 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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And to quantify my response I used to do 'rent a rep' stuff for a Tour Operator on their big events (15 years ago). You got a few weeks free skiing out of it but you also knew that if something happened you had to immediately react.
Example: being woken up at 2am by someone that had lost their friend earlier. Immediately worried they had fallen somewhere in a drunken stupor a search party was organised only to find they were fast asleep in their apartment. On a freebie but knew I had to deal with it.
Everyone knew in advance what was expected and previous staff were on hand to answer questions.
Get your marketing right and people here might start to ask "When is Nixmap next advertising"
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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A Lurker, perhaps a serious and private enquiry may give some answers to some of those questions?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
local transport included,
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does the 'copter come with the pilot?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| GregorMcL wrote: |
| nixmap, this sounds amazing! I would love to talk more about this. Would it be possible to get your email so I could send you my CV and discuss further? I'm very interested in this! Thanks |
You can send me a private message
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Timberwolf wrote: |
Welcome back nixmap, unfortunately, as in previous years, I fall into this trap......
| queen bodecia wrote: |
| Well I worked out it would cost me about £4k to do this. Shame I haven't got £4k. Nor a job that would let me have 4-5 months off... |
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You are not alone, not everyone can , still there is always next year.
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| Shimmy Alcott wrote: |
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local transport included,
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does the 'copter come with the pilot? |
Only for powder days on the Wildhorn. 
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There is a separate question of whether this is an "advert" and ought to involve contribution to sHs of course.
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Don't go there. This is what the 4th year that nix has done this? Admin clearly knows about this and is agreeable otherwise he'd be culled from the forum shirley. 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| A Lurker wrote: |
And to quantify my response I used to do 'rent a rep' stuff for a Tour Operator on their big events (15 years ago). You got a few weeks free skiing out of it but you also knew that if something happened you had to immediately react.
Example: being woken up at 2am by someone that had lost their friend earlier. Immediately worried they had fallen somewhere in a drunken stupor a search party was organised only to find they were fast asleep in their apartment. On a freebie but knew I had to deal with it.
Everyone knew in advance what was expected and previous staff were on hand to answer questions.
Get your marketing right and people here might start to ask "When is Nixmap next advertising" |
Thanks for your commercial insight
I always figured if the offer is good enough then salesmanship should not matter a great deal.
As you already surmise I am not a very good salesperson and have a very poor understanding of marketing
I never really though about it that hard.
I can imagine as a "rent a rep" you are uniquely qualified and I really appreciate your help and advice.
Nix.
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livetoski, what a gorgeous video!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I always figured if the offer is good enough then salesmanship should not matter a great deal.
Nix.[/quote]
Telesales and advertising have made us a nation of cynics. If the offer is good then it is probably a scam. To be fair, you have been much more open this year. Sounds OK....for the first time ever!!. OH and I would do it. Pesky kids doing public exams are putting a stopper on that though. Book us in for 2019. 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Hells Bells wrote: |
| nixmap, for once, I have the money, and I may not even have a job in 3 weeks time, however I may not be able to persuade hubby to give his up for the winter. |
Leave hubby behind. You might even meet a man. Maybe nixmap and OH will end up going to separate chalets...
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peanuthead, now if you'd met either of us, you would know I couldn't and wouldn't do that.
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You know it makes sense.
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| nixmap wrote: |
| A Lurker wrote: |
And to quantify my response I used to do 'rent a rep' stuff for a Tour Operator on their big events (15 years ago). You got a few weeks free skiing out of it but you also knew that if something happened you had to immediately react.
Example: being woken up at 2am by someone that had lost their friend earlier. Immediately worried they had fallen somewhere in a drunken stupor a search party was organised only to find they were fast asleep in their apartment. On a freebie but knew I had to deal with it.
Everyone knew in advance what was expected and previous staff were on hand to answer questions.
Get your marketing right and people here might start to ask "When is Nixmap next advertising" |
Thanks for your commercial insight
I always figured if the offer is good enough then salesmanship should not matter a great deal.
As you already surmise I am not a very good salesperson and have a very poor understanding of marketing
I never really though about it that hard.
I can imagine as a "rent a rep" you are uniquely qualified and I really appreciate your help and advice.
Nix. |
I used to do this to get free skiing (much like your advert), but my employers were very open about the details of the arrangement before anyone agreed.
Every year you open yourself up to ridicule but I guess you still fill the position. With a slightly different spin you could have people queuing at your door from the first post.
Anyway what do I know ( an anonymous sock on a forum). And for you I guess that all advertising is good advertising. But, my earlier point still stands. If I didn't have the professional and personal commitments that I currently have this would be very appealing. The only thing that would hold me back is your lack of open discussion.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Nixmap should myself and J be interested, would you be happy for our dog to be there with us. She is old and quiet, and lover kids (she has never eaten a whole one).
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Poster: A snowHead
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nixmap, I'm not going to get into a spat with you but . . . that didn't last long . . . look, you live in Switzerland so I cannot believe that you do not know how the Swiss view responsibility toward children. Hell, there was even proposed legislation requiring the registration of Grandparents and and second level relations to be registered with the State prior to child-minding duties. It was withdrawn after public outcry but you have to know that any injury to a child that requires medical attention can be investigated by the police and if negligence is found to be the responsibility of the carer . . . family, friend, registered child care or any other poor numpty off the street . . . they will be prosecuted.
Now you can call your arrangement casual but we ALL know that you're just skipping by Swiss employment and immigration law and if you're not requiring a 'background check' from your applicants then you are adding to your kid's risks. Add to that if a child is harmed whilst in your 'skivvies' care, just how long are you going to keep up the pretence of easy-going bonhomie? The relationship between you and your housekeeper will be deeply scrutinised. They can point to all these threads in their defence. You, on the other hand may find the whole matter far more problematic.
No, there should be NO child care duties of any sort in your offer, you put all parties at serious risk of criminal charges if there is an incident. That you dismiss that risk indicates your attitudes toward this arrangement and people can read into that what they may.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Masque wrote: |
| nixmap and if negligence is found to be the responsibility of the carer . . . family, friend, registered child care or any other poor numpty off the street . . . they will be prosecuted.. |
So I leave my friends in charge and they engage in for example a knife throwing game, and someone gets injured they will be liable, well personally I agree with that, as would most parents. as its clearly not responsible care.
on the other hand if some one twists a knee an on the slope, when I am looking after them (already happened) then that is not really negligent its an accident and accidents happen.
Should people be responsible for the actions, yes, are people responsible for all accidents that befall them, clearly no.
Key word is negligence, most people have a good understanding of what that means and really need to be discussed in this forum
| Masque wrote: |
The relationship between you and your housekeeper will be deeply scrutinised. They can point to all these threads in their defence.
No, there should be NO child care duties of any sort in your offer, you put all parties at serious risk of criminal charges if there is an incident. That you dismiss that risk indicates . |
well housekeeper is your definition not mine. I would think that a lot of the people we have had to stay over the last few years would object to being called housekeepers.
| Masque wrote: |
| your attitudes toward this arrangement and people can read into that what they may. |
Exactly so, and with the exceptions to some privacy related questions I have done my best to answer them.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Hells Bells wrote: |
| Nixmap should myself and J be interested, would you be happy for our dog to be there with us. She is old and quiet, and lover kids (she has never eaten a whole one). |
I like dogs, the boss doesn't
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| nixmap wrote: |
| I would think that a lot of the people we have had to stay over the last few years would object to being called housekeepers. |
Why would they object? That is exactly what they're doing  Taking care of the house whilst the family are not there, being required to move from one house to another depending on where the family want to be that weekend, and then cooking, cleaning and babysitting for the family when they are there... it's a housekeeper's role.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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nixmap, It's not a matter of your using absurd examples to attempt to trash my statement. Nor is it your scrabbling to say that "Of course there are some chores we expect to share. Sometimes cooking, some cleaning, occasional child minding (ages 8 and 11) off slope and on. Ski teaching some of our guests if you are up to it" is not an accurate description of 'housekeeper' . . . you neglected to add the shopping and other related tasks that have always apeared in your previous ads.
Look, I'm really not trying to piddle in your punch but I'm having a hard time trying to rationalise a successful businessman who wants a 'house-sitter' to prepare his properties for his occupation . . . and a parsimonious prick who can strangle an onion without tears.
Any incident; and you cannot discount the chance, lays open the relationship of this arrangement to scrutiny by a number of Swiss authorities and as much as you lay on the 'cheesy' smile in the thread, your obfuscation and evasion to the details of the deal tells me that you are far from naive in appealing to the greed/gullibility/ignorance of the applicant.
I'm not going to argue against your stomping all over the Swiss emigration and employment laws as I would probably not worry about that myself in my desire to spend the Winter in Switzerland (or anywhere with decent snow on a slope for that matter) But child minding is beyond the pale to require from a casual arrangement that you call "not a job" and yet advertise for that service. You are offering a 'Quid pro Quo' arrangement . . . just how can you equate that to leaving your kids for a day with established friends?
I'm not going to deny that this winter your offer is enticing. I can cook (apparently quite well from eosb reports), My nutter of a Grandmother considered me semi-housebroken for her hotel cleaning when I was 14 (that was when she stopped hitting me with a mop handle) along with a work ethic that has me still doing 16hr days.
The problem I see is that you are willing to ride roughshod over both civil and criminal Swiss law and refuse to even acknowledge that either even exist . . . though you do not deny my argument, you just 'jazz-hands' around it.
It doesn't matter how many sweet hazelnuts you push into a dog turd . . . it will never taste like a 'Topic'
Oh, and I was Silver Service trained by 16 and running a casino disco bar at 17 . . . long and occasionally funny story
What is truly obscene about your offer  is that you are willing to offer access to your children as part of the offer of an informal, ad hoc , quasi commercial arrangement. For that alone I am seriously thinking about reporting you and your multiple internet threads to the UK, Swiss and Interpol authorities. . . NOT A JOKE!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Your next post will determine my decision.
for those of you who are thinking my post is OTT, step back and look at the circumstances where children are harmed by people who are not though of as a threat. I don't believe for an instant that any of the snowheads that I know are capable of harming a child. I also don't believe that anyone as venal as Nixmap in his desire for cheap labour is capable to filter all applicants against the possibility of harm to his kids.
It's down to you Nix. Which is more important to you, your kid's safety or your convenience? Do you really think that you have the ability to recognise a socially functional psychopath?
The risk is remote, but real and quantifiable, after all how many of us have met you?
Just to reinforce this post. I am serious about reporting your offer to all relevant authorities regarding the childcare/baby sitting requirements.
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| Masque wrote: |
Do you really think that you have the ability to recognise a socially functional psychopath?
The risk is remote, but real and quantifiable..... |
I think you may be getting a tiny bit little carried away here. Or I hope it may have been induced a little by last night's consumption.....I know I m not at my most rational at 0:39 myself.
Either way I hope we don't see a stop to one of the great Snowheads annual institutions. He is only bending Swiss Au Pair rules a tiny bit - I mean who want to do 120 hours of language training in the middle of the ski season anyway! It's on the same level of misdemeanour as 2 sets of skis in one ski bag for me.
By the way, what is the quantifiable risk of a socially functional psychopath interacting with my children in a European ski resort in parts per million or however it is measured? Asking as a parent of 3 skiing children.
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Masque, surely a contract between you and nixmap would be all that is needed, to ensure your concerns were adequately covered off should any incident occur?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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kitenski, I don't know anything about Swiss law but, at a guess, I would doubt that it's possible to contract out of a duty of care.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Pedantica wrote: |
| kitenski, I don't know anything about Swiss law but, at a guess, I would doubt that it's possible to contract out of a duty of care. |
If it were me I'd simply sign a waiver, wouldn't that cover it?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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kitenski, no, not here, too easy when lives are at stake.
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I'll clean but I don't clean toilets
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well then, you're a pretty useless cleaner.
All that's on offer here, it seems, is free accommodation, in return for 2 x X man hours of work each week (including cleaning toilets, I imagine). I don't know why people think it's quite such a "sweet deal".
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You know it makes sense.
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pam w, I think because it comes across that you're only working weekends and school holidays and then get to live in a really nice chalet rather than budget saisonniere accommodation. The 'do you consider having dinner parties with me as 'work'?' part did put me off a bit, but otherwise it seems to be less work than chalet hosting for a season and less cash then hiring really nice accommodation for yourself.
But actually, in amongst everything else he's said, I do think Masque has raised a valid point about liability and the need for insurance if you are being responsible for someone else's children in return for remuneration (lift pass, car use, accommodation etc.), in or out of the home.
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Sun 11-08-13 16:09; edited 1 time in total
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Quote: |
All that's on offer here, it seems, is free accommodation, in return for 2 x X man hours of work each week (including cleaning toilets, I imagine). I don't know why people think it's quite such a "sweet dea
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I agree, its hardly an unusual arrangement.
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Poster: A snowHead
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miranda, if I had guests (personal friends, not paying guests) coming for the weekend I'd expect to spend a fair few hours shopping and cooking, to prepare some things ahead of time, and to spend a while afterwards clearing up, changing beds, etc. During the weekend I'd expect to be fairly busy cooking and clearing up but they would be people I'd actually WANT to spend time with (and I wouldn't be expected to look after their kids, either). I don't think the comparison is with "budget saisonnaire accommodation" but with the sort of pleasant small studio which would be comfortable for a couple for the season. If a couple work an average of 2.5 long days a week (which seems likely to be conservative given the "school holiday" provision) at a wage of, say, €10 an hour, which wouldn't go terribly far at Swiss prices, that equates to €500 euros a week - more than enough to rent yourself a pleasant small studio for the season and probably have enough left over to go a good way to paying for a season ski pass.
How good a deal it is depends on how many days work there'd be, and how long the days would be (I would definitely count "having a dinner party" with the boss as work, if I had to do the bulk of the shopping, cooking and clearing away). I do apartment cleaning sometimes, for friends - it usually takes me at least two hours to do a reasonable job of a small apartment. I would expect to spend at least half a day doing a reasonable (maybe not Swiss standard) job of cleaning a more sizeable chalet. And that's without any snow clearing.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ignoring the ethical issues that Masque has pointed out.
Hypothetical situation. On Friday morning you are told that you need to be at the other chalet that weekend. You should be there in enough time to prepare it for the boss and another family. You should ensure it is stocked for the weekend and that a meal is laid on for Friday night.
The weekend will be spent childminding and cooking for the guests.
Could you deal with this type of arrangement?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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pam w, never been one to be down on this deal, but... I think you're right. I particularly agree about the dinner parties with the boss (who sees himself as a friend as much as boss) bit - when I was doing numerous seasons in Gstaad in the winter and summer with a very large and wealthy family, I was always invited to fancy lunches and dinners in restaurants or cooked by the chef in the chalet and cleaned up by the maids... so I didn't have to do anything and they were nice people (and quite a few of them the same age as me) but it still felt like work a lot of the time, although they absolutely couldn't understand that I might secretly feel that way of course.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
well then, you're a pretty useless cleaner.
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Actually I'm a very good cleaner but not a scrubber. I'm very thorough but I just don't/won't do toilets
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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halfhand, so who do you expect to clean your toilets for you?
miranda, I suppose it's like going to "work" cocktail parties or taking people out to "work" lunches. It's work. Not at all the same as sitting on your own sofa in your pyjamas with a good book and wondering about when to make yourself some marmite on toast, or whatever your favourite snack is.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| pam w wrote: |
halfhand, so who do you expect to clean your toilets for you?
miranda, I suppose it's like going to "work" cocktail parties or taking people out to "work" lunches. It's work. Not at all the same as sitting on your own sofa in your pyjamas with a good book and wondering about when to make yourself some marmite on toast, or whatever your favourite snack is. |
But scrubbing out your own Kharzi is more fun than being made to go to dinner in Gstaad? Some of you lot are well warped!
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mishmash, I'm in the States so time-stamps are 5>7 hours out. I'm really incensed by Nixmap, he perennially comes on here 'running with the fox and hunting with the hounds'. He relies on our innate desires for a winter in the Alps to subsume our common sense. As for "contracts"; The lack of any feedback from prior 'indentured' means that at the very least a 'non disclosure arrangement' is in place . . . So, does Nix require a Police background check as part of the application process? . . . If so, then this is a formal arrangement . . . A JOB!
If he doesn't, then he is pimping his kids on the internet to any potential harm that the internet can produce The primary thought I get from reading Nixmap's posts is that he places protection and privacy of his wallet above that of his family. Nothing about this man's posts says anything good about his values. That cannot be good . . . beyond being entertaining . . . for the forum.
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| mishmash wrote: |
But scrubbing out your own Kharzi is more fun than being made to go to dinner in Gstaad? Some of you lot are well warped! |
It's a fact that in this short life of ours, you have to do some things you don't really want to do - I'd rather do the thing that takes a few minutes than a few hours. If it takes you more than a few minutes to clean your Kharzi, I suggest you might have a problem... 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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halfhand, I've replaced toilets . . . cleaning one is a dodle (sp?)
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FAQ
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