I brought my trash cans in from the curb and saw a discreet little card about tips for the holidays. I opened my newspaper and a greeting card from my carrier fell out. My realtor sent a little calendar in the mail. My letter carrier, who always gives great service, seems to be putting her all into the job. I haven’t seen my lawn care guy recently. No need to cut lawns with snow on the ground. However, a card is probably going to appear in my mailbox and day. And then some people have the house cleaning service, the kid who shovels snow from the sidewalk, the pool guy, the house sitter…How do you decide whether to give someone a holiday tip and how much should you give?
Well, you’ll be happy to know that you don’t need to tip your realtor. He or she just wants to be sure you remember who you used to buy your current home in case you decide to resell it and would be flabbergasted to receive a tip. And, while your mail carrier may really, really deserve a tip, he or she isn’t allowed to accept it. According to Emily Post, you can give your carrier a small, inexpensive gift, but may not give a gift card or any form of money.
However, your private trash collector employees, your newspaper carrier and all the other folks who provide services for your home would be happy to be tipped. Emily Post has an entire set of guidelines for what to give different people and also talks about what to do if you can’t afford to tip.
If you do decide to leave a tip, just remember that it is best to give it in person or to mail it to your service person’s address. My garbage disposal service company asked that any tips be sent to the staff at the office address because thieves are finding and stealing their tips and this type of thing probably is not limited to my area!
Do you tip the people that help you care for your home or do you feel that they’re just doing their job and don’t deserve a tip on top of the money you already pay for services?
Photo: SXC
Post from: Blisstree