Tipping at Christmas

[Slim140]

Why do people tip the mail carrier/UPS/FED-EX driver at Christmas other than being a nice gesture? It's their job to bring your mail/package. We pay shipping, postage etc. and they earn a check. Same with me here at the machine shop. If I get anything around Christmas my employer gives it to me, not our customers. I wasn't brought up tipping carriers and lived beside one. I never have understood it. Can anyone shed some light on this for me?

On a side note I open our convenience store every morning at 6 A.M and work until my wife takes over so I can be here at 7 A.M. and this morning a customer stopped in walked up to the counter and laid a grocery store receipt on the counter and slid it to me and said "here's twenty dollars, I'm going out of town and can't use this, Merry Christmas". It was a part of a receipt with a coupon on it that said "$20 off your next $20 purchase." She was serious and it was a very nice gesture, she didn't buy anything and left. I picked it up to see exactly what it was and got to reading and it says "expires 2 weeks from 11-25-17. It expired 12-9-17 and today is 12-13-17, don't think she read the fine print

[Don McCombs]

I'm not sure I understand the whole tipping thing myself, although I do it when dining at a sit-down type restaurant. I understand that the wages at most restaurants are based on the assumption of the receipt of tips. Doesn't seem quite right. We have never "tipped" our mail carrier, but do usually give her a Christmas card. Tipping in other countries is far different (if done at all) than what we do here.

[indy61]

It is passed down from generations. People use to know their mailman or milkman and gave them something during the holidays.

[Eugene]

I think that many of the service people were very low paid. A Christmas gift help supplement low pay.

US Army, stationed in Frankfurt, Germany. Traffic cop stationed on a stand in the center of a large intersection. Around Christmas the base of the stand was stacked high with wrapped presents. Don't know where the presents went, perhaps something like "Toys For Tots".

Stationed in the Republic of Panama, around Christmas, you would get pulled over by the police. Told you had committed a traffic violation and that they were collecting for the local police benefit. If you didn't donate, you would get a traffic ticket.

[Urbish]

I have stuffed a card with $10-$20 for my mail carrier the past several years. They are a person that I seldom see personally and I appreciate their service. I don't think there's an expectation that I HAVE to give them a tip though.

[Stanton]

I don't tip my rural mail carrier; no walking on their part, just riding in their car/truck/SUV.

I do tip at restaurants and my barber. My oldest daughter worked as a pizza delivery driver and would tell quite a range of tipping stores. She's where I learned to increase my tipping.

I think it's funny that "tips" jars have shown up at many of the coffee houses and restaurants that are self-order/self-serve. If I have to walk up to the counter, order and then go pick up my own food/coffee, sorry, you're not getting a tip. Just my 2 cents.

[muleboss]

Who determined who gets tips anyway. Do not waitress , barbers, taxi drivers and such get paid a salary as well as mail carriers, mechanics, plumbers and such. What makes one deserve a tip but not others. I do not want to hear that some get paid less. All people get different wages. ????? Just a though for the day.

[Donegal Cub]

We in Donegal have always tipped our mailman as you guys might call him/her. The reason being that in a rural community the postman would bring a daily newspaper, small groceries or any requested items to those who may not frequent the town except perhaps on a weekly trip. He would also accept mail and money for postage costs and in general be a useful guy.

Bernard
Donegal Cub

[Clownfish]

Postal employees may accept gifts valued up to $20, but cannot accept cash, according to a postal spokeswoman. Gift cards of up to $20 are also permitted, but the card cannot be redeemable for cash money and must be issued from a single company, not from a bank or shopping mall.D

[BigBill]

The people who provide a service to me get tips on holidays. Now all year long when we eat out I tip per value of the service I received. The waitress or waiter makes the whole meal they set tone for the meal. Plus my parents/brother were in the restaurant bizz so I know how hard they work. For excellent service and a great meal I tip big. I gave my mail lady a bottle of perfume and a oyster with a pearl still in it. You open the shell and assemble your own knecklace. Something unique.

They were going to close my local USPS office so I use USPS for most of my shipping. I tell her I gave her the business to keep them open. Lol