"Do You Tip the Mailman ?"

[Jolie Rouge]

The fine art of holiday tipping: why, who and how muchA little holiday green can spread cheer for the rest of the year. Here’s a guide to tipping the right people the right amount.
By Liz Pulliam Weston

In most areas of the country, holiday tips are a voluntary custom, a way to show the service people you employ that you appreciate the work they do for you.

Everywhere, that is, but in New York City. I have it on pretty good authority (my New York friends) that a failure to tip the building superintendent can lead to mysterious problems the rest of the year: heat that doesn't work in winter, for example, but blasts nonstop in August.

Fortunately, most holiday tipping falls far short of protection money. End-of-the-year tips are more like the bonuses that Wall Street pays its players, only way, way, way, way smaller. The extra cash is meant to foster loyalty and offers thanks for assisting You & Co. in running smoothly.


How much you give, Emily Post and other etiquette authorities tell us, can depend on a number of factors, such as:

The quality of the service

The frequency of the service

How long you've used the service

Regional custom, and

Your budget


This does not, however, give you leave to stiff workers right and left under the guise that you "can't afford it." If you can afford their services, you most likely can afford to tip.

For those of you who are grumbling already about this custom, let me stop right here and remind you: This is America, Bub. Tipping is part of the culture. If you don't like tipping on principle, you should stop using the services where it normally is expected. If you cut your own hair, park your own car and stick to fast-food restaurants, you won't have to tip anybody. Otherwise, suck it up.

That's not to say holiday tips are a requirement. You get to use your own judgment, as indicated above. But you should be guided by the spirit of generosity, as well as common sense. The better you take care of the people who care for you, the better off everybody will be.

Now that we've got that settled, let's move on to who, and how much.


The "who's" break down into four basic categories:

People who provide you service regularly but briefly
These folks typically get $10 to $30. The list here can include:

Newspaper deliverers

Parking attendants

Trash collectors

Any regular delivery person (for food, laundry, overnight packages, whatever)

People you see less often but for longer periods
These are usually the ones who are working hard to tend you and yours. The holiday tip normally equals the cost of one visit, although you can reduce that to $20 or so if your patronage is sporadic.

Hairdresser or barber

Manicurist

Facialist

Personal trainer

Regular after-hours babysitter (not your nanny or day care worker)

House cleaner (unless he or she is full-time, then see below)

The lawn-care crew

Pool cleaner

Pet groomer

If you use a day care center, ask the director about appropriate tips for the child's primary caregiver. The accepted amounts can range from $10 to $70, plus a small gift from the child.


Your employees
Anyone you employ more than a couple days a week gets a bigger check, typically at least equal to one week's pay. Exceptional or long service might boost the amount to two week's pay or more. This list includes:
Nannies

Full-time housekeepers

Home-care attendants

Caretakers

If you're not planning to tip your full-time employees, you need to ask yourself why. If you're genuinely not happy with their services, you should have long ago detailed your concerns and given them a chance to improve. Otherwise, withholding a holiday tip is sandbagging. You wouldn't like it if your boss surprised you with a negative evaluation out of the blue, so don't do it to others.


People who can be strategically tipped
All tips can have an element of strategy in them, but these gratuities can make a real difference in the quality of your life. Here the range varies enormously:
Building superintendent: Ask around your building. The going rate can vary from as little as $20 to $200 or more.

Doorman: Ditto. Usually the range is $10 to $100.

The bartender, wait staff or maitre d' at a place you frequent regularly: Try $20 to $50 and see if your typical table location doesn't improve.


People who should not be tipped
You're probably relieved to read there is someone, somewhere, who's not expecting cash from you. That doesn't mean you can ignore them, though; it just means your gift shouldn't be green.

Teachers. Ask what classroom supplies they need, and supply them. Gifts of food or a well-deserved day at the spa (perhaps purchased jointly with other parents) can be thoughtful, as well.

Friends: Whatever the service they provided for you, a gift or even a gift certificate is a more appropriate thank-you than a check.

U.S. Postal Service employees: The Postal Service discourages tips, but your mail carrier is allowed to accept gifts worth less than $20.

Anyone who would be insulted: You'll have to feel your way on this one a bit, since some of the people you traditionally didn't tip -- a beauty salon owner, for example -- now often have no problem accepting your money. If you proffer the cash and it's returned to you promptly, you'll know you've found one of these elusive folks.







Whew !

I leave small "gifts" for the mailman -- but not the Farbage collectors. The kids and I make small gifts for their teachers, busdriver, Sunday school teacher, Scout Leaders, ect.... The rest -- don't apply LOL

What do you do ?

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[Momof2totsand1teen]

Last year I gave my son's kindergarden teacher a gift certificate for $30 for the Cracker Barrel (restaurant and awesome gift shop). She was very appreciative. Will do the same this year for his first grade teacher. I need to think of something for my mailman. He is the best Very friendly, always brings packages to the door, he loves to talk too

[Kyla Kym]

I should leave my mail carrier something this year. She is better than any of the ones before her. She brings my boxes all the way down to my house (200 yards from the hwy) rather than leave them up by my mail box. I've never thought about tipping before. But I think I will leave her a nice gift in the mail box this year. Thanks for the idea

[nanajoanie]

I make way over 60# of fudge every year in little tiny candy papers (minature cupcake like papers). I give both our mail ladies a box of fudge in assorted flavors every year. Some goes to the doctors offices and the rest to family and friends.

[GodsGiftsRFree]

This year I made my mail carrier a small basket with a thermal mug and some pouches of different flavored coffees, teas and hot cocoa mixes and threw in some hard candies. I figured with it being sooo cold right now, this would be a good idea and with everything being instant, all she has to do is stop at any convenience store and get some hot water!

She really appreciated and thanked me over and over.

[shelhop]

Sure, I tip the mailman. I simply say, "Drop off my packages first, then you won't have so much to carry." I think it's a great tip. LOL
Seriously, I live inside a village, so I don't have a mail carrier per say, just a post office box, but I did tip the mail carrier at Christmas time. Usually some sort of homemade goodies.

[justme23]

No, I do NOT tip the mailman. If we actually got all of our mail and if we didn't have a new one every day, we probably would. But our neighbor has the same first name as my husband and he always gets our mail (and throws it away I might add) and we always get his. It's not HARD to read apt #s, but they just look at the first name and shove it in a box (either one will apparently work for the universally common name). I realize they don't have the most glamerous job or the most wonderful pay but we had a mailman when we first moved here that I would kill for. He had seniority so was given a shorter less stressful route and I miss him terribly. I do tip everyone else, I even tip the pizza guy when we walk IN to order and carry out.

[Judy]

My Mailman is a single Dad raising two daughters. He is such a great guy. Even Boo likes him
So at Christmas he gets a tin of cookies and twenty dollars. I know he can use it being all alone and doing a great job raising those girls. He lives a couple blocks from me and I can see for myself just what a fine father he is.
We really don't go out to restaurants that often. When we do it's usually a fast food place.

[MamaFairal]

Hey i wanna meet Judy's mailman........lol

[Judy]

Originally posted by MamaFairal
Hey i wanna meet Judy's mailman........lol

He is very very good looking too

[adair]

No, I do not tip the mail carrier here.

We are in a rural area and we have a set of mail boxes down the road.....I never see the mail person because they do not deliver anything to the house.