A maid taught me an unexpected lesson in maintaining your value. This is an important skill as often you will be asked to do more for less.
Sometimes the best thing is to refuse to accept less than you are worth.
I learned of today’s story while taking to another hotel guest. He was enjoying his stay and he told me that he wanted to leave a tip for his maid.
But when it came time for him to pay up, he only had a pocketful of change to contribute to the gratuity. He threw the change where it could be easily be seen on a table. The guest then left the room for the day.
When he returned, he was surprised that the money had not been taken. Instead, it had been neatly arranged in stacks.
“At that point, the message was clear,” the man told me. “The maid was politely rejecting my tip. The next day, I left a larger amount and it was taken.”
How many times do we feel like our services are undervalued but we keep accepting low compensation? This is especially true for small businesses that are unable to grow.
The maid understood this scenario and let’s examine it as we Clear the Path to a better valuation of your worth.
Leave Money on the Table
I am sure the maid was tempted to take the change. But is accepting less than you are worth that much better than not taking anything?
It’s not easy to take nothing but it can prevent a precedent from being established. Think of it like this: if you snow shovel a neighbor’s driveway and are paid $5, do you ever expect the rate to go up, even if there is a huge blizzard?
Know your fee and stick with it.
Be Polite
The maid didn’t leave a nasty note demanding more money or do a substandard job of cleaning the room.
The housekeeper politely sent the message that her services are worth more.
Make sure that your customers know the cost of your time. This is especially true for those little tasks that are outside of your normal duties. Otherwise you are letting the other person set your price.
Understandably, the customer doesn’t know everything that you do and how distracting you from your mission can carry costs that he or she can’t see.
Use Silence
When it comes to stating your price, silence can be a powerful weapon after you’ve stated your number.
You may feel tempted to start justifying your price. Next thing you know, you’re offering a discount, cutting into your bottom line.
Business is serious and it’s important to know your value and stick to it. There will be times when offering a discount is appropriate but make sure the concession is coming from you and not from the customer’s ignorance or greed.
