weirdest gratuties.....

[shroomgirl]

a few months ago one of my regular clients just got back from Michigan and gave me a 10# box of incredible tart dried cherries.....that we are still working through and LOVE>

Last night I catered a hockey dinner for a new hall of famer (go figure, out of all the people)....anyway one of the hosts gave me a Al Maginus signed hockey puck. okey dokey....well, guess it'll go on the wall next to the Beard shtuff.

The question is what have you gotten as a gratuity that has seemed unusual?

[alongcame]

Shroom.. I have only ever gotten cash and a big hug.. but I will definitely take that Al MacInnis signed puck from you though

[Blueicus]

Yeah, now that is one cool gratuity. And folks, despite what you may think verbal complements do not pay the bills.

[pgr555]

Hugs, Thank you notes, earrings and a necklace (2 different clients and jobs)
Have never gotten a cash tip in this market.

[shroomgirl]

Gotten a fish platter that I admired.....same sweet client who gave me the cherries.....

Catered a local chef's wedding in Sept, he gave me all the 1000's of plates, napkins, glasses, bar stuff he had bought......really really have come in handy.

2gallons of wild blackberries

A jar of fresh from NM chipotle

[BombayBen]

I was given a whole bunch of lotto scratch cards and I won £30 on one of them! Also some exquisite hand blown (pale blue) Venetian wine glasses - they were gorgeous and did not last five minutes with my husband and teenage son around!

[shel]

Originally Posted by shroomgirl

The question is what have you gotten as a gratuity that has seemed unusual?

Most unusual? Cans of Fancy Feast cat food..

And, while I don't consider it unusual, I've received fresh picked tomatoes, peaches, squash, a few pounds of walnuts, olive oil, fresh, home-roasted coffee, and a box of fir needles which were used to make tea.

I have given apples and pears from the trees in my back yard, Hass avocados from a "secret" tree that grew in Berkeley, figs from a similarly unknown tree that grew at the foot of Telegraph Hill in San Francisco, olive oil, vinegar, and a recipe book that I created.

shel

[shroomgirl]

MacInnis...figured you guys from the North icey, snowy, hockeyland would recognize the puck writer.

[JJBBQGUY]

I had one of my employees come up to me and tell me that the grooms uncle just tried to give her a bag of weed for a tip. At first I was like then I was like and then I was like. Just joking, she did not except.

[Harpua]

I don't know if this counts as gratuity, but I was bussing a table that had some young people sitting at it and I found a pill bottle filled with weed. They never came back for it.

[Anneke]

Roy Halliday autographed baseball. Sigh! Couldn't care less!


Opening bid starts at $10 000 please...

[lentil]

The way people tip (or don't tip, which is more accurate) around here, and in Maine, from what pgr says, I consider a gratituity of cash strange.

Actually, I delivered a small 6 person apps party on Friday after Thanksgiving, and got a $30 tip and a good bottle of wine. They helped me bring in the food and wanted to open a bottle of the wine they gave me to make sure I liked it first. The delivery was only about 100 yards from my shop too! I wish that happened more often...

[shroomgirl]

Do you ever consider putting, "gratuity not included" or "industry standard gratuity is 15-20%" on your contracts, printed info?

Do they tip cabs, pizza delivery guys, hotel staff, hairdressers?
What happens during the holiday month?
What if you send a currier with the food, and ask if they'd like to include a gratuity onto their credit card, or invoice?

WHO is Ray Holliday? $10k?

[pgr555]

Lentil reminded me... twice after weddings the hosts gave us the centerpeices to distribute among the staff and ourselves. They were beautiful potted, flowering plants so lasted a while and were appreciated (yeah not as much as cash would have been!). One of the times, they also gave us 2 cases of wone that were left - now that we appreciated!
pgr

[lentil]

Shroom, I normally put "gratuity not included" , but don't suggest what the industry rate is. I think people find it hard to tip the owner, but I end up doing the deliveries most times.

Last year, we delivered a Thanksgiving meal for one of my pc clients. She tipped the delivery person $5 on a $100 bill. This year, I delivered it to her and added on $20 for delivery. She said that I told her $10. I said, "No kidding? My delivery rate is $20. I must have been in an exceptionally good mood that day." She agreed, and stuck with her $10. To top it off, the check was written for $5 less than it should have been for the food alone. I told her not to worry that I'd add it to her next order. I've already made note of it!

Cheapskate!