Holiday gifts for service providers?

Sunny

Sunny

SF VIP
Location
Maryland
Do you generally give a gift, either cash or something else, to people who have provided services throughout the year, such as mail carriers, hairdressers, newspaper delivery people, maids, landscapers, etc.? Does the length of time they have been providing the service make a difference in this?

This subject was introduced in the Games thread, and I thought it really belongs here. I never quite know what to do about this. So far, I've given a generous gift to my newspaper guy, because I don't tip him all year (never see him!) and I feel sorry for anyone who has to deliver papers at 4 AM.

Also gave my contribution to the janitor, maids, etc. in my building. There is a box in the office to put in contributions, so they get a (hopefully) large gift from the residents of the building.

How do you handle this?
 

I'm a lot chintzier than Sunny. If they got a tip for their services , when they provided them, I don't tip again for Xmas. The paper guy is OK, but I'm not tipping every human being that somehow is known to me. Bah humbug!!
 
Nope. I do most of the "providing" for myself. I do love my mailman and he loves me back. so I give him cards throughout the year. I don't have any other service people so it's sort of a moot point.
 

I'm like chic, I don't really have anyone that provides personal or specialized services for me other than the people that cut my hair a few times each year and I tip them on the spot.

The other people in my life like the mailman, maintenance people in my apartment complex, mechanic all get a paycheck just like I did when I was working.
 
I agree with what Aunt Bea said, especially the last paragraph.

A "First World problem" 😏

(Here in the US postal carriers aren't allowed to accept tips and gifts must be valued at least than $20. As far as a newspaper I don't get one (TV & internet are more current), and aside from an aunt & uncle I don't know anyone who gets a daily newspaper.)
 
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A few years I left an envelope with $10 for my mailman, not every year, but this year I feel like doing it so will do it. I don't do it for anyone else, don't have newspaper delivery or any other delivery where the same person does the deliveries.
 
I give my gardener an annual treat snd my hairdresser a 10% tip when I go there. I always tip room services like what we call or used to call chamber maids: the staff who valet the room stayed in for any length of time. I tip waiting staff when I dine out and anyone who gives ne good service even if I dont get to see them. Coach drivers on a holiday get a tip from me.
 
'Gifting' my delivery people, and that includes Mailman and UPS and FedEx, would be impossible. I don't see the same delivery people on a regular basis, and that's the same scenario with Amazon delivery.

And building maintenance crew/office workers are given a private dinner party before Christmas. ... and for hard work they get good bonuses.
 
I have in the past. They don't allow us to give gifts to our postal workers here. I have given gifts to the managers here where I live and already did this year so won't again. It was just a token of appreciation.
 
I give gift cards to the 3 staff workers at the Condo office. They do things for me that are not covered in their job description. Jerry brings my mail, puts it on my patio chair and pulls it to the door so I can easily get it. I put my trash bag on the patio and they take it to the dumpster when they bring my mail. They know I cannot walk very far without my cane. etc. We know about each other's families and how they are doing. I consider them part of my family.
 
Yes as I stated on the other thread, we in the Uk do this generally the day after Christmas which is boxing day, the traditional day from centuries ago where masters gave their servants the day off, and gifted them a boxed present..

.. so the tradition which was started in the Uk and spread to Australia, new Zealand and several European countries , means that we tip our regular people who have provided a service for us throughout the year.. someone other than those you may regularly tip like a hairdresser or waitress, instead, it's the Postman, the newspaper deliverer, the milkman and the Refuse collectors.. and usually only if you have the same one providing that service throughout the year, which in fact in my area we do.

I've known my postman and the relief postman for some years, and always give them a tip with a Card at Christmas, and they always send a lovely card in return with thanks. ..and I get great service from them all year. I wouldn't however tip the Fed ex, or Amazon delivery guy because we rarely get the same person twice..
 
We have different mailmen all the time, we do give a cash tip to the newspaper carrier. There was a small envelope with their address on it in the paper this week, seems like the same person for years now, we just put the cash in and mail it.
 
terry123 said:
I give gift cards to the 3 staff workers at the Condo office. They do things for me that are not covered in their job description. Jerry brings my mail, puts it on my patio chair and pulls it to the door so I can easily get it. I put my trash bag on the patio and they take it to the dumpster when they bring my mail. They know I cannot walk very far without my cane. etc. We know about each other's families and how they are doing. I consider them part of my family.
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Very nice, terry123. 🙂
Something extra for those people is certainly merited.
 
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SeaBreeze said:
We have different mailmen all the time, we do give a cash tip to the newspaper carrier. There was a small envelope with their address on it in the paper this week, seems like the same person for years now, we just put the cash in and mail it.
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Sunny said:
Me too, SeaBreeze. (Envelope with their address). Same guy every year. Maybe we have the same guy?
😁
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It's kind of sad when a tip is expected to the point that a person gives you a SASE.

I remember when the paperboy used to at least give you a tacky one-page calendar in anticipation of a Christmas tip.

I would decline on principle even if it meant a wet or torn newspaper from time to time.
 
When I got the daily paper there was always an envelope in one of the papers in December for a tip. I always gave one as my paper was always on time and if it was wet from the weather he would replace it without me asking.
 

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