Christmas gifts for garbageman and newspaper delivery person

[mommyrosa2]

During the holidays, we used to tip the newspaper person & the milkman when we had these things delivered. As for the garbage folks? Absolutely NOT...I pay a LOT of $$ to have our trash removed and quite frankly, they barely do their job.

 

[momplus3]

I deliver about 200 newspapers a day (takes about 2 1/2 hours) and I would never leave just an envelope for my customers. I do, however, send out Christmas cards (or holiday cards for my families of non-Christian religion). I recive tips from at least 75% of my customers. The tips range from $10 to $100. The most common tip amount is $20. I also get gift cards and small gifts.
I will say that being a paper carrier is usually a pretty thankless job. It is an almost 365 day a year job. I am up every morning at 3am, rain, sun or snow.

I truly appreciate every tip that I receive - I know that people do appreciate what I do.

 

[Gigi22]

Hmm. I have a problem with this. I would not tip the garbage/recycle people--if they didn't arrive in clearly labelled vehicles, I wouldn't know them from Adam. And, they are well paid through my municipal tax dollars.
As for the newspaper delivery person--having second thoughts--years ago our paper switched from newspaper boys/girls delivering the paper after school to adults with cars who deliver the paper at about 5:30 a.m.--sometimes waking us up. If we still got newspapers delivered by children, I would tip them. We just got a card from our newspaper delivery person, addressed to "XPaper Customer", which just makes me feel so warm and cozy about the entire thing. They don't even know our names, so I am not so inclined to give a tip.

 

[ellone]

Garbage man? We have a truck with just a driver and a big arm that picks up our bin. He never even gets out.

Same here...garbage & recycling guys don's get out of their trucks.

Letter carrier? We get mail for other addresses all the time now. No idea where mine goes before it gets here. Besides, my bills are now all online.

I do tip my mailman though. He's great. I run a business from home and get a lot of packages so he does more work here than at most houses.

 

[princessbride6205]

I feel badly that newspaper carriers are not compensated well. Ours does a very good job, but we are Sundays only and just started getting delivery about 3 months ago. I may send $10, but I guess it will be after Christmas since we're out of town the next few days. He left us a Christmas card including his address. I thought that was the nicest way to "suggest" a tip. It wasn't presumptuous but without giving me his address, I wouldn't have been able to give him the tip.

I don't tip the mail person because I've never seen them - our development has communal mail locations that hold about 50 small boxes.

No tipping for garbage or recycling - I never leave extra items for them to take and the truck arm just lifts the cans to dump. So they are not going above and beyond in any way.

 

[ICF]

I would not tip the trash pickup crew or the newspaper delivery person. Both are being paid by their companies and are not tipped positions. Now if the trash man would come into the garage and get my trash instead of me bringing it down to the street, I would tip. Tips are for exceptional service, not "thanks for doing your job".

agreed

 

[kirstenb1]

We give our newspaper carrier $20. She always delivers, no matter the weather, even when the postal carrier, doesn't.

We used to have a Mom n Pop small business who would come to the back door, to get the trash out of the cans. I always gave them $20 each. They moved, and now we have a large automated-type service. They come in the middle of the night, and I'm not sure how I'd get the tip to them.

 

[DawnM]

My paper lady put a little card in the paper as well.

I ONLY get the Sunday paper and I paid $52 for the year for it. I really don't think I will give her anything for a once a week delivery.

Dawn

 

[Tink-aholic]

We gave our mailperson a $25 gift card to a local store. When she sees me out in the yard, she will bring things to me, depending what they are, of course. I think she does a great job, and it's a Thank you to her.

We have left gifts for our trash people. Gift cards as well.

I thought this was illegal?? What is the limit now that a mail person is allowed to accept? Has it gone up? I know that they cannot accept alcohol and I'm pretty sure cash is not allowed either. Anyone know the regs?

 

[RN01]

I'm sorry but I think this is extremely tacky to leave an envelope for a tip!

 

[kydisneyfans]

Newspaper delivery people=a huge yes!!. They are contractors and in most cases not paid directly by the paper company. They have no benefits and most work 365 early mornings a year. I am on vacation this week and got up early to give the $100 tip when the carrier dropped our paper at 4:45 this morning. To say they appreciated the tip was an understatement.

Garbage people and mailmen are government workers with benefits that put mine to shame. No tips are needed IMO.

 

[cdrn1]

I really don't like the idea of leaving an envelope, and would not tip someone who did.
We don't tip garbage men. I do think their job sucks. Stinky, smelly, garbage. They get good money here.
But I'm a nurse and experience similar aromas, and no one tips me. I couldn't accept it if they did, lol. I do it because I want to help mankind. And the human body is interesting.
But I do absolutely tip my newspaper delivery person. We got a letter from the paper some time ago that our paper would from that point on be in the driveway instead of the doorway.
Our paper person continues to leave it at the door, so I don't have to get dressed or even put on a robe to get my paper. It's on my covered porch. Heck yes I tip him/her. Not sure who it is, but they are getting a fifty this year.

 

[a1tinkfans]

Our garbage men, left a postcard saying their 2 names and their truck number announcing Happy Holidays...clearly for a tip.
They are contracted thru our town, benefits that are solid ( good for them)

Our mailman does not leave his truck, and leaves mail in the box at the curb. When I am outside I go over to the mailbox and grab the mail directly from him.
I got a postcard from him too!

I am tipping neither one.

I appreciate their work, they get paid a fair wage from their employers and are doing their job...
to me tipping is for above and beyond Or for occupations that have a lower pay scale as they generally include tips (like a waitress etc)

as an aside....These Tip jars everywhere make me laugh and I never tip in those. Nor do I give any money to anyone Ever, that comes to my door soliciting, I always say, send it to me in the mail....but thats another story.

Have a Wonderful Holiday Season!

 

[lisagirl88]

We tip the mailperson, garbage people and the recycling. Usually it is just $5 each. I don't get up to give the garbage people their gift I just put it in an envelope and tape it to the trash can and hope it doesn't get stolen!

 

[HsvTeacher]

Our garbage truck also has a mechanical arm so the guys never get out of the truck.

Now, if they could figure out a way to put the trashcan back in the driveway upright and not the street and could somehow manage to make sure the lid closes when it's pouring rain, I'd be more than happy to give them a generous tip. Until then, sorry, but they don't deserve one.

 

[amylynne01]

Garbage people and mailmen are government workers with benefits that put mine to shame. No tips are needed IMO.

There is no municipal garbage pickup in my town - only private companies. I pay for a service, and I receive a service. If I tip the driver for performing said service, then I expect a tip when I pay on time!

 

[karenos]

Wow, after reading all the responses, I must be crazy, but I tip my garbage men, newspaper delivery person and postal worker. The garbage guys come to the back of my house and pick up my garbage twice a week and my postal guy delivers to my door. I only receive the weekend edition of the paper, but it is always there. They perform a service I value and I see it as a thank you for performing this service.

karenos

 

[shopnfun2me2]

I thought this was illegal?? What is the limit now that a mail person is allowed to accept? Has it gone up? I know that they cannot accept alcohol and I'm pretty sure cash is not allowed either. Anyone know the regs?

Googled this:

The rules stipulate that items with a fair market value of $20 or lower are acceptable as long as the gift is not cash or a gift card or certificate.

What Happens If the Gift Exceeds $20?

Postal employees who receive gifts exceeding the $20 limit or who cannot determine the value of the item must reimburse the gift giver for the cost of the item. This is done either by returning the gift or sending financial reimbursement. In the case of flowers or floral arrangements exceeding $20, the postal employee must discern the actual value and send reimbursement for the full value. While the gift giver's intent is good, the resulting efforts and financial impact on the employee can take away from the goodwill.


Read more: U.S. Postal Rules Regarding Christmas Gifts for Employees | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/way_5498605_postal-regarding-christmas-gifts-employees.html#ixzz1hJm5Hp5Z

 

[My5Mouseketeers]

I always tip our garbage men. We have private garbage collection that is a truck with the "arm" that dumps the can. The driver does get out of the truck to take anything that we leave next to the can and I know there are times that he has gotten out to clean up any messes that don't make it into the truck. I consider that to be exceptional service and I tip accordingly.

I was on the phone for 20 minutes yesterday trying to find out if we had 1 garbage man or 2 and what his name was. So even though I think an envelope would be cheesy, I would have been very happy to have a "Happy Holiday's from your trash collector Frank" card. BTW the company suggested that we put the card in the mail box and they left him a note saying there was a gift. They have had too many cards stolen off of cans.

I also tip the mail carrier. We have a big front yard and our house is about 20 feet higher than the street. Our letter carrier often walks up packages that do not fit in our mailbox. He will even put things in a clear plastic bag if the weather is bad. Again, service beyond what is required.

Our newspaper is thrown on our driveway. Often in a single bag on rainy/snowy days. We will have to let parts dry out before we can read them. So we have not tipped the newspaper delivery person. No exceptional service there!

 

[amylynne01]

I also tip the mail carrier. We have a big front yard and our house is about 20 feet higher than the street. Our letter carrier often walks up packages that do not fit in our mailbox. He will even put things in a clear plastic bag if the weather is bad. Again, service beyond what is required.

See, I would disagree that this is service beyond what is required. I would expect that a package that doesn't fit in my box be delivered to my door. Where else would it go? And a bag seems like common sense to me. Perhaps I've been spoiled with a great mail carrier in the 4 yrs I've been at this house and not even realized it. A mail carrier's job is to deliver mail and packages that come via USPS. I get my mail and packages. No more - no less.