Seasonal Tipping
 

The thread on subcontracted mail delivery made me think about seasonal greenbackian thanks.

We've always had home mail delivery until we moved here, but I've never tipped the letter carriers because you're not supposed to. Now that I know they're not government employees, maybe I will this year.

I give the Waste Management guys $100. (Which, btw, don't try taping a big neon colored envelope with huge magic marker lettering to one of the boxes by the curb because they don't pay attention. Now I just listen for them and dash out.) It's different on the historic side, but those guys pick up anything you chuck out there, week in and week out.

We also give $50 tips if we go out to eat somewhere we eat frequently, like Golden Corral.

Other than those, I don't think we do much. No building super, of course. Oh, I did give the pizza delivery guy $20 last night. Gave me a hug, he did. :)

Is there other year-end tipping that goes on around here? Hair stylists? Pool maintenance? Landscapers? Cleaning service? Newspaper delivery?

Dan at Cal's at Colony.

I tip the newspaper guy, the mail guy, and the lawn maint. people, and of course, when we go out to eat.

Definitely your cleaning people. The lawn guys unless they're the owners, but be sure to tip them directly. Too many bosses keep the tips for themselves.

Basically, anyone who does a personal service for you on a regular basis.

My postal station mail carrier usually puts a card in my box every year so I will know who she is and where to send the money. No card so far. No card no tip.

You could put an envelope in your mailbox with a tip, marked "to my mail carrier".
Be sure to push it all the way through your box.
Our carrier has told us that if she isn't working in the postal station, we can communicate with her this way.

Good point. Trickle down never applies to lawn companies.

I like to hand my tip to the letter carrier to ensure she gets it, as they may not work that day, if I put in my mailbox.

Paper delivery person is tipped with my renewal subscription.

What's the best way to tip the trash pick-up guys?

Run and catch them. Or put a six pack with an envelope in it. Of course, there's no guaranty that someone going by won't grab it.

So this would be cash? I think there may be two people working in my postal station.

I fill out a card and insert cash and put the mail carrier's name on the envelope and slide it to the back of my box so it sticks out of the back a little bit.

We usually only have the one mail person working in the mail stop. If there are others, they are subs for when she is on vacation.

Since I always get a thank you card from the mail carrier, I am sure it is getting to the correct person.

Z

I don't know for sure if it will be the same person as last year.

If you address the envelope to "Mail Carrier for _________" and insert your address and Box number, it will get to the correct person, and you will receive a thank you note in your box.

I try to meet the trash truck when it comes to the house. You can hear them coming for some distance.

I usually see and talk to my mail person many times during the year so I know it is the same one.

Z

The problem has been solved: I received a Christmas card from my mail carrier yesterday. Her tip will soon be on it's way. :)

How do you know that who comes by today on the trash trucks are the same ones that came by last week or the week before?

I can't be certain, but I wave at the driver enough that I would have a pretty good idea.

I don't think anyone really knows for sure. There's a turnover of workers. On my street there's a driver and two guys picking up the trash. Then on Friday there's a separate pickup for recycling and on Wed. there's a separate pickup for yard waste. Who's going to bother noticing if it's always the same guys. You'd have to run to catch them early in the morning.

Years ago when I lived on the east side of 441 it was one guy working alone. He drove the truck and would stop, get out, and pick up the trash. Everyone knew him and tipping was easy.

I don't tip for garbage anymore.

Our cleaning people have changed regularly, so I haven't had the same cleaning person since the first year we had the service, also sometimes there is one helper and other times two helpers. As a result we used to tip the cleaning person we had the first year, but since then it doesn't make sense cause you don't know who the person may be from month to month. I did tip the paper carrier she left a Christmas note like always. Old mail person used to leave a note, new ones have not. So for me it is not easy to determine who I am tipping, and if I can't I don't.

I usually just tip the lawnmower "boss/owner" and the cleaning lady. I assume that they take care of their workers. The workers are not really my concern as I seldom see the same ones throughout the year.

The rest are easy because it is the one person.

Z

Tipping is for exceptional service. The garbage people either pick up the garbage or they don't. There is no way for them to give exceptional service.

You could always anger them as an experiment to see what happens. :jester: