Another vent on tipping

[MaryAnnDVC]

Originally posted by danacara
No one ever got rich off shorting the paper delivery man or the babysitter. Sending him the envelope back empty and postage due is, in my opinion, far more pretentious than the envelope itself. Given that you did that, I'm surprised you're getting papers at all at this point, and I definitely understand his choice to drop off your paper last. Treat people as you would like to be treated. Send the man $10 for Christmas. If your paper is on your property no later than a few minutes past six every day, I'd say you have a pretty spectacular paper delivery man. (I'm lucky if I get mine by 8!)

Go Dana!!

 

[Mermaid02]

When we used to get the paper I used to tape an envelope to the door at Christmas that said on the outside "PaperBoy" and put his Christmas bonus in that. It is presumptuous (IMO) for him to leave you an envelope pre-addressed..... if he left you a holiday card with his name and addy on it you would have it and you could send him a bonus if you deemed fit.

I do NOT think that the original poster should tip the guy at this point... it would be succumbing to his blackmail. Instead I would stop delivery of the paper and tell them WHY when I called.

 

[Jeafl]

We also get the tip envelope in our paper every December. It also comes with a newsy letter telling us how difficult it is to get up in the winter, but that they realize how important it is to get our paper there on time. The letter practically begs for money, which really turns me off. Our delivery guy rarely even gets the paper in the driveway. He sticks his arm out the window and drops it into the gutter. If it's raining, the paper gets wet, and I have to call at least once a month because the paper doesn't show up at all. Needless to say, I don't feel much like tipping him.

Our mail woman on the other hand goes over and above what she needs to do. If I have a package (even a small one that will fit in the mailbox), she will pull up in the driveway and ring the doorbell to hand-deliver my mail. If I need stamps or something I just leave her a note in the mailbox with a check and she will bring me some stamps the next day. She always gets a hefty tip at the holidays.

 

[Mermaid02]

I'm surprised that people tip their mailman.... my fil used to work for the PO and I think it is against regulations for your mailcarrier to accept your "gifts". My mailman is a freak anyway- my dog hates him and I trust her instincts.

 

[LunarLady]

Originally posted by danacara
Given that you did that, I'm surprised you're getting papers at all at this point, and I definitely understand his choice to drop off your paper last.

If I'm paying for a service, there should be no reason that the service I'm paying for is shoddily performed because I didn't pay an extra gratuity. I don't take a newspaper because I can get my news for free.

If I were the OP, I would drop my subscription and explain why.

 

[danacara]

Lunar Lady, I would assume that this is pretty evident, but the paper delivery wouldn't stop because the OP failed to pay a gratuity. It might stop because the OP treated the delivery man like garbage by charging him for the return of his own envelope. Sorry if I wasn't as clear as I could have been.

 

[Barb]

I pay my paper bill directly to the newspaper offices. There is a spot there to "add" a tip, if you so desire. I don't usually, but if I can swing a little extra at Christmas, I will. Our paper is always delivered on time (before 5:30 am!) and if I have a problem, it will be taken care of promptly.
I would never think to tip a sitter. That's just redundant, IMO. I've always left a box of candy in the mailbox for our mail carrier. That way they can either keep it for themselves or share it with their post office.

 

[LunarLady]

Originally posted by danacara
It might stop because the OP treated the delivery man like garbage by charging him for the return of his own envelope.

If my newspaper delivery stopped for any reason after I had already paid the bill to the newspaper's office, then I would demand the balance of my money back and ask that they never darken my doorstep again.

Like I said, I am paying for an optional service and if I, as the customer, am going to be treated as a cash-cow by the delivery person, then I'm not going to take this optional service.

 

[Dan Murphy]

We holiday tip our paper person (almost flawless delivery), postal carrier and refuse folks (regular plus recycling teams). Our newspaper person inserts a holiday card to us, with his name and address inside.

 

[Mascara Snake]

Originally posted by paras4ri
I never appreciated his self-addressed, but not stamped envelopes inserted in the paper each holiday season. I call it trolling for tips and I havea to admit I acutally mailed an empty envelope back to him, postage due.

It is trolling for tips but why provoke him?

 

[Pin Wizard]

Originally posted by Lars624
Yes, they give her about $5.00 an hour minimum & then tip her on top of the pay.......whatcha thinking?

I'm thinking I should either deliver newspapers or become a babysitter. LOL!

 

[Jiminy102]

I delivered Sunday Papers For 3 years while I wasin College. I used to put a card in every paper one week around the first week of December every year. I simpply signed It your Paper Carrier and my name. I had many older people and shut-ins on my route and did not expect anything in return. Many of the older peopl requested that I put the paper between the doors which I did because I figured if it made it easier for them then that is what I will do. I also bagged the Papers every Sunday mornign due to the unexpected snow or rain so that they stayed dry. I found out later that I did make more in holiday tips than anyone who had the route before or after me. It was a nice surprise to learn that but ah----the memories of the newspaper route!!!!

 

[paras4ri]

Originally posted by Jiminy102
I delivered Sunday Papers For 3 years while I wasin College. I used to put a card in every paper one week around the first week of December every year. I simpply signed It your Paper Carrier and my name. I had many older people and shut-ins on my route and did not expect anything in return. Many of the older peopl requested that I put the paper between the doors which I did because I figured if it made it easier for them then that is what I will do. I also bagged the Papers every Sunday mornign due to the unexpected snow or rain so that they stayed dry. I found out later that I did make more in holiday tips than anyone who had the route before or after me. It was a nice surprise to learn that but ah----the memories of the newspaper route!!!!

Looks like the moral of the story is be polite and do your job and it will be recognized.

 

[MBD1215]

One pays for a service.. correct me if I am wrong, but when you have the paper delivered, you pay the same or less then if you bought it at the store.If you don't want to be exposed to tipping the paper person,monthly, quaterly, or at the Holidays... then discontinue the service, get up, get in your car, and go to the store and pick up your paper.. wer'e talking about max $80. bucks a year here, $5 a month and $20. at xmass. that's about 25cents a day.. I think its worth it.

 

[Mermaid02]

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't the newspaper pay their delivery people? Or do they work for tips? We are NOT required to tip the paperboy/man/girl/woman (if we were the paper would tell us how much and how often)..... the newspaper does this. That tells me that the newspaper could still make money on their paper if they charged less.

 

[Jiminy102]

The way it worked at the paper that I worked for was I got so much for mile that they figure the route wasmind you this did not go up in the three years I did the route even though the route over doubeld and I got 25 cents per paper delivered. So gas money came to about $10 and then the 25 cents per paper. So it was not a big paycheck but it sure helped while in college!1!

 

[doxdogy]

When I was a teenager my father use to give the garbage men a tip at Christmas and Easter. It wasn't much, maybe 5 or 10 dollars a piece. What was so funny was that our trash cans were the only ones that weren't lying in the street and one day when it was raining they actually carried the garbage cans up to the carport.

 

[MBD1215]

the point is you pay for a service, the newspaper dosn't care if you get the paper home, or at the store, or at work.. as long as you get it. Im sure their circulation goes up due to home delivery but, you choose to have someone bring you something, and for that convinace you should compensate that person regardless of how much the paper pays them. the bottom line is, isn't it worth it to have someone bring something that you want, to you door, when you want it--and that service will cost you 25 cents per day-not for the paper-you tip for the service, not for the product.

 

[MBD1215]

the point is you pay for a service, the newspaper dosn't care if you get the paper home, or at the store, or at work.. as long as you get it. Im sure their circulation goes up due to home delivery but, you choose to have someone bring you something, and for that convinace you should compensate that person regardless of how much the paper pays them. the bottom line is, isn't it worth it to have someone bring something that you want, to you door, when you want it--and that service will cost you 25 cents per day-not for the paper-you tip for the service, not for the product.

 

[MBD1215]

double posted--sorry