When I worked at a movie studio, we sometimes got videos or DVD’s of recent releases and they had free bagels on Friday mornings.
Another studio that will remain nameless, other than to say I hear it is a Dream to Work there, has caterered fruit trays and pastries every day, free lunches and bi-monthly get togethers with drinks and buffet food.
Where I work now, we have a fridge full of soft drinks and bottle water, fresh bread every day, saltine and graham crackers in the cabinets and they have doughnuts delivered every Friday.
So, other than chewed nub Bic pens, what “freebies” do you get at work?
I work for a major video distributor, and we get free screeners and occassional freebies like toys/T-shirt promos for upcoming releases. Sometimes the studios will do some special promotion (for the sales roll-out of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the studio held a “bridal shower” in the cafeteria with cake and punch and and shower-gifty sorts of door prizes). Not much in the way of food, thogh, usually.
They also treat us to an anniversary BBQ (when we first went on the air), a summer picnic at a local theme park, and a posh Christmas party at a local country club.
We also have a whole slew of perks, discounts from auto dealers to golf courses to local restaurants.
Well, my job doesn’t have much in the way of freebies, unless someone went on a baking spree and brought in the excess, or one of the book reps is trying to butter us all up.
However, my Mom makes out like a bandit where she works (rehab hospital). Any time there’s anyting even remotely resembling a holiday or special occasion, all kinds of vendors/assisted care homes/etc. will drop off food, goodies, more food, coffee mugs, even more food, etc. Oh, and did I mention food? I ended up bringing two BIG things of cookies to my workplace because Mom was being swamped with stuff and there was no way we could eat it all.
My Dad (market research) has also gotten goodies in the past: umpteen bags of chips one time (unopened bags from a focus group), pocket knives/utility thingys, samples of not-out-yet (and may not be out) products, etc. His current workplace doesn’t have too much though, since the kinds of businesses that they deal with aren’t the types to be releasing actual consumer goods. Bummer.
Also we have a fridge and a microwave so we can bring our own lunch with out much trouble.
Of course I work with a bunch of people who like to eat so there is often cake, cookies, bagels, ham, or fruit on the table in the kitchen that anyone can help themselves to.
Coffe, Tea, Fully stocked pop/bottled water/juice refrigerator, free breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday, discounts on just about everything that costs money.
I’m with DMark and StGermain, the movie industry is where it’s at. I used to run a franchise video store and my DM and Ingram Sales rep would hook us up with many great freebies. Screeners every month, promo items, etc.
I’ve got one of just about every Buena Vista title released between 1999 – 2001. For the release of Legally Blonde, we got shipments of Opi nailcolor – and coupons for free bottles (at $10 each a great thing to have!). I have a Pearl Harbor shirt, Austin Powers baseball cap, Fight Club bar of soap, Wedding Planner coffee mug, and other products with my store logo on them including an insulated lunchbag, many plastic tumblers and waterproof money holders (the kind you wear when you go to the beach) and a few koozies.
But then again, we had to pay for all our drinks and food. C’est la vie. I miss the popcorn.
Get taken out for lunch and dinner quite often by sales reps. Dinner always includes free-flowing Alcohol. Actually, this week I’ve only had to cook twice
Promo clothes (golf shirts, jackets with mfg logos). I also get free “perks” as long as its not abused with the job, such as long distance phone calls and freight if I need to courier or mail something.
When I was a travel agent, I got two free tickets to New Zealand, and free bus trip for two arounf the south island. I also got half price sky-dives, bungy-jumps, accomodation, snowboard hire, etc.
I was also lined up for an almost free trip to LA. I would’ve had to pay $300, to get return airfare, and a bus trip around LA, Vegas and a few National Parks (including a free helicopter ride in the Grand Canyon). Unfortunately, that was planned for October, 2001 and was cancelled due to 9/11.
Lots of freebies, half-pricies and perks in the travel industry. I also saved about $2000 - $3000 on my honeymoon for agent’s rates.
We have free coffee, but even better, free hot chocolate. Also whenever there’s a meeting, there are free snacks/lunch.
At home, since I’m a science fiction writer, I get occasional free books. It used to be better before the Internet took off – each year I’d get a bundle of reprints of stories from the SF magazines. Now they’re available online.
Coffee, hot chocolate, tea, milk, oj, cranberry juice, apple juice, diet and regular Pepsi and 7 Up, graham crackers, saltines, potato chips, Oreos, condiments, ham/turkey/tuna/egg salad sandwiches, vanilla pudding and cherry jello. If you have an obvious infection, one of the docs will whip you out a script and if you feel really punky, one of us will hook another up with an IV infusion of Lactated Ringers. There’s also socks, underwear and giant sanitary pads!
I work for an airline. I get to fly free anywhere I want, the S.O. gets to fly free most anywhere he wants, and we get free TV on the airplane (costs everyone else $5.00). Plus I get between 10 and 15 (usually 10 but for the past few years they have found excuses to give us more) buddy passes to give to friends. The only downside is, it gets really expensive to be able to fly for free. I need to find a buddy inside the Rental car and Hotel industry.
toothbrushes
floss
toothpaste
gum
free dental work
samples (burs, abrasive discs and other items we don’t use that are great for crafts)
promo items the vendors send
Oh, and Tootsie Rolls. We have a BIG canister of them in the supply closet.
