Tipping and the Holidays... what is your cultural norm?

[.Shane.]

OK, just had an interesting conversation w/ a cube mate.... He gives Christmas "tips" to the mail carrier, garbage collectors, lawn guy, recycle guys, etc....

I found this all, to be honest, very surprising. The idea of tipping the garbage collector, etc.... well.

So, what do you do? If you're not the person who pays the bills, then ask your parents what their practices are.

Also, state where you're from as I'm sure the norms vary greatly from state to state and country to country. In my example, my co-worker is from the East Coast and I'm from the West Coast.

 

[Masquerouge]

OK, just had an interesting conversation w/ a cube mate.... He gives Christmas "tips" to the mail carrier, garbage collectors, lawn guy, recycle guys, etc....

I found this all, to be honest, very surprising. The idea of tipping the garbage collector, etc.... well.

So, what do you do? If you're not the person who pays the bills, then ask your parents what their practices are.

Also, state where you're from as I'm sure the norms vary greatly from state to state and country to country. In my example, my co-worker is from the East Coast and I'm from the West Coast.

It's not unheard of in France. Usually you do not actually tip, but buy a calendar from firemen, mailmen, garbage collectors. They go door-to-door selling it.

 

[Xanikk999]

I nice log-shaped ice cream cake.

 

[JonnyB]

In my early teen years I had a paper route, I used to cash in at Xmas time

I don't really have anyone to tip except the mailman, and I never see him.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Nope, I really don't change my tipping habits. Now, I will leave a great big gingerbread cookie (you know those big frosted ones) wrapped up in the mailbox, for the mailman, but that's about it.

I find, though, that people seem to be more generous with their tips around Christmas time; I make bank all month long.

 

[Whomp]

The cleaning lady was given double her normal today.
I gave a kid who recited a rap poem to me on the street a fiver instead of a dollar because it took more effort.
My doorman, maintainence man and postman are all awesome so I gave $300 to the holiday fund, all in.

 

[.Shane.]

I find, though, that people seem to be more generous with their tips around Christmas time; I make bank all month long.

Are you a waiter?

 

[slip79]

Not usually the norm here. But I do on occaison "tip" people.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Are you a waiter?

Some days.

 

[Sidhe]

Same tip I give every year: don't eat yellow snow, hell I pay my taxes, I'm not a rich man, if they wan't something for nothing above and beyond what I pay them already K, but unless I get rich quick they're sht out of luck. I give my excess to charities sometimes, worthy causes not guys who actually earn more than I do for doing less. No one gives me a tip for working hard, working hard is it's own reward.

I tip waiters for good service, if their useless then I still tip them but less.

 

[thetrooper]

Back in the days we used to tip the paperboy.

Just the old hures getting any nowadays.

 

[Rambuchan]

Holiday time does see more tips going out to folk from me than usual; the pizza guy, the delivery guy, the waiter(ess), the barstaff, buskers etc. During the rest of the year good service is noticed and rewarded with a tip anyway, because they deserve it and because it goes a long way (not just monetarily).

As the OP requested it:

I'm posting from the land where the fictional character Scrooge supposedly lived and supposedly uttered: "Bah Humbug!"

The cleaning lady was given double her normal today.

I hope the fiancee didn't find out.

 

[joycem10]

My parents used to tip the mailman when I was a kid, but I never really followed up.

I live in the burbs so no doorman or anything like that.

I will give the guy at my parking lot a bottle of booze this year, but hes about the only service guy I deal with on a regular basis.

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

My family does nothing except visit relatives, open presents, eat food, and watch some sports. We don't tip anyone, because we like our money.

And I am from Michigan.

 

[Till]

My parents tip the mailman. I don't, as i've never seen/met him and my mailbox is too close to the street to safely leave the tip in an envelope for him to pick up.