Tipping is Not a City in China
Maybe you want to give a nice tip to the folks who have been helpful to you throughout the year? Or maybe you’re just afraid not to.
Either way, they say that if you tip regularly throughout the year, you don’t have to give a holiday tip. But if you insist on handing over a wad of dough this month, here are some tipping guidelines from Eons (click here for the full list):
- Barber: Cost of one haircut, plus possibly a small gift.
- Beauty salon staff: $10 to $60 each, giving the most to those who provide the most for you, plus possibly a small gift.
- Child’s teacher: Gift certificate for a coffee shop or bookstore; a book; fruit basket or gourmet food item; or joint gift with other parents and children. Not cash. Check the school’s policy.
- Letter carrier: Postal regulations allow carriers to accept gifts worth up to $20, but not cash.
- Newspaper carrier: $10 to $30.
- Nursing home employees: Gift, not cash.
- Building superintendent: $20 to $80
- Handyman: $15 to $40
December 20th, 2006 at 12:34 pm
I don’t normally tip extra during holiday time. We do give something small to the kid’s teachers, though.
December 20th, 2006 at 2:42 pm
Haha what a timely post. I just moved into the city so was wondering about this.. Thanks!
December 20th, 2006 at 2:50 pm
Yen: If you click over to the full list of tips, it talks about various building people (doorman, etc.) whom you may need to tip.
December 20th, 2006 at 3:17 pm
If I started a campaign on my blog for all my readers to tip me for all the reading pleasure I have provided the last year, would you be the first to tip me?
December 20th, 2006 at 3:23 pm
Hi, PhoenixNYC: Well, uh, I would, but my Tipping Guidelines don’t include what to tip bloggers.
December 20th, 2006 at 3:37 pm
It’s times like this that I’m glad I live in Australia. We are largely of the opinion that we don’t give gifts to those who are paid to perform the function in the first place. Plus being more of a socialist country, we have a much higher minimum wage, free healthcare and free education, so we don’t have as many working poor. We do give to charity though.
December 20th, 2006 at 3:52 pm
Willowtree, if only the rest of the world were like Australia! Too many folks here who can’t keep afloat, even though they are working 2 or 3 jobs…
December 20th, 2006 at 4:16 pm
Thank you for visiting my blog and for the nice comment. I’m a hairdresser and like your tip info. Many people never tip or give me a gift because I’m an owner and they tell you not to tip owners!
December 20th, 2006 at 4:25 pm
Jean: I heard many years ago that you aren’t supposed to tip the owner of a salon. Please don’t be mad at me…
December 20th, 2006 at 5:11 pm
I really appreciate this post. I used to live off of tips and it’s amazing how many people don’t know how much to tip.
December 20th, 2006 at 6:08 pm
I don’t believe in tipping letter carriers. They have only one standard of service to adhere to: deliver the mail. They have great benefits, and a living wage. [Since my significant other tips them, my opinion on this subject ends up being meaningless].
Otherwise, I tend to be overgenerous.
December 20th, 2006 at 6:39 pm
Hi Rhea.. thanks for your visit have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS glad you also liked the music
December 20th, 2006 at 6:58 pm
I want to move to Australia!
December 20th, 2006 at 11:29 pm
I tip but it seems like blackmail sometimes. Thanks for showing me that my tips are in line.
December 21st, 2006 at 1:22 am
I always find these fascinating and wonder who is in charge of deciding? hehe. Thanks for visiting. Come on back anytime. Now, I need to catch up on you! Merry merry!
December 21st, 2006 at 4:31 am
I’m big on tipping but I never would have thought of tipping some of these people so thanks for the heads up Rhea.
December 21st, 2006 at 10:06 am
Great list…..who knew some of these??? Clearly I have been remiss in some of my tipping strategies!! I did wonder just the other day about the owner of a hair salon one….I tipped her generously anyway….but also thought I had heard that the owner is generally out of the tipping category.
December 21st, 2006 at 10:22 am
Whim: I will do what it takes to help. Gerry: Yeah, I don’t tip the mail person either. Jan: No problem. Bice: Yeah, they even have ‘personal trainer’ on the list. I haven’t tipped mine, have you, Bice?
December 21st, 2006 at 1:06 pm
Rhea, thanks for posting this info. For many years I’ve had one or more early morning paper routes. I have many nice and generous subscribers, but most people don’t tip at all. It has made me think about all the people in my life that do things with little recognition or gratitude or pay. Paper carriers make very little profit per customer so you have to have a large route or routes to make a living. The costs of vehicle upkeep let alone gas is high. Many I know have more than one job.
Those tips are such a blessing! Yet as the saying goes, better to give than to receive…. well at least as good (when you can.)