 Poster: A snowHead
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We just had a very nice week in Verbier with The Lad and The Lass.
Both are qualified and experienced instructors (ISIA and BASI2) who take holiday from job and university to work for top ski schools in Verbier for the peak times.
They enjoy it, they earn good money and they have nice parents who like going there too.
The Lad had six days with a full scale Russian Oligarch and his family. Not your average multi millionaire, we are talking full scale Billionaire with a Wikipedia entry as long as your arm...130m superyacht with helicopter on board...the whole works!
No names to be mentioned...his reach is long and his background "varied"!
Family were a nightmare, horrendously behaved children, very difficult and demanding wife, monosyllabic father.
One lunchtime, in Verbier's best restaurant, the kids were running around and knocked a waiter over as he was serving some other guests...not a word of apology or reprimand. One afternoon the wife asked for some private tuition and at the end of the day demanded that The Lad buy her a drink..."I do not carry cash!"
He suffered with the thought of The Tip...and at the end of the last day the Oligarch Billionaire told The Lad
"I do not tip anyone. People must learn to live with their pay. This is my life lesson to you!"
The Lass was teaching the family of a very well known British person.
She has taught them several times before, lovely well behaved kids, very down to earth parents. Nearly as rich as The Oligarch, but if you met them for a beer they are as normal as normal can be.
She got a good tip!
The Russians said "we do not like Verbier, it is too steep, next year we go to Courcheval"
The Lad said "That's a good idea"
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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A colleague of mine was left a boot-full of brand new Spyder clothing and thousands of pounds of skis and ski equipment as a "tip" because his Russian guest had no inclination to burden himself with his family's luggage for the return trip.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@rungsp,
I think I would have told the guy,
"I don't fund over indulgent wive's who scrounge of people who actually work for their money rather than ask their ignorrant husband for some cash, or do you not teach your wife to pay her way. My life lesson to you is you all suck not just at skiing but as members of the human race, enjoy Courchavel because they will not enjoy you."
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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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My son cooked for a 3 generation Russian family in Courchevel last winter. There were some communication difficulties but he managed - and he said they were civil and the kids not too spoilt or badly behaved.
They paid €3000 a week to the agent for the cook, and the cook got €2000 of that. Food was charged at cost, on top. I hope their ski instructors get paid well too!
They gave him a generous tip at the end of the week and left masses of stuff including the leftover caviar (bought from Russia, better and cheaper than Courchevel), cut glassware, some expensive toys just a little bit broken.
This year he worked for a British family. Same sort of deal. They were sociable and appreciative and insisted on including the chef in, for example, their new year celebrations. He arrived home with lots of leftovers, a nice tip and memories of a very satisfying week. Hard work - there's rarely any skiing during these cheffing weeks.
He was to have done the second new year week with a Russian group, but they cancelled - sign of the times (and of course the snow was very poor, which didn't help).
He's mostly had agreeable clients including several French, Portuguese and at least one wealthy British aristocrat.
He has enjoyed some previous Russians more because they were educated and spoke good English - and the older ones have some fascinating stories to tell of the changes they have seen. The younger ones are not so good - and the way things are going one senses they are going to get worse. But there are going to be fewer of them about, by the look of it, and some resorts will probably miss them!
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Mon 23-02-15 21:01; edited 1 time in total
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@speed098, My wife used to live and work in Russia, having a degree in Russian; in reality, it would be a brave man/woman indeed who would say this. These people didn't get where they are today by....being nice. 
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@speed098, if you had read this guy's Wikipedia entry you would not have said any such thing....you would have sucked it up just like The Lad.
When I say his background was "varied" I do not mean that he has had several jobs....you need to read between the lines!
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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 remember in my first season one of my colleagues taught a very rich Russian... She was invited to some of the best restaurants for lunch and dinner every day, and at the end of the week they bought her a pair of €800 Kästle skis!
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Mrs L and I were in a small hotel in Selva with a group of squat middle-aged Russian men, accompanied by pneumatic young blondes (their nieces, obviously). Apart from getting very drunk every evening, in a not too anti-social way, they were fine. I was their German-English translator, so they could understand and order from the menu each evening. Never saw a tip though. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@rungsp,
20 plus years ago yes I would have sucked it up and sucked some more  But not these days I still try to be nice to as many people as I can so the wife wanting the drink yes I would have taken on the chin, but then when he said that, he would have got both barrels with reload even if he had protectors armed to the teeth stood next to him. I just don't give a damn about people like that and who they think they might be or be.
If he had just given a £20 tip I would not be bothered, or even just a handshake a thankyou and you made our holiday this year all the best, but if he said what your son said he did nope gloves are off.
@rungsp, I know exactly what you said re varied don't worry ( image of Italian with certain type of music case then multiply by factor of x and y ).
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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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@speed098, as someone once said to me, you're either f*ing hard or f*ing stupid. I was f*ing stupid, but got away with it.
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@laundryman, Neither just don't give a damn about people like that they only get away with doing it because peole let them. When you actually look at it what would he actually do to me ? Not much I would not be worth the possible issues it would cause even if at worst it meant he could never come to western Europe again. You tell him how his wife scrounged/spunged off a low paid instructor and how he thinks people should live off /with their pay yet his wife thus then him are not doing. All I want is what you said, or was it just words to avoid giving a tip?
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You know it makes sense.
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@speed098, it's certainly an admirable stance.
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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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@laundryman, Maybe, and you may be right it may be foolish but I would be a lot worse for not doing it.
Thanks for the advice anyway, probably never will be in that position and feel sorry for rungsp, son having to put up with someone who not only showed himself up but did the image of Russian people no favours.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@speed098, +1
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@mooney058,  Yeah, you're right.
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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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@speed098, Well after you have said your bit, don't, whatever happens, sit down to a nice cup of tea with any nice Russian gents in London hotels. 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@cstreat,
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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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Never stay in a hotel with buffet food with Russians. In my experience, they strip the platters bare - but then leave half of it on their tables. Pure arrogance and disregard for others.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@cstreat, and watch out for umbrellas
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I can understand foreigners.
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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've been to Russia about 40-50 times over the last 10 years or so. In that time I've worked closely with about a dozen billionaires and Lord knows how many who would simply be classed as mega-rich. Almost without exception I would say they have been absolutely charming with immaculate manners. Sometimes Russian manners are simply different from ours. For example, they may be more relaxed about using mobiles in restaurants, but are often far better at greeting everyone when they enter a room full of strangers.
@rungsp's Lad may have met a particularly unpleasant one, but that certainly doesn't mean all of the oligarchs are rude or charmless.
Re: tips. While I certainly wouldn't have expressed it in the way the oligarch did I do share some of his attitude. If someone 'expects' a tip, they probably aren't going to get one. A tip is for services above and beyond what you have already paid for. [There are some exceptions e.g. restaurants and taxis where the situation is less clear] I also don't generally believe in tipping the self-employed. I also dislike any suggestion that the size of a tip should depend upon the wealth of the giver. It should be in proportion to the quality of service, not the bank balance of the tipper.
As an aside, some of the oligarchs may have got rich through nefarious activities, but certainly looking at the current crop they would definitely be in a small minority. Most ahve made their money through being in the right place, at the right time (and sometimes knowing the right people)
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Incidentally, I do business in about 24 different countries. The Russians I've dealt with have always paid their bills, on time, with no fuss and frequently no written contract. The only nation that I am reluctant to deal with is the French.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Some billionaires have badly behaved children, can be rude, and are tight gits… is this really a surprise 
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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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@miranda,
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Some billionaires have badly behaved children, can be rude, and are tight gits… is this really a surprise
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Not really and I doubt that, on average, they are any better or worse than anyone else. In my experience, they are just ordinary people with an extraordinary amount of money.
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| Scrumpy wrote: |
| Never stay in a hotel with buffet food with Russians. In my experience, they strip the platters bare - but then leave half of it on their tables. Pure arrogance and disregard for others. |
I've been in hotels with buffets with a majority of Russians. I've not had that problem. Or maybe this Brit is as just as avid for "all you can eat" as the average Russian.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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There's and old rule about never buying a big house on an upmarket road as you're likely to have lousy neighbours
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Poster: A snowHead
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| cameronphillips2000 wrote: |
| There's and old rule about never buying a big house on an upmarket road as you're likely to have lousy neighbours |
Very true though my neighbours approx 300 of them are serving time at her majesty's pleasure 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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| Quote: |
Not really and I doubt that, on average, they are any better or worse than anyone else. In my experience, they are just ordinary people with an extraordinary amount of money.
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Disagree. You don't get to be a Russian Billionaire by being Mr nice.
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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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@kat.ryb,
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You don't get to be a Russian Billionaire by being Mr nice.
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On what do you base that statement? In the 90's I dare say quite a few got rich and weren't very nice in the process. They were pretty unpleasant times. However, to imply that you can't get rich in Russia without being unpleasant is way off the mark.
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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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| kat.ryb wrote: |
| Disagree. You don't get to be a Russian Billionaire by being Mr nice. |
Neither you get British or any other billionaire by being Mr. Nice ;) But yes, Russians are bad, so if one is as**ole , all of Russians must be, as they are all same. But then again, I think the same about Brits and Dutch skiers :-D
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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there is an old russian saying that goes like this: "There is no worse a lord than one who used to be a serf".
Many russian (and ukrainian for that matter) oligarchs, politicians and high profile officials have made their way up to from the very bottom.
Their snobbery and arrogance grew along with them.
This is anecdotal of course, doesn't apply to everyone.
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@oleksii,
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This is anecdotal of course, doesn't apply to everyone.
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Indeed. I have no doubt there are some absolute shockers but, as I said above, my experience has been very different from that of the OP.
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@foxtrotzulu, also bear in mind that they behave completely differently with people whom they regard as equal or close to them (family, business partners, fellow oligarchs, etc) and those who they describe as 'cattle' - i.e. standing far below them on the social ladder. Difference in your experience and that of OP may well be explained by that.
Last edited by After all it is free  on Tue 3-03-15 15:15; edited 1 time in total
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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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The Boss and I chatted to some Russians in a Gondola a couple of years back. They were gorgeous, charming and spoke betterer English than what we does.
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FAQ
