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There's a common misconception about butlers. People often think of them as those flippant, funny, hardly-ever-working type of characters so popular on television sitcoms. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, many butlers have bigger budgets and a larger number of staff to oversee than some companies. It's their sole responsibility to ensure their employers' various households and estates run efficiently.

To get a better idea of what a butler's role includes, forget about the proper English gentleman standing at the door waiting to greet guests. Instead, think of a busy, well-organized, extremely efficient personal assistant. This person can handle several different duties in the course of a day's work.

Butlers, who are often referred to as household managers, are multi-functional people, says Carol Scudere. She is the school director for the Professional Domestic Services and Institute in Columbus, Ohio.

"Household managers handle payables, correspondence, entertainment affairs and much more," says Scudere. And the demand for these positions, she adds, is definitely on the rise. That is why for the graduates of the institute, it's not uncommon to receive four or five job offers each.

"The lack of understanding of what you do and the lack of respect from the general public," says Werner Leutert, is one of the downfalls of being a butler.

Leutert should know. He is the American representative of the International Guild of Professional Butlers. Formerly, he was an estate manager for 18 years, as well as a formal butler and house administrator.

Robert Wennekes is the managing director for a recruitment firm for private staff. He is also chair of the International Guild of Professional Butlers. He agrees with Leutert.

"It's a good profession if people respect you," says Wennekes. He adds that unfortunately, many employers don't show enough respect for their employees. However, if the working relationship is good, the job can be extremely rewarding, exciting, and challenging.

In fact, Wennekes says, many GMs and CEOs of large companies would envy some butlers' positions. "An executive manager of a household might be in charge of multiple homes worth millions and millions of dollars," says Wennekes, "with private jets and the like."

Besides overseeing several staff, some butlers also have enormous budgets to work with. "They're responsible for the quality of somebody's life," adds Wennekes. "Instead of cutting corners, quality always comes first."

He says that although butlers must follow a budget and stay within employers' guidelines, their main purpose is to provide a good lifestyle for the employer.

Managing large estates, however, even with an unlimited budget, doesn't come without a great deal of hard work. In one case, Wennekes knew of a butler in charge of a royal household that oversaw 1,700 staff. Other butlers may only oversee one or two staff, such as a nanny, housekeeper or cook.

Regardless of the number of staff they manage, butlers' days are often long. Because they are personal assistants, they need to be available whenever their employers need them.

Wennekes, who worked for six years as the head butler for one of the wealthiest billionaires in the U.S., says you are generally on call 24 hours a day. "You have to be there when your boss needs you."

He recalls canceling his Christmas vacation one year because his employer was having dinner guests Christmas Day. Although his employer insisted he take his vacation, Wennekes says there was no way he was going to let someone else serve his employer in his house at Christmas.

This is the level of service that is required, says Wennekes, "and you do this with a big smile because it's a pleasure to be of service."

And being of service is what all butlers strive to do, whether they're managing a staff of 50 or tending to guests in a hotel.

Tim McDonald is a hotel butler. He performs many of the same duties a household butler would, such as preparing breakfast, ensuring his charge's clothes are ready for the day, greeting clients and packing his guest's bags -- generally anything necessary to ensure his charge's needs are met.

And instead of overseeing household staff, McDonald manages the top two floors of the hotel and the club lounge.

All of these skills, such as knowing how to set a table properly or being able to organize a trip, are crucial. "However, the most important thing is the butler's character," says Wennekes. "If you don't have the mentality to provide that service, you'll never be a professional butler."

Scudere couldn't agree more. People who make good butlers, or household managers, really care for other people, says Scudere. She managed a few large estates before an injury forced her to take on a new role. But if she wasn't teaching, she says she'd be back managing a house, because it was a job she absolutely loved.

"It requires a lot of maturity, a lot of patience and a lot of trust," says McDonald. He says that sometimes butlers are put in situations where they'll have to weigh the pros and cons when dealing with legal and moral issues, especially when it comes to celebrities.

"If [what your guest does] is unethical and illegal, you have to know where to draw the line," says McDonald. But he adds you also have to be flexible.

Gaining the trust of an employer or a guest by how you act and what you say is an important part of a butler's job. Although an employer would expect this level of professionalism, others aren't always sure how to take it.

"People have the preconceived idea that you're snooty, that you're uppity and snobbish," says McDonald.

Although he admits the butler must act proper, especially when meeting a new guest, it's not a true sign of what the butler is really like as a person. "Until you can gauge that guest and what they're like, you are very formal, but it's just a mask you wear for that position," adds McDonald.

The trust that is built between butler and employer often results in firm friendships. And that, agree most butlers, is one of the best things about the job.

Wennekes says he became very good friends with his boss, which made the service factor that much more enjoyable. "It's very nice to take care of people who enjoy your efforts and who respect you," he says.

He adds that he and his employer used to go the movies once a week, eat popcorn and call each other by their first names. But the next day, says Wennekes, he was expected to play a very different role, and that was sometimes difficult.

"That is the hardest part," admits Wennekes. "One moment you're somebody's friend and the next moment you're somebody's butler."

Being able to distinguish between the two roles is what makes a butler successful, adds Wennekes. That, and being able to offer a level of service that is above and beyond what is ever expected.