Do you tip your mail carrier for the holidays?

caseysmomgo

caseysmomgo

Cathlete
If so, what do you give him/her? We have a regular carrier, but there are also so many others who substitute throughout the year, I don't see our regular guy that often. Last year I just gave containers of cookies/pretzels that I made.... I don't know... Cash? A gift card?

TIA for any ideas. Thanks!
 
I'm just wondering what to do for her myself. I would like to give her some small token to say thanks, I just don;t know what is appopriate.
 
The regulation for US Postal workers is that they are not allowed to accept a gift of cash.....but mine always does;). He is our regular carrier and I give him $25. He is always very appreciative.
 
Not to sound grouchy but why does everyone expect a tip or feel obligated to tip these days, specially postal employees who are decently compensated with benefits. Why not make a donation to an organization in their honor, or just say thanks for a job well done?Food pantries are hurting far more for your few dollars than the postal dude (or dudess). I know. I'm a big ol' Grinch.
 
We always tip our mail carrier who goes out of his way to bring packages up our quarter-mile long driveway and saves us the time and trouble of going down to the post office to pick up packages that don't fit in our mailbox. We also tip our newspaper carrier. But that's about it on tips. We give $50 to the mail carrier and $25 to the newspaper carrier.
 
My Granny lives with us so our mailman prefers her food over tips so he gets cakes and pies for his family around the holidays and fruit salads and whatever she can conjure up for him throughout the year.
 
Gotta agree, Beavs

Beavs said:
Not to sound grouchy but why does everyone expect a tip or feel obligated to tip these days, specially postal employees who are decently compensated with benefits. Why not make a donation to an organization in their honor, or just say thanks for a job well done?Food pantries are hurting far more for your few dollars than the postal dude (or dudess). I know. I'm a big ol' Grinch.
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I would tip the newspaper carrier, but not the mail delivery persons "who are decently compensated with benefits." Nah, you ain't a Grinch, and neither am I.
 
Beavs said:
Not to sound grouchy but why does everyone expect a tip or feel obligated to tip these days, specially postal employees who are decently compensated with benefits. Why not make a donation to an organization in their honor, or just say thanks for a job well done?Food pantries are hurting far more for your few dollars than the postal dude (or dudess). I know. I'm a big ol' Grinch.
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I'm jumping on the big ol grinch wagon here too. Very good points!

I'm an RN on a busy oncology unit, and for the things that I do, don't get or accept tips. Just sayin'.
 
Boingo1 said:
I'm jumping on the big ol grinch wagon here too. Very good points!

I'm an RN on a busy oncology unit, and for the things that I do, don't get or accept tips. Just sayin'.
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I was amazed on a daily basis of the dedication to medical teams showed my mom and my niece during their often and often long hospital visits by over worked under paid employees. I know at one of our local hospitals there have been lay offs, pay cuts, and raises denied for years in a row and yet these people show up to work, often for multiple shifts, with their game faces on. Kinda makes luggin' packages up the driveway pale in comparison ;)
 
holiday tips

I always leave some homemade Christmas cookies in my box:)
I don't think I have a regular postman, though, as I see about 4 different people throughout the year on my route....

Cindy
 
Beavs said:
I was amazed on a daily basis of the dedication to medical teams showed my mom and my niece during their often and often long hospital visits by over worked under paid employees. I know at one of our local hospitals there have been lay offs, pay cuts, and raises denied for years in a row and yet these people show up to work, often for multiple shifts, with their game faces on. Kinda makes luggin' packages up the driveway pale in comparison ;)
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The nurses and nurses aides I work with , not to mention the IV team, Respiratory team, doctors, messengers, etc are so dedicated and work so hard to make patients comfortable. I wouldn't ASK for or expect a tip, I was just thinking of all that we do compared to mail carriers.

It actually is nice enough just to know people notice.

Thanks Beavs! :)
 
I was going to stay out of this, but I just need to state something here.

Out of curiosity - are any of you letter carriers?? Ever been a letter carrier??

My BF is a letter carrier, and while it's true he isn't 'saving lives' out there, he is doing his job. For him and all letter carriers to be judged, indicating they're not deserving of a holiday tip (all totally voluntary from the people on the routes, mind you) is unfair. He is 'dedicated' and 'works hard to make' the people on his route 'comfortable' just like a lot of other people who take pride in their work do. For a lot of people on his route, HE is the only person they see everyday. They look forward to him delivering the mail so they can see at least ONE person a day. If one of these people wants to show appreciation and offer candy, cookies, money, whatever, what's wrong with that??! And they don't 'ASK' or 'EXPECT' a tip as it seems some of you are implying.

All this comparison of letter carriers and medical workers is ridiculous. Who are any of you to tell anyone who they should tip and who they shouldn't? If I want to tip someone for good service, I'm going to tip them. What's wrong with that?

And I'm not even going into the hours worked, conditions worked in, and all the others things I never realized about letter carriers until I met my BF.

I know my situation is different because I'm on the other side, but to sit here and read all of this negativity towards letter carriers because people WANT to tip them during the holiday is really bothersome.

Attack me all you want and do what you will, but someone needed to support the other side of this conversation.
 
Well, I like letter carriers and medical workers bunches. I've never tipped either one though. :eek: If others want to tip and can afford it, that's totally cool with me, but I don't find it necessary for me personally. I live in Michigan where you're lucky to have any job, much less a sweet gig with benefits like P.O. employees.

Erin, I don't think people were trying to hate on letter carriers, just voicing their frustration with feeling like everyone wants a tip these days. I don't think anyone who feels that way would begrudge those hard-working letter carriers the generous tips they do get. I know I don't. :)
 
I tipped my mail carrier once, but didn't get a thank you so I haven't done it again. I didn't care about the thank you, but I wanted some acknowledgement that he/she received the gift from me (cash in a card left in our mailbox). We also have several mail carriers so I don't even know if our main mail carrier received the gift.

Our trash collector always sends a letter every year with an envelope enclosed for us to put a tip in. I don't like that and won't do it. Sometimes it seems like our trash can is handled roughly after Christmas, but maybe that's just a coincidence. :p

Erica
 
pixiesis said:
Well, I like letter carriers and medical workers bunches. I've never tipped either one though. :eek: If others want to tip and can afford it, that's totally cool with me, but I don't find it necessary for me personally. I live in Michigan where you're lucky to have any job, much less a sweet gig with benefits like P.O. employees.

Erin, I don't think people were trying to hate on letter carriers, just voicing their frustration with feeling like everyone wants a tip these days. I don't think anyone who feels that way would begrudge those hard-working letter carriers the generous tips they do get. I know I don't. :)
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Very well said! My dad worked for the Navy for 25 years and the US Post Office for 15. He is now retired. I love him, he worked hard, . .and he always use to say hey if you tip me great thanks, if you don't it won't change how good I perfom on my job or how nice I am to you. He was greatful for a job.
I don't tip my mail carrier or my trash guy. I'm perfectly nice and pleasant to them, . I empty my mail box daily, say thank you when I get a package at the door, . . .and tie my garbage up nicely, . . . but honestly are we now tipping people for doing the jobs they should be greatful to have?
 
Sorry, in NO way did I mean that Postal Carriers don't work hard. I think they do, and it's not an easy job, especially those that do it by foot in all kinds of weather.

I'm really just saying that I don't understand why they are singled out to get tipped (amongst a few others) during the holidays.
 
Boingo1 said:
I'm really just saying that I don't understand why they are singled out to get tipped (amongst a few others) during the holidays.
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I think it's because people send so much mail during this time of year and USPS workers really work their tushies off around the holidays, more so than usual.
 
janie1234 - My boyfriend is very grateful for his job, actually.

A common misconception I keep seeing here is that letter carriers EXPECT tips. My boyfriend certainly doesn't. He is very grateful for those who want to express their thanks to him during the holidays; however, those who don't, that's fine too.

Boingo1 - One of the reasons letter carriers are 'singled out' and tipped this time of year is because people see them everyday of the year. People feel they have a personal connection with their mailman and want to show their thanks. Like I said, for a lot of these older people, the only contact they have all day is with the mailman. Sad, but true.

I don't see how a letter carrier ACCepting a tip makes him/her less grateful for their job and less deserving of thanks given to them for a job well done.:confused:
 
My daughter (12) delivers the "shopping news" to 180 houses twice a week. It takes her about 2.5 hours to get finished each night. No it isn't rocket science - and she loves the spending money. She was given a 10$ tip for Christmas today from one house for delivering the paper on time (very generous) and was thrilled. It was not expected but certainly made her feel pleased as punch and appreciated. I guess that's why it is nice to give if you feel moved to so.
 
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