Someone in my local Halfords has really helped me out, and gone the extra mile. I would like to show my appreciation, but I am aware from my days of working for big retail outfits*, I know you can get in to trouble for receiving tips etc. So should I just leave it with my heartfelt thanks and possibly a reacharound.? …or try and sneak them a tenner via a fancy handshake?

*If you collected something from John Lewis Peterborough 17 years ago, that was probably me dropping your brand new Bang & Olufsen hi-fi.

A glowing letter to the manager or head office customer service bods about said employee being awesome.

A letter wouldn’t work. That’ll just get the manager some praise. Slip them a tenner. 🙂

I bet you’d tip the staffer of a pub or restaurant who carries your plates 10yds to your table. Bugs me that we tip folk in catering but not retail. But I’m tight and try not to tip at all.

I bet you’d tip the staffer of a pub or restaurant who carries your plates 10yds to your table. Bugs me that we tip folk in catering but not retail. But I’m tight and try not to tip at all.

It’s not the tipping itself that’s the issue, it’s the….oh if you can’t be bothered to read the OP, then I can’t be bothered to explain again 8)

A letter addressed to that employee (if you know they’re name) through the store’s address. Bung a tenner inside, that way they have no option when it comes to accepting/ not accepting a ‘tip’ so they haven’t really done owt wrong. Plus that way it might slip under the eyes of management.

A glowing letter to the manager or head office customer service bods about said employee being awesome.

+1, my boss got something similar about me from an external contractor we’d hired to do some work and I’d spent a couple of months shadowing/minute taking for him. I got a bonus out of it.

On a side note, I also hate tipping, went to the Thai Square on the Strand in London, service was awfull, a good 10 minutes between me being served and my missus meal arriving and the staff were just generaly rude. Then they added the ‘tip’ onto the bill, then acted insulted when we didn’t top it up even further!

A letter addressed to that employee (if you know they’re name) through the store’s address. Bung a tenner inside, that way they have no option when it comes to accepting/ not accepting a ‘tip’ so they haven’t really done owt wrong. Plus that way it might slip under the eyes of management.

That’s getting a bit stalkerish and creepy. I’d be a bit uncomfortable if strangers started sending me cash in the post.

Get him a little present. Something universally loved that everyone would love to receive….

I have written letters to large retail firms praising staff in the past. It helps them with their quarterly reviews as most are on some sort of performance related pay.

It’s not the tipping itself that’s the issue, it’s the….oh if you can’t be bothered to read the OP, then I can’t be bothered to explain again

C’mon fella, I did read it. Having spent most of my working life working in bike shops on the very odd occasion I have been tip I have quietly pocketed said cash and not gone shouting about it, thereby avoiding management intervention. Bike shop staff are not senior execs who may be able to make iffy business decisions based upon gifts, bribes etc.

They only can’t accept tips because it would be impossible for them to prove where the money came from, if they were searched the management would assume it came from the till.

That was the reason why we weren’t allowed to accept tips in Tesco, and I assume it’s the same case there.

Nip in, talk to the manager, say
‘That chap/chapess has really gone out of their way to help me out, I’m gonna give him a tenner/buy him/her some beer, Ok?’.

Bish bosh, job done.

They only can’t accept tips because it would be impossible for them to prove where the money came from, if they were searched the management would assume it came from the till.

What so the staff cannot take any money into work with them and money they have will be deemed theft …can they not check the till for missing money ?

Jamie I think you just wait till Valentines day and send him a card with a pic on it – like Daffy duck but with you on it

HTH

C’mon fella, I did read it. Having spent most of my working life working in bike shops on the very odd occasion I have been tip I have quietly pocketed said cash and not gone shouting about it, thereby avoiding management intervention. Bike shop staff are not senior execs who may be able to make iffy business decisions based upon gifts, bribes etc.

The store has cameras up the wazoo, so what if me giving the guy a tenner and him pocketing it gets picked up?

*pops on tinfoil hat*

Jamie I think you just wait till Valentines day and send him a card with a pic on it – like Daffy duck but with you on it

I think, by the end of the day, someone is going to have been beaten off…

Options:

1) Ask his shift and be standing outside with a beer or 4 when it’s up.
2) Buy him a new flesh tunnel*.

I took a couple of tips in Halfrauds, but it was a bit nervy. AFAIK the CCTV can be viewed by the Area Manager, live!

*A fancy anodised Chainring bolt should work in a pinch.

Hide a tenner under a rock in a secret-location then hand the employee a map of where to find said tenner.

Then remove said tenner before the employee can find it. After all it’s the thought that counts innit…

Working at Halfords within Bikehut we’ve always suggest to customers wanting to tip, instead pop to the shop and buy us some cake or cookies instead 🙂

What so the staff cannot take any money into work with them and money they have will be deemed theft …can they not check the till for missing money ?

Of course you can, but you’re not allowed money on the shop floor. You’re given a locker usually and you take the key on the floor.

Any money on the shop floor on a sales assistants person is presumed stolen from the business, unfortunately.

And yes they can check the till but that’s quite a lengthy process that involves two members of staff not being able to serve for around 20 minutes.

It’s easier for Tesco just to say no money on the shop floor or you get a formal warning/fired.

Buy him some GT85… its only 3 quid from Halfords… he will love it.

I agree… tipping is only generally done in the sense of “entertainment” rather than a stock purchase..

I would of thought a quick letter and handed to the said person would be a nice touch for their one to one meetings with supervisor… could help them to progress their career.

Working at Halfords within Bikehut we’ve always suggest to customers wanting to tip, instead pop to the shop and buy us some cake or cookies instead

I’m thinking that might be the best option.

I would of thought a quick letter and handed to the said person would be a nice touch for their one to one meetings with supervisor… could help them to progress their career.

….maybe with a bit of that option as well.

We accept cakes, biscuits and donuts, though obviously don’t badger for them. It’s nice to be appreciated sometimes, in Halfords this can be rare. Letters or phonecalls of praise to customer services are good, as the feedback goes on the online portal and can be seen by all the managers in the area, and makes your store/staff look good (negative can also be seen on the same portal but with vastly different connotations).

Any money on the shop floor on a sales assistants person is presumed stolen from the business, unfortunately.

ok that makes sense
Ta

A couple of my students work in McDonalds and the uniforms don’t have pockets so they can’t steal any money whilst on the till.

I’d give them a tip by pointing them in the direction of a good LBS they want to work in. “You’re so good mate, you don’t want to be working here, try this place…” 😛

I’d give them a glowing recommendation to the boss of the other LBS too 😀

A couple of my students work in McDonalds and the uniforms don’t have pockets so they can’t steal any money whilst on the till.

Nothing says you’re a trusted member of the team like having no pockets…