Tipping Vent...

[hinodis]

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

Thank you for ackowledging your garbage man. DH drives a city garbage truck. You have no idea how hard they work. Imagine lifting bags that weigh up to 50 pounds and throwing them in a truck several hours a day. If it is snowing and below zero, thunder and lightning, downpour, humid and 97 degrees out side. Rats jumping out, cok roaches and of course magets. Sounds like a fun time. DH is a very hard worker and rarely gets a tip. Yes, he did choose his job. He has never expected a tip. He is happy to have a good paying job with excellent benefits.

I too am soooo sick of people wanting a tip. I will tip if I want to.

 

[dis ms.]

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

Yep. It's customary to tip waitstaff, too. Still, I'd be more than a little put off if my server said, "Here's your change. Since I'm not going to see you again, if you want to take care of me, now is the time."

 

[disneymom3]

Thank you for ackowledging your garbage man. DH drives a city garbage truck. You have no idea how hard they work. Imagine lifting bags that weigh up to 50 pounds and throwing them in a truck several hours a day. If it is snowing and below zero, thunder and lightning, downpour, humid and 97 degrees out side. Rats jumping out, cok roaches and of course magets. Sounds like a fun time. DH is a very hard worker and rarely gets a tip. Yes, he did choose his job. He has never expected a tip. He is happy to have a good paying job with excellent benefits.

I too am soooo sick of people wanting a tip. I will tip if I want to.

We used to tip our garbage collectors in our old house. They were amazing. I also called the company to thank them and tell them what great workers they had. Our pick up was in the early afternoon but DH usually put the can our before he left for work. Then he started a job where he traveled a lot. Did I mention I was pregnant? Yeah, so here I am, hugely pregnant in a MN winter trying to get the can down the driveway. The garbage truck was coming up the street, heading the opposite direction. They stopped and the one guy got out of the truck and said, "Ma'am, you can't do that!" I was very confused and in my confusion said, "But my husband is out of town. Who else is going to do it?" He said, "I am and after we pick up your garbage we'll bring the can back up to the garage. If your husband is gone next week or whenever you just leave it up by the garage and we will take care of it for you. We can't have you slip and fall!" It still brings tears to my eyes how nice that guy was! So, he got a great tip and I called the co that day to make sure they knew about it.

Now, not so much. They have a lifter thing on the truck so they don't ever get out and more than half the time they start to drive away so that your can falls over as they put it down and they just carry on their merry way. No tip for them!

 

[kaytieeldr]

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.

So, don't tip.
For starters, your mail carrier is VERY limited in what she could accept anyway - and I'm pretty sure does not expect to be tipped.
When I was growing up, my parents tipped the newspaper carrier every week.
When each of us kids delivered papers, we were tipped every week. In neither case was a tip given or expected at Christmas.
As with pjstevens' husband, I pay the paper directly - not the carrier, so I don't tip weekly/monthly (despite the envelope she throws in with the paper every months). On the other hand, I will tip at Christmas - my choice.
Ditto for Dunkin Donuts - I get a "fancy" drink, and the staff all know me, so BY CHOICE, I tip every day.

And, back to pjstevens: You all know that Sunday paper you get? The carrier has to pick up the papers at the distribution center, and often assemble them, and deliver them to a wide route - all before the given time (here, the Sunday/holiday deadline is 8 AM).

I don't tip the UPS driver - but if I'm spending a lot of time picking stuff up at the distribution center around Christmas, I will give the staff a gift; cookies or something that everyone can share.
I will tip one of the (very well-paid) maintenance people here - well, really, gift him - because he did me a huge favor.

But it's all MY choice.

 

[EnchantedPrincess]

Last year, I give our mailman and our UPS driver a Christmas card with gift cards inside. We have a wonderful UPS driver and mailman. I really worked the UPS driver last holiday season since I was selling a lot on eBay and buying a lot from online as well), so he was by almost every day...sometimes, twice a day if all my packages weren't ready when he came by to drop off.

 

[samanthacatangel]

I always give a gift to my mailman. I talk to him all the time, get loads of packages and he is great. Now, I know it is his job to deliver these packages/mail, but I never get anyone else's mail and he is just a really nice guy. Not so much in regards to his vacation replacements. I give my regular mail carrier some cash and homemade cookies.

I have a soft spot for paperboys because my brother was one many years ago. That said, our last one was horrible. He would chuck the paper out his car window, and I usually had to search for it. Well, I left a Christmas gift in the mailbox. Guess what he never got?

A few weeks ago we got a new paper boy, who introduced himself with a nice letter. It is the best "paper service" I have had in the almost 3 years since I've lived here. He will be getting a gift at the holidays, and I do tip him weekly as well.

Sanitation workers I usually tip for good service (like not throwing my lids down the block). This year has not been so good. Last week, for whatever reason, they only decided to take half my garbage. Both cans were neatly placed by my curb, I suppose they took the one they liked better. Can't figure it out. Needless to say, i am not worried about the Christmas gift this year.


I really don't mind showing these guys I appreciate them at the holidays, especially if they go beyond the job requirement.

Samantha

 

[Davidsmommy]

I am a full time internet seller (over 200K in gross sales a year - my average sale is $30 - so I have a lot of packages). My mailman picks up my outgoing USPS packages every day. Without fail. He hated me at first - but I gave him $100 gift card several Christmases ago, and he has gone above and beyond ever since. So he always gets that. And, it is honesly the BEST $100 I spend in my business each year. It guarantees that he will help all year - and believe me, he does.

I also tip my UPS drivers (usually $25 each - as I have 4 - at the holiday time 2 pickup and 2 dropoff).

I don't tip the garbage men.

I don't get the paper at home anymore but if I did I would tip.

Honestly, tipping these guys to me isn't about being generous, it is about securing good service for the upcoming year. That may be shallow, or bad, but it works for me.

 

[JoiseyMom]

We used to tip our garbage collectors in our old house. They were amazing. I also called the company to thank them and tell them what great workers they had. Our pick up was in the early afternoon but DH usually put the can our before he left for work. Then he started a job where he traveled a lot. Did I mention I was pregnant? Yeah, so here I am, hugely pregnant in a MN winter trying to get the can down the driveway. The garbage truck was coming up the street, heading the opposite direction. They stopped and the one guy got out of the truck and said, "Ma'am, you can't do that!" I was very confused and in my confusion said, "But my husband is out of town. Who else is going to do it?" He said, "I am and after we pick up your garbage we'll bring the can back up to the garage. If your husband is gone next week or whenever you just leave it up by the garage and we will take care of it for you. We can't have you slip and fall!" It still brings tears to my eyes how nice that guy was! So, he got a great tip and I called the co that day to make sure they knew about it.

Now, not so much. They have a lifter thing on the truck so they don't ever get out and more than half the time they start to drive away so that your can falls over as they put it down and they just carry on their merry way. No tip for them!

Wow, if I had garbage men like that I owuld have tipped too! Our current company stinks!! More often than not, I still have garbage left in my can. I am hoping our township goes with a different company next contract.

 

[SunKat]

I've always given a tip to our mail carrier at Christmas. She's been our carrier for a few years now and is very friendly and always stops to chat. Most of all though, my dog loves her. He's a big doofy Lab and he waits outside for her everyday (our front yard is fenced in). She gives him a dog treat daily, pats him on the head and throws his toy a few times. If the dog isn't outside when she gets to our house, she leaves his treat by the door. We give her money for the holidays and she gets chocolates from the dog.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

So, don't tip.

Thanks, I think I already said I wasn't!

And as I said before there are plenty of jobs that require early start times and working weekends and holidays. Tipping is ridiculous.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Tipping may be ridiculous... until you walk a mile in their shoes

 

[K&KsMom]

I am a full time internet seller (over 200K in gross sales a year - my average sale is $30 - so I have a lot of packages). My mailman picks up my outgoing USPS packages every day. Without fail. He hated me at first - but I gave him $100 gift card several Christmases ago, and he has gone above and beyond ever since. So he always gets that. And, it is honesly the BEST $100 I spend in my business each year. It guarantees that he will help all year - and believe me, he does.

I also tip my UPS drivers (usually $25 each - as I have 4 - at the holiday time 2 pickup and 2 dropoff).

I don't tip the garbage men.

I don't get the paper at home anymore but if I did I would tip.

Honestly, tipping these guys to me isn't about being generous, it is about securing good service for the upcoming year. That may be shallow, or bad, but it works for me.

Davidsmommy I was just wondering what you sell for your internet business. My DH and I have been thinking about venturing off in a new business. Thank you

 

[JPN4265]

Tipping has gotten completely out of hand. You are now expected to tip even when you serve yourself. I think that tipping should be eliminated and people just given a wage that is in line with their abilities.

 

[kathi29]

I have a tip for my mail carrier, but I have already passed it on to the local post office and on up the line from there. Her tip? Find a new job, because apparently properly delivering mail is not one of your skills.

 

[suevee]

I tip my grandchildren's school bus driver. He is very kind to all the children and has a lot of patience. It is a special person that chooses to be a school bus driver!!! I don't tip counter service, don't get a paper, and I like my mail carrier so I give her a Barnes and Noble gift certificate.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

Question for those that are tipping....

How much do you give your garbage man?

and how do you do it? do you just run out when you see them coming? we are often not home then.

 

[cynjam]

I believe tips should be for service above and beyond what the job requires. They shouldn't be expected or asked for. Gifts are for family and friends, because you care for them. My mailman delivers the mail in the box, just like he's paid to do. Some of the subs even walk through my yard, front to back, to deliver the next house in the alley. No tips. Our G-man picks up the trash at the back alley every week, except when he's on vacation. Then we wait two weeks. He gets paid to pick up trash, he doesn't do anything extra. No tip. When we were on DCL and someone started unloading our bags from the trunk, I assumed that was his job, so no tip. At the end of our cruise when they asked to help with our bags and wheeled them all the way to the car and loaded them, we tipped. My kids 7 & 13 have the same bus driver (at different times). He watches out for them. When DD13 was running late to the bus stop, he stopped on his way to pick her up, so she wouldn't have to run. He drops my DS7 right in front of the house and makes sure there is someone there before he leaves. One day, my DD13 had an appointment and we were running a little late, maybe 5-10 minutes. Sure enough, as we turned the corner, there was the bus parked in front of our house, with the bus driver and my DS7, just talking up a storm. That's above and beyond. I know he cares for my kids as if they were his own. Every time I bake I make sure he gets a goody bag, and of course there will be something extra this Christmas, maybe a tip and a gift!

 

[flakypuff]

I do tip but here is a funny story...well maybe not so funny.
Last year we were new to our street.
I left the mailman a bottle of wine and a giftcard by my frontdoor.
I was doing some holiday baking with the music on so I thought I
might miss him.
It was gone so I knew he got it.
Well, about 2 weeks later I got a thank you from some women name Charlene .
I mentioned it to Jason (the mailman) he said he had the few days before Christmas off so the fill in (temp)must have gotten the gift!
That same week me and my kids left a box that was wrapped for the trash men. It had all New Years stuff..napkins, chips, balloons and gift cards for Blockbuster and Pizza. We left it by the cans and waited by the window to see when they got it...the guy picked it up and threw it in the trash truck.... by the time we all raced outside and he heard what the heck we were yelling about it was covered in trash
Did I mention the box was WRAPPED! I learned a lesson..I will hand them to the people this year

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

I am so upset with my paperMAN that I never tip him. We have had the same guy since we moved it. 2 years ago I bought him a nice box of candy with his name on it and sat it in my paperbox. The next day I got a handwritten note thanking me for the candy but in the future he would appreciate the cash. He then let me know that 20.00 would be just fine. Now I just set out a card letting him know that his tip has been used to replce the grass he killed when he drives on my lawn to give me the paper.

 

[flakypuff]

I am so upset with my paperMAN that I never tip him. We have had the same guy since we moved it. 2 years ago I bought him a nice box of candy with his name on it and sat it in my paperbox. The next day I got a handwritten note thanking me for the candy but in the future he would appreciate the cash. He then let me know that 20.00 would be just fine. Now I just set out a card letting him know that his tip has been used to replce the grass he killed when he drives on my lawn to give me the paper.

I am just amazed!