Tipping for services...

[Fire Me Boy!]

Not like restaurant tipping for the waiter, but tipping gardeners, postman, house cleaners, etc. Do you do it, and generally how much?

This is the first year we've paid a guy to handle our lawn. It's a business, but he's the only guy doing it. What's appropriate? Is cash preferred, or is a personal gift (wine, homemade goodies, or something) better?

[ptlyon]

Originally Posted by Frosty

Roth's IGA in Silverton, OR but imagine there used to be a ton of those kind of places.

Oh yes, IGA too.

I was shocked when the kid at Fareway insisted on taking my cart out for me. Then I realized they are supposed to & then also realized they didn't have any corals to put the carts in anyway.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by Frosty

We weren't supposed to let anyone go out pushing their own cart (some people needed them for support but you still went out with them) so it was part of our jobs. In the owner's eyes, since we were already getting paid to do it (and were required to do it) tipping wasn't necessary.

It was a small, locally owned chain where service was a big, big deal. You could get in big trouble for not taking the groceries out, for not (literally) running the carts back into the store, for not smiling (got in trouble for this a lot since I am not a smiley person) or not running when doing a price check.

Wife worked at Dillons in college, they wouldn't let them accept tips either. I imagine for them it was a lot easier to control customers sneaking some bills out of the cash register if there wasn't random cash floating around the place.

[Fish]

Originally Posted by Flachief58

I never have understood why employers make rules like this. If I do my job well and my customer feels inclined to tip me a few bucks, then that's between the 2 of us and the employer needs to

Depending on your employer, accepting tips could be illegal. And it's definitely against company policy most of the time.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by HonestChieffan

Good. Rural Mail Carriers have a pretty crappy job and doing something nice seems to me to be OK. Its like when we had the big snows last winter. I made sure I dug out the neighbors mailboxes so Roger could get to them. He made an effort to find out who did it and told me he really appreciated it. The dumbshit county road guys think its quite good sport to bury mailboxes. The old people up the road can't dig out all that. Takes me maybe 10 minutes with the tractor.

Yeah. The roads out in the middle of nowhere can be ass when it snows. Whenever it snows we make sure to clean off the mailbox too. Dad usually takes the time and clears the roads that we travel off, even if most pickups can make it just because it is a disaster when it melts. Most of the time the county does a decent job, but if dad is there first, he catches them. He's got a 14 foot rear end blade, I think he just likes to use it.

On the other hand though, I scoop my grandparents drive off (notably without a 14 foot blade), and they have a drop box on their house as does the neighbor. So rather than just staying on the street like people with normal mailboxes, the mailman has to walk up the sidewalk, drop off the mail, then back to the sidewalk along the street and up the neighbors sidewalk. Rather than do that, they walk up my grandmas sidewalk, then across her driveway, through some flowers, climb over a retaining wall, through the neighbors flowers and then the neighbors grass. My grandma and the neighbor have complained and they still do it, so I make the biggest damn pile of snow I can on their path so as to discontinue that activity.

[HonestChieffan]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

Yeah. The roads out in the middle of nowhere can be ass when it snows. Whenever it snows we make sure to clean off the mailbox too. Dad usually takes the time and clears the roads that we travel off, even if most pickups can make it just because it is a disaster when it melts. Most of the time the county does a decent job, but if dad is there first, he catches them. He's got a 14 foot rear end blade, I think he just likes to use it.

On the other hand though, I scoop my grandparents drive off (notably without a 14 foot blade), and they have a drop box on their house as does the neighbor. So rather than just staying on the street like people with normal mailboxes, the mailman has to walk up the sidewalk, drop off the mail, then back to the sidewalk along the street and up the neighbors sidewalk. Rather than do that, they walk up my grandmas sidewalk, then across her driveway, through some flowers, climb over a retaining wall, through the neighbors flowers and then the neighbors grass. My grandma and the neighbor have complained and they still do it, so I make the biggest damn pile of snow I can on their path so as to discontinue that activity.

I go a lot further with cab tractor. And its great being able to hook my iPod to the stereo. Kick up the heat, run the tunes and keep a small cooler close by. Makes helping out the neighbors fun. One guy says Im the only snow scooper who ever brought him a cold beer. Blade on back and front end loader up front

[ptlyon]

Originally Posted by HonestChieffan

I go a lot further with cab tractor. And its great being able to hook my iPod to the stereo. Kick up the heat, run the tunes and keep a small cooler close by. Makes helping out the neighbors fun. One guy says Im the only snow scooper who ever brought him a cold beer. Blade on back and front end loader up front

You can do my driveway anytime

[luv]

Originally Posted by Frosty

Our carrier won't deliver the mail if the mailboxes aren't completely cleared.

While some will, they don't have to. My dad slipped and fell going up the steps of someone's porch who hadn't cleared them. Fractured a vertebrae in his lower back and had to spend weeks lying flat on his back, only moving to do certain exercises or go to the bathroom. He still tries. For this type of reason, though, letter carriers do not have to deliver mail if the area around your mailbox is not clear of hazards.

[ciaomichael]

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

I tip the pizza guy. That's me. I don't expect others should have to feel obligated because there is a delivery charge instituted. Now that said, I absolutely think giving him a speech on why you're stiffing him is pathetic at best. Either own that you're an asshole, or fork over a couple of bucks to feel better about yourself. Telling him it's his companies fault that you're a cheap ass is chicken shit. Just own it. Now if a driver runs his mouth at you over it, then it's fair game and you should feel good about stiffing his ass. He doesn't make 3 an hour like servers do.

I don't give them a "speech." Just simply say that I understand the delivery service is included in the bill. Which it is. They get the picture - what used to be their tip is now their employer's revenue. What they do with this information is entirely up to them. No need for name-calling or emotional crap - it's a simple economic transaction.

It was the pizza company that changed the business model, not me. If a company wants to change its business model, fine. But don't expect me as a customer not to change my behavior in response.

[blaise]

I wouldn't order from the same pizza place twice if I didn't tip the delivery guy. I know that much.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by luv

While some will, they don't have to. My dad slipped and fell going up the steps of someone's porch who hadn't cleared them. Fractured a vertebrae in his lower back and had to spend weeks lying flat on his back, only moving to do certain exercises or go to the bathroom. He still tries. For this type of reason, though, letter carriers do not have to deliver mail if the area around your mailbox is not clear of hazards.

I seem to remember somewhere I've been that the resident had like 36 hours after the snow event to ensure the path the mailbox is cleared. Maybe that was just a city ordinance.

[blaise]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

I seem to remember somewhere I've been that the resident had like 36 hours after the snow event to ensure the path the mailbox is cleared. Maybe that was just a city ordinance.

They said that in Buffalo when I lived there. You had to clear the sidewalk, too.

[Moon§hiner]

Question for anyone that had delivered pizza. Where I'm at, they use their own vehicle. Do you get extra compensation for insurance and gas?

[tooge]

I tip my gardener, my pool girl, my cabana girl, my maid, my butler, and my driver. Oh, I also tip the gal that cuts my hair. I'm pretty generous.

[cosmo20002]

Originally Posted by ciaomichael

I don't give them a "speech." Just simply say that I understand the delivery service is included in the bill. Which it is. They get the picture - what used to be their tip is now their employer's revenue. What they do with this information is entirely up to them. No need for name-calling or emotional crap - it's a simple economic transaction.

It was the pizza company that changed the business model, not me. If a company wants to change its business model, fine. But don't expect me as a customer not to change my behavior in response.

You sound pleasant

[HonestChieffan]

Originally Posted by blaise

They said that in Buffalo when I lived there. You had to clear the sidewalk, too.

Last winter when we had so many big snows they had a story on KC News about Lawrence Kansas and their ordinance that said home owners had to clear sidewalks. You would had thought they were asked to suffer a death of a thousand cuts. Lazy bastards raised all kinds of hell.