Am I Making too big a deal.....???

[CarolA]

Personally I think you are overreacting. Gifts are about giving not about receiving praise.

Also, why are you giving food? Lots of people have allergies or diet restrictions. For all you know Don is allergic to chocolate. I know some folks give gift cards or phone cards just for this reason.

 

[Ariel Wanna-be]

Also, why are you giving food? Lots of people have allergies or diet restrictions. For all you know Don is allergic to chocolate. I know some folks give gift cards or phone cards just for this reason.

What if he doesn't need phone cards? Or what if he doesn't shop at the store she gets him a gift card to? The "what ifs" could go on and on. When you're giving a gift to a relative stranger, I think there's a reasonable amount of leeway with your choice of presents.

I think a box of chocolates is a perfectly appropriate and thoughtful gift for a concierge.

 

[Lewisc]

Personally I think you are overreacting. Gifts are about giving not about receiving praise.

Also, why are you giving food? Lots of people have allergies or diet restrictions. For all you know Don is allergic to chocolate. I know some folks give gift cards or phone cards just for this reason.

If Don is allergic to chocolate he could just share it with the rest of concierge staff. Don probably isn't the only concierge staff member that helped OP. Giving food that can be shared is a nice gift.

 

[Kasmir]

I never give gifts with the expectation of receiving thanks, although anyone with any manners knows that giving a simple acknowledgment is expected. Something so simple as leaving you a message on your resort room VM that says, "Thanks so much!"

Should you expect that though? No. Should you be disappointed that you didn't receive an acknowledgment? Yes. Should you act on that and make a comment to WDW staff? No.

Or perhaps you may want to give him the benefit of the doubt and consider that he may not have realized who the gift was from. Did it have a tag that could have fallen off?

There's nothing wrong with making a quick call to Don and saying, "I missed seeing you while I was at the AKL, but wanted to express my appreciation by giving you a little token. Did you receive the cookies?"

You never know, he may feel bad that he didn't know who the gift was from.

However, I do think that you're more hurt by this than you should be... You must be a very thoughtful person and it hurts when people aren't as thoughtful in return.

I don't understand why some posters on this thread are so irritable... Gee whiz! Even if you think that the OP is obsessed, etc, by this issue, you don't need to be so disdainful or nasty! Hello?! You're posting on the DIS Boards? I would say that most of us are a bit obsessed!

 

[Lewisc]

OP asked if she was making too big a deal. I don't think anyone is being nasty but the unanimous answer is YES.

I don't understand why some posters on this thread are so irritable... Gee whiz! Even if you think that the OP is obsessed, etc, by this issue, you don't need to be so disdainful or nasty! Hello?! You're posting on the DIS Boards? I would say that most of us are a bit obsessed!

 

[CarolA]

Well normally I would agree that even if Don didn't like the food someone would. But the OP seems to think that her candy was ONLY for Don. In that case, I would just be worried about food.

Personally I always try to avoid gifts that might be considered too expensive or something like that. I think they tend to make strangers uncomfortable thinking "what does she want in return" .... Now I am NOT saying that was what OP was doing and her gift could have been just fine... that is just me. I know that when I was a camp staff member I appreciated gifts for example, but didn't want anything that was too much, tokens were nice. (ie. a few home cooked cookies as opposed to a showy plate of them)

 

[vicb]

Huh??? What am I missing here?? Is this something people do who stay at concierge level? I've never done this in any hotel/resort I have stayed in, Disney or otherwise. I do generously tip housekeeping and if I've had a nice stay I try to make a point of mentioning it to the manager on duty when I check out but never have given a gift.

 

[geetey]

Kimmar067,
It seems to me that you are disappointed that you were unable to meet Don during your visit, and you are looking at the chocolates as a way to continue the correspondance you shared prior to your trip. Perhaps you felt you had developed a friendship?

While I am sure you are a lovely person, I am sure Don has more guests who need attending and he is simply spreading the Disney Magic to others with upcoming trips.

I have never stayed at the conceirge level so I am not sure how much/often people have to interact with the staff. We are park commandos so I can imagine needing much help from the staff and I doubt I would have even thought to bring something. I think I would let it go.

 

[ScottJayhawk]

If you are truly giving a gift as a token of your appreciation then you should not expect, nor require a Thank You.

 

[undertheradar]

I was raised that agift was given with no strings attached. You have know way of knowing if the gift ever made it to the intended receipient. I suggest lightening up and moving on.

 

[the kabuki]

I'll go against the majority here, and say that yes, I would've expected at least an acknowledgement of the gift. I know that when giving a gift, you're not doing it to be thanked. But if I had gone through the trouble, I would be a little bit put off by not even receiving some sign that he even got the gift. That said, give him the benefit of the doubt that maybe he just forgot, and let it go at that.

 

[lulu71]

I'll also go against the grain and say yes, it would bug me too just for the reason that it would drive me crazy wondering if it ended up where I intended it to. Perhaps Don's manners are slipping or he just doesn't know any better.

 

[cjsmith]

I'll go against the majority here, and say that yes, I would've expected at least an acknowledgement of the gift. I know that when giving a gift, you're not doing it to be thanked. But if I had gone through the trouble, I would be a little bit put off by not even receiving some sign that he even got the gift. That said, give him the benefit of the doubt that maybe he just forgot, and let it go at that.

It really wasn't a gift though but a thank you. At other hotels if the concierge or club staff help you, it is customary to tip them. IF you had them the tip directly you of course get a thank you. If the staff member isn't working the day your depart and you leave it for them, you don't. Disney of course doesn't want you to tip the concierge, so giving them something is a nice way to say "Thank You".
You'll just have to trust that Don received your thank you and took it as that. While it would have be nice to have heard from him, you may have checked out prior to him getting the chocolates and maybe he felt it wasn't appropriate to contact you at your home. It wasn't a birthday gift, thinking of you gift, Christmas gift, anniversary gift, or friendship gift. It was a nice box of chocolates in lieu of a tip.

 

[meandthree]

We are staying Concierge for the first time in September and I am a little confused about the gift giving. What kind of gifts do you give?

 

[Bob NC]

If I give someone a, birthday, anniversary, wedding, etc, etc, gift, of course I expect a thanks. If I am giving someone a 'thank you' gift, I give it and then don't give it a second thought.

The short answer is: Yes, you're making too big a deal out of it.

 

[vettechick99]

Gosh, I get annoyed when wait staff doesn't say thank you for the tips I leave even though I always say thanks to them for the good service. You hand them a tip and they just take it. Maybe us southerners are just too damn polite.

So I'm with you, I would be a little annoyed as well. I hope you had a great time regardless!

 

[TLinden16]

If I give someone a, birthday, anniversary, wedding, etc, etc, gift, of course I expect a thanks. If I am giving someone a 'thank you' gift, I give it and then don't give it a second thought.

This is exactly what I was going to say. I wouldn't expect a thank you for a gift I gave someone as a thank you.

Karen

 

[Luv2Roam]

Agree, let it go. It was a very nice gesture on your part. A Thank You in return would have been nice and appropriate, but that did not happen.
Pursuing it only makes you look like you have a martyr complex, whether you do or not.
I would be disappointed too. But would not make an issue out of it.

 

[sk!mom]

You want a "Thank You" for a "thank you gift." Then will you thank him for his thank you. And then expect a Thank you for the thank you...... When will it end.

Seriously, I wouldn't be upset. If the gift was to thank him for things that he had already done for you and then you never saw him during your stay I think you should let it go. IMO, this is kind of like expecting a waiter to track you down and thank you for his tip.

 

[goodferry]

It would have been nice to get a thank you, but probably not something to take action further on. When we stayed at the Poly concierge last summer, I sent a box of Godiva chocolates to the planning staff and brought a box to the staff at the resort and gave it to them right before our departure. The resort staff said thank you, but I never heard from the planning staff. I wrote it off to they are probably just busy planning wonderful vacations for other guests and left it at that.
For the posters who asked about sending gifts, it is at your discretion. If you have used the planning staff a good bit, or if they have planned special things for you, it is ok to send them small gifts, like chocolates, fruit baskets, whatever you like. The concierge staff is not supposed to accept tips, but I have read where other posters have said that they have accepted tips. It's not required, just a thoughtful way to say thank you for the excellant service.