do you tip your newspaper carrier??

[MelindaKiah]

Do you tip your newspaper carrier and if so how much? We get a daily newspaper delivered....by 6 am on weekdays, 7 on Saturdays and 8 on Sundays. I have a friend telling me I shouldn't tip at all, it's their job. I don't really agree with the no tipping thing, but wondered if I am wrong in this...this is the first year we've had the newspaper delivered so don't really know.

Any input??

 

[Galahad]

Probably there are, if I remember right, a few threads about tipping. Newspaper carriers are one of those that I'm not sure I understand why it's become common to tip them. I don't tip my dental hygienist or my postal carrier. Why is a newspaper carrier different?

 

[MelindaKiah]

thanks, I will check out for other threads.

Oh, and I do tip my postal carrier and take chocolates to my doctor, vet, and dentist.

 

[stinkerbelle]

i'm probably going to hell for this.
but i don't tip anyone at the holidays.
no. one.

 

[hiwaygal]

I think if it's a younger person, yeah, something small would probably be very much appreciated! When I was 12, I had a newspaper route...and I thought it was just fabulous when people would give me a tip at the holidays! I was pleasantly surprised about it, 'cause I didn't have a clue that people did that sort of thing!

And I have tipped my adult carrier before as well...believe me, they don't make much money and if your paper is where you expect it to be when you expect it to be there 365 (give or take) days a year, that's a pretty good paper carrier you have!

 

[Missy1961]

Our paper is delivered by adults. They throw it out a car window. So it lands everywhere. It is delivered early in the morning & it is wrapped in plastic, so it's usually OK. We tip them at Christmas & that's it.

 

[MelindaKiah]

Our paper isn't a drive-by. It's delivered by an adult at around 4 am, and brought right to our door, wrapped in plastic.

Forthose of you who do tip, would you mind giving me an idea of how much? Just trying to gauge what is fair without going overboard.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

Do you tip your newspaper carrier and if so how much? We get a daily newspaper delivered....by 6 am on weekdays, 7 on Saturdays and 8 on Sundays. I have a friend telling me I shouldn't tip at all, it's their job. I don't really agree with the no tipping thing, but wondered if I am wrong in this...this is the first year we've had the newspaper delivered so don't really know.

Any input??

Newspaper carries make most of their income from tips. They make less than 10 cents a paper for profit. Sunday's are a few cents more profit.

 

[Pugsley]

We tip them every month, so we don’t do it at the holidays. I thought it was a little tacky when we got a flyer in our door the other day from our newspaper carrier saying basically ‘Happy Holidays, and oh by the way here’s my name and address.’ I just hate when people beg for tips. On the other hand, this is one position I don’t mind tipping since they don’t get paid much and have to be out so early in every kind of weather.

 

[kydisneyfans]

Newspaper carriers should be tipped since they are providing a service by bringing a product you use to your home, be it on the porch, in a tube, or at the end of the driveway. The alternatives are not to receive the product or leave your home daily to purchase it somewhere, at most likely a higher cost.

With gasoline costs high and newspaper printing costs skyrocketing-the profit for your delivery person is not that high-and the newspapers do not have much money to give them a raise-most are actually laying off employees now.

As for amounts-as a District Manager I would say $5.00-$10.00 is an average per customer at Christmas. Many give 20.00-a rare 50.00, and 100.00 is not unheard of. This would be sufficient for both adult and youth carriers. Baked goods are also common.

What the carrier makes per copy is dependant on what day of the week and what newspaper they are contracted with. Some are as low as .05 per copy-some are as high as .35 per copy. Also-the wholesaler must pay for the entire cost of the subscription if a customer orders the paper and does not pay for it at some large daily metro papers.

It takes a certain type of person to get up somewhere between midnight and 4 AM to deliver a service to you, giving them a $10.00 thank you at the end of the year should not be that much of a concern.

 

[Galahad]

Newspaper carriers should be tipped since they are providing a service by bringing a product you use to your home, be it on the porch, in a tube, or at the end of the driveway. The alternatives are not to receive the product or leave your home daily to purchase it somewhere, at most likely a higher cost.

I'm sorry, but this doesn't really make sense to me. I pay the newspaper company, automatically and electronically, each month for the service. They employ the carrier, who in this case, throws it out the window on my driveway. The newspaper company employs the carrier and is responsible for their costs. The same is true of the mail or the UPS guy. They are employed by someone other than me to provide a service to me on behalf of their employer. If it is true that my carrier is primarily paid in tips (like waitresses or the baggers at a military commissary) then they are keeping that a bit of a secret. We should not have to assume that everybody employed to provide a service isn't being paid by their employer to provide that service. This doesn't mean that I never tip service employees - but if you put an envelop in my newspaper "asking" for a tip - it pretty much guarantees that you won't get one.

ETA - that we rarely read the paper copy of the newspaper we get anyway - since the content is online. Other than the Sunday paper at this point, we could live without the hardcopy of the paper.

 

[SC Minnie]

i'm probably going to hell for this.
but i don't tip anyone at the holidays.
no. one.

I will be in line right behind you.

 

[RobynK]

I'm sorry, but this doesn't really make sense to me. I pay the newspaper company, automatically and electronically, each month for the service. They employ the carrier, who in this case, throws it out the window on my driveway. The newspaper company employs the carrier and is responsible for their costs. The same is true of the mail or the UPS guy. They are employed by someone other than me to provide a service to me on behalf of their employer. If it is true that my carrier is primarily paid in tips (like waitresses or the baggers at a military commissary) then they are keeping that a bit of a secret. We should not have to assume that everybody employed to provide a service isn't being paid by their employer to provide that service. This doesn't mean that I never tip service employees - but if you put an envelop in my newspaper "asking" for a tip - it pretty much guarantees that you won't get one.

ETA - that we rarely read the paper copy of the newspaper we get anyway - since the content is online. Other than the Sunday paper at this point, we could live without the hardcopy of the paper.

My response is mainly to the part that I highlighted. As a friend of a District manager for a newspaper here (and who has just started helping her by throwing one of the routes for her) let me tell you that the newspaper company does not pay for any expenses. While you might pay say 5.00 a week for the paper, we only see maybe 1.50. We are independent contractors and out of our paycheck (depending on how many papers we throw) comes our weekly gas, and other car related expenses ie: oil change,brakes, tires. All which need to be done more frequently. The mail and UPS guys are provided vehicles to use and do not use their own personal vehicles. They also get paid a great deal more that newspaper carriers, and they have 2 days off a week. The newspaper gets delivered daily, rain or shine, and you can't call in sick. While you might see the card with your carries name and address a beg for a tip I see it as a holiday wish with my return address, and maybe a return holiday wish (even if only a card) no one is expecting a tip but they are greatly appreciated.

 

[marybet]

i'm probably going to hell for this.
but i don't tip anyone at the holidays.
no. one.

Same here, no tipping just because it's the Holidays.

 

[MinnieFan]

We tip our carrier once a year at Christmas time - $50. It sounds like a lot at one time but it's really less than a dollar a week.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Make room for one more in the "going to hell" group.

We subscribe for Sunday only. They bring it about 6 AM. They STOMP up the stairs and FLING the paper at the door so it sounds like someone coming through with a battering ram. Our next door neighbor has gone out and yelled at them before. Tip? Here's a tip: Don't throw my paper against my door in an attempt to wake up the whole building and maybe I'll be nicer to you next year!

 

[Disney1fan2002]

My response is mainly to the part that I highlighted. As a friend of a District manager for a newspaper here (and who has just started helping her by throwing one of the routes for her) let me tell you that the newspaper company does not pay for any expenses. While you might pay say 5.00 a week for the paper, we only see maybe 1.50. We are independent contractors and out of our paycheck (depending on how many papers we throw) comes our weekly gas, and other car related expenses ie: oil change,brakes, tires. All which need to be done more frequently. The mail and UPS guys are provided vehicles to use and do not use their own personal vehicles. They also get paid a great deal more that newspaper carriers, and they have 2 days off a week. The newspaper gets delivered daily, rain or shine, and you can't call in sick. While you might see the card with your carries name and address a beg for a tip I see it as a holiday wish with my return address, and maybe a return holiday wish (even if only a card) no one is expecting a tip but they are greatly appreciated.

YES! 100% sub-contractor. I was shocked and amazed that I had to PAY for the plastic bags and rubber bands! I would of thought the newspaper co. would supply those things for "better customer service"...but no.

They do not pay their carriers. The carriers buy the paper at wholesale, and sell it to the customer. The make a "profit" a TINY one at that. Plus, their gas, and supplies come out of their "profits". It amazes me that tipping anewspaper carrier is not commonly known. I thought it was one of those things where everyone knew that is where they make their money, in tips.

Oh, I have tried several times to make a success out of delivering newsapapers. Since i buy the newspaper directly from the newspaper co., I am responsible for paying them each week for ALL of the paper's I delivered, regardless of who paid. I never paid any money, because I was buying a lot of people's newpapers for them, beciase they did not pay their bill every week.

 

[JimVL]

Newspaper carriers are one of those that I'm not sure I understand why it's become common to tip them.

Hi,

I dont know what it's like now, but in the early 70s, when I was a paper boy, every customer gave me a tip every week, and a few dollars (up to $10.00) at Christmas. Back then a few dollars was a lot of money for a kid.

 

[ReneeA]

I get billed every other month for the paper. I add a $5.00 tip to the bill when I pay it (they provide a space on the remitance for this). It doesn't really amount to much - $30.00 a year. I worry everytime that the carrier either won't get the tip, or won't know where it came from. Can anyone answer that?

 

[Galahad]

YES! 100% sub-contractor. I was shocked and amazed that I had to PAY for the plastic bags and rubber bands! I would of thought the newspaper co. would supply those things for "better customer service"...but no.

They do not pay their carriers. The carriers buy the paper at wholesale, and sell it to the customer. The make a "profit" a TINY one at that. Plus, their gas, and supplies come out of their "profits". It amazes me that tipping anewspaper carrier is not commonly known. I thought it was one of those things where everyone knew that is where they make their money, in tips.

Oh, I have tried several times to make a success out of delivering newsapapers. Since i buy the newspaper directly from the newspaper co., I am responsible for paying them each week for ALL of the paper's I delivered, regardless of who paid. I never paid any money, because I was buying a lot of people's newpapers for them, beciase they did not pay their bill every week.

I'm guessing this varies from place to place and paper to paper though.