Vocal Voices

a tip or an insult?

As you know, we do some cleaning/maintenance for a little house in Tavira.

he's a lovely old chap - always pays on time, never leaves the house in a mess, folds away the used laundry, ready for me to collect.

He asked, as a special favour, that I make both beds up and make sure all is clean and tidy for his ex-daughter in law.

Duly did that.

Went to collect everything on Monday, and there, sitting on a coaster, was a 2 euro coin.

Now, I don't expect a tip, his son always leaves us a 10 euro note, D never, well, he pays us.

I'm leaving the coin there - to me, that is an insult. I'd leave that for a room maid in a hotel, if I stayed overnight, but not for a week.

She and her friend were getting a free holiday and the Norwegians aren't poor.

Am I over-reacting?

no, not at all

You either leave a lot more or nothing

TBH I would prefer nothing, and as for the coin, I would pretend that I never saw it.

I would feel insulted and ignore it

Thank you.

I'll just clean round it

WM wrote:I would pretend that I never saw it

This, I think .....

When I worked as a waitress' many years ago, we were often left 10p or similar as a tip.

We would always shout, very loudly 'excuse me but you've forgotten your loose change sir/madam" across the restaurant as they were leaving.

I would pretend I hadn't seen it too Ton.

Just as an aside, you say he's an elderly chap, well my mother as she got older tended to do what I would have considered insulting too. We took her out for coffee (well before the dementia diagnosis) and she insisted on hunting down the waitress to leave a tip of 20p I kid you not. I think we were more embarrassed than the waitress who I'm sure had seen it all.

I think perhaps as Jen says he just doesn't realise that it's insulting, although I can see how it would be!!

Just ignore it

It's not D, it was his ex-daughter in law and her friend.

He's a complete sweetheart