Tip newspaper carrier?

[Todd&Copper]

I have never tipped the paper carrier. If she always or nearly always put it in the paper box, then I probably would, but all she does is chuck it into the driveway (where I sometimes have to run over it to park my car).
I think tips should be a reward for better than average service, and her service is just average IMHO.

 

[MotoXPrincess99]

I have never tipped the paper carrier. If she always or nearly always put it in the paper box, then I probably would, but all she does is chuck it into the driveway (where I sometimes have to run over it to park my car).
I think tips should be a reward for better than average service, and her service is just average IMHO.

All they do is chuck the paper in to the driveway??? Have you ever thrown a route? If you had you would have a much different opinion.

 

[Todd&Copper]

All they do is chuck the paper in to the driveway??? Have you ever thrown a route? If you had you would have a much different opinion.

We have a paper box under our mailbox which she uses about once a month, if that. The rest of the time, it is thrown in our driveway (which, BTW, is not near our front door, so she is not doing this for our convenience), where I have to drive over it. Have you considered that maybe all paper carriers are not as conscientous as the ones you know personally?

 

[SylviaL]

sunlover13--I think we have the same newspaper carrier! Sometimes, he throws it behind the tree so we can't see it. Drives me nuts!!! When we first moved here, our newspaper carrier actually put the newspaper on our front porch. We tipped well for that. But guess what? Right after the holidays, we got a new delivery person who left the paper by the curb.

 

[kydisneyfans]

The caliber of newspaper carriers vary widely from retirees trying to supplement income to housewives who stay at home with their kids to teens with pink hair that cannot get another job. Some are great, others should not be allowed to drive, let alone deliver papers.

As for driveway delivery, most people prefer that. For a paper to be delivered on the porch, the carrier must park their car, walk in the dark, and toss the paper, possibly waking your dog and family up. They then have to get back in the car and shut the door, making more noise to wake you up.

The trend 10-20 years ago was to porch everything, times have changed now. Safety is an issue, homeowner liability is another. If you kid leaves a scooter on the walk and the carrier can't see it since your front porch light is not on, you are liable for any injury.

Just some things to keep in mind here.

 

[1PrincessMomma1]

I've gotten the "tip" cards from the newspaper(who I tip $10 every 13 weeks when I pay my bill for sunday only delviery), the recycle man who throws my bin in the street, neighbors yard etc., and the garbage man who probably makes more than we do. Money is tight so guess what? You're all not getting a tip from me this year so sad so sorry.

 

[nanadeb]

When the newspaper was delivered by a boy on a bike, they really deserved a tip. They paid for the papers themselves and got very little for delivery. They often got stiffed at bill collection day.That was my brother. Nowadays, it's an adult or at least a driving age person who is paid no matter what because I have to pay the bill in advance quarterly to some accounting office in the Midwest (I am in Virginia).
My paper most often winds up in the gutter (during a rain storm), in the middle of my irises when they are in full bloom, or at the bottom of the driveway at the side of my house. Some days it doesn't show up and I'm out of luck if I don't find that out before 10 AM. Even then, all I can do is call the recording and hope someone gets me a paper.
It's a rough job, but those who do it do get paid. My husband has worked for 28 years as a government contrator for a big company. Because the military needs the services 24 hours, 7 days a week, but won't pay for the man power to do it the normal way, my DH works 10 hour shifts for 8 days or nights in a row. When someone goes on vacation or is sick, it goes to 12 hours at a time. He gets no bonuses, no tips, no nothing at the end of the year. It's a job. He lives with it.
Delivering a paper is now a job. Unless the paper delivery person does an extraordinary job or fulfills some special request on a regular basis, I don't think that tipping is really appropriate.
Oh, and BTW, government employees are not supposed to accept moneytary gifts, so it is really not a good idea to give your mail man money.

 

[DMRick]

Delivering a paper is now a job. Unless the paper delivery person does an extraordinary job or fulfills some special request on a regular basis, I don't think that tipping is really appropriate.

I'm sure your husband gets some benefits, such as health care or vacations. Some people aren't able to find a better job, or the housewives need to be back home to get the kids to school, or the teens have after school activites that prevent a 'regular' job.

Our paperboy is a teen (his mom drives him around each morning..but he can't throw them from the car...he'd need one heck of a good arm.. he grabs some, and she follows him along til he needs more), and the pay is not very good (according to my grand who briefly thought about it, then realized she got paid more to babysit). If you get lousy service, I can see why you wouldn't want to tip. I get great service, and I like to tip. I think it is encouraging to let him know we like the job he does, in two feet of snow, sub zero temps, or pouring rain (when each paper is put in a plastic bag to keep it dry).
No one has to tip, but since the OP asked.....

I wonder if I get the great service because I do tip. Although everyone on my street gets the same service, and I bet they all don't tip.

 

[dolfinjuls]

I would suggest to tip the newspaper carrier. I decided to try out the job for a short while and it is very hard work. Especially in the cold and snow/ice. I know it would be greatly appreciated! Certain newspapers you can call and add a tip instead of sending it to the carrier.

 

[KelliLee702]

We tip. The weather is good all year round here, and we get the paper every day. It is a service like many others. We found when we did give a tip along with a note: "Thank you for keeping the paper out from under the car all year long!" or something like that. Our newspapers almost always landed within easy reach. We always send it to the address listed on the card we receive from our carrier.

 

[ajk912]

Holiday tips I consider a gift, and I don't buy a gift for someone I don't have a personal relationship with. If I ran into my UPS guy, mailman, mail carrier, garbage man, etc, in the mall I wouldn't know who they were. So unless I know who you are, and you know who "I" am (stop number 486 doesn't count ) then no gift for you.

 

[pumpkinfish]

For those that do tip, how much? And to reference what I've stated earlier- we just moved here and started using her a few weeks ago.

 

[Karebear6505]

I just have to say that I hope people realize that special requests like asking for the paper on their porch is draining on the carrier and if you do this you definately should tip. My father was delivering one morning (of course in the dark considering the job is done in the middle of the night) and their was one street in which it was not well lit and my father had to put the paper on the person's porch and when he was walking up to it he sprained his ankle because of a small hole in the person's yard, my father had to then crawl back and continue until he finished the job or he would have lost his job, and then continued to do the job for several weeks on crutches with no days off allowed because their are no days off allowed under any circumstance. I don't think people can even begin to comprhend what it is like to deliver newspapers unless they've done so themselves. I used to help my dad on Sundays and found it to be unbelievably draining I can't even imagine how he does it every single day AND work another full time job on top of it. If you feel as though you are not receiving adequate service than call your carrier personally (you can usually call the paper company and get their phone number from them) and discuss your concerns because most of the time you can come up with a solution and find out that you may be blaming the carrier for something when it is really the fault of the newspaper company. SO PLEASE TIP YOUR NEWSPAPER CARRIER

 

[Karebear6505]

I don't know about your state but when my dad sprained his ankle delivering a newspaper to someones porch the homeowner had no liability, we had to pay for the medical bills while my dad was told to deal with it and do his job or lose it

 

[kydisneyfans]

I don't know about your state but when my dad sprained his ankle delivering a newspaper to someones porch the homeowner had no liability, we had to pay for the medical bills while my dad was told to deal with it and do his job or lose it

Most papers have the optional accidental insurance policy that costs about $2.00 a week to cover accidents. The insurance then goes after the homeowner if the accident occurs on private property. I was bitten by a dog and had to have shots, it was covered but the homeowner was taken to court by the newspaper and the insurance company, the hospital bills were paid in full by the homeowner.

As for the job aspect, you have no idea what goes into paper delivery until you actually perform the delivery. I work 50-60 hours a week as a district manager, and it is physically and emotionally draining. I have many, many days where I work 14 hours on 3 hours of sleep. How the wholesalers get up at 3:00, make deliveries, then work 8-5 jobs day in and day out boggles my mind.

Again, if your delivery service is poor, don't tip, but please be considerate to those getting up with the drunks to bring that newspaper to you. If your service is poor, call the service number and let us know. My territory is anywhere from 6,000-12,000 papers a day, I do not know where the problems are at without feedback from my customers.

 

[roxy83]

As a teenager I had a paper route with one of my friends. It was gruelling. Our customers very rarely paid on time and always complained about something. One day we were delivering in a horrible snowstorm. We took the initiative to double bag the papers (alternating the bags to allow for minimum moisture) and I received 3 complaints from customers that their papers were buried in the snow and damp when they found them. Seriously? We walked the route, threw the papers on the porch (if there was one), and ALWAYS had them out early. What I remember the most is that the pay for the month was around $90.00 for 2X a week delivery (and we shared it). It was NOT worth it by itself. However, many of our customers gave us a small tip each month as a thank you. Generally, we received $3/month as a thank you. During the holidays we received baked goods, purses, and small tips. It was very much appreciated to be remembered. We also remembered who tipped us or provided a little gift after the holidays. They received personalized attention as a thank you from us.

So now that I have ranted for awhile I would highly recommend providing your delivery person with a small tip as a thank you for the service that they provide to you. I always provide a small thank you to my mailman and UPS man (we order alot). We don't receive the paper or they would be on my list.

 

[dakcp2001]

OF COURSE I will tip the newspaper person! I really appreciate that they get up super early in the rain, snow, sleet and freezing temps to get my paper there in the morning. I am shocked that people would say no!

If you don't tip them, I wouldnt blame them for tossing you a soggy paper once in a while. Karma!

OP I usually give my paper carrier a 25 gift card to a local resteraunt or to Target. This year I am def doing Target.

This is in addition to their regular weekly tip.


AND since you just started using her, I bet if you give her a tip or holiday token of appreiciation, your paper will always be dry & on time

 

[disney1990]

I tip each newspaper carrier $100 at Christmas. They are providing a service to you, no different than a waiter in a restaurant. A waiter brings food, the wholesaler delivers your paper, in most cases while you are asleep.

Many just send the tip money into the paper office and the tip is credited to the carrier's invoice. Others arrange to give it to the carrier directly.

Based on being a carrier myself for 5 years and working in various capacities in circulation at 2 papers over 12 years, about 2/3 of the customers tip and the average is about $10/$15.

I sure would like to be your paper carrier. My DH and I have a $100 limit to buy Christmas presents for each other. I couldn't afford to put out another $100 to the paper carrier. I think that $20 is enough.

 

[scrapquitler]

We have always gotten the paper on a daily basis, and I tip the paper carrier $25 at Christmas (in cash).

 

[my2swedes]

We tip $20 for just the Sunday paper.