 Poster: A snowHead
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Maldon Sea Salt , you will be the chefs friend for your entire stay , I supply dried goods in the uk and its the one thing the chalet chefs struggle to get hold of , I take buckets of the stuff out to Ste Foy for some friends .
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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With regard to comments on the Falken Hotel in Wengen, it was indeed very run down at one point, some balconies were actually held on by string with the doors out being screwed shut to prevent accidents, but when the elderly owner passed away her children specifically Sina spent a lot of money making repairs, the roof was not just patched up but was completely removed and replaced and all of the balconies were overhauled to make them safe, these days it has old world charm as opposed to being run down and I would have no hesitation recommending it as a place to stay in Wengen
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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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I'm not quite sure about turning up in resort and handing the chalet girl a box of Lillets. Slightly weird, especially if it's a male chalet 'host'. If it's a bloke should I take a packet of Trojan Magnums? As for the Maldon sea salt I can't see that the chalet girl is going to get much value out of it personally.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Out of interest, what does the collective wisdom of Snowheads suggest is a suitable amount to tip a chalet girl/boy? Let's standardise on a formula of x number of euros per guest per week when discussing this.
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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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Got this covered. Yorkshire teabags, copious amounts of Cadbury's and a block of extra strong mature cheddar.
On the subject of tips, I'm gonna get 10€ from each family (we are all friends) which will give them 60€ but give them it before their night off. If the service is great, we'll have another whip round at the end of the week.
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I tip €20
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€20 although I've tipped more when they've been stellar/ bought me a bacon sandwich in bed when I was hungover
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Oh, and I tend to make hefty use of the €1 honesty bar
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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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€20 per guest and leave the left over alcohol
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Blimey! Three votes for 20 euros. Is this the first time we have a consensus amongst Snowheads?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| foxtrotzulu wrote: |
| I'm not quite sure about turning up in resort and handing the chalet girl a box of Lillets. Slightly weird, especially if it's a male chalet 'host'. If it's a bloke should I take a packet of Trojan Magnums? As for the Maldon sea salt I can't see that the chalet girl is going to get much value out of it personally. |
If your chalet host doesn't appreciate good quality sea salt to add to their cooking then they don't have enough pride in their job! (But I see where you're coming from with the 'personal benefit' point of view)
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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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dangly bits @Jenniper, it's the same as buying your wife a Hoover for Christmas.
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They also sell perfectly good sea salt in France.
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You know it makes sense.
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Elder daughter completed two seasons in VT and younger one now doing her first. Quality cheddar and bacon, YES.But more importantly, tips...and if you want the best stay, tip days before you are about to jump on the transfer bus to leave.
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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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Indeed @Hells Bells, its not like French cuisine is renowned for flavour and seasoning or anything.... 
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Poster: A snowHead
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If someone brought me salt I'd weep
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We always give cash as a tip at the end of the week but I like the idea of giving the tip before their day off. We usually meet our host for après ski a couple of times and buy the beers and that seems to go down well 
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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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The only acceptable salt to be gifted is that around the rim of several margaritas @Whisky_priest,
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So are you guys saying e20 as a tip for the whole staff ? I left approx that for each of the three.
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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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Bacon, it was always bacon and sausages (but mainly bacon!!!!) we requested if the guests called beforehand, these were pre-internet and email when I was out there.
though one time I flew home on a Saturday morning and returned on the Monday for my dads birthday party, I had a shopping list as long as my arm for goodies to bring home that filled a Salomon travel bag with boot compartments either end. it was stuffed with 80% pork products along with womens deodorant (French stuff no good at the time apparently!!) marmite and big f### off bars of fruit and nut.
tips were always appreciated and did not matter what time during the week, along with guests correctly ticking off when using the honesty bar, and also you can see if staff have excess euros to be exchanged for pound notes at favourable rates ie not both of you paying fees and reduced exchange rates you will be surprised how much you can accumulate by the middle of the season if you are canny enough I hardly touched my wages during the season by surviving on tips/honesty bar etc.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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€20 from me to all the staff and at least €30 on the honesty bar.
I worked in a 36 berth chalet and we would pool our tips. Amazingly we would get weeks where no-one would tip.
I kind of like the idea of a pre-tip. An american lady once told me in mexico that she always pre-tips therefore ensuring good service for the holiday
But, that doesn't seem very British to me. We always gave the best service we could and some weeks we got better tips than we thought we would.
It was also in the days of the social skier. They would get the good tips as they were frontline. Luckily they pooled in with everyone
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@Whisky_priest, we were also in a fairly large chalet upto 26 guests, there were 7 of us staff and we pooled tips/honesty bar as well, best earning weeks were always when the chalet was booked by a single group, rugger/farmer types or health club groups always good tippers as the group leader would arrange it and invariably requested an audit of the bar at the start and finish of the week as they could not be arsed to mark in the book, and always took us out on the booze with them.
luvly jubly!!!!!
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| Quote: |
| the year before Cheddar cheese and kaffir lime leaves |
Thinking of a late chalet deal for next weekend - must remember the kaffir lime leaves...
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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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I guess I must be getting on a bit....
Paracetemol and Ibuprofen is on my wish list!
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@flangesax, they're the things we are most likely to be asked to bring out, along with cetirizine for hayfever in summer. Oh, and Heinz beans and Yorkshire tea.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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My kids have both done/are doing seasons - more votes for tips, but also bacon, and leaving stuff behind like shampoo.
Daughter just got left 20 euros and beer by her Christmas guests, and was far happier about the money than the beer. She's also counting on people leaving shampoo etc, cos that sort of stuff was too heavy to take much out with her.
My son said they loved the people who said they didn't need their rooms cleaning every single day.
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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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| foxtrotzulu wrote: |
| I'm not quite sure about turning up in resort and handing the chalet girl a box of Lillets. Slightly weird, especially if it's a male chalet 'host'. |
Slightly weird? I'd say it's downright bizarre! "Oh hello, pleased to meet you, here's some tampons". I feel weird enough buying people booze just in case they don't drink/drink something else!
I'd have thought that cheese, bacon and tips would be all they'd want. I'd have thought even something like teabags only need to be brought out by a few people across a whole season.
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I can confirm that the cheese, chocolate and tea bags have gone down a storm. Lovely chalet hosts. Gonna be a great week
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You know it makes sense.
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Good work @KennyEverett,
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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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"Borrowing" some salt mid-week from a mountain restaurant went down well as the chalet had run out, it was the first week of the season and it had been missed on the shop.
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Poster: A snowHead
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That sounds like a pretty crap chalet @JamesN, couldn't they pop to a shop?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Family of 5, stayed 2 weeks, left 100 EUR in total, plus they all said they liked the Dutch Caramel waffle cookie things, so we gave the staff 5 boxes of them...
Wasn't sure what to tip or leave, I hope they thought me generous.
Plus, one staffer had a birthday whilst we were there, and I gave her a birthday gift....
Was so unsure - - also told them they didn't need clean every day, was about every other day -
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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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That sounds very generous and thoughtful @HeidiAmsterdam,
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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When staying in a chalet, we always tell the hosts not to clean our room until we leave. Partly because it gives them more mountain time , but also as our room can resemble a bomb site. They usually seem to appreciate it. Never look forward to the big clean up/packing marathon on the last night though.
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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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I like the idea of the pre tip. Treats are nice, but cash is king. The not making the room up thing sounds good too. I stayed in a chalet once where the staff asked guests to leave the bedroom doors open if they wanted them cleaned that day, most left them shut.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I rather like the idea of tipping before the night off. You can be very obvious: we had a collection for the wine waiter on the first night of an Esprit holiday (once we had realised that the company was being much more careful than usual).
I've always left toiletries and loose change in the room and sometimes a tip (I'm never sure if tips are pooled). And we mostly ask for the room not to be cleaned. I don't clean my room (or even make my bed) every day at home so why make someone do it when I'm away.
Tipping is a funny thing though. I have a general policy of not tipping people who earn more than me (which seems to be most people these days). And it is a relative thing. Some people just about manage a ski holiday and spend the rest of the year recovering from the outlay while most (and I recognise that it's not all) of the kids doing a season are from comfortable families, so it should be a voluntary thing.
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| henzerani wrote: |
| Tipping is a funny thing though. |
Not wishing to derail the thread but it's very odd, particularly where it's customary to tip one person but not another that offers a near identical service. For example, people would tip a cab driver but not a bus driver. You'll tip a waiter but not someone at a fast food restaurant (and I've been to plenty of restaurants that have worse service than McDonalds)  Personally I don't like it at all, I'd rather that it wasn't customary and prices were just slightly higher to pay the staff more, that way you wouldn't feel the need to tip except where the service actually calls for it.
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@SnoodyMcFlude, then you could feel good about leaving a tip rather than guilty about not leaving one. I could bore you silly with the socio-political advantages of tipping to the social elite but it would sound sooo Jeremy Corbin.
But leaving things instead of money is a bit like the advice we are given about drug or drink dependent people.
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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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| Jenniper wrote: |
| foxtrotzulu wrote: |
| I'm not quite sure about turning up in resort and handing the chalet girl a box of Lillets. Slightly weird, especially if it's a male chalet 'host'. If it's a bloke should I take a packet of Trojan Magnums? As for the Maldon sea salt I can't see that the chalet girl is going to get much value out of it personally. |
If your chalet host doesn't appreciate good quality sea salt to add to their cooking then they don't have enough pride in their job! (But I see where you're coming from with the 'personal benefit' point of view) |
I dunno, I had plenty of pride in my job, but the opportunites to use Maldon are few and far between in chaleting, any chef (actual chef, not just someone employed as such for Winter) will use regular salt for things like seasoning and added to water to boil peas or pasta etc, Maldon only REALLY comes in to its own when it's use for post cooked seasoning, like garnish to enhance flavour. And the opportunity to cook things that require that are slim in a chalet.
People have offered to bring stuff out for us in the past, Horseradish, English mustard, Crumpets and Tea are all winners in my book. If i have friends and family coming out I ask for things like proper pickled onions too, and maybe even some shredded wheat.
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Money! Worked many seasons in chalets, and while gifts are thoughtful, money is always a winner!!
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FAQ
