what small gift have clients brought to you. I like to bring a small gift of some sort.
I know one providers who had little kids so I brought a little Dr. Suess and a couple coloring books. Another had a sweet tooth so a baked some dark chocolate, chocolate chunk and dries cherry cookies. Even brought ice cold milk.
I prefer to bring something that I think is unique instead of wine, box of chocolates, flowers, etc.
What have you brought to a new provider or recieved from a new client?
I get a lot of sweets!! My weakness. As you can tell by my ever expanding waistline! I also get a lot of foo foo stuff from like Victoria's secret. Men really do pay attention to my website. I love the little things. I really don't want anything extravagant. My all time favorite gift though would have to be one a regular brought. He brought a gift of little mice filled with catnip for my cat!! That was the best!!! Even if my cat immedietly set about to chew all their heads off!!!
I appreciate all the gifts that I have recieved, as it was very thoughtful of the guy to go so.
The best for me, is when someone takes time out of their busy schedule to drop me off at the airport, train station or the ferry....now that is priceless to me.
I also do give back to my guys....but I do not kiss and tell about it...as it would not make it as special
A clients gift of coming back to see me, is enough to make me happy!
I agree that the best gift to show appeciation is a return visit. But I like to let the lady know that I think of her as a lady first with an introducy gift.
I try to gleen whatever info I can from her webpage, posts, emails and our conversation to choose something that lets her know I am paying attention.
What's next, spending 10 exhausting hours in the kitchen preparing Escargot, Clams Oregano, Lobster Thermador, and Crème Burlee???
The world of hobbying has now been reduced to trying to emulate Martha Stewart (without the jail time, I hope) in the kitchen PRIOR to a session. Dude, save your energies for the actual appointment.
If I have said it once, I'll say it again. You want to show a provider how much you appreciate and loved your time with her...BOOK ANOTHER SESSION. Cash is king.
Dude, it was a first appointment. ANd I cook, alot. Note the handle. And in this case the appointment was on a Monday and my daughter and I baked them together on Sunday cause she wanted to make cookies.
Now someone will chime in that I am getting my teenage daughter involved in the hobby, good grief!
Oops i did bring Creme Brulee once...but it only takes about 30 minutes to make and I made for dinner with my family too. I just brought a couple for us meeting.
So she gets to eat, you get to eat. Seems like a fair exchange. Seriously though, you could start a bad trend and set an high bar for a meeting, especially a first meeting. Happy we are not in the same town. I can see it now. He: "I'd love to see you. What are your rates for the first meeting". She: "$300 for the first hour, $250 thereafter plus a dinner including escargot, oysters on the half shell, dinner salad with ranch dressing, 2 lb lobster steamed on a bed of seaweed, not boiled, with peaches and cream corn on the cob and real Key Lime pie. Oh, and I'd like a 3-piece combo with mood music and candles. All served by you wearing nothing but a jock strap." You: "Does the time it takes you to eat count towards my hour?" She: "Yes, and the 2nd also as I am a slow eater. Also, can not perform after eating for an hour as I may get cramps so you can bring $800 and I charge a 15% tip in excess of 2 hours."
Please think of us poor guys who can not learn to boil water in a microwave without burning it.
I thought I was back in Pre-K and someone was leaving milk and cookies for Santa and his Reindeer.
Foodcritic: You prepared food for a provider for a FIRST APPOINTMENT??? How do you know you will even have any chemistry with the lady. You may despise her. Besides, if it's the worst session ever, do you at least get to take the food home?
And, SLO Traveler your right as well...I neglected to include to the culinary skills and tastes of my fellow hobbyists in my classification categories..perhaps in the second and revised edition.
one of my favorite clients brought me some very yummy ginger cookies that he had baked himself...knowing that i absolutely love ginger and sweets. it was very thoughtful and unique, and i've returned the favor by baking him some homemade goodies from time to time.
others have brought me trinkets from various trips...maps, books, a rare food or drink, etc.
but from a totally new, first time client? i honestly would rather not have a gift, as the relationship would not have yet progressed to the point where they would have such a knowledge of my likes and dislikes, nor would they even know yet if i was someone who pleased them, and therefore deserved a gift. so for me, please at least wait til the second date.
For a first appointment, I'll usually just bring a dumb card unless I've had a chance to communicate a bit with the lady. Then I might bring a mix CD or a book I think she'd like. I gave one lady a red keychain that said "Sexy bitches carry red keychains".
Best gift yet was a rubber bracelet (like the Lance Armstrong ones) that said "BREATHE". Since I tend to hold my breath when having "O's", he kept telling me to breath the first time we were together.(I think he thought I was going to pass out. lol) I love a man with a sense of humor!
i prefer more money, i am a single mom and full time college student...if you want to bring a small gift, bring more money...it may seem 'trashy' but that is what is needed in my life...if you want to add some flare to it, wrap it with a unique hair tie...and i am very new here...i don't know where the heck my 'personal email' is...
...white envelope along with their donation. Yeah, I don't bring gifts until I get to know the girl. Right before Christmas I told my ATF that I would bring her an Xmas present next time I see her (she doesn't celebrate christmas) so she's excited to know what I am going to bring. I don't know what I am going to get her, but it will be fun. I feel better getting to know a girl real well before gift giving. That way the gift means more and is more personal. Plus I know she will like it.
When considering gifts, I always look to the wisdom of my Mother.
Mama told me that when a girl does her duty, she gets a baby, but when she remembers that a lady never spits, she gets diamonds
Other than that, how about a nice pearl necklace?
Hah, I am so naughty!
Seriously though....the sweetest gift I've ever gotten was a set of leather scented candles. I once mentioned in passing to a gentleman friend that I loved the scent of leather. I hardly even remember making the comment to be honest. The next time I saw him, he gave me the candles. What was touching about it was the clearly he had been paying attention. To me, that was what really touched me.
So I just have to stick my tongue out at Hardy the cynic - sometimes business can also involve some very wonderful and enduring friendships.
If a girl mentioned to me she loved the scent of leather, I'd not have missed it but, I'd have gone off in a completely different direction as to selecting the a gift :o.
On one cold December day ajust after Christmas, I grilled two Delmonico steaks and brought fresh homemade cheese cake, which I personally baked, to the special woman I was seeing at the time.
We just enjoyed two hours of an extremely romantic meal together after which we simply cuddled.
I was given a gift certificate to use at a local health spa for a massage. Now that was a special and a great gift, but I wouldn't expect that very often. I grew up in the wine country so I enjoy getting all variations of red wine, especially Chianti and Pinot Noir. As for chocolate, I love dark chocolate but it's not the best gift for me. I don't want to get fat or go into hypoglycemic coma.
However, I agree with Wildwest Kelly: The best gift is to keep coming back to me.
lots of girls may not want to eat the food you made because
1. they may taste like shit 2. there may be drugs in them 3. she may be allergic to them 4. she just ate 5. shes vegan or have other dietary restrictions that you dont know 6. shes on a diet
etc etc
now you are putting her in a position where she has to eat them or try some, or refuse them and risk offending a customer
I find gifts in the form of cash tips are probably MOST appreciated in truth (if they were to be honest. I mean if its nice they aren't going to complain about a gift )
I think a gift that isn't raw cash is more for gratification of the giver than reciever (at least in a business situation -- YMMV with wives/girlfriends) So if your truly being un-selfish about it, throw a couple of 20's or hundreds extra the first visit (depending on your spending habits, respectively) .
This has always worked GREAT for me, and i love taking care of my girls!
I love food, and I love to cook, and it's great to give and receive gifts that highlight the things we have in common. Unfortunately though, I have allergies that make me ask a lot of questions before eating anything that's presented to me. So no food gifts until I've told you what I like
Gifts I *love*... lingerie! I have a super soft spot for Agent Provocateur, Stocking Girl, and Eternal Spirits. Just no fur... I'm allergic to that too.
I adore stockings and vintage or retro style lingerie - thanks for the link to stockinggirl.com, Maxine! I'll have some fun perusing that site.
In response to the initial post, I think foodcritic seems incredibly thoughtful.
One of my main patrons orders lingerie for me online and has it sent to me before each of our dates. Of course I wear the ensemble he's selected for me during our evening together...although usually not for terribly long .
Did you see the Versace print ones? How about the ones with the gold backseam? OMG, thank jeebus for the hobby or my lingerie closet would drive me to financial ruin!
Just my opinion of course.. and don't get me wrong, your gifts were certainly nice gestures - but I don't think buying gifts for her kids makes it so easy for her to explain where they came from - unless it's something she'd normally buy for her kids and they wouldn't question it.
I met with a provider who told me what she did for her regular, real job.. I later thought, oh wouldn't it be neat to buy her a trinket (a figurine type thing) related to her job, to show yes I was paying attention, and the particular trinket I had in mind I thought would have been really funny and set a good mood the next time. BUT then I thought, well, how would she explain to her family where this came from? It would probably end up in the trash because she wouldn't want anyone else in her life to see it and ask who gave it to her.
Maybe I can also get some input from providers on that. Things that are consumable may be better, the evidence disappears..
Over the past year, on different occasions, I have given my ATF a nice fruit scented candle... which she has going when ever I'm over. I've given her a small penant that was just a reminder of some small event & a medalion that has something to do with her heritage. She appreciates that I am paying attention... but I fully understand that she must explain any item I leave behind.
I've taken small scented jar candles on dates if I want it to be special...
I used to have a gent that made me cards with poetry. I miss him. I think he died. Sometimes we do not get to know what happens and when they are weekly like clock work and POOF! Suddenly stop, (and no word for MONTHS) it is usually a suspicion that they passed. I see older gents in poor health much of the time. This particular guy was a huge "fan" and he would even call me to see how I was a lot of the time. I adored him.
Another gent found out I love "turtles" candy, so he brought me sugar free turtls, and gift cards, 1 for Frys and 1 for Q T. (Both 50. each)
One brought me mace, he also had a silk robe sent to me from over seas.
Last Valentines day one brought me a TV with a built in VCR.
And being stopped several times at DUI checkpoints when leaving NYC have proven the wisdom of this. Personally, I only bring gifts beyond the donation to ladies with whom I have an ongoing relationship. Best bet: a gift card...let's the lady choose what she wants, and it makes the point!
I'm only newly 21, so wine had been out of the question for a while.
Instead, sweet gentlemen would bring me coffee beans or energy drinks (a dangerous addiction) and in one case, a interesting mix of candy: Pop Rocks, Fun Dip and Skittles.
I loved that he noticed an off-handed comment I made on a board about hating chocolate...but I was wired on sugar for days after!
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Sometimes we do not get to know what happens and when they are weekly like clock work and POOF! Suddenly stop, (and no word for MONTHS) it is usually a suspicion that they passed. I see older gents in poor health much of the time. This particular guy was a huge "fan" and he would even call me to see how I was a lot of the time. I adored him.