Another Tipping/Gift Poll....

[BayGirl2]

So many questions in this area. I've historically been confused by who in my life to tip, and now that I'm all grown up its time to do it right this year. So of the service providers listed above, who do you give a tip or a gift to around the holidays. Feel free to elaborate on value or details.

ETA: I've never heard of tipping the UPS guy, but I feel like I should. He's here with deliveries a few times a week and often brings them inside the door for me while I'm pregnant or holding the baby. I'm sure many BBB members have a similar relationship. :wink2:

[emily]

I would like to tip our UPS/Fedex guy but I ever see him.

We tip the newspaper people. They actually enclose a card with their address with our paper in early Dec.

[TwinFoxes]

I voted house cleaner, because I did last year (she's no longer with us). UPS, because I intend to this year. And an "other", our dog sitter. It's tough to find a good dog sitter!

[crl]

I do gift cards (or participate in group gifts) for teachers. I also do gift cards for babysitters and ds' bus driver. This year I don't have any, but when ds is taking swim or similar lessons, I have sometimes done gift cards for that teacher. None of these are big amounts, $10 to $30.

Catherine

[boolady]

We do teachers at daycare and house cleaners. I also give my hair stylist extra tip $$ when I get my hair done for the last time before Christmas.

[BayGirl2]

Good point about the swimming teacher.
Can't edit the poll, but also:
Coaches?
Trash collectors?

[AnnieW625]

I tipped the house cleaner when we had one. I did candy. Others I usually do candy or a monetary gift for hair dresser. I have left a 6 pack of beer for the trash guys ( that was something my mom did when we were growing up but we lived in a small city). I will most likely leave a plate of cookies for the CSA delivery guy.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

just housecleaner and regular sitter (2x mornings a week).

[Twoboos]

We do the house cleaner (just over a typical visit's pay). I would tip the UPS man, but during the holiday for some reason it's NEVER our usual guy on our route! I'm not tipping the holiday help.

We never tip the post man or trash man. The post man is creepy and will chuck our packages around and leave them in puddles (perhaps b/c we don't tip him??), and I have never thought to tip the trash man.

[HonoluluMom]

Usually the trash collectors. I used to tip the mail deliverer, but probably won't this year because I don't have a regular delivery person.

[Dream]

UPS guy and trash collector. Our UPS driver already has a helper so I keep looking for the regular driver.

DD's not in day care but taking Gymboree pre school skills classes 2 days a week, different teachers. Should I get them a gift, what's the norm? I'm new to these classes and things and don't know whether others do.

[momtoonegirl]

We give teacher gifts for school, and I also give my hairdresser more ($30) over the tip that I usually give for the holiday.

[hillview]

housecleaner
dog walker
babysitter
UPS/Fedex
USPS
school teachers

[baileygirl]

DS1 is in morning preschool, so we give gifts to his reg teachers and special teachers (i.e. spanish).
We also are giving gifts to DS2's parent/toddler teacher (lesser amount).
Kindermusik teacher, swim teachers, Sunday school teachers and helpers.
Probably the mail carrier as well.

[MommyofAmaya]

UPS guy and trash collector. Our UPS driver already has a helper so I keep looking for the regular driver.

DD's not in day care but taking Gymboree pre school skills classes 2 days a week, different teachers. Should I get them a gift, what's the norm? I'm new to these classes and things and don't know whether others do.

It would never occur to me to gift the Gymboree teacher. I'm interested in hearing other responses to that though.

We do school teachers, UPS and mail (if we have a regular carrier, which we do this year).

[Cam&Clay]

We do the following:

Housecleaners (not sure about this year as we switched to a service and there are different people here each time)
Preschool teachers (DS1 is in middle school now so no more gifts)
Daycare teacher/sitter
DS1's Soccer Coach (He plays year round)
Yard Guy (usually bake something)

[BabyH]

I'm going to give the housekeeper a gift basket from Heavenly Ham (I forget the new name of that place)

I always have given the three trash guys $10 Speedway cards, but this year I think I'm going to do $10 gift cards somewhere and layer cookies. DS is OBSESSED with trash, and they always make a point to slow down, honk and wave to him standing at the front door, every week, and I just think it's really sweet. And one of the guys always makes a huge deal if I'm driving by and he's out because my college license plate on the front of my car (an out of state school) "matches" the hat he wears, so we always give each other a thumbs up. I like them and appreciate them, and in turn, my lids are always back on my trash cans!

For the mail carrier, who is wonderful and brings large deliveries of mail to my door, and also recently warned me about a copperhead (!!!!!) slithering around my mailbox I think I'll go with one of those nice variety popcorn tins.

Oh, and for DS' two preschool (one year old class) I coordinated the gifts by sending letters to all the parents asking for funds for gift cards to a local spa so the teachers could have some R&R over the break. So far I've gotten enough for each teacher to have a $50 gift card! I'm happy about that and am hoping for more donations:wink2: I got the gift card holders for $1.50 each on Etsy and they are adorable....

[fivi2]

Of those, the only ones I think I have done are teachers (gift). I usually just do main class room teachers. I don't do activity teachers. We have done end of season coach gifts (not for every activity though), but I wouldn't do a holiday gift. I wouldn't do gymboree teachers.

I used to love our mailman and our UPS guy when I was a sahm, but never got around to tipping them. Our garbage people are awful and it is all the robotic arm anyway, so no tip for them! (they do not get out of the truck - even if they screw up and tip it over or spill trash - they just leave it there).

I guess I am cheap! Just doesn't really cross my mind until I read these threads, have a moment of guilt, and then move on.

[mom2one]

So how much do you tip the housecleaner? OUr comes once every 3 weeks and we have used her maybe 6 months. I am trying to figure out what would be a good tip amount.

Also, what to tip the hairdresser.

TIA
Susan

[pb&j]

I reserve the best of the best of my homebaked goodies for our garbagemen. Seriously, these guys are awesome. Not only are they prompt and reliable, but they are really friendly, and have, on occasion, let DS pull the lever to dump the can into the truck. It might be the highlight of his youth.

[kijip]

I said everyone on the list except for store owners (owners=no tips), mail person and UPS people. I would tip the mail carrier but they keep sending us the third stringers or something and it is just good we EVER receive ANY mail. And they are mostly total assholes. I really miss the lady we had before she retired. RE: UPS, we don't get a lot of packages and I think they are ninjas or zombies as the bell rings, late in the evening, and there is a package. No sign of a delivery person at all. Perhaps it is coming by owl.

[kijip]

So how much do you tip the housecleaner? OUr comes once every 3 weeks and we have used her maybe 6 months. I am trying to figure out what would be a good tip amount.

Also, what to tip the hairdresser.

TIA
Susan

We tip 1 cleanings worth. But our guy comes every week and is kinda cheap. For an expensive, less frequent person I might do less. We also leave him a tin of treats.

[BayGirl2]

So how much do you tip the housecleaner? OUr comes once every 3 weeks and we have used her maybe 6 months. I am trying to figure out what would be a good tip amount.

Also, what to tip the hairdresser.

TIA
Susan

I am debating too. Ours are from a company and we usually get the same two women every time. I've only used them like 4-5 times so far, monthly. I think I will be giving them each a $10 Starbucks gift card with some cookies.

Compared to other's posts that's maybe not enough. But I specifically hire this company and pay more for them because it is employee owned, offers fair wages and benefits. So I feel like the gift is more of a token of thanks, and an extra month's cleaning fee ($225) or something equivalent sounds extravagant to me and is not within my budget anyway.

[barkley1]

How much, or what, for the postman? Ours is really nice, comes to the door a lot and always has something nice to say about the baby or DS. We live in a kinda small town in the mtns tho, and I've never really heard of a fit for the mailman until now....don't know if it's common here and I just am clueless, or what.

[WitMom]

Can I ask a dumb question? How do I go about tipping the mail and UPS guy (or woman...I have no idea which it is). I'm not home during the day, so I have no idea if it's even the same person every time. I mean, I don't want to stiff them, but I have no idea who they even are?!? We may not even have a "regular" for as much as I know.

[elephantmeg]

this year I am doing teachers (between the 2 kids 6 teachers and a bus driver-ouch!), the mail lady (last year I just left it in the mailbox addressed to the "nice lady in the jeep"-and she sent me a thank you note and has been super great this year! most of my amazon stuff comes through the USPS so she really does a lot of work for me!), and I guess I'll catch the housecleaner when she comes the week after Christmas-I totally wasn't thinking Christmas tipping when she was here the week after Thanksgiving. And since our monthly date night babysitter comes this weekend I guess I'll do something for her too! Sigh

[pastrygirl]

What do you do for the UPS person? If it's a gift card, how much? I see ours all the time (daily, lately), and he's so nice. He'll even bring big packages inside for me.

[lhafer]

I should leave a tip for the UPS/Fed ex guys because of how much stuff from Amazon I've bought this year...but now that it's the busy season they have helpers, and I wouldn't be sure it got to the right person!!

[wendibird22]

Mail carrier (we've had the same woman for years), newspaper carrier, daycare teachers and director, and an extra tip for my hairstylist. I don't tip/gift trash collector or delivery person (never the same person twice).

[JMS]

Trash collectors and recycling. I often wonder if I should be tipping the UPS / Fedex guys???

[Mopey]

My super gets a nice big $ as he is indispensable to us. No doormen but would do them as well if we had any.

My hubby just told me this morning (we have a new mailman, but it changes a lot) that technically USPS mail carriers are not allowed to accept gratuities. (!!)

Ours left a little holiday card so I am thinking (as it is my work and I have some leftovers from a client this morning) I will leave him a small bag of iced sugar cookies instead.

[fedoragirl]

For those of you who tip housecleaners, could you suggest how much? We have a new one who started 2 weeks ago. She asked for minimum wage as she's an immigrant, doesn't speak the language, and really wants the job. Of course, we pay her 30% more than what she asks. I really want to give her a Christmas bonus but not overdo it since we already pay her a fair wage. I just don't want her to start expecting such bonuses etc. IYKWIM.

[fedoragirl]

My super gets a nice big $ as he is indispensable to us. No doormen but would do them as well if we had any.

My hubby just told me this morning (we have a new mailman, but it changes a lot) that technically USPS mail carriers are not allowed to accept gratuities. (!!)

Ours left a little holiday card so I am thinking (as it is my work and I have some leftovers from a client this morning) I will leave him a small bag of iced sugar cookies instead.

They are allowed a max of $20 in gifts. We got a notice in our mailbox about it.

[Mopey]

They are allowed a max of $20 in gifts. We got a notice in our mailbox about it.

Ah! Ok. DH said he read something.....maybe it was about cash presents? Anyway, my cookies are my best seller so hopefully he will like them :)

[artvandalay]

Ok, the UPS tipping: Here's my question. I've never tipped the UPS guy. We get lots of packages delivered but I never see him. He comes at all different times of the day and he will knock once, leave the package and leave. He never waits for me to come to the door so I've never seen him or spoken to him. I guess I don't know if this really warrants a tip? I mean, he's not going "above or beyond" or anything. The mailman is a different story, because I talk to him all the time.

Do you guys that tip UPS guy, do you have a better "relationship" with him? I mean, does he ring the doorbell, wait for you? How do you even know what time/when he is coming to give him something?

I've given the mailman gifts in the past beause he knows I'm usually home. He rings the doorbell and always waits for me to hand me packages.

Also... how much should I tip the mailman? I used to give him a tin of homemade Christmas cookies, but I haven't had time to bake any. I want to just give him cash. Is this ok? If so, how much?

[DebbieJ]

Ok, the UPS tipping: Here's my question. I've never tipped the UPS guy. We get lots of packages delivered but I never see him. He comes at all different times of the day and he will knock once, leave the package and leave. He never waits for me to come to the door so I've never seen him or spoken to him. I guess I don't know if this really warrants a tip? I mean, he's not going "above or beyond" or anything. The mailman is a different story, because I talk to him all the time.

Do you guys that tip UPS guy, do you have a better "relationship" with him? I mean, does he ring the doorbell, wait for you? How do you even know what time/when he is coming to give him something?

I've given the mailman gifts in the past beause he knows I'm usually home. He rings the doorbell and always waits for me to hand me packages.

Also... how much should I tip the mailman? I used to give him a tin of homemade Christmas cookies, but I haven't had time to bake any. I want to just give him cash. Is this ok? If so, how much?

Fed Ex man: I have a home based biz and he delivers LOTS of big boxes to me. I once asked him to leave them in front of my garage door and he now does that. I am able to track packages, so I knew what day he would be here. I had a card with a $10 gift card in it, so I just taped it to my door and labeled it "Fed Ex Man." All this time and I still haven't asked him his name. He comes often, so I know it's the same guy. He always knocks and runs, so I knew he would see it by the front door. He took it yesterday after delivering three boxes. I didn't need to be there to give it to him.

USPS carrier--he got a card with a $10 gift card in it too. I left it with my other outgoing mail and addressed it to him. I stopped and asked him his name when he started my route earlier this year, so I could at least put his name on his card. :)

[BabyH]

Just realized I already posted in this thread!

[FTMLuc]

I really would like to tip out trash collectors, as they have been super nice and picked up our trash when it was too heavy or I have forgoten to attach a sticker. I will not be home when they come by, how would I tip them? If leave something (WHAT??? a 6-pack of beer? Cookies?) by the trash, I am afraid it might get thrown away by accident, if I put a BIG sign on it, it might be taken by someone else. Those that tip yout trash people, how do you do it?

[BabyH]

I really would like to tip out trash collectors, as they have been super nice and picked up our trash when it was too heavy or I have forgoten to attach a sticker. I will not be home when they come by, how would I tip them? If leave something (WHAT??? a 6-pack of beer? Cookies?) by the trash, I am afraid it might get thrown away by accident, if I put a BIG sign on it, it might be taken by someone else. Those that tip yout trash people, how do you do it?

Here's what I do, the morning of, I put the gift cards (I know there are three guys) in an envelope, and then put that envelope in a BIG manilla envelope, and I write "Merry Christmas!" in huge, bright marker all over it, and I duct tape it to the very top of the bag of trash they'd grab first. And then I just put the lid on like normal. They've never missed it :wink2:

[essnce629]

We tip our housecleaner (who is also our babysitter). I thought it was standard to tip what you would normally pay per cleaning. We pay $90 a week, but we'll probably give her $100 cash since that's easier and she babysits for us a month for date night and for a few hours so I can volunteer at DS1's school. Cash instead of a gift since things are really tight for her right now (husband left and she has 3 kids).

I don't tip UPS. It's different people all the time and I also get packages regularly from USPS, Fedex, and Ontrac.

I don't tip our mail carrier either because they seem to change often too!

I would never be able to tip the trash collectors since there are 3 different trucks that come and if I left anything on top of my bins they would be taken by the homeless guy that rummages through everyone's trash looking for bottles to recycle on trash day.

We do a gift/class donation for DS1's teacher every year.

[mjs64]

A friend who used to be a UPS driver says you shouldn't tip, that they are union? Dunno, but thats what he says.