What am i worth?
Discussion
I'm not on here much of late, as work is very, very busy. I'm back doing the same chauffeur job, (summer only) I did last year for a family of 16 from the Middle East but its very intense at the mo as they are in between estate managers, so the duties of estate manager are currently being covered by myself and the housekeeper as well as our own duties. It is pretty intense but we are covering it, (just) but I am putting in 80 hour weeks and just spent 17 days on site without a day off or at my own home. The old estate manager was a legend and I honestly don't know how he managed to do everything he did? The family when in residence are very demanding. Luckily they are a nice bunch and very polite, but still they are very demanding, they have a set of requirements, often very specific and just expect these to be met at all times. A new estate manager is due to start on the 1st of August, but it really takes a special kind of person to keep the family happy and make the job happen. Time will tell.
I have now been approached by the families 'money' man and asked would I consider taking on the role of full time chauffeur with the family? Now I am interested, but how do I work out my value? My current job title is chauffeur but I am so much more than that, but I'm not bothered by titles, and here is a list of what I currently do.
My main priority is driving for the 2 senior members of the family. At all times they come first, after them I also drive any of the other 14 family members as and when required, this can be to anywhere and for anything, from a trip down the road to get a Starbucks coffee, to a night out at a show, Wembley stadium, the o2, Royal Albert hall, etc, etc. I am also required to run the maids around, I do all the family airport and luggage runs all family shopping trips, (food shopping), dry cleaning runs, and any other errands for the housekeeper, the gardeners and the stable staff so I am kept very, very busy. On top of this I am responsible for keeping the fleet of 10 vehicles in tip top condition inside and out, as well as sorting all servicing, tax, m.o.t's etc.
There is never a typical day in this job, sometimes its just bonkers but I thrive on a challenge and to be honest as nuts as the job can get, I do quite enjoy it. This year they have taken on a back up chauffeur to help me out, but sadly he went down for 10 days with a fever so I was really up against it but still managed to cover everything some how. He is back now, and certainly makes my life a lot easier but I'm still putting in 11-14 hours a day to stay on top of everything.
The families 'money' man is a particularly 'special' character and can be vague and tricky at the best of times. The way he has described the role to me is as follows. I would be the families full time chauffeur, responsible for all their driving requirements for the intense summer period and at any other time throughout the year when they may be in residence, or over on business. I would also take on the full running of the vehicles full time, as the new estate manager will not be doing this. My hours out of the summer period would be 10 hours a day, Monday-Friday and I have access to stay on site overnight as I now have my own room and the commute is just to much on a daily basis. My plan would be to stay on site Monday-Wednesday nights out of peak season and just do the commute home Thursday night and both ways on the Friday. I would be required to work weekends out of season if any family members pop over and have no problem with this. I would also be expected to assist the house keeper and new estate manager in any other jobs out of season. Again I have no problem with this as i'm currently doing all of these things anyway.
The package would also mean I'd be entitled to 4 weeks payed holiday a year, plus bank holidays and some sort of Christmas bonus.
I've spent the last 2 weeks mulling this over in my head to try and come up with a figure that I think I'm worth. The most important thing to the family I work for is trust, they have to be able to trust you otherwise you wouldn't last 5 minutes. Luckily I know I am well liked and trusted 100% by the family. I have the full run of the very large house and estate, I often have to nip in and out of any family members room for them, and I'm also trusted in dealing with prized possessions, art, antiques, and varying amounts of cash.
Like any job I've ever done I have always given 100% commitment, its just the way I have always worked. I would very rarely say this as i'm not big headed but I do think i'm good at what I do and am very keen to put this across in a diplomatic way to the families 'money' man so that he knows from the start i'm not to be had over a barrel, because if he could, he would.
I've done my research and good/top end chauffeurs in London, working in the service industry for say a private HNW family of 4-8 people and maybe 4-5 vehicles would look at 40-45k per year. Some jobs at the real high end of the scale I've seen in the region of 50k and sometimes, but rarely, more than that.
I know I will never do less than a 50 hour week when we are out of season, at peak times it can hit 80 hours, (I know why the 'money' man wants me salaried) I've peaked at 87 hours and i'll be giving up half of my home life but I was away for much longer periods when I did the tour work.
I have a figure in my head that I would like. I'm obviously going to go in above this
and I know what my bottom line is. The thing is, the figure I would like is equal to what the new estate manager will be getting 
Now I know this will instantly cause issues with the money man, and there are lots of ways of viewing it but he did ask me to come back with a figure that I think I am worth, so I will. But what is that figure???
Am I taking the piss by going in with a figure that is more or less equal to what the new estate manager will get?
I don't yet know what his level of effort and commitment will be, but I do know what mine already are and this is how I've come up with my own figures.
Any thoughts from PH???
I have now been approached by the families 'money' man and asked would I consider taking on the role of full time chauffeur with the family? Now I am interested, but how do I work out my value? My current job title is chauffeur but I am so much more than that, but I'm not bothered by titles, and here is a list of what I currently do.
My main priority is driving for the 2 senior members of the family. At all times they come first, after them I also drive any of the other 14 family members as and when required, this can be to anywhere and for anything, from a trip down the road to get a Starbucks coffee, to a night out at a show, Wembley stadium, the o2, Royal Albert hall, etc, etc. I am also required to run the maids around, I do all the family airport and luggage runs all family shopping trips, (food shopping), dry cleaning runs, and any other errands for the housekeeper, the gardeners and the stable staff so I am kept very, very busy. On top of this I am responsible for keeping the fleet of 10 vehicles in tip top condition inside and out, as well as sorting all servicing, tax, m.o.t's etc.
There is never a typical day in this job, sometimes its just bonkers but I thrive on a challenge and to be honest as nuts as the job can get, I do quite enjoy it. This year they have taken on a back up chauffeur to help me out, but sadly he went down for 10 days with a fever so I was really up against it but still managed to cover everything some how. He is back now, and certainly makes my life a lot easier but I'm still putting in 11-14 hours a day to stay on top of everything.
The families 'money' man is a particularly 'special' character and can be vague and tricky at the best of times. The way he has described the role to me is as follows. I would be the families full time chauffeur, responsible for all their driving requirements for the intense summer period and at any other time throughout the year when they may be in residence, or over on business. I would also take on the full running of the vehicles full time, as the new estate manager will not be doing this. My hours out of the summer period would be 10 hours a day, Monday-Friday and I have access to stay on site overnight as I now have my own room and the commute is just to much on a daily basis. My plan would be to stay on site Monday-Wednesday nights out of peak season and just do the commute home Thursday night and both ways on the Friday. I would be required to work weekends out of season if any family members pop over and have no problem with this. I would also be expected to assist the house keeper and new estate manager in any other jobs out of season. Again I have no problem with this as i'm currently doing all of these things anyway.
The package would also mean I'd be entitled to 4 weeks payed holiday a year, plus bank holidays and some sort of Christmas bonus.
I've spent the last 2 weeks mulling this over in my head to try and come up with a figure that I think I'm worth. The most important thing to the family I work for is trust, they have to be able to trust you otherwise you wouldn't last 5 minutes. Luckily I know I am well liked and trusted 100% by the family. I have the full run of the very large house and estate, I often have to nip in and out of any family members room for them, and I'm also trusted in dealing with prized possessions, art, antiques, and varying amounts of cash.
Like any job I've ever done I have always given 100% commitment, its just the way I have always worked. I would very rarely say this as i'm not big headed but I do think i'm good at what I do and am very keen to put this across in a diplomatic way to the families 'money' man so that he knows from the start i'm not to be had over a barrel, because if he could, he would.
I've done my research and good/top end chauffeurs in London, working in the service industry for say a private HNW family of 4-8 people and maybe 4-5 vehicles would look at 40-45k per year. Some jobs at the real high end of the scale I've seen in the region of 50k and sometimes, but rarely, more than that.
I know I will never do less than a 50 hour week when we are out of season, at peak times it can hit 80 hours, (I know why the 'money' man wants me salaried) I've peaked at 87 hours and i'll be giving up half of my home life but I was away for much longer periods when I did the tour work.
I have a figure in my head that I would like. I'm obviously going to go in above this
and I know what my bottom line is. The thing is, the figure I would like is equal to what the new estate manager will be getting Now I know this will instantly cause issues with the money man, and there are lots of ways of viewing it but he did ask me to come back with a figure that I think I am worth, so I will. But what is that figure???
Am I taking the piss by going in with a figure that is more or less equal to what the new estate manager will get?
I don't yet know what his level of effort and commitment will be, but I do know what mine already are and this is how I've come up with my own figures.
Any thoughts from PH???
Edited by chilistrucker on Saturday 2nd July 23:14
Whilst your situation is unique to you, your query isn't; it's a question constantly posed by employees and employers alike and there's no easy formula.
Only you can decide on your worth and only the employer can decide to agree with you. If they don't, then negotiation is very normal. What you'll eventually settle for is something only you will know based upon your circumstances, including overall employability elsewhere in the marketplace.
That negotiation can encompass basic pay, performance related options, employer benefits, regular salary reviews, size of pension contributions, private healthcare etc, etc, etc.
The only advice I can offer is, don't undersell yourself as you will possibly come to resent both the role and employer if you're working far greater hours than being adequately rewarded for.
Good luck!
Only you can decide on your worth and only the employer can decide to agree with you. If they don't, then negotiation is very normal. What you'll eventually settle for is something only you will know based upon your circumstances, including overall employability elsewhere in the marketplace.
That negotiation can encompass basic pay, performance related options, employer benefits, regular salary reviews, size of pension contributions, private healthcare etc, etc, etc.
The only advice I can offer is, don't undersell yourself as you will possibly come to resent both the role and employer if you're working far greater hours than being adequately rewarded for.
Good luck!
rog007 said:
Whilst your situation is unique to you, your query isn't; it's a question constantly posed by employees and employers alike and there's no easy formula.
Only you can decide on your worth and only the employer can decide to agree with you. If they don't, then negotiation is very normal. What you'll eventually settle for is something only you will know based upon your circumstances, including overall employability elsewhere in the marketplace.
That negotiation can encompass basic pay, performance related options, employer benefits, regular salary reviews, size of pension contributions, private healthcare etc, etc, etc.
The only advice I can offer is, don't undersell yourself as you will possibly come to resent both the role and employer if you're working far greater hours than being adequately rewarded for.
Good luck!
Inappropriate paragraphs. I will not read it. Only you can decide on your worth and only the employer can decide to agree with you. If they don't, then negotiation is very normal. What you'll eventually settle for is something only you will know based upon your circumstances, including overall employability elsewhere in the marketplace.
That negotiation can encompass basic pay, performance related options, employer benefits, regular salary reviews, size of pension contributions, private healthcare etc, etc, etc.
The only advice I can offer is, don't undersell yourself as you will possibly come to resent both the role and employer if you're working far greater hours than being adequately rewarded for.
Good luck!
To all those that refuse to read the post 
it's actually very interesting.
To the OP, Wow what an opportunity. I think you really picked up well on the trust aspect, it is very important to these people. Play that one up, especially because it could take them a long time for a new person to successfully settle into the role.
I can't advise on the actual rate you should ask for, but certainly you should go in high and leave room to manoeuvre back down. Nothing worse than putting your offer on the table and having them say 'Yes, that is acceptable, we accept, thank you.'
I'd also take in a list of jobs you have done already that is outside of the contract offered and ask about how often and what renumeration is available for covering these extra roles.
Sounds like you could be on to a cushty number even if the hours might be a bit awkward, it's hard being at someone's beck and call.
I've read a lot of your posts over the years and sincerely hope you strike lucky with this one.
it's actually very interesting.To the OP, Wow what an opportunity. I think you really picked up well on the trust aspect, it is very important to these people. Play that one up, especially because it could take them a long time for a new person to successfully settle into the role.
I can't advise on the actual rate you should ask for, but certainly you should go in high and leave room to manoeuvre back down. Nothing worse than putting your offer on the table and having them say 'Yes, that is acceptable, we accept, thank you.'
I'd also take in a list of jobs you have done already that is outside of the contract offered and ask about how often and what renumeration is available for covering these extra roles.
Sounds like you could be on to a cushty number even if the hours might be a bit awkward, it's hard being at someone's beck and call.
I've read a lot of your posts over the years and sincerely hope you strike lucky with this one.
TheExcession said:
To all those that refuse to read the post it's actually very interesting.
I agree. Well worth the effort. it's actually very interesting.Unfortunately I have nothing to offer by way of advice. My own work/life balance has always been skewed way towards the "life" side of that equation that I couldn't envisage working that number of hours.
I imagine for your employer, the difference between £40/50/60k in salary to you will be fairly insignificant whereas your value in terms of loyalty, experience and trust should hopefully be worth them retaining you on your terms.
Good luck
I think the advice given is sound (including the bit about paragraphs 
), the "going rate" probably isn't that important to people with that much money, they know you and want you.
Personally I wouldn't do those kind of hours for as little as £50k, I'm not stupidly well paid but what would be the point if you haven't got time to spend any of it? If you're willing to do those hours (which I would expect to get longer if you are on salary) I'd suggest asking for £75k with some reminders of why you are worth it to them.
), the "going rate" probably isn't that important to people with that much money, they know you and want you. Personally I wouldn't do those kind of hours for as little as £50k, I'm not stupidly well paid but what would be the point if you haven't got time to spend any of it? If you're willing to do those hours (which I would expect to get longer if you are on salary) I'd suggest asking for £75k with some reminders of why you are worth it to them.
As above, it may sound a shocking amount to some considering your job title bout I think for the demands placed on you £75k is about right in London/south east.
If that sounds a lot, try and think about how much you could earn running your own business plus the trust you're placed with plus the guaranteed extra hours/responsibilities.
As a previous poster has said, it's amazing opportunity but you have to factor in what you could be doing with your time were in not spent with your current employees (ie actually seeing your family!).
The last factor is you need to make that hay whilst the sun is shining. Should they decide somewhere else if preferable you'll be out on your ear sharpish so the volitidy needs pricing in too.
If that sounds a lot, try and think about how much you could earn running your own business plus the trust you're placed with plus the guaranteed extra hours/responsibilities.
As a previous poster has said, it's amazing opportunity but you have to factor in what you could be doing with your time were in not spent with your current employees (ie actually seeing your family!).
The last factor is you need to make that hay whilst the sun is shining. Should they decide somewhere else if preferable you'll be out on your ear sharpish so the volitidy needs pricing in too.
chilistrucker said:
The family when in residence are very demanding. Luckily they are a nice bunch and very polite, but still they are very demanding, they have a set of requirements, often very specific and just expect these to be met at all times.
You said it yourself there.They clearly value you and trust you and the job you do. What may seem like a lot to you is probably pocket change to them as well, so don't be afraid to start high, putting a price on that loyalty and trust. You can always be negotiated down, but you negotiating up is harder.
Sounds a good fit in the role for someone used to being on tour (know exactly what that is like), and really from what you have described, the job is more than being just a chauffeur.
Edited by GCH on Sunday 3rd July 13:20
It sounds as though £50k isn't very much for the job described. Push for an amount that will make you feel valued and as though you want to do a decent job without wondering if you'd be better off elsewhere for at least a while. How hard you push depends on how much you want to risk being told there's no longer a job there. You'll probably find they're not particularly cost sensitive.
Possibly the most interesting post on here for a long time !
I don't have direct experience in your business. I do find it interesting they have asked you what you think you are worth rather than a salary. My business experience of working with MIddle East is one of folks who are adept and very used to negotiating. It's a way of life for many markets in the Middle East.
As previously stated, do not undersell yourself. They will be expecting a negotiation I think, and will suck their teeth and be incredulous whatever you say, expecting to negotiate.....or, they may just say OK....because the trust element cannot be valued easily. Whatever you go in with, don't let it be so low that if they just say OK, you are left thinking I should have gone for more.....
I don't have direct experience in your business. I do find it interesting they have asked you what you think you are worth rather than a salary. My business experience of working with MIddle East is one of folks who are adept and very used to negotiating. It's a way of life for many markets in the Middle East.
As previously stated, do not undersell yourself. They will be expecting a negotiation I think, and will suck their teeth and be incredulous whatever you say, expecting to negotiate.....or, they may just say OK....because the trust element cannot be valued easily. Whatever you go in with, don't let it be so low that if they just say OK, you are left thinking I should have gone for more.....
He's said the absolute top end of the trade pays 50k.if that's the case asking for 75 will not work. Very rich people will not pay 50% over the odds for work.
I laud the op's commitment but salary is generally based not on hours worked or effort, but on replacability. Look at nurses vs footballers
And the money man will easily be able to spin it if it goes sour. He will be the most trusted employee and will just say the op got greedy or something
Need to be realistic here
I laud the op's commitment but salary is generally based not on hours worked or effort, but on replacability. Look at nurses vs footballers
And the money man will easily be able to spin it if it goes sour. He will be the most trusted employee and will just say the op got greedy or something
Need to be realistic here
jakesmith said:
He's said the absolute top end of the trade pays 50k.if that's the case asking for 75 will not work. Very rich people will not pay 50% over the odds for work.
I laud the op's commitment but salary is generally based not on hours worked or effort, but on replacability. Look at nurses vs footballers
And the money man will easily be able to spin it if it goes sour. He will be the most trusted employee and will just say the op got greedy or something
Need to be realistic here
All true but it's very difficult to replace trust and also hard to explain to the boss why you've got rid of someone he likes over a sum of money he would consider trivial.I laud the op's commitment but salary is generally based not on hours worked or effort, but on replacability. Look at nurses vs footballers
And the money man will easily be able to spin it if it goes sour. He will be the most trusted employee and will just say the op got greedy or something
Need to be realistic here
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