Life Tipping for services... - Page 9

**Fire Me Boy!** · 12-11-2013, 09:15 AM

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?

HonestChieffan · 12-11-2013, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chaunceythe3rd

Government employees such as postal workers should not be allowed to accept any type of gratuity. Pretty much goes to equity for other government employees such as police, building inspectors, zoning officials, utility workers, etc. who may be judged by the appearance of providing special treatment because of receipt of a gift. Basically, think of it this way - "If I don't tip them then is my service reduced in any way?". If the answer is "Yes" than you are a victim of extortion. Report them and they are probably in big trouble or out of a job. Too much liability accrues to the employer, especially governments, when this occurs. Private sector maybe not so much because you can fire them as a service provider whereas you can't fire the government as a monopolistic service provider.

In the private sector, I always tip food staff at restaurants and anyone who is in a low paying and/or part-time job who excels at their work for me.

I enjoy cooking and baking. With it just the wife and I, I end up with more stuff cooked or baked than we can use a lot this time of year. Last week, I baked bread. It was a new recipe I'd found of foods cooked on cattle drives. It was published in 1902. Quite interesting. Anyway, we have a very nice mailman and I gave him some of the bread and rolls. I wonder now if that was putting his job in jeopardy. I hope not.

Frosty · 12-11-2013, 02:34 PM

When I was in high school, I worked at a grocery store as a courtesy clerk (the guy that bags the groceries and then takes them out to the car for you). I had people try to tip me all the time for taking their groceries out to their car but we could get fired for taking tips so had to refuse them all.

**Mr. Flopnuts** · 12-11-2013, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCUnited

Our pizza guy has been the same for nearly 2 years, I tip for peace of mind.

I live in a small town that is filled with tourists. By tipping, I know I'm delivered to first. Every time. That's a good enough reason for me. I'll also generally just get off my lazy ass and pick it up too. If I'm playing Madden and getting high, it's worth $5 to have it brought to me.

FlaChief58 · 12-11-2013, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frosty

When I was in high school, I worked at a grocery store as a courtesy clerk (the guy that bags the groceries and then takes them out to the car for you). I had people try to tip me all the time for taking their groceries out to their car but we could get fired for taking tips so had to refuse them all.

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

**loochy** · 12-11-2013, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmo20002

This is sound advice, folks.

Yessiree.

Screw societal norms and expectations of others.

KCUnited · 12-11-2013, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

I live in a small town that is filled with tourists. By tipping, I know I'm delivered to first. Every time. That's a good enough reason for me. I'll also generally just get off my lazy ass and pick it up too. If I'm playing Madden and getting high, it's worth $5 to have it brought to me.

Yep. I want a guy to see my address come across and get excited to bring me food. Road raging to get that shit to me.

**ptlyon** · 12-11-2013, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by threebag02

I will tip a whore if she does a good job.

I believe this right here is the origin of the term

ClevelandBronco · 12-11-2013, 02:46 PM

For Christmas we tip the woman who cleans our house regularly twice what she makes when she cleans. We also tip the postman $25 or so, which isn't much. On the other hand, he has a lot of clients, so it's up to us all to make it interesting for him. I've heard that he's not supposed to accept tips. I cannot say whether that's true. He accepts them.

EDIT: Now I see the conversation above dealing with postal carriers and such.

**luv** · 12-11-2013, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HonestChieffan

I enjoy cooking and baking. With it just the wife and I, I end up with more stuff cooked or baked than we can use a lot this time of year. Last week, I baked bread. It was a new recipe I'd found of foods cooked on cattle drives. It was published in 1902. Quite interesting. Anyway, we have a very nice mailman and I gave him some of the bread and rolls. I wonder now if that was putting his job in jeopardy. I hope not.

It was not. Receiving such gifts might put you in good graces with your letter carrier, but, chances are, if you're giving them gifts, they were in your good graces to begin with as well. Your level of service should remain the same as anyone else's. You just might get a smile or extra friendly conversation, which, again, you were probably already getting to begin with.

**ptlyon** · 12-11-2013, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luv

It was not. Receiving such gifts might put you in good graces with your letter carrier, but, chances are, if you're giving them gifts, they were in your good graces to begin with as well. Your level of service should remain the same as anyone else's. You just might get a smile or extra friendly conversation, which, again, you were probably already getting to begin with.

Is your name Debby, per chance?

HonestChieffan · 12-11-2013, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luv

It was not. Receiving such gifts might put you in good graces with your letter carrier, but, chances are, if you're giving them gifts, they were in your good graces to begin with as well. Your level of service should remain the same as anyone else's. You just might get a smile or extra friendly conversation, which, again, you were probably already getting to begin with.

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.

A few years ago I re set my mailbox. Its on a steel pipe 8inch diameter set 4 feet deep in concrete with a deadman on the bottom and the pipe is filled with concrete. they hit that and somebody's snowplow will stop dead and rattle the guys teeth. The stupid kids who wack mailboxes stopped shortly after that too.

Frosty · 12-11-2013, 03:00 PM

Quote:

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

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.

**ptlyon** · 12-11-2013, 03:02 PM

Quote:

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.

Fareway

Frosty · 12-11-2013, 03:02 PM

Quote:

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.

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

Frosty · 12-11-2013, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ptlyon

Fareway

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

12-11-2013, 09:15 AM
Fire Me Boy! Cast Iron Jedi Join Date: Nov 2004 Casino cash: $9999900 VARSITY	Tipping for services... 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?
Posts: 35,253

12-11-2013, 02:34 PM	#122
Frosty Go Beavers! Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Warshington Casino cash: $5608243	When I was in high school, I worked at a grocery store as a courtesy clerk (the guy that bags the groceries and then takes them out to the car for you). I had people try to tip me all the time for taking their groceries out to their car but we could get fired for taking tips so had to refuse them all.
Posts: 14,501

12-11-2013, 02:46 PM	#128
ClevelandBronco I'm with the banned. Join Date: Sep 2006 Casino cash: $5658955	Tipping for services... For Christmas we tip the woman who cleans our house regularly twice what she makes when she cleans. We also tip the postman $25 or so, which isn't much. On the other hand, he has a lot of clients, so it's up to us all to make it interesting for him. I've heard that he's not supposed to accept tips. I cannot say whether that's true. He accepts them. EDIT: Now I see the conversation above dealing with postal carriers and such. __________________ "Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth ..." – Pope Saint John Paul II Last edited by ClevelandBronco; 12-11-2013 at 02:53 PM..
Posts: 28,113