How much to tip Mailman and Sanitation for Christmas?

shop deals on amazon
Shop deals on ebay
Advertise with us
Ford SportTrac Forum

Help Support Ford SportTrac Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Bill V said:
I also think it's a little ridiculous that the amount of a tip for a waiter/waitress is based on the cost of the meal. If a waitress at a $4/plate greasy spoon does the same amount of work for you and gives the same quality of service to you as someone at a $40/plate steakhouse, why should one get ten times as much tip as the other? They both did equal amount and quality of work, they both deserve equal amounts of tip.
Click to expand...



That's why I commonly tip MUCH MORE than 15% if eating alone and/or in a diner. It's common for me to get a breakfast meal at the local greasy spoon, sit at the counter and have the whole bill come to around $5 and then leave a $2 tip.



The way I look at it is $2 is nothing to me, really, and if I am going to sit there, expect to be waited on, spoken to nicely, have my coffee refilled, all that, then darn it, I ought to be able to recognize those things.



So, the answer is, pay 15% at the high price places, and even higher at the bargain spots...that's my answer anyway!



TJR
 
when I tip....my tip depends on the person...and service.



As a fedex employee, i DONT expect a tip during the holidays if I make a delivery, people are paying top dollar for fedex services and I get paid very well to do my job....



sorry edited....read my post below....:lol:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Fmarano, you seem to contradict yourself. You say that you expect a tip during the holidays--but that people are paying top dollar for fedex services and you get paid very well to do your job. If you're getting paid that well, what is the need/expectation for a tip on top of that?



Not finding fault with that way of thinking--just trying to understand it. (Or, trying to determine if there was a typo in that. :)
 
Wow, thanks everyone. I guess it is more of a NY thing and thought it was expected. I do have to say that my sanitation guys do a good job. They take everything I put out there even when they are not "supposed" to. The mailman is also very nice. I ship a lot of packages using carrier pickup and even though I know it is his job and they get paid well but I never have to worry about them.



Maybe I will get them a gift instead.



George
 
OH MAN!! I meant to say I DONT EXPECT a tip, LOL





I was reading Bill V's post and was like what? When did I say i expect a tip, LOL It should have read I dont expect a tip....sorry:blink:
 
Just curious--



I've heard in the past that there is still significant mob involvement in the sanitation industry in the New York City area. Is this "expected" tip in any way related to that? Sort of another term for protection money?
 
No, Bill V, it's not expected. And, again, it's a gift, not a tip. If it were a regular tip you would give it to them just after services rendered each week for example when they pick up the trash. But instead, it's given during the holiday season as a gift...a gift of money most often, but a gift nonetheless.



People in NY, especially NYC and its burbs "gift tip" (I have heard it called this) this way a lot.



People living in apts in NYC gift tip their doorman, their garage attendants, etc in this way.



And, it has become "expected" in many such professions where normal tipping throughout the year just isn't done. It would be a real pain to try to tip the doorman each time he opened the door, or the elevator operator, or the garage attendant as these people provide a service day-in and day-out. Instead, many simply give a big cash gift near the holidays.



TJR
 
My uncle is a doorman in NYC. He can get around 200-500 per apartment around christmas time..........yes per apartment. The doorman does more then just open the door as you go in and out......
 
That's right, Fmarano. The doorman is a security guard, helps with packages, and let you know when you teenage kids came and went...its a very responsible and important job in a nice apt building.



Does anyone here gift their news delivery person? Baby sitter? Anyone else that provides an ongoing service throughout the year?



TJR
 
I'm not even sure who the news delivery person is around here...we get a free county newspaper just for living here, all I know is that every few days, there's a paper in the driveway.
 
I remember reading somewhere that postal employees are not allowed to accept cash gifts, and can only accept non-cash gifts under $20 in value. I checked the USPS website, but cuoldn't find anything abot any of that, so I'm not sure if it's true or not.
 
My mail lady gives me the wrong mail day after day for 3 months. Complains when the 2" of snow isn't shoveled in front of the mailbox when she pulls up in her 4X4. Has dropped my mail on the ground in front of my box. Became lazy and left a package on the hood of my car instead of walking 4 more steps to my porch. Oh, yeah, didn't deliver my mail all weekend and might not have delivered today if I didn't have my ST and Harley payements that needed to go out. NO TIPS TO MY LADY FROM ME!!! My husband is my garbage collector. I have to tip him?;)
 
And, it has become "expected" in many such professions where normal tipping throughout the year just isn't done. It would be a real pain to try to tip the doorman each time he opened the door, or the elevator operator, or the garage attendant as these people provide a service day-in and day-out. Instead, many simply give a big cash gift near the holidays.
Click to expand...



Why would you need an elevator operator? I program elevators several times a day myself and never have a problem. (you just press "6" when you want to go to the 6th floor; "3" when you want to go to 3rd; etc).
 

Latest posts

Top