A lady just gave me £5 for setting up the Bluetooth in their BMW..
A lady just gave me £5 for setting up the Bluetooth in their BMW..
Author
Discussion

Conor D

Original Poster:

2,124 posts

205 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
I'm at work and just about to go on my lunch break.. A guy comes in, looks rather important, starts telling me how his phone got water damaged and he needs to get the numbers/new phone.

He's in a hurry as he seems to have a business meeting to get to.. Tells me he pays about £600/m for mobile phones and needs to buy a new phone.. I show him a simple Nokia to replace his waterdamaged one and he buys it, and asks me if I would possibly set it up for him in the car..

I oblige, as I'm going on my lunch break anyways so I follow them out to the car park and he pulls up in a new 3 series.. Get in, the bottom part of the display is buggered, so it's a nightmare to get it programmed in.. But I get it paired eventually, everythings up and working.. I get out of the car to go grab something to eat..

As I'm leaving the lady/wife/partner/PA approaches me and presents me with £5 saying "go get yourself a pint".. I laughed and told her I'm not taking the money, that there was no call for it.. But she insisted, until eventually they drove off..

So £5 for pairing a phone with a car..? I didn't really feel right about taking the money.. Tried to give it back or whatever?

Anyone else ever be in that position?People just expressing their appreciation I guess, was slightly unnecessary though..?

(Bit of a pointless thread)

SystemParanoia

14,343 posts

228 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
what pint did you get ?

Cock Womble 7

29,908 posts

260 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
Conor D said:
Anyone else ever be in that position?
We get offered tips on a regular basis (Essex is always the best area for this).

Officially (according to the training DVD) we're supposed to refuse any financial reward, but that never happens.

Free beer money.

Cupid Stunt

528 posts

200 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
You used your knowledge to help him when he didn't seem to have enough time spare (or the patience) to figure it out himself & he gave you a few quid for your efforts. It sounds like he's got enough money for £5 to make no difference at all to his life & so he gave you it as a gesture of appreciation.

Spend it on a pint as he suggested & enjoy every swig for a (quick) job well done

ArtVandelay

6,692 posts

214 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
dibbers006 said:
You did a job...

Well.

Willingly.

Politely.

Accurately.

Relatively quickly.

With minimal fuss.

I would pay way more than a fiver for service like that!
Yeah, for the good service you deserve it, a lot of people would have ignored them as they were on their lunch break.

ProfessorPeach

616 posts

201 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
SystemParanoia said:
what pint did you get ?
Yeah, come on, keep us updated.

Bill

58,784 posts

285 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
Conor D said:
Anyone else ever be in that position?People just expressing their appreciation I guess, was slightly unnecessary though..?
It's called a tip, accept it graciously* and enjoy your pint.



*Obviously it's a bit late for that now, but next time...

Big Rod

6,265 posts

246 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
As I had welding equipment, a number of years ago my boss asked me to modify a towbar assembly for him as he'd just got a new car. Same type of car but with a different rear bumper, so the mounts were the same but it fouled the bumper.

So I say, 'sure!' and took it away with me over the weekend. I set about it on Sunday morning thinking it would be a quick cut and shut job. It took me eight hours and cost me a small fortune on grinding disks, welding wire, gas and box section steel.

I gave it back to him on Monday morning and joked about never asking me to do it again.

I wasn't expecting payment as I was doing it as a favour, but he wandered over, slapped a fiver on my desk and said something to the effect of, 'Here's the fiver I owe you.'

I was of course about £20 out of pocket, but I did appreciate the sentiment.

adycav

7,615 posts

247 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
You should get a job in Subway. I hear that they have a need for chaps like you.

Jgtv

2,130 posts

227 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
Cock Womble 7 said:
Conor D said:
Anyone else ever be in that position?
We get offered tips on a regular basis (Essex is always the best area for this).

Officially (according to the training DVD) we're supposed to refuse any financial reward, but that never happens.

Free beer money.
God bless the Essex Police force. biggrin

Neil H

15,418 posts

281 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
Conor D said:
So £5 for pairing a phone with a car..? I didn't really feel right about taking the money.. Tried to give it back or whatever?

Anyone else ever be in that position?People just expressing their appreciation I guess, was slightly unnecessary though..?
Being paid for doing a job? Yes I've been in that position, every month the feckers keep giving me money. It burns me up. mad

Matt Evans

1,530 posts

204 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
Not recently, but 10 or 12 years ago when I was a teenager on work experience from school, I was working at a printing firm. My mum is friends with the owner's wife or something along those lines. Anyway, I went with the gaffer to a meeting with one of his contacts - an Irish chap, who's office was decorated in a stunning beige and stank of cigarettes. It was more of a social meeting than serious business I think. Anyway, as we were leaving the Irish chap asked me if I was getting paid for my work experience. I said I wasn't sure. Without a word he dipped into his pocket, pulled out a wad of cash and gave me a nice crisp £50.00 note! Couldn't believe it! Just for sitting there and drinking a brew smile

MartinF

557 posts

232 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
I've had a number of occasions where a customer has slipped twenty pounds in my hand when I handover their new car. I pretended for a second not to want it but was always gracious (ahem) in my acceptance of free beer that evening.

It's rude to refuse.

sherman

15,297 posts

245 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
I made £30 in tips yesterday all for serving a few people their lunch/dinner. Morale of the story if some one offers you free money take it and run away before they can change their mind.

soad

34,699 posts

206 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
MartinF said:
It's rude to refuse.
True - i tipped a few times for good service too. Didn't seem right not to.

defblade

8,074 posts

243 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
I'd give cash for that sort of thing but only if I didn't have the chance to get actual beer.

Last time was the day before my bike test - the workshop lads put back their lunch so they could fit me a new tire (massive puncture previous evening) during my lunch hour so I could do my test first thing the next day. All a bit rushed that day, so first job after passing was picking up some beers and popping in to say "thanks".

Going that extra bit for customers (even brand new ones) deserves rewarding, but doing it through managment/channels means it's pretty unlikely to get back to the person who deserves it - much better to go straight to the right person smile

Dave^

7,900 posts

283 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
I can't believe nobody's mentioned the Taxman's cut yet...

You have declared it, haven't you?

hehe

V8mate

45,899 posts

219 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
Couldn't this have gone in the 'Little things' thread?

sherman

15,297 posts

245 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
Dave^ said:
I can't believe nobody's mentioned the Taxman's cut yet...

You have declared it, haven't you?

hehe
But no one every gives me any tips whistlecop

Cupid Stunt

528 posts

200 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
Matt Evans said:
Not recently, but 10 or 12 years ago when I was a teenager on work experience from school, I was working at a printing firm. My mum is friends with the owner's wife or something along those lines. Anyway, I went with the gaffer to a meeting with one of his contacts - an Irish chap, who's office was decorated in a stunning beige and stank of cigarettes. It was more of a social meeting than serious business I think. Anyway, as we were leaving the Irish chap asked me if I was getting paid for my work experience. I said I wasn't sure. Without a word he dipped into his pocket, pulled out a wad of cash and gave me a nice crisp £50.00 note! Couldn't believe it! Just for sitting there and drinking a brew smile
It was definitely a fake, absolutely no doubt about it

Did you manage to get rid?