Holiday tipping?

Question

Why should people who do not get tips be tipped during the Holiday? And if you do tip them should it not be for excellent service during the year? I have read on here about tipping the mail carrier but the service from my mail carrier is not very good border line terrible. Im not tipping the mail carrier!

Answer 1

You tip who you personally feel a connection with throughout the entire year. You should never feel obligated to tip anyone, just because it is the holiday season. You tip because you WANT to.

If your mail service isn't great-then don't tip! In fact, you should probably complain to the Post Master about the service.

Fortunately, my husband is a mail carrier and he's really good at what he does. He makes it his point to get to know his customers year round and small talk really does go a long way. Plus he has been on his route for some time now and he has gotten to know people. His customers like him, and sometimes give little gifts throughout the year. He usually receives nice tips at the holidays. But it is never expected at all.

Answer 2

Mail carriers have a much heavier load during the Christmas season (due to all Christmas cards and gifts being mailed) so I really understand a Christmas tip for them. We used to leave a box of chocolates or homemade cookies or fudge for our carrier (wrapped in a Christmas tin or something). Our current neighborhood has one of those centrally located mail things and I don't know how to leave anything for the carrier there. Even though I would like to. Setting it on the ground for any passerby to take (or for ants to get into) just seems like a poor idea.
As far as the newspaper, I don't know how to go about doing that. The "tip" card is delivered with the subscription bill in the summer and in the year and a half we have been here we have gone through 3 or 4 delivery people... each time we will not get the paper at all for several days... or our morning paper will not be delivered until 3:00 pm by a manager "covering" the route. I refuse to tip for irregular poor delivery service... and I also refuse to "tip" before I know if the service warrants it.
I have often wondered about how to tip the trash & recycle people. They come very early sometimes... and if I leave something "stuck" to the can or bin, will they notice it?? There are usually 2 guys per truck...I think,... does the "tip" need to be in denominations that they can easily divide it up? Will the guy up front know there is a tip if the guy in back doesn't mention it?? Do the SAME guys work together all the time?
As far as hair people and babysitters, if I happen to use one or have a hair appt in December, then I will tip an extra 5% for the hair (I usually tip 20% anyway) and give the sitter something extra also. One year we gave her gift coupons for the local movie theater ($20 worth). This year she is old enough that she has her own car, so we will probably give her an Extra $20 or so this week when she sits for us (her "usual" rate is around $20-$25). We put the Christmas tip inside a card and give it to her separately from her "pay".

That's about it for us. We used to also tip our pest control guy he came every 6 weeks or so... gave him some homemade fudge and cookies. He was a divorcee with a young son and I think he appreciated having homemade goodies.

Answer 3

Typically, tipping is used to "award" excellent service from someone in the service industry. And you actually CAN'T tip your mail carrier with money; US Federal Law says tipping any government employee is a form of bribery, but they are allowed to receive non-monetary gifts of $20 or less value. For example, in my house, we give our mail carrier a large box of See's or Godiva chocolates and a Thank You card, since we cannot give him money. He's been our mail carrier for years and has always done a great job. Our garbage collectors also gets the same thing. I feel that, as someone who performs a public service, they're often underappreciated. Quite frankly, without people like mail carriers and garbage collectors, our lives would suck (can you imagine having your garbage littering the streets because there is no one to pick it up?).

Overall, you should only tip or give a small holiday gift if you feel the person deserves it. If your mail carrier always ruins your mail or is very unreliable with its delivery, or your garbage collector leaves a huge mess everywhere or doesn't always pick up on time, then a tip shouldn't be given.

Answer 4

I AM a letter carrier of 7yrs.. I appreciate the 10-20 most of my customers leave me during the holiday season. I GREATLY appreciate the occasionally 50 or 100 some leave. Sorting and Delivering mail is a much more mentally and psychically taxing job than most people think. Postal carriers must first sort the mail, most routes serve about 500 homes. Imagine what the magazines, letters, and packages for 500 homes during the holidays looks like and weighs. Daily mail delivered to your home is a service you think little about, until you get the wrong mail, or mis-delivered mail.

Answer 5

It is not a tip. It is known as a gift.



I give a gift to my mailperson, ups guy, garbage men, and landscaping crew (I own a condo), and this year I'll add the new (3 hours one day a week) house keeper my wife hired. It is not a requirement nor an expectation, it is done because I have Christmas cheer and want them to know that I appreciate thier effort.

Yes it is their job and they recieve their paycheck in exchange for their effort, but nontheless I appreciate them and CHOSE to recognize them during the Christmas season.

For those who either feel this is unnecessary or just can't afford it, that is a perfectly legitimate decision on their part. If you feel the service is poor by all means don't give a gift. Whenever a gift is given because someone feels obligated but, really didn't want to,... it totally defeats the spirit of gift giving.

However, if you can afford it, I highly reccomend it, cause it makes me feel good and it makes them feel appreciated and it is a win-win situation. Often customers who do give a gift, start to or continue to recieve good/better service (though this is never my intention or motivation it is a beneficial side effect).

I give out Mcdonald's or Starbuck's gift cards, or ocassionally good old cash , in a Christmas card that reminds folks that Jesus is the whole point of this holiday, and that they have my respect and gratitude for their service.

As I am not all that well off and have a very large extended family to buy for, I give these folks mentioned $10 for Christmas. They always seem quite thankful for the thought. All I can say is that a little gratitude goes a long way and Cristmas is a great time to express it with a small gift that says I appreciate you.

But that's just my opinion.

Answer 6

Remember to tip your newspaper carrier, if they do a good job, especially if they dont just throw the paper on your front porch. I delivered newspapers from 7-12 grade and you would be surprised how picky some people are with the placement of their paper. I was up at 5:30 every morning (earlier if it was bad weather) and with the help of a parent delivered about 150 newspapers. When I first started I only earned 10 cents a paper, I think it ended up at 12.5 cents this summer. Basically, the tips during the holidays is what made it worth doing. Walking around town for 90 minutes at negative degree weather, 10 cents was not enough!!

Answer 7

During the holidays I tip better for services I get. If I don't have a hair appointment, I don't go out of my way to drop off a cash gift. I do leave a cash tip for the garbage man, because he's here on a regular basis. I give him enough to buy lunch. As for the UPS or Fed Ex guys, I don't have a regular driver, but if I'm expecting something, I will leave out a basket of baked goods. We have a PO Box, but I know there are rules about how big of a tip Postal Employees can accept, so if I did have a carrier, I'd leave a basket of baked goods.

You should definately tip your daycare provider or regular babysitter! A gift is nice, but cash is very appreciated.

Answer 8

Mail carriers really appreciate being tipped at Christmas. Between $5.00 - $25.00. The job is very difficult. We are constantly dodging toys and hoses and newspapers that are left under the snow and when you fall with 20lbs of mail in your arms it hurts! We deliver 6 days a week. Whether the temperature is 0 or 100. If you receive wet mail it is because it is a down pour or we fell in your yard or on your icy steps or driveway. In the summer when it is 85 it feels like 100 to us. We are beat at the end of the day. Please do not chain your dog up in the front yard or to the mail box. Carriers do go way out of their way for you whether you know it or not. Delivering illegible mail, working around buckled sidewalks and tree roots. One day in our shoes would really make you realize how hard this job is. Now do it every day for 30 years. Show your appreciation and we will show it back 10 fold.

Answer 9

Tip only those you feel you should. We give our mail carrier a gift/tip but he's been delivering to my parents house since I was so 20 years of service deserves a little something. Am I going to yip my hair dresser no I see him at most 2 times a year and it costs me $75 each time. But the lady who does my grandmas hair every 4 weeks will get double her normal tip. Just think if you did the service for someone else wouldn't you feel special to get a little something at Christmas.

Answer 10

maybe your mail carrier is terrible bc he's not getting a tip! my father in law is a mail carrier and he sort of relys on his holiday tips.. most of them are anywehre from $50 up to $300.
also, my bf picks up garbage. he says the people who leave tips around the holidays or bottles of water/soda throughout the year get treated better than those who don't leave anything.. the garbage men will take almost anything they leave out there if the homeowner treats them good.