Post by downtoearth on Dec 22, 2015 17:43:13 GMT -5
So do you tip or gift little things to service people at holidays (i.e. mailperson, newspaper delivery, regular barista, trash collector, cleaning person/service, etc)? Why or why not?
I leave $25 for the mail person because I have Amazon Prime. 'Nuff said.
I leave an extra $20 for the baristas because I use one location a lot, and because I don't usually use cash and therefore don't always tip when I get service.
I don't know our trash collectors. But having individual trash cans is a relatively new thing for me (vs a dumpster and private service through the landlord). So I have not done that.
I no longer have a house cleaner, but when I did, I would leave a double tip for their last service of the year, but I also always tipped about 15% for a regular visit.
Hair dressers, pet sitters, etc - just the regular tip if I use them close to the holidays, nothing extra really.
I leave $25 for the mail person because I have Amazon Prime. 'Nuff said.
I leave an extra $20 for the baristas because I use one location a lot, and because I don't usually use cash and therefore don't always tip when I get service.
I leave $25 for the mail person because I have Amazon Prime. 'Nuff said.
I leave an extra $20 for the baristas because I use one location a lot, and because I don't usually use cash and therefore don't always tip when I get service.
Post by meshaliuknits on Dec 22, 2015 17:58:07 GMT -5
I give our daycare provider $100 and I leave a nice tip at the cafe I frequent, but I try to do that at least once a month anyway. I'm there allllllll the time.
I leave $25 for the mail person because I have Amazon Prime. 'Nuff said.
I leave an extra $20 for the baristas because I use one location a lot, and because I don't usually use cash and therefore don't always tip when I get service.
I don't know our trash collectors. But having individual trash cans is a relatively new thing for me (vs a dumpster and private service through the landlord). So I have not done that.
I no longer have a house cleaner, but when I did, I would leave a double tip for their last service of the year, but I also always tipped about 15% for a regular visit.
Hair dressers, pet sitters, etc - just the regular tip if I use them close to the holidays, nothing extra really.
If this is a USPS employee, don't do this--they can't/shouldn't accept it. They can accept something non-cash or non-cash-equivalent (gift card/check) with a value under $20.
I leave $25 for the mail person because I have Amazon Prime. 'Nuff said.
I leave an extra $20 for the baristas because I use one location a lot, and because I don't usually use cash and therefore don't always tip when I get service.
I don't know our trash collectors. But having individual trash cans is a relatively new thing for me (vs a dumpster and private service through the landlord). So I have not done that.
I no longer have a house cleaner, but when I did, I would leave a double tip for their last service of the year, but I also always tipped about 15% for a regular visit.
Hair dressers, pet sitters, etc - just the regular tip if I use them close to the holidays, nothing extra really.
If this is a USPS employee, don't do this--they can't/shouldn't accept it. They can accept something non-cash or non-cash-equivalent (gift card/check) with a value under $20.
I do $25 on a gift card. But I can make it $20 if that would be better.
We tip our trash,recycling and yard waste collectors, and give the mail lady a small gift.
We don't do anything for the grumpy mail guy who delivers when the mail lady doesn't, because he isn't here as often, and he doesn't go above and beyond like she does.
Our trash guys and the others are great, and they work very hard. They don't have the trucks that lift things, so these guys really work hard in the heat and humidity. We give them gatorade or water from time to time and a small tip at the holidays. I think our neighbors don't tip them, but several of them give them drinks and mufffins ir cookies at other times during the year.
We have a weekly yard service for $25 ($35 at our old house because the yard was bigger). Our yard guys have been loyal and have done more than just the lawn when asked (like digging out overgrown bushes for a very reasonable price, for example). There are three of them and they are the same 3 guys for a couple of years now so I gave each of them $50 this year. They also did the lawn at our new house and old house for two months (not for same rate, but still... I didn't have to check and make sure it was done). And they only charge when they actually come. If it is raining hard they don't come and don't get paid. I don't know how they manage that and it has been really rainy this fall.
We have a monthly housecleaning service and I gave the lady $40.
I give a more generous tip to service people in nail salons, hair stylists, etc. this time of year, but I don't get extravagant like I do for the people who do all the dirty work around my home that I am too lazy and over privileged to do. Those folks deserve even more than what I gave!
If this is a USPS employee, don't do this--they can't/shouldn't accept it. They can accept something non-cash or non-cash-equivalent (gift card/check) with a value under $20.
I do $25 on a gift card. But I can make it $20 if that would be better.
Gift card isn't better, can't be cash or cash equivalent. One of the "perks" of being a Federal employee.
We don't tip the person that delivers the mail to our cluster mailbox, but DH has been known to give the one competent worker at our local PO a bottle of wine:) DH does a lot of shipping/receiving car parts and other random eBay crap.
Post by StrawberryBlondie on Dec 22, 2015 18:27:58 GMT -5
We gave our daycare teachers coffee shop gift cards. I wanted to give them booze but I don't think that'd be allowed unless we could arrange a parking lot rendezvous.
Building staff (doormen, maintenance staff, porters, building manager), which is 22 people
Housekeeper
I don't have hair, nails, etc. done by the same people on any consistent basis or else I'd have them on the list. I hate our mail carrier and I have no idea how we'd tip trash collectors when we live in a huge city building.
I do $25 on a gift card. But I can make it $20 if that would be better.
Gift card isn't better, can't be cash or cash equivalent. One of the "perks" of being a Federal employee.
We don't tip the person that delivers the mail to our cluster mailbox, but DH has been known to give the one competent worker at our local PO a bottle of wine:) DH does a lot of shipping/receiving car parts and other random eBay crap.
The way your original sentence was worded it seemed like you were saying that non-cash equivalents include gift cards...
msmerymac "cash equivalents" are anything that can be used as cash. Gift cards are the easiest example. But anything that can be interpreted as having a clear cash value might qualify, like meal vouchers up to a certain dollar limit. Basically things that can be easily converted to cash or exchanged for cash.
Like a box of store-bought cookies... a box of chocolates, a cap to keep their head warm, a bumper sticker for their mail truck (haha kidding), etc.
The only people I do services with throughout the year are my cleaning people and the woman who owns the spa I go to. I just double pay both on the service closest to Christmas.
My hairdresser does everything under the table, so I don't tip her extra at Christmas. She doesn't let me tip her, period.
I gave $25 each to my hair dresser and our pool guy. I normally give $50 to my hairdresser but I haven't been so impressed with my new one and we had some unexpected bills this month.
Our mail goes to a community box and in the event that a package doesn't fit inside the parcel locker section they won't deliver it to our house because our driveway is "too steep and dangerous" to walk up so we have to pick it up at the post office. So mail person won't be getting anything from us anytime soon, despite having Prime and Amazon switching to USPS more this year.
UPS is awesome and braves our steep driveway and full flight of stairs to the front door instead of just leaving things at the garage wrapped in a bag in case of rain. But they either don't come when we're home OR they don't ring the bell or knock. I'd give them two years of tips (and we've ordered a few fucking heavy items that must have sucked to bring up to the door) if I could track them down. Maybe they think of our house as their WOD?
Our cleaning lady gets paid as if she did an extra cleaning (we pay for the month in advance).
My hair stylist gets extra. And my waxing girl was supposed to, but her phone program thing didn't have the option to give an extra big tip -- just up to 30% which is what I normally give because I adore her. So I need to figure out something to take her for next time to make up for it.
Mailman $25 UPS $25 Amazon Prime! Housekeeper and gardener (married) $250 plus paid time off during the holidays Housekeeper #2 and Handyman (married) we use about 6x/year. $100. Pharmacist I work with most: Harry and David for all staff Teacher: $50 After school care: $25 for 4 staff plus donation for whatever they need - usually around $100
I regularly tip hairstylist 25% so nothing. No nails, waxing and such.
Post by Velvetshady on Dec 22, 2015 22:27:04 GMT -5
tillie and @adobeclay you do realize that by giving your USPS mail person $25, you are putting them in a terribly uncomfortable position, right? They can 1) follow the law and decline it (which puts them in an awkward situation) or 2) take it, break the law, and get fired if it's found out.
Again, gifts to Federal employees can not be in any form of cash (cash, coins, gift cards, checks) and can't have a value of more than $20.
You think it's a "tip", the Government deems it a "bribe".
tillie and @adobeclay you do realize that by giving your USPS mail person $25, you are putting them in a terribly uncomfortable position, right? They can 1) follow the law and decline it (which puts them in an awkward situation) or 2) take it, break the law, and get fired if it's found out.
Again, gifts to Federal employees can not be in any form of cash (cash, coins, gift cards, checks) and can't have a value of more than $20.
You think it's a "tip", the Government deems it a "bribe".
I can sleep at night with this. I am in SoCal - it is like giving $10 in a LCOL.
Post by mrsukyankee on Dec 23, 2015 4:32:03 GMT -5
Only my dog walker & house cleaner because tipping other people just isn't done in the UK. I don't have a single delivery person who stops by with Amazon stuff and the mailman doesn't collect mail, just drops it off, so I would have to be around and notice when he's here to give a tip anyway (which I've never done, even in the States).
Post by polarbearfans on Dec 23, 2015 5:00:00 GMT -5
We did $25 for pet sitter (we normally do $50) and I think my husband did $25 for the newspaper person.
We've done $20 gift cards to our mailman in the past but since moving we don't interact much with the mailman since they use the trucks. It also appears we have a different person often. I like the guy we had yesterday who brought all my mail to the door with my package.
How do you tip your mail person? I'm not sure how to make my envelop stand out and we have one of those small, granny boxes that sits on the side of the house.
Post by lurkingdobalina on Dec 23, 2015 9:21:44 GMT -5
Everybody...although I call it Happy New Year money. I mean, I know Christianity is the dominant religion, and Christmas is big fun even without the religious aspects, but I just can't do a Christmas tip. Oh well, people like money. *I* even get tips for Christmas, not sure how or why, but people slip me envelopes at work with token amounts. I always pool it for the staff, but I could totally take it if I wanted to. (I do not want to.)
I had a banner year this year; I do a version of profit sharing for my employees, and they are walking out today with cash in their pockets. Even the ones who have been with us for more than 15 years (pre 9/11) have NEVER had a bonus this good...I'm excited!!
people I tip trash mail UPS delivery drivers for vendors door man x2 nanny staff my mom's hairdresser (I don't know why I still do this; I would never let that woman cut my hair, but my mom LOVED her) garage staff security guards
I gave a larger than normal tip to my nail lady, and if I could get in to see my way to busy hair guy, I would give him a larger tip as well.
Aside from that, I don't "know" any of the other people who provide services to us (I think it varies anyways), and we dont have house keepers or anything of that sort.
As a piano teacher, H gets small gifts like chocolate, wine, and other foodstuffs and gift cards ($20-$50 to Starbucks, iTunes, or a visa one).
My SIL is a kingergarten teacher and got the best gift. It was a bottle of wine with a personalized label: