Tipping Vent...

[JoiseyMom]

What happened to the good old days. You would tip your postman, with a gift, homemade foods, bottle of booze, sometimes cash. But you knew the postman. You would talk to him several times a week, adn you always got your mail, and never your neighbors. The paper boy, you knew the kid/person. You were able to go into a store and buy a cup of coffee without their being a tip jar on the counter. Why do they need a tip?> They are being paid above minimum wage for doing the job they decided to take!!

I opened my Sunday paper this morning, and insde it was the name and address of my carrier. Umm...I get the newspaper 1 day a week. This is a job they choose, they are getting paid... why are their hands out?

It just boggles my mind. It's a sense of entitlement. Tips are part a waitstaff job, because they don't make minimum wage...it is part of their salary.

Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[Lisa_M]

I agree. My parents tip their postman and carrier because they know them and they actually do a good job.

When we got the newspaper, our carrier couldn't even be bother to get out of the car to put it on our porch. Instead it was left in the wet grass by the road. Guess who didn't get a tip???? I no longer order the paper either.

Our postman, there are like 3 of them, just leave stuff at the door, but never even bother to ring the bell to let me know they left something (I was home every day for 1 month). I asked him to ring the bell and he still doesn't. No tip for him/them either. Besides, postal workers make good money.

Why is tipping expected for mediocre or sub-par service? I think I'll give the expected tip to charity. They deserve the money more.

 

[ceecee]

We have no idea who our carrier is for the paper. She sends us a card with the paper though. Our mail carrier has been our carrier for 8-10 years and is great. He also delivered mail to my office and if a package came on one of my work days (2 per wk) he would bring it there. He also gets out of the truck and plays with my dogs. They love the postman!

 

[aclov]

It seems everywhere you go, someone is looking for a tip. Even just asking for directions someone has their hand out, this actually happened to us in Las Vegas which is a big tipping city. I don't know my mailman or paper delivery person, because we're never home. I leave my house at 6:30am and return at 6:30pm, DH gets home even later. It makes me sad that I don't strike up the conversations with them that my mom used to with her mail lady, but times change. I do get annoyed with the tipping cups at Dunkin Donuts and even the ice cream shop, that I don't understand. I like tipping and tip good but believe it should be earned not and entitlement.

 

[pjstevens]

Hoping not to get trashed here, but reading some of these comments I just had to open my mouth. My husband delivered papers for 10 years. In our area, this is done between 3am and 6am every single day of the year. He didn't take this job because of some great benefits but it was the only time he could fit a part time job in with his full time six day a week job in order to make ends meet. In our area, the papers are delivered by the car and not to the door as they are called 'motor routes'. There are no longer paper boys who deliver to your step and come to the door to collect.

At Christmas time, he did put a card to each or our customers along with his name and address, because some customers pay the paper company directly so they never get a bill from us. Any tips he rec'd were due to the appreciation customers had for not having to get up and go out in the cold, rain, snow, or heat, and get in their car and drive to the store to buy the paper. This money in turned was used to buy our children's Christmas presenet.

YES, my husband choose this job, correct, but he never expected it to completely take over his life. Can you imagine working every single day of the year? It sucks! When your kids are waking up early on Christmas morning, you can't go down to the tree yet cause 'daddy' is still out delivering papers.

I also tip the guy at Dunkin Donuts, I know he's making more than minimum, but he makes my coffee when he sees me, he would always give the kids munchkins when they were with me.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

YES, my husband choose this job, correct, but he never expected it to completely take over his life. Can you imagine working every single day of the year? It sucks! When your kids are waking up early on Christmas morning, you can't go down to the tree yet cause 'daddy' is still out delivering papers.

Sorry but this don't cut it for me. I'm not trying to sound harsh but I used to have a job where I worked many a Christmas Eve and morning. Did I get tipped? No! Will I ever in the profession I chose? No!
Do I expect it? The answer to that is no also.

I am also sick of all the tipping. I agree with the PP, my newspaper carrier and postlady most certainly will not be on the list.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

It seems to me that if they're going to be tipped and they're already being paid well they should do a good job, or a better job than what is expected.

Alot of people work holidays or have service jobs, they get paid for them, they shouldn't expect tips. Gee, my Dh won't even be here this Christmas at all, maybe he should send out cards for tips .

My parents, too, gave our mail carrier and paper delivery person cards and tips, but they knew them personally, they talked to them or at least said hi to them regularly. I think that's also why customer service in general has gone downhill, people don't get to know their customers or service people, everyone's in too big of a hurry.

 

[Shanan]

I also do not tip my postman. I would not know him if I ran into him at a store or even in church. We don't get a paper. I do not leave a tip at a restaurant if I receive substandard service such as surly waiter or if I have eaten there many times and usually always have excellent service then I will ask to see the manager after I have eaten. I generally will ask the manager if my waiter had something going on in their personal life that might have affected the service. I mean we all have bad days - flats on the way to work; tests to study for; relatives who are terminally ill, etc. I have had one manager to tell me 'yes, she is having some personal problems' and I left a tip. If it is a new person or someone with an attitude then I will not leave a tip.
Now I will be giving my hair stylist a larger tip when I go to see him in December. I had a hair emergency one time and he worked me in on a Sunday. He is always helpful and yes I know him if I were to run into him at a store.

 

[clh2]

We tip our paper carrier, as well as the G-Men (garbage men) during the holiday season. We appreciate the job that they do for us, in what can be really crappy weather.

Our paper comes without fail. We get our Sunday paper in sections - they deliver all the ads, and non-news sections (tv section, home section etc.) on Saturday afternoon, which gives me a nice leisurely amount of time to plan what, if any sales I want to hit on a sunday morning. We get the news/sports sections on Sunday morning.

I would never have a job that would require me to get out of bed in the middle of the night to do anything, and I sincerely appreciate those that do.

Quite honestly, I pay more in tips throughout the year to my hairdresser (and I give her a X-mas gift too.)

 

[Toby'sFriend]

We also have a succession of Postmen, I wouldn't know who or how to tip them all. We've never had a paper delivered. I consider it a waste of paper when all the news anybody cares to read is available electronically.

I tip really well in restaurants, usually whether I've received good service or not. I have a soft spot for wait staff and their base wage IS less than minimum wage usually.

Sometimes I throw some spare change into the cup at Starbucks but I don't obsess over it. Starbucks pays very well.

The place that always irritates me is hotels and airports trying to get all the people who want to touch your bags whether you've asked for help or not or even want help or not. It's not even paying the money that irritates me the most, it is the constantly trying to make sure I have enough $1 bills in my pocket to hand out. Sometimes it feels like adult trick or treat.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

Our post office offend get us someone elses mail So I'm sure ours is going some where as well.

Our Newspaper guy breaks more items on our porch then he hits the door.

But the ones that will be getting their Yearly Tip is our Trash Guys they are great and never give us trouble.City workers but a tankless job , Things they can't take they make the call for pick-up and leave us a note on the date to put it out.

 

[dis ms.]

The place that always irritates me is hotels and airports trying to get all the people who want to touch your bags whether you've asked for help or not or even want help or not. It's not even paying the money that irritates me the most, it is the constantly trying to make sure I have enough $1 bills in my pocket to hand out. Sometimes it feels like adult trick or treat.

When we got to the DCL port on our last cruise, a very eager porter helped us unload our bags from the rental car. When he was finished, he said to my DH, "You won't see me inside, so if you want to take care of me, now is the time." His rudeness made me not want to take care of him.

To me, gratuities are a token of gratitude. Don't ask me for a tip, and don't expect a buck from me just because you have a jar on the counter. Why do all these people suddenly feel they're due a tip for doing their jobs? It's ridiculous. I almost expect to see a tip jar next to the tongue depressers and cotton balls at my next doctor's appointment.

 

[SHAYMARAYSMOM]

What happened to the good old days. You would tip your postman, with a gift, homemade foods, bottle of booze, sometimes cash. But you knew the postman. You would talk to him several times a week, adn you always got your mail, and never your neighbors. The paper boy, you knew the kid/person. You were able to go into a store and buy a cup of coffee without their being a tip jar on the counter. Why do they need a tip?> They are being paid above minimum wage for doing the job they decided to take!!

I opened my Sunday paper this morning, and insde it was the name and address of my carrier. Umm...I get the newspaper 1 day a week. This is a job they choose, they are getting paid... why are their hands out?

It just boggles my mind. It's a sense of entitlement. Tips are part a waitstaff job, because they don't make minimum wage...it is part of their salary.

Thanks for letting me vent.

buy the postman is doing a job they choose and getting paid very well for it. So why tip them? do not get me wrong I do tip my postman but he did choose this job

 

[dburg30]

buy the postman is doing a job they choose and getting paid very well for it. So why tip them? do not get me wrong I do tip my postman but he did choose this job

Not so much anymore, and I'm sure there are some GREAT mail delivery folks out there, but the postal person wasnt just that.. They knew the folks, they would check up on the folks they knew were maybe older, or not in great health. Or just plain seemed to give a crap. I can understand if you've had the same mail person for umpteen years that you'd take care of them..


edit: OH, and usually I wouldnt consider a once a year 'gift' a tip actually. I would consider it, well a gift

 

[lisajl]

Question for those that are tipping....

How much do you give your garbage man? We have a recycling guy too.
They do a great job and I completely forgot about them.

Our mailman changes every couple of months so I don't know what to do there.
Plus, isn't there a limit on how much you can give a postman?

Thanks
Lisa

 

[disneysteve]

buy the postman is doing a job they choose and getting paid very well for it. So why tip them? do not get me wrong I do tip my postman but he did choose this job

Technically, postal workers are prohibited from accepting cash gifts. The rule isn't often enforced - who would tell - not the giver and certainly not the receiver.

 

[sandym718]

I do tip our postman, same guy for years, does a great job, brings packages to the door. I don't tip our newspaper delivery guy. We pay the company directly and it is delivered to a box by the road. So I do have to go out in the cold, rain etc. to get it (200 feet to the street). Where I grew up it was delivered to the door by a kid each day - my parents used to tip and if that were my situation I would tip. But not for a 2 second, in-the-car delivery that he is already paid for. And I am another who works holidays - just worked Thanksgiving, will be working Christmas Eve, but not Xmas itself this year (yay!!) I am in social work, and for many years (before kids) I carried a pager 24-7, on call all day, every day and night of the year. Why? Because I CHOSE that job and like what I do. I certainly got no tips, and the pay stinks, but I knew that and I CHOSE it. All about choices. We always have the chance too of my DH missing a holiday- he plows snow, so if it snows Christmas Eve, well he won't be there Christmas morning. Think those parking lots he's plowing give a tip, LOL. But, again, that's a choice.

Anyways, I think it's all about choices. I choose to tip for personalized service that is above and beyond the job someone is already paid to do.

 

[kwnancy]

Our UPS driver, Dave is amazing. He will either deliver my packages to work or at home (both on his route). I just started a part-time job (also on his route) and he's delivered packages there as well.

He gets homemade fudge every year. And he must appreciate it, cause he always asks if we (DH and I) are making fudge again this year.

 

[tonilea]

Count me in the "tipping and the expectation of tipping have gotten way outta hand" club. I get tipping waitstaff. Having been a waitress, I know they are poorly paid and depend on tips.

I tip my hairdresser, but only because she charges $5 for a cut and I just don't think that is enough.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

When we got to the DCL port on our last cruise, a very eager porter helped us unload our bags from the rental car. When he was finished, he said to my DH, "You won't see me inside, so if you want to take care of me, now is the time." His rudeness made me not want to take care of him.

To me, gratuities are a token of gratitude. Don't ask me for a tip, and don't expect a buck from me just because you have a jar on the counter. Why do all these people suddenly feel they're due a tip for doing their jobs? It's ridiculous. I almost expect to see a tip jar next to the tongue depressers and cotton balls at my next doctor's appointment.

I do belive it is customary to tip the porters. They do expect it.