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A suggestion please...

2K views 14 replies 11 participants last post by  PhilCarlson 
#1 ·
I bought boat late last year from a wonderful broker. I won't repeat the story I shared with her but with the help she provided me during the purchase process has changed my life moving me closer to a dream. She was wonderful! We saw each other a few times over the Winter because I stored the boat in her marina's yard until the beginning of April.

So, knowing my story she asked me to stop by her office because she had a gift for me celebrating my purchase. My problem for which I am soliciting suggestions is that I do not want to go to her empty handed. She is youngish, married with children so I'd like to get her a platonic gift something maybe brokerish.

Any suggestions are very welcome. Thanks
 
#2 ·
I don't think it's necessary that you bring her a gift. You brought her a sizeable commission with the purchase of your boat. I know that some real estate agents will use a small amount of their commission money to buy a home buyer a small house warming gift. She just made money off the deal. That is her gift.

Your relationship with her is one-sided. You are the customer and she is the business professional. She just made money and you just paid money. A reciprocal gift is not necessary.

But if you really wanted to give her something, and keep it platonic, you could give her a nice pen for signing contracts, or one of those little desk plaques with her name embossed on it. You might find a bookshelf curio or decorative wall hanging with some type of sailing or maritime motif in it at some place like Pier 1.
 
#3 ·
Well a string of Mikmoto pearls came to mind at first. But then I read on. I'm with the book shelf knick knack. Maybe a dolphin or how about a framed picture of you and your crew on the boat she sold you? She could point to that as a reference. If you really feel as if a gifts should be exchanged.
 
#4 ·
Thanks. I think I'm getting the message. No gift is necessary. Just seems like going empty handed is going to be awkward.

Maybe I'll tell her the story of my first casual sail last week in the Chesapeake. Blowing 20 gusts to 25. I still don't know how to raise the main, but was going 6 knots just on the Genoa. She got a kick out of the fact that I bought a 40 foot boat without knowing how to sail.

Speaking of which I am sitting in the marina on Fishing Bay in winds of 35 being blown all over. Anyone else in the Chesapeake?
 
#6 · (Edited)
I still don't know how to raise the main, but was going 6 knots just on the Genoa.
Didn't the previous owner or your surveyor take you out on a trial sail? Raising the main shouldn't be too difficult, depending on whether or not you have a traditional set up, or something less common, like in mast fuurling or in boom furling. You pull a "rope" (a line called the halyard) and the sail goes up. Wait for the wind to die down. Remove any sun cover and furling from the boom and mainsail and tug on the line (halyard) that is attached to the top of the sail. You will see where it goes to the top of the mast, over a "pulley" (sheave). You will see where the other end of the halyard comes down the mast and is tied off around a winch and a cleat. Pull that once the sail cloth is un-furled.

She got a kick out of the fact that I bought a 40 foot boat without knowing how to sail.
Me too. It sounds like something I would do. My family was afraid that I would, because, I guess I have a reputation for such things, so I took a week long personal liveaboard sailing course so they wouldn't worry.

BTW, I'm an Amazon Prime subscriber and they have a sailing instructional video series that is great. There is one called the Basics of Sailing With Penny Whiting, an Australian or New Zealand lady. It is great and covers everything on a boat the size of yours.

As for a gift, the framed photograph idea that Skipper Jer mentioned above, is a great idea. As a person in sales of sails, she can show your photo of one very happy and satisfied family/customers to other clients to show how good she is.
 
#9 ·
Yup, no present to the sales person is necessary, nor expected. It's common, but not standard, that a salesperson provide a token gift, in return for the business and to ingratiate themselves for your next purchase..... or sale.

Here's a story of the flip side. On my last boat purchase, my broker split a $50k commission, with the sellers listing broker. Technically, all brokers work for the seller, but having him in the deal was optional and my call. I don't know exactly what he got to keep, but it was huge. The seller pays the commission, not me. Anyway, I see him a few months later and he brings us a bottle of wine to thank us for the business. Totally unexpected, but nice. A few days later, my wife and I opened it and found it be so bad, it was undrinkable. I was then motivated to look it up and learned it was a $10 bottle of wine. I was insulted, it seemed ridiculously cheap for the gesture, even though I didn't feel one was needed at all. Did he think I would like that crap? It would have been better, if he brought nothing.
 
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