Every year, Consumer Reports polls U.S. residents and finds what people are tipping the people in their lives for the holidays. When I look at the list, I cannot but think how ridiculous this list is. There are very few people in my life that I tip. It actually took me years to start tipping my barber. And, I refuse to tip my mailman. I can’t stand the quality of service I receive from the U.S. Postal Service anyway. I have never hoped for a business to go out of business like I have the USPS (but, that’s a different story altogether). Twenty-nine percent of Americans said that they were going to give a Christmas gift to their mail carrier.
I do not agree with Consumer Reports’ survey findings at all, and I do not think that people should receive a tip or a Christmas gift just because I do business with them. One of the biggest holiday gift requirements that drives me crazy is giving a gift to my children’s teachers. Why should a preschool teacher get a gift certificate to Best Buy during the holiday season? What happened to a good old fashion apple?
Consumer Reports polled 1,900 U.S. residents, and here is where the average gifts that the respondents were planning on giving.
Who gets tipped during the holidays:
Person Average Gift Amount
Cleaning person $50
Child’s teacher $20
Hairdresser $20
Child care provider $38
Manicurist $20
Newspaper carrier $20
Barber $15
Building superintendent $25
Pet care provider $25
Mail carrier $20
Lawn care worker $25
School bus driver $15
Fitness instructor $25
Garbage Person $20
Etiquette experts say that holiday tipping can depend on a number of factors such as: the quality of the service, frequency of the service, how long you’ve used the service, regional custom, and your budget. But, for me, there are very few people who receive tips or gift cards just because I use their services. If it is customary to give a tip at the time of service, that is fine with me. But, I draw the line at give extra during the holidays.
What do you think? Am I out to lunch? Do you give a gift to your garbage person or mail man?
Note: Government workers do not usually accept cash gifts. Many are allowed to accept small in kind gifts such as gift certificates, etc.
Related posts:
- Consumer Reports Looked at Holiday Tipping Suggestions for Service Industry
- Five Tips To Landing a Great Seasonal Part-time Job This Christmas
- You Can Say Thank You With More Than Just Money
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I completely agree with you. I don’t believe in tipping everyone and their mothers just because it’s the holidays. I will consider tipping someone if they frequently offer services to me (like on a weekly basis or something) and I have developed a relationship with them. I think having to get a teacher a gift is a necessary evil. You know other parents are doing it and you don’t want to stand out to the teacher as the parents who did not get a gift because you never know how that might affect your kids and their grades.
Right now I’m not tipping anyone extra. Instead, what I do is give my change to the salvation army stands outside the malls or buy food for those in need.
Ever think you are the reason why your mail service sucks? I don’t tip the mailman-I bake him cookies. We are on a first name basis. He is friendly and thoughtful and a little gift to say “thanks for always having a smile and hello for me” just seems polite.
@ Meg – Thanks for your idea about the cookies. I don’t have as much gripes about my mailman as I do about the counter service in the actual Post Office. I wonder how much money or cookies it would cost me to get good mail service out of them?
I am a 7th grade teacher. We do not receive as many gifts as you might think. Last year I only received about 5 gifts out of my 102 students. Most were homebaked items. Its a nice gesture but teachers do not expect gifts nor do we treat students differently or give them lower grades because we did not receive a Christmas gift. Moreover, students earn grades…teachers do not give them to them. Teachers are professionals that choose this career for the love of children and learning. They work harder than anyone can wrap their mind around or than anyone gives them credit for. There is no dicussion amoung teachers at my school about which child gave a gift and which child did not. So please do us all a favor and only give your child’s teacher a gift out of the spirt of christmas and not because it is a necessary evil.
“Ever think you are the reason why your mail service sucks?”
I didn’t realize EXTRA tips, outside of their salary that’s already payed by our taxes, are required to do a job correctly. Why doesn’t anybody tip me for using their services? Everybody gets a tip just for being themselves!!!!!
I do not tip the mailman, though I’ve never heard of anyone doing it before
. I do not even have a choice which mailman I can have deliver my mail!
At least when I go to the barber I can choose who and tip based on the service.
There should be no quality of service difference in one mailman to the other. It’s not like a waiter or other standard tip person.
Do Mailmen expect a tip?
It IS crazy to tip a mail delivery person because a) it is again the USPS regulations to give them cash and b) because they get paid a LOT more than you think when you look at their salaries and compare them to salaries of people doing similar kind of work in the private sector. A home-baked treat would be nice for lots of people including the mail person and who can afford a lot of cash in this economy. I have worked hard as a legal secretary for many years and worked for ONE attorney who used to give me $25 or so to type a deed because I wasn’t really his secretary and he needed the deeds typed right away.
It is inappropriate and uncessary for public school teachers to receive any gifts from the parents.