Add Ons and interim help

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Breakfast Diva

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We sell a lot of add on packages, including a fondue package, picnic basket and dinner.
We recently had interim help while we were away for 9 days and we were not busy. Out of 9 days, there were only 2 days that had 3 rooms booked and the rest of the days there were ony 1 or 2 each day. I have always figured that our add ons are part of who we are as an inn and should be included with the duties of the interim keeper. I've never had an interim keeper want to be paid extra for these add on services. I'm now hearing through the grapevine that this last one we hired thinks that they should be paid extra for each dinner.
First, let me say that there is not much cooking that needs to be done to get the dinner out. I have made all soups ahead of time and they're frozen in individual portions. The only 'cooking' that's being done is cooking the steak entree. Other entrees are just thrown in the oven. Everything else is portioned out and just needs to be heated.
Typically, for a dinner it takes an hour from beginning to end. We deliver to the guest room, so there is no service involved after it's delivered except to get the dishes later in the evening when they are left outside the guest door.
The fondue and picnic basket take about 1/2 hour to put together and can happen in the afternoon or evening. We have never had an innsitter expect to get paid more for packages.
I guess I'm a bit annoyed, because if we had full houses, the interim would have been putting in far more hours but would be paid the same amount, so what's the difference? To me, it's part of taking an assignment here. We only take off when we're not real busy, so the extra package sales helps us afford the sitter since their daily cost is almost equal to 1 room rate.
With only 1 or two rooms filled each day (stay overs, not many 1 nighters), this person was definitely not overworked. I'm anticipating that if we hire her again she will ask for a $ cut of each dinner.
She did an excellent job by the way. I also gave her a generous tip. Do you think we should have to pay extra for add ons?
 
Nope. She knew you did the packgages when she gave you her rates. But then again, if she is good (good personality) you may have to cough it up to keep her.
Riki
 
If your employment interview included everything she was supposed to do, then she got paid what you all agreed on. And you gave her a bonus.
If you threw the extra stuff at her later on, then yes, extra pay was in order.
You kind of have to wonder if she made the error in accepting the job thinking she was going to work 2 hours/day and get paid $80/hour!
 
She has worked here before. I just need to be prepared in case we hire her again. I think that next time she will want extra and I need to know how to approach it.
 
First of all I have not hired anyone to innsit - so you may take this with a grain of salt if you want. But I would say that any time you do hire someone for this task, if you haven't in the past, you need to put all their responsiblities in writing including what you will pay them for the job. This way it is clear from the moment they accept. Any hearsay later can easily be silenced by stating that it was clearly stated in writing.
 
If she knew ahead of time what was expected and then realized, after living the experience, that it's more work than she expected, then that's her problem IMHO. Don't let her hold you hostage and make you pay her more for something she agreed upon in advance. She knew what she was getting into and agree on it. If argument ensues, I'd remind her that if you were booked full then she'd be working alot harder than she did that weekend for the same amount of money.
Good Luck!
(on another note - we'll be out of town for 5 days next week and the owners are coming up to run the B&B. We're secretly praying & wishing that we get filled up & there are alot of walk-ins so they know what it's like. They think it's a piece of cake & we're just whiners! *lol*)
 
OK folks, I appreciate all your input, but I think you're missing my point. She is NOT asking for more money for the work she already did. My question is do you think an interim SHOULD be paid more for doing OUR add-ons given the same circumstances as I described above with our last time away????
 
If she knew ahead of time what was expected and then realized, after living the experience, that it's more work than she expected, then that's her problem IMHO. Don't let her hold you hostage and make you pay her more for something she agreed upon in advance. She knew what she was getting into and agree on it. If argument ensues, I'd remind her that if you were booked full then she'd be working alot harder than she did that weekend for the same amount of money.
Good Luck!
(on another note - we'll be out of town for 5 days next week and the owners are coming up to run the B&B. We're secretly praying & wishing that we get filled up & there are alot of walk-ins so they know what it's like. They think it's a piece of cake & we're just whiners! *lol*).
Get the marketing machine into action! ha ha!
 
OK folks, I appreciate all your input, but I think you're missing my point. She is NOT asking for more money for the work she already did. My question is do you think an interim SHOULD be paid more for doing OUR add-ons given the same circumstances as I described above with our last time away????.
Its a case of waiting until you need her again and see what she says. Personally I would expect that the innsitter who has been before should have asked at point of contract for more if she wanted it then the ball is in your court.
 
OK folks, I appreciate all your input, but I think you're missing my point. She is NOT asking for more money for the work she already did. My question is do you think an interim SHOULD be paid more for doing OUR add-ons given the same circumstances as I described above with our last time away????.
If it has always been part of the duties described then the answer is no, she shouldn't be paid more.
That being said, if all 9 rooms were there and she had to do the add-ons, then I would definitely tip her well, because that is a heck of a lot of work.
 
OK folks, I appreciate all your input, but I think you're missing my point. She is NOT asking for more money for the work she already did. My question is do you think an interim SHOULD be paid more for doing OUR add-ons given the same circumstances as I described above with our last time away????.
If it has always been part of the duties described then the answer is no, she shouldn't be paid more.
That being said, if all 9 rooms were there and she had to do the add-ons, then I would definitely tip her well, because that is a heck of a lot of work.
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
If it has always been part of the duties described then the answer is no, she shouldn't be paid more.
That being said, if all 9 rooms were there and she had to do the add-ons, then I would definitely tip her well, because that is a heck of a lot of work.
I only have 4 rooms.
 
OK folks, I appreciate all your input, but I think you're missing my point. She is NOT asking for more money for the work she already did. My question is do you think an interim SHOULD be paid more for doing OUR add-ons given the same circumstances as I described above with our last time away????.
If it has always been part of the duties described then the answer is no, she shouldn't be paid more.
That being said, if all 9 rooms were there and she had to do the add-ons, then I would definitely tip her well, because that is a heck of a lot of work.
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
If it has always been part of the duties described then the answer is no, she shouldn't be paid more.
That being said, if all 9 rooms were there and she had to do the add-ons, then I would definitely tip her well, because that is a heck of a lot of work.
I only have 4 rooms.
.
Well, then if it's always been in the job description, it still is. No extra money. But a few extra bucks in tip if the guests don't tip her.
 
OK folks, I appreciate all your input, but I think you're missing my point. She is NOT asking for more money for the work she already did. My question is do you think an interim SHOULD be paid more for doing OUR add-ons given the same circumstances as I described above with our last time away????.
The inn-sitter should not be paid more if it was part of your original agreement with her.
 
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