This morning I grabbed my paper which was hermetically sealed in a plastic bag because it has been snowing here the past few days. When I opened the paper I found a card inside. Not an advertising card but a greeting card or Christmas card from my carrier.
I’ve never gotten a Christmas card from my carrier before so I thought it was pretty kind of her (turns out my carrier is a woman). Then I opened it and noticed another envelope tucked inside with her name and address on it. She wants a tip and was kind enough to do most of the work for me.
Dear Abby says we should tip our paper carriers, hairdressers, the people who carry our groceries to the car for us (I’m not sure there are any of those left but who knows I shop at the place where you have to not only bag your own groceries but you have to scan them too), our butcher (same as the previous) and other people who perform services for us but otherwise don’t get tipped.
Seems you can’t go anywhere these days without seeing a tip jar. I actually saw one at my bank the other day! I don’t throw money into these coffers mainly because I am broke but also because the service is usually not very good and I figure they probably make more than I do. I have never worked at a company where we were allowed to accept tips.
I do tip the woman who cuts my hair. I do this because she does a great job, I went to high school with her, she is a single mom like me, and mainly because she only charges $10 per cut and she usually trims my daughters hair when she cuts mine at no charge. I tip her a minimum of $30. I also don’t get my hair cut but twice a year so it doesn’t break me.
The dog groomer is another one that Abby says should be tipped. If the groomer were bathing my cat I would tip but the groomer is bathing Stanley. It’s not that hard. The last time I brought Stanley in to be groomed he came back with a black eye because the groomer put him in the backyard with one of her dogs and they became rambunctious. Stanley doesn’t get rambunctious, the other dog beat him up. The groomer didn’t give me a discount for maiming my dog so I feel no need to rush down and leave a tip.
Do you tip? If so to whom? How much?
People who bring me food? Check.
People who cut my hair? Check.
People who touch my luggage? Check.
People who clean my hotel room (in my oh-so-frequent travels)? Check.
People who drive me places? Check.
People who bring my mail? I haven’t in the past.
Mechanics? If it’s a sole proprietor situation. At a dealer or corporate kind of thing, I’m not sure how to go about doing that.
I tip at restaurants, of course. I also tip when “to go” food is either delivered or I go get it. I don’t tip much if I go pick it up, only about $2. I tip more if they deliver. Um… No way do I tip at the bank, I feel I’ve already put most of thier kids through college with the fees they wallop me with. I am a hairstylist, so I generally over tip even though I can’t really afford to, being a single mom. Good subject. Very interesting and easy to read. In other words, not a bit boring. 😉
I know, to me it’s kind of weird. I do definitely tip some people, but in other situations I think to myself, “Aren’t you already getting paid to do this job? Why do I have to “pay” you too?” I mean, DH doesn’t get “tips” for writing computer programs for public safety that could save people’s lives, why should I tip the gal at the Dunkin’ Donuts window? I don’t know.
I only tip people who bring me food.
I tip waiters/waitresses. hair stylists, baggage handlers, delivery people, and cabbies (that is all I can think of). I have never tipped a paper delivery person. My feeling is kind of that if I have never seen you, I don’t need to tip you.
Tipping a bartender very well on the first drink order is usually a great way to ensure good service for the rest of your time there. In a normal tipping situation (restaurant, etc.) I’ll also usually go out of my way to tip a younger employee, because they could use the both the encouragement and the cash.
I usually try to tip anyone who works in a job where they make very little, such as the newspaper carrier, waitstaff, hair dresser.
I can probably guarantee your newspaper carrier isn’t driving up in a new Beemer or a Benz. Usually, it’s a person who is struggling and working a route as a second job, or is underemployed. It’s a tough part time job. I did it for a couple years when my daughter was a baby.
It sems easy enough, but imagine getting up at 4 every morning, 7 days a week, not able to call in sick, or to take a day off for any reason without arranging a substitute. BTW, you never know if the sub will even show up. It is a very crappy job.
Try to through the carrier a couple bucks at Christmas.
Oy vey. Throw the carrier a couple bucks. Sorry about my bad spelling.
🙂
During Christmas time we usually put a small gift like box of chocolates or something like that in the mailbox.
I think it is rude to ask for a tip! I would have given her a little something if she didn’t ask for it.
I’m actually impressed on some level that she did ask for a tip. It is a tough job. My brother had a paper route when we were kids and I would tag along with him at 5am. I am the younger of us two. My paper arrives in a plastic bag and always on the top stair so I have no complaints. I’m sure this is not the job her career counselor recommended for her. I’m sure she could use it more than other tippees. I might give the mailman some cookies or something but he always makes a grunting noise when he sees that I have left letters and packages for him to take to the post office. I also know he has a nice pension and all that. I’m not worried about him and if he’s complaining becuase he has to walk through the snow well screw him for walking across my lawn all summer long so I have no grass right in front of my house. He gets no tip!