Christmas Tips Two

Less · 27-11-2005, 12:16

Well thanks for the help in the first christmas tips thread.

Now surely no-one is going to take a kick at the good old postie if I ask how much you think he deserves?

You know of him but some of you may never have seen him he calls every day (except Sunday) delivering all those important letters (why are mine always printed in red?), and what would we do if this cheery chappie wasn't to arrive each day with his sack full of free offers and your chance to join a pension scheme (that seems biased against you actually living to claim it).

So, come on, how generous should I be to this most essential of callers?

lettie · 27-11-2005, 12:27

Ooooh, I don't know what to advise. My mum was a postie for several years. As a general rule the posher the area and the more income people had, the less they tipped. My mum always appreciated tips, but not necessarily money.... Some of the older ladies used to give her a mince pie or some chocolates....

K.S.H · 27-11-2005, 12:55

Well my post is coming later and later these days, sometimes 13:30 when it arrives so they wont be getting a tip off me! we do have lots of other stuff thats delivered at odd times of the day ie betterware, takeaway menu's and the likes - should I tip them?

garinda · 27-11-2005, 13:00

I find the whole area of tipping a nightmare. I always give cab drivers a tip, and sometimes offer to buy someone who has served me in the pub a drink. In restaurants again I usually leave a tip, if the service has been good.

I do find it strange how traditionally we tip some trades and not others. We wouldn't go into a shop and tip someone who served us, even though they are probably on the minimum wage, but we would probably leave a tip for a hairdresser, who is probably on the minimum wage as well, but who works in an industry that has a history of relying on tips to supplement their income.

Acrylic-bob · 27-11-2005, 13:17

At the risk of coming across as a sort of twenty-first century Ebenezer Scrooge. I don't think that postmen deserve tips. It is not as though they are going out of their way to help or doing the job as a form of voluntary service or out of the goodness of their hearts.

They actually get paid quite well, and unlike the rest of us mere mortals they will be allowed to retire early, at our expense.

After living here for ten years my postman still does not know that only I live here. In addition to this I regularly get letters that should have gone to other addresses too.

The only tip I would give my postman is "learn to read"!

Gayle · 27-11-2005, 13:25

Huge minefield isn't it? I've never even considered tipping the postie before although I suppose that at Christmas he does have to work very hard. Only trouble is, how do you do it? I'm rarely in when he calls and it's sometimes a different chap - how should I get the money to him? Same with bin men - I'm usually out when they come round and I wouldn't trust putting an envelope on top of the bin because that would be unlikely to get to its intended recipient.

I always tip hairdressers, cabbies and at restaurants, plus I usually give the paper boy something.

chav1 · 27-11-2005, 13:44

the only person i realy tip is my barber , not coz he does a good job on my hair but more to keep him happy due to him been the guy holding the cut throat razor when i go for my shaves

as for the postman if you decide to tip him start him off on a pound and tell him that each year you go without junkmail it goes up a pound

Margaret Pilkington · 27-11-2005, 14:32

I do not tip the postman or the bin men.....come on, they are getting a wage for what they do. Where do you draw the line...do you tip the teacher who teaches your children.....?do you tip the milkman.....? I give tips to the paper boys because they do not get well paid......I may tip in a restaurant if the service has been good.....I hardly ever take a taxi. It isn't that I am mean.....I just think that tipping can get out of hand.

Less · 27-11-2005, 16:53

Taken out of context Warning!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gayle

plus I usually give the paper boy something.

OOOeeer, missuss,

Can I be your paperboy??????????????

janet · 27-11-2005, 16:54

Come the week before christmas my window cleaner posts chrismas cards to the houses he cleans, in the hope people will give him a tip. Me being tight leaves the money on the window ledge, that way he has no need to knock for payment and no need for me to tip him. ( I'm a tight s*d I know )

lettie · 27-11-2005, 17:19

I'm a naturally tight person and never tip for services such as rubbish collection and post. I have tipped my hairdresser before now but only at Xmas. I pay my window cleaner enough as far as I'm concerned. I tip in restaurants only if the service is good, but I never tip if a service charge has already been added.....I have been known to refuse payment of the service charge when the service has been rubbish.

This tipping malarkey is not part of our culture in this country. It is something that we have borrowed over the years from Europe and the USA. I know that it is culture to tip for everything in America. A mate of mine worked in New York for a couple of years and basically her tips were her wages. I don't like this idea of having to tip a set amount either, eg 10% of the bill. I think it should be up to the individual how much they are going to tip.

SPUGGIE J · 27-11-2005, 17:20

Never seem to have the same postie week by week so how can I tip one without the other. Restuarants yes as a mater of course. Barbers/haidressers sometimes. Dont have a milkman so no tip there. Never see the bin men so no. The little dudes who deliver the local free rag yes because I have it delivered without the fliers as requested.

Less · 27-11-2005, 18:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPUGGIE J

Never seem to have the same postie week by week so how can I tip one without the other. Restuarants yes as a mater of course. Barbers/haidressers sometimes. Dont have a milkman so no tip there. Never see the bin men so no. The little dudes who deliver the local free rag yes because I have it delivered without the fliers as requested.

Well thanks very much, I was on a roll there and now you've ruined it! There was going to be Christmas tips 3, 4, 5 & 6 more threads than you could shake a stick at! but now out goes:-
Restaurants- tips, food for thought?
Hairdressers- tips, is there a short cut?
Milkman- tips, is he creaming it?
paperboy- tips, whats the latest?

Margaret Pilkington · 27-11-2005, 20:40

So we have inadvertently spoiled your plans there Less - sorry about that!

Neil · 28-11-2005, 00:13

I was getting worried then Less. I thought you might mention Rabbi's tips