Really pi**ed off !

[bambislayer]

Tip what you think is a deserved reward. Personally on hinds £25 a day is sufficient. It's a tip - not wages. ATB

You tip what you can afford and what you think is fair.

I had one lad, who after been given a dram in the larder at night, got his wife to drive 50 miles the next day to get a bottle of whisky, so he could pour me one on his last day!!
She got the most god awfull stuff, but the thought was there and he couldn't afford a £30 bottle of malt after the expense of the week. Gestures like that are worth a lot more than a £50note, as are friendships.

Keepers have often been their own worst enemies! I wonder who set the £50 tip?? the Estate???? or the Keeper????

 

[6pointer]

When i take people out i do not expect a tip so i don't expect to pay one. In fact i would find it embarrassing and demeaning but a bottle of rosy wine to share now that's a tip

 

[sikamalc]

Sometimes the head stalker has no choice the estate will normally be owned by a rich person who lives else were. The set up states that if the owner turns up everything is put on hold till the owner leaves. If you have a full book then all you can do is cancel. Not nice but the head stalkers livelihood and home normally rely on these rich owners i know what i would have done had i been the stalker. Sorry but some one was going to be disappointed.

True Davie this does happen, although we do not know who this person was in this particular instance that is so important. Perhaps the stalker should have at least apologised and made some effort to make another booking at a lower cost, or perhaps a free outing. It dosnt hurt and it keeps folk happy and a happy client is likely to return.

HOWEVER this is certainly not the way to treat anyone who has placed their faith in their booking with the estate and is not the way to encourage good customers to return. In every form of business good customer relations is the key to repeat business. And being off loaded such as this is not the way to treat clients, whether they are important or not.

 

[sikamalc]

Just read the rest of the thread.

This business of a £50 tip was something that seemed to be entrenched in many estates north of Inverness some years back. Some of the stalkers on the estates were demanding £50 tip per day from my clients or myself for a stag. Needless to say I did not book and have not returned.

 

[bambislayer]

Just read the rest of the thread.

This business of a £50 tip was something that seemed to be entrenched in many estates north of Inverness some years back. Some of the stalkers on the estates were demanding £50 tip per day from my clients or myself for a stag. Needless to say I did not book and have not returned.

 

[jamross65]

Tips have been discussed on here many times before. I have no issue in tipping and do so frequently when fishing or shooting. It was just the mention of £50 tip that was expected to be paid to the stalker.

£50 just seemed a bit OTT to me for a day at the hinds when the day may be costing £150 per day anyway and that equates to a third of the days expense on top.

 

[Cut+Squirt]

I'v just been watching the Chancellor bleating on about the economy, job losses, and the recession . . . I think the days of a £50.00 tip are long gone . . . those still expecting it need to return from cloud cuckoo land !!!

 

[badbob]

The good thing about this site is that it endeavours to assist
newcomers and younger members who have not got large amounts
of disposable income yet love hunting. They dont mind paying a reasonable amount for a reasonable outing,benefiting from anothers experience.` I am sure if they are really well treated they would give a reasonable tip.
Some of us work hard and on minimum wage the stalking fees take some finding, a £50 tip is a hell of a lot of money for a working man to fork out. its peanuts to a rich man.`

 

[6pointer]

Malc it cost nothing to be nice and some of the northerners can be short on Apologies. But a free day i would not give it. I have had many people cancel both driving and Stalking and have never had any one give me full price for cancelling. If i need to cancel and there would need to be a good reason then i would expect the person to understand.

 

[sikamalc]

Well not to put to fine a point on it, I just gave 2 outings for free because the client only saw a couple of deer on one stalk, and nothing on another. He came back as a guest and had a great time but missed a Fallow. Now he has booked more with me, and hopefully I now have a satisfied client

As I am a full time self employed stalker, I cannot afford to do this everytime, but if people are treated fairly they usually respond well, and not only do you have one happy customer, they also tell others. And thats the cheapest and best form of advertising you can get

Long term it pays.

 

[bambislayer]

Well not to put to fine a point on it, I just gave 2 outings for free because the client only saw a couple of deer on one stalk, and nothing on another. He came back as a guest and had a great time but missed a Fallow. Now he has booked more with me, and hopefully I now have a satisfied client

As I am a full time self employed stalker, I cannot afford to do this everytime, but if people are treated fairly they usually respond well, and not only do you have one happy customer, they also tell others. And thats the cheapest and best form of advertising you can get

Long term it pays.

Not only the decnt thing to do but good business sense, should always think of the value of a 5 year partnership and spend as well as the knock on, word of mouth advertising. Worth a hell of a lot more than disatisfied day!

 

[Taff]

Have to agree with malc, too many stalkers offer a bad service and bad value for money, excuses like its stalking can,t expect to have a shot or see deer every time is BS, I have taken people off this site out for free, and although have always provided a shot and shown deer, would be embarrassed not to be able to do this. If you can,t provide the service, then you should go out of your way to put things right or get out of the business.

 

[Pine Marten]

The first couple of stalks I went out with Malc were in massive downpours, and he tried his best to find me a roe buck despite the pretty hopeless conditions. Predictably, it didn't work out, but he offered me a free stalk to make up for it. So I immediately booked a paying one on top of that. And then I'll book more because I know he'll do his best for me in exchange.

 

[Gaz]

When back at the hotel one evening (a few years back now) i had a phonecall from a head stalker complaining we had only tipped him and not tipped the trainee keeper who had come along with us stalking that day . What a bloody cheek !! This young lad didn't do anything but follow on in a learning capacity, which we were all too happy to accept. Anyway the following day we tipped the keeper half of what we had given him the day before and gave the other half to the trainnee. His loss not ours.

 

[fangler]

When back at the hotel one evening (a few years back now) i had a phonecall from a head stalker complaining we had only tipped him and not tipped the trainee keeper who had come along with us stalking that day . What a bloody cheek !! This young lad didn't do anything but follow on in a learning capacity, which we were all too happy to accept. Anyway the following day we tipped the keeper half of what we had given him the day before and gave the other half to the trainnee. His loss not ours.

!!!!!!!!!!!! good shot!

 

[pheasant sniper 1]

When back at the hotel one evening (a few years back now) i had a phonecall from a head stalker complaining we had only tipped him and not tipped the trainee keeper who had come along with us stalking that day . What a bloody cheek !! This young lad didn't do anything but follow on in a learning capacity, which we were all too happy to accept. Anyway the following day we tipped the keeper half of what we had given him the day before and gave the other half to the trainnee. His loss not ours.

Liking that

 

[JC275]

I heard of shoot day in Wales being cancelled once at very short notice (driven day for eight guns), when the guns complained to the estate rather than the 'keeper (who had been their only point of contact up until then) it turned out that the boss knew nothing about it, it was something the 'keeper had been doing on the side! Needless to say he was out on his ear but walked straight into another keepering job somehow.

 

[bambislayer]

When back at the hotel one evening (a few years back now) i had a phonecall from a head stalker complaining we had only tipped him and not tipped the trainee keeper who had come along with us stalking that day . What a bloody cheek !! This young lad didn't do anything but follow on in a learning capacity, which we were all too happy to accept. Anyway the following day we tipped the keeper half of what we had given him the day before and gave the other half to the trainnee. His loss not ours.

 

[David T]

You've all been very good with your feedback so it is only fair that I feed back as to how yesterday went with the replacement estate. In short fantastic. Started at 8am finished on the hill at 4pm, didn't stop all day and took 9 hinds. Picked up a couple of tricks I didn't know about too. Gave the guy a tip and have a date to go back up shortly.

As a matter of interest I also found out what happened with the original estate. Turns out he had double booked, so why he felt the need to tell me a big, fat, fib I have know idea. His loss, tosser.


Cheers

 

[cervushunter]

Good for you , all is well that ends well.