I sat down with 3 old ladies (all more than 60 years old) last week who gave me some advice on managing helpers. 2 of them had a few Indonesian helpers each and the other, who was Singaporean, had a Filipino helper. The ladies with the Indonesian helpers said that theirs had handphones too and somehow through the postman or what have you, a maid syndicate located in Brickfields had managed to get hold of their handphone numbers and kept calling them encouraging them to run away. For running away, they would get X amount of dollars and a new job with a new employer. The ladies found out about this because one angel of their helpers, decided NOT to follow the syndicate despite their colleagues running away (and even stealing from their own kind) and let the bag loose. Until today, the syndicate is still calling the left behind helper tempting her further to run away.
The ladies went to make a police report and the police said that this goes right up to the top (what the fuck does that mean?) and there is nothing they can do about it. I don’t know exact details but the ladies were just advised to be more careful.
As for the lady with the Filipino helper, she said that generally, if we treat them well with respect, they will tend to reciprocate. I want to believe that but I also know that my mother, who has been the biggest sucker with maids, have been played out and about in circles for years, but finally now she has learnt her lesson. We honestly want to be nice to helpers but so many of them just screw us. Well, I’m going to start out being nice as I haven’t been screwed yet so if she is smart, she would play her cards right.
Most of you opine that my helper has a face that cannot be trusted and looks ‘hiao’. I agree on the ‘hiao’ part as I have caught her several times looking at herself in the mirror. She also has time to shower several times a day and apply body lotion (which is probably a good thing since I can’t stand bad body odour). She is more vain than me!! OK, maybe I just don’t have enough time to look in the mirror! I also don’t think she can be trusted completely but feel she is doing a good enough job so far so I won’t complain just yet. Her only fault is that she is forgetful but like I said earlier, she is not here to use her brains.
Anyways……she informed me about her cousin giving her the handphone but gave me the option of taking it away. She was upfront about it and I respect that. She chooses not to go out with us because I give her the choice. But if I didn’t give her a choice, I’m sure she would come out with us without an attitude. I’m going to tell her that she needs to leave some of her salary with us as collateral. Oh, and guess what? One of you mentioned that soon she will be asking for a pay advance? Well, she already has!!! The agent is taking the group of helpers to Cameron Highlands next month for a Christmas party on their off day so she has asked for a salary advance for that trip.
Gosh, it is really difficult having a helper. Life was so much simpler without one. Honestly. But I do love my home being super clean and having someone to cook for us everyday. So for now, I still like having help, even if it is at a cost of RM900 per month and then more, because she eats what we eat *sigh* and unfortunately, we don’t eat the cheapest food……
**************************************************************************Who is Mamapumpkin?
Mamapumpkin spent 7 years in London committing crimes to gain her Bartlett degree in Architecture. She then spent 7 years as a Stay At Home Mom raising her children as documented in this blog of over 15 years thereafter returning to the Corporate World stronger than ever as the Country Director of a British Multinational. She sets out to prove to all, that you can have anything and everything that you want; if you have that fire of desire burning within and the drive to work hard. Even better with much love.
Mamapumpkin has not only grown corporate businesses successfully in the past but has grown not one but TWO network marketing businesses in the notorious MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) industry, achieving success in under 2 years. She believes in the MLM business model but realises the DRASTIC PITFALLS and great stigma attached to it, understanding EXACTLY WHY the majority would shy away (or RUN for their lives) from ANY MLM business. But open your eyes and take time to understand it intellectually, remove your hang-ups, confirm your research, and you may just want to seize an opportunity. She did. And no, she never went about chasing people for sales. She had a sophisticated system work for her through technology and a smartphone.
She now impacts lives authentically with proven strategies amassed through the last decade of her own transformation offering online coaching programmes and always supports the underprivileged. She believes that we can all have a life of our own desires to enable real contribution into the world. But first, one needs to understand what this all means.
A beautiful life without limits.
If you wish to learn some tools to propel your life forward guaranteed, be brave enough to make contact as her life's purpose is to build people. She operates through a discovery call after which she will commit to helping you. Or not.
Most lose out on an opportunity because they are afraid they would be sold to, conned or whatever fear resides in their brain without even trying. And that's on them.
Mamapumpkin is a living testimony that women really can have a lot. Being financially and time free has enabled her to travel the world anytime, anywhere, doing anything, and she spends most of her days with her children, having fun, and supporting others wherever she can. Also having fun.


hahahaha…luckily she only like to look at herself into the mirror and not smiling *hiaoly* at your hubby.
haha…ya, maid gives us headache, 900 for a philipino, for this price, u get this kind of result lar. we paid 1300 for a local indian before, and guess wat, each day we r worried about her living in our house. She asked for advance salary , took so many off days as she claimed that she’s sick. She even told us she owed ah long money, so we din dare not to give her advance payment. it’s a nightmare. we stopped hiring her after 7 months. she even brought her own TV. now, my parent hires local Chinese, it’s 1800 per month, well at least, worth the price and most important, peace of mind. : ) Good luck! btw, I like your blog!
So true! My helper already taken her pay till Mac 2010 (her 5 kids need new sch uniform for the June sch yr, then puasa & Raya). Due to this she said she cant go home yet & will continue working for me another yr (it will be her 7th yr). I dont mind as she’s very efficient all these yrs with me.
This is what we usually do…… as the Xmas trip don’t cost much; we pay for the trip and tell her that it’s her Xmas present. So no need advance lor