My best tip ever

[Words4theWorld]

Another thread just reminded me of this:
When I was working in the hotel business prior to what I do now, I once helped a guest getting his suitcases and other stuff to his room, as the bellboy was busy. There was a fashion fair being held in town and most of our guests were either exhibitors or buyers in the industry.
When we got everything to his room, he thanked me and I left, returning to my job at the front desk. I didn't get a tip and hadn't expected one, as I was just helping out. But a little while later the gentleman came back down and before leaving the hotel to go to a restaurant, he came by the front desk and handed me one of those stylish envelopes, fancy stores use to put scarves and other delicate fabrics in. He again thanked me for my help and left. When I opened the envelope, I found a wonderful silk scarf, which already blew me away. But the color and pattern also exactly matched the color of the blazer I was wearing that day. Best and most considerate tip ever!

[Sheldonrs]

Very cool. :-)

Cash gifts are great but sometimes a gift with more thought in it are great too.

I used to work for a software company that created software for film & TV production.
We sometimes got gifts from clients for helping them out during production.
Some of the things I received were:

5 Movie Posters autographed by George Lucas
8 signed animation cels from Sponge Bob Square Pants
Tons of gift baskets
T-Shirts
Movie tickets to premiers
Concert tickets

[JustaCashier]

From 1983-1998, I worked for a parking company, at 5 different locations, over those years, in my city's downtown business district. Even though the first two I worked at were Attendant Parking, tips on a day to day basis, were neither common nor expected at any of the locations.

However, monetary and gift tips rolled in around the Holidays at most if not all locations, some were shared, like a box of candy for the entire crew, many were individual.

The most memorable of all, was the location I worked from 1987-91, which included four Holiday Seasons.

One guy, quite wealthy, was quite well known and well respected in our local business community, and for a time (like back when I knew him) was on our major University's Board of Regents. A few, or perhaps even several, (don't recall all these years later) before my time at that location, he worked the Building's Anchor, and Namesake company. Real nice guy, friendly to us "little people", and gregarious.

Anyway, even all those years later, he would come by around the Holidays, and drop off a box with four bottles of assorted booze; one would go to me, another to the night guy (who had worked there when the customer still worked in the building), the third bottle would go to the guy at the garage next door, which was sort of an annex to ours, the fourth, don't recall for sure, but probably to the guy who had immediately preceded me as Manager of that Location, either because he knew to come by around that time of year, or perhaps we would call him when it came in.

Another then existing Tenant (Company) gave me $50.00 the first Christmas ( I had only started there around then end of April), then the rest of the years, it was $100.00, just like they gave the night guy.

Another Tenant Customer (on his own) would bring in a frozen turkey, for each the night guy and myself, just before Thanksgiving.

One of the most thoughtful, (of course booze is thoughtful! ) and probably most practical gifts I ever received, was from a guy, that as I recall worked in a nearby building as opposed to ours, was a large flashlight similar to this:

http://stormprepare.com/images/floating_flashlight.JPG


As I recall, he mentioned that knowing that I did my own work on my car ('67 VW Beetle), he thought it would come in handy. It did. Although I don't recall it ever saving my ass, I kept it in the trunk of the car, and used it many times.

I have this nagging, deep in the memory banks thought, that there was another notable tip/gift from a Customer at another Location. If I think of it, I'll either ETA here, or downthread.

Mike