Q Talk

[Meowingkitty]

I give my hairdresser a gift card to a restaurant, that's it. I couldn't pick my mailman out of a line up. Our mailboxes are down the street so I rarely see him. I don't have the same UPS driver so no tip there. Garbage is picked up by a truck that drives by and I'm not going to tip someone who sits and pushes a button. 

[nyc1]

I do give a gift to one particular UPS driver.  He is courteous,  always has a big smile,  acknowledges when I give him a thank you shout out, and tucks my package in my porch alcove (unlike most other deliveries who leave it right out on the step for all to see).  

My hairdresser gets a higher tip and a very generous gift basket.

I also give several others gifts of wine,  or smaller gifts, along with several people that I work with.

[PINKdogWOOD]

Have to say no to this - if I don't buy gifts for my husband and family anymore, I'm certainly not spending money on strangers.

For as bad as deliveries are anymore, a lot of the time I don't even see these people who stop here. Mail delivery people who can't get the right mail to the right address, same for UPS, amazon prime, delivery truck drivers who stop out front and park into our easement and CRUSH our plants our front, well this is a HUGE NO. 

About a week ago the mailman left 4 pieces of mail that belonged to our next door neighbor. Really???? Maybe he needs glasses to tell the diff between a 7 and a 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I had to deliver this mail myself! And he did it again yesterday - got the mail for the neighbor. Well I'm not doing his job for him again. Sorry Matt (our neighbor), you'll need to wait for a delivery today when he takes it off my box and deliver to the right address.

This makes me wonder how much of our mail ends up at someone else's box....hmmm, we have elections going on right now, still looking for our absentee ballots. Did they land in someone else's box?  

So NO, no gifts to any of these people. The only people I tip are wait staff in a restaurant.

[vermint]

I don't tip delivery people...I rarely even see them. The mailbox is at the end of our very long driveway, so I never see that person, either. Nobody really goes out of their way to deliver.

When we still had our office, we had 2 regular mail carriers and they DID go out of their way for us. They each got a tin of chocolate-covered peanut brittle from Virginia Diner at Christmas--which they loved!

DH & I have gone to the same hairstylist for 25+ years...we have kind of a different relationship with her. Her salon was right next door to our office, and I often helped her with things like her business and cosmetology license renewals (she's not real computer-savvy), making copies, etc. I would also "baby-sit" her chihuahua if she had an appointment during the work day and couldn't take the dog with her. We also helped her (though not financially) through a very difficult two years, with lots of encouragement, listening ears, and even more dog-sitting. 

As thanks, she never raised the prices on us, and does her very best to accomodate us with appointments. When I was getting color and a cut, she would only charge me for the color job. We also continue to go to her salon, even though it's now a 45-mile round trip since we retired. 

I would feel awkward giving her a gift or tip at this point! We did, however, start paying her a little more, though not at her request. In fact, she tried to talk us out of it!

[geezerette]

I used to buy gifts for each of our delivery people when we had the same ones for years.  When we could stop to chat and get to know each other and they put parcels where we wanted them.  And when we could depend on their deliveries being about the same time of day and in good condition.

But since I now have different delivery people for practically each delivery and the packages arrive battered and bruised and sometimes I have to hunt to find them, no, I don't give them gifts.

I realize some of these changes over the last few years are not the fault of my specific carrier, but that doesn't make me any more inclined to gift.

[Imaoldhippie]

As discussed before these are sales tactic's.  Some people may buy for service people some may not.

I do not.

[wagirl]

I have never given gifts to anyone that I pay for their services more than a tip when appropiate.  I did give my kids teachers small gifts --when they were in elementary school---and I did buy for my bosses or favorite co workers when I worked. 

I used to get a bunch of stuff when I worked in a preschool--have to say, most of if was things I tossed out as it was home made treats or things the kids made--got tons of mugs that got given away--not that I didn't appreciate the thought--would have rather had the $$ or a gift card---

No, you are not alone---

[chlema]

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@Biftu wrote:

No.  I don't have the same mail delivery person, each day they are different.  My trash pick up service leaves a envelope on my bins wishing me a Merry Christmas the week of Christmas.  It's like asking for a gift, I don't like that.  

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I remember years ago in the early '60's when I was living in the city, row home, 60 houses on the block, come trash day the collectors would go banging on every door and boy you better give them the 50 cents they wanted or your lids would be thrown down the street.  As a young homemaker they scared me at the time.  Now I get the envelope on the bins but since now the colectors do such a good job all the time I do give them each $ in a card.  

[Krimpette]

I have an excellent mailman and an excellent UPS guy.  I give gifts to both of them.  Same with my newspaper guy.

[Shelbelle]

We no longer have one steady mailman so no gifts for them. never see my trash or recycling collectors, I am working when the come. I do give my nail tech an extra tip. My hairdresser is owner so nothing extra for her.