To think rich folk are the WORST tippers

[CRad]

Name changed in case my boss is on here (some minor changes to protect my employment)

Guess what I got for my christmas tip....go on guess!

Clue...I am a private cleaner for a very wealthy family. I cleaned for the last time this year today as they are off to Canada skiing for the month.

In fact fuck it i'm just going to tell you what I got......

A new tabard. A TABARD. I don't even wear a tabard

[user1470997562]

And actually, there is some DATA to support what you're saying about the rich being more selfish than the poor on average - quite a few studies have been done that suggest they are less generous, more self-absorbed, and less ethical!

I've found that certainly some very entreprenerial types I've met will take the most bizarre unnecessary risks - like avoid paying a trainfare or deliberately withold payments to suppliers. A sort of dishonesty that I wouldn't dream of doing. Why on earth would you not pay someone if you commissioned the work and they did the job to satisfaction. But it's really common for people to try and get away with not paying. I only know because I do a bit of credit control and it's astonishing the linked in profiles of some of these people - you really wouldn't think they were like that. But I guess they are just a cross section of the population and why, because they have a professional career or whatever, should they be honest and have integrity? It has taught me it's all a farce.

A tabard is an insulting gift. I would find a better client myself. They would have been better giving you nothing.

[CRad]

I understand that some people are happy to be good employers all year and don't feel the need to up the ante at Christmas.

Perhaps they could try to understand that even the £10 she spent on the tabard would be a little extra for Christmas. I didn't expect anything. To then get given a tabard....

[Mathsmess]

User147, yes! Like that really wealthy lawyer who got caught dodging train fairs! What's the point?! Just to see if he could get away with it? Being too entitled to pay?

[starchildareyoulistening]

I'd far rather get nothing at all than something so condescending as a tabard, as I suspect OP would too. (For what it's worth, I work for a small independent business and we don't get a Christmas bonus or gifts but the boss lays on a very generous Christmas party and pays for everything including drinks, so that counts as our bonus.)

[user1470997562]

It's reminding me of dobby being presented with a sock. Master has given me clothes!

[MyKidsHaveTakenMySanity]

Honestly, the fact that these are the type of people who told you (lowly staff) that you may not drink their coffee but are allowed tea, I would think that as you do not wear a tabard normally (which would obviously show you are staff) that they do actually want you to wear one and this is their way of communicating it.

[Boomerwang]

I used to work for Tesco. The christmas bonus was a few vouchers: spend 50 quid get a fiver off. Cheeky as hell. I don't know what the student staff were going to do with that. Of course I gave them to my mother who can actually afford to spend that kind of money. Given that they'd still profit from 45 quid's worth of shopping it's kind of like we gave our own employer the bonus instead.

[maninawomansworld01]

yeah but even if you give a more than fair days' pay, they are still earning comparatively way less than you are. And I bet you get a bonus. I know I did and Dh got a massive one. Why shouldn't the cleaner get a bonus too.

I don't give a big bonus a xmas to make up for being a shit employer. I give it because I get windfalls in my employment and so does dh so why shouldn't our cleaner? Also, frankly, because we are rich and I think we should spread it about a bit.

It isn't mutually exclusive to pay decent wages to, say, a cleaner, and also give a decent xmas bonus.

I don't get a bonus, I get whatever I can make in the year, no one hands me money for nothing. My customers don't give me bonuses just because it's Christmas or they're pleased with their dealings with me. We agree a price, I hold up my end of the deal and they pay me the correct money, on time.
I have literally NEVER had a client say to me ' Hey Man, I know you invoiced me for £60k but I'm just so pleased I've paid you £65k instead.' so why the fuck should I do this?

Don't get me wrong, I do pay Christmas bonuses, the staff have money for a Christmas bash every year I just don't go mental with it. Most of my staff have been with my family for a long time and those who are clearly 'stayers' are paid significantly above the going rate for their jobs because I want to keep them.

[MrsKoala]

I feel bad now. It never would have occurred to me to give money to my cleaner. I was thinking i'd maybe give her kids vouchers and her some chocs, but certainly not a weeks wages worth. I'm actually a good tipper usually - 20% in restaurants, £20 to each removal man etc, but I hadn't considered it for the cleaner. In my defence I do pay more than she asks (she charges £8 per hour and i give £10 and always round up) and i am really flexible with her childcare and sickness (she cancels last minute and has to leave early or re-arrange about 50% of the time) etc and when she was ill dh took her to the hospital as she couldn't drive and i sent flowers.

Maybe it's because we aren't 'rich' tho and i don't work so i don't think of her earnings in comparison to mine.

Should i tip the Nanny who has been helping out for 5 weeks? Or just give a gift?

[ollieplimsoles]

I dont know if I agree op, my and dh do well, and we are very generous tippers.

Dh learned from his grandfather- who is a literal rags to riches case. He ran away from a children's home in London and joined the navy, then started his own business and now earns a six figure yearly salary. He leaves HUGE tips to everyone, even after spending £200+ ob a meal for the family.