d worked as his assistant and in The Lobby Bar so I already knew many of the guests. Now of course everybody knows me.

What makes an excellent Maître D’?
I always remember that we’re all human. I treat our customers like people and they treat us like people. You can eat sushi or steak or even Swiss sausage anywhere in the world. But the person standing there talking to you, they’re a human being.

You must be in charge of a big team. What do you look for in staff that work for you?
There are 70 of us working across the restaurants and I have a very good assistant.

I ask the team to be friendly and attentive. If they don’t know how to carve a duck, they can learn that inside a week. But how you treat people – you either have it or you don’t.

We ask our team to listen to the customers and then do what they ask – not to just think what they probably need. If a customer requests Dijon mustard, take that to them. Don’t take a tray with six different types of mustard! Listening is the most important thing in our job.

How do you remember guests’ names?
While we use computer systems to plan and record reservations, I make a point of remembering my conversations with guests. Then when someone visits for a second or third time, we call them by their name. This is one of the most important things.

How do you stay calm under pressure?
In front of the guests I always stay calm, but if I see a waiter getting nervous, I ask them to step aside with me for a moment. Even if we don’t have the time, we still do this. It only takes a couple of seconds to say “Everything’s alright, don’t worry, we are behind you.” Then after service we take the time to sit and talk.

In my private life, I relax by doing sports training. I also really enjoy taking walks along the little river that runs through Gstaad.

What’s your favourite thing about working at the Gstaad Palace?
Even though it’s a big hotel, I like that it’s still a family-owned business. Over 300 of us work at the hotel in the winter, but it’s like a family – everyone knows each other and there’s a good working atmosphere with great support from Mr. Scherz and the management.

And finally, do you have an insider’s tip on how to get the best table?
I always say all tables are the best! And of course the service is always the same. But if you want something in particular, like a window table, we’ll do what we can to meet the request. It’s not a matter of tips or money – no. It’s about being polite and friendly. Like I said, we’re all humans.

ANNA CHARLES