Few companies enjoy the prestige of being in business for 25 years. However, Precise Home Management’s Andrew Lowrey and recent hire Tiffany Kolosick are celebrating 25 years of helping private service professionals launch careers dedicated to making life better for the Principals they serve. Of course, imagining a long-lived business dedicated to private service is challenging in our modern, tech-heavy age. However, the fundamental needs of families and large households to run smoothly haven’t changed in millennia, nor have the prestige of those hired to serve them.

A Road Paved with Gold

Andrew Lowrey hails from the heyday of silver-tray service, country estates, and the fundamental belief that no detail is too small to go unattended. This passion for helpfulness that sprouted in childhood fed his passion for great private service throughout his career. Leaving private service was driven by a passion for making the entire relationship between the Principal and private service provider richer by creating pathways to better placements of better-trained staff and always repeating the idea that service is a prestigious career that can lead to extraordinary rewards when properly executed.

The Early Recognition

Andrew’s earliest recognition began in 1998 in an article in The Baltimore Sun, touting a “…new company that makes sure all your household staff members – from full-time servants to one-day help – know what they’re doing.” They describe Andrew Lowrey’s experience: “In an 18-year career of service in homes, on yachts, and on ocean liners, Andrew Lowrey has seen it all – upstairs, downstairs and at the captain’s table.” Of course, private service is demanding, and if you ask Andrew, it should be. “They can be quite specific in their requirements. I don’t think unreasonable, but very specific…It bugs them when they have an entourage or staff, and things are not being done correctly…They ask, ‘What am I paying these people for?'” Although he thoroughly enjoyed the work, Andrew asked if there was something more that could give him more control over his life other than 80-hour work weeks.

Early innovations were required since the United States lacked the private service traditions you find in Europe. Although traditional (think Anthony Hopkins, Remains of the Day) household staff, there is also a dying breed. Such innovations included writing a household directory and manual to help life run more smoothly for the Principal, their family, and the staff who serve them. Having everyone know what’s expected of them creates a happier household, and Andrew has over 25 years of experience proving that.

Andrew’s early role in household staffing created a lasting management philosophy that has taken hold across the industry. Clarity of expectations and managing the relationship between the staff and the Principal is key. “…when employees are clear on their tasks and have a schedule for doing them. The idea is to give the owners that peace of mind. When they come in the door after a busy day, everything is exactly as they want it.” says Lowrey.

Thrilled Clients and Customers

Candidate Brian Laundry writes, “I cannot say enough good things about my experience with Precise Home Management and Andrew Lowrey. Even though I did not have first-hand knowledge of the inner working of the private [service] business, it was through Andrew’s time and dedication that I was soon able to thrive in the industry. Andrew is a kind and compassionate soul who will look out for your best interest without wanting anything in return. The only thing he asked of me was to bring honesty, integrity and hard work to the table and above everything else to listen to him and he would guide me through the process with the outcome of success. I am truly indebted for all that he has done for me. He is always available whenever I need to reach out to him. I now have the job of my life which does not even seem like a job because I love going there each and every day. Thank you for everything Precise Home Management and thank you especially Andrew for believing in me.”

Principals also have a lot to share. L Nicholas, a CEO, writes, “Andrew has allowed us to divert our attention to more enjoyable things. In addition to being very effective, his attitude has been very positive, and he very much enjoys his work. He has also been very effective in planning and staffing parties and other functions that we have hosted. I commend PHM’s services and recommend your consideration to utilize their services for your home as well.”

Bridging the Gap

When you imagine what the lifestyle of someone in private service is, it’s easy to picture scenes from Downton Abbey, Mr. Belvedere, or even Annie. However, modern private service is more than polished silver and perfectly creased bed corners. Home management technology is as advanced in the modern luxury household as in some of the largest tech start-ups. So how does someone in private service interact with all this technology? The secret is training. A better-trained private service professional can deliver a better service. Andrew knows this, so he’s willing to train, counsel, and mentor his prospective placements so they can achieve peak success.

Relationships vs. Job Placements

One of Precise Home Management’s secrets to success is cultivating relationships. There is no such thing as a cut-and-paste placement in Andrew’s world. It’s closer to traditional matchmaking than answering a help-wanted ad. Instead, Andrew and Tiffany strive to get to know the Principal to address their needs fully. COVID changed the world, even luxury households, with more Principals spending time at home. That makes managing relationships and finding a perfect match more vital than ever. Seeing the work environment and fully understanding their expectations provides a richer service experience because Andrew can bring to bear his extensive private service experience. Seeing opportunities and recognizing potential pitfalls is something only a premium service experience can recognize, and Precise Home Management delivers.

Please Take this Pot of Gold

One of the most puzzling parts of Andrew’s and Tiffany’s experiences helping place private service professionals is how challenging recruiting newcomers to the field is. Take housekeepers, for example. Even in a prestigious luxury hotel, a housekeeper may make about twenty dollars an hour. Take that same experience with proper placement and training throughout their career. They can enjoy a life-changing increase in pay and a clear path to advancement, including advancing into home management. So, how much can housekeepers make? Many recent college graduates don’t make what housekeepers in private service do. When you add the absence of student loans and sunk costs in obtaining the degree, the starting and lifetime wage gap widens further and remains so. Wealthy households can weather economic downturns far better than most publicly traded companies. Layoffs are unheard of, and there is always room for new opportunities and advancement if the private service professional.

What Happens in The Next Five Years?

Currently, employers around the country are short-staffed. However, private service professionals across the industry are in short supply for a unique reason. Too many people occupy mundane corporate service positions (hotel cleaning staff, restaurant cooks, etc.) who must be convinced to be bold, invest in themselves, accept Andrew Lowrey’s proven advice, and enter a world that rewards them richly for the same work they’re doing now. Is private service hard work? Yes, but anything worth having is, even when you love what you do. Few fields offer the steep climb in advancement and the financial rewards that you find in private service. There are also the intangible rewards of being proximal to the lifestyle of ultra-high-net-worth people, like serving a meal full of celebrities, traveling to exotic locations, and having access to what few can ever experience. Ideally, the next five years unfold as an awakening of a special class of people who answer the call of private service and maintain the pinnacle of traditions aided by premium technology to achieve a level of service never before seen. There’s no limit to what you can be achieved when passionate people are involved in a common endeavor.