[redwitch]

You tip them extra if they've gone the extra mile for you IMO. I don't tip professionals such as nurses or owners of lawn care companies, seems like it would be an insult to them plus they make well above the minimum wasge. When I had emergency surgery at TVH, I dropped by after and left some goodies for the nurses to enjoy to thank them for their great care. I will tip the actual guys who do the lawn work -- minimum wage is what they get and, during the winter months, that amount is drastically reduced as hours go down (yet the owner still manages to charge full rate for cutting).

My tip list includes the folks at the postal mail boxes. They are all subcontractors and have to bid so low to get the job they don't even make minimum wage. My mail lady goes out of her way for me, so I not only give her a small tip at Christmas but an occasional thank you tip when she drops something at the house for me that won't fit in my box. She certainly deserves the thanks.

And maybe that should be the rule of thumb -- if someone deserves a special thank you, give it to them. I'll also tip or gift at Christmas for jobs that you can't pay me to do like garbage pickup. Whether that thanks be in the way of a note to their supervisor (works great for grocery checkers and retail store clerks) or a monetary gift. Let people know they're appreciated, it makes them (and you) feel good and almost always guarantees extra service when needed.