Tipping Time

[iart]

I know, I'll get comments about how some postal employees don't deserve a tip. Fine.

But if you appreciate the people who deliver and pick up your mail, or even if you want better service from them, now is the time to tip.

We get excellent service from USPS employees. Better than we expect. We consider holiday tipping a form of profit sharing.

Good luck with your sales!

[emerald1830]

I always take care of my mailman ( same one for 7 years) and my UPS guy who takes the time to deliver my B and M store deliveries inside my warehouse...right up against my shelving..he doesn't have to do that, but he does..

My USPS guy gets a 50 Amazon gift card..

My UPS guy gets 100 Amazon gift card..

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And I am a good tipper in general...usually 50 percent for great service anywhere I go...

[pvcliff]

In years past I've always given my guy a Starbucks card. Debating whether or not to do that this year. Because the subs have been instructed to leave packages that have a pickup request if they can't get back to the PO by 6pm, my packages have stopped being picked up on the days my mailman doesn't work (he gets here 3ish, subs well after 5). And his schedule varies -- sometimes having Saturday off, sometimes Monday, and throw in holidays and vacations I can never be sure what will be picked up. So this summer we started taking our walks to the little neighborhood post office to do a drop off. I am disinclined to want to do that after this week (tiny office, have to push through the crowd and call out "Just dropping off" while handing stuff over the counter when there is a lull between people with numbers; then the clerk is hollering "No liquids, perfume, lithium batteries, etc" at my back on the way out the door), which means I'm at the mercy of the carrier work schedule.

[lex-talon]

My mailwoman Sarah; who is always enthusiastic and friendly, she is responsible for part of my success. Never complains and is hard-working, definitely the best mail carrier on my street I've ever known. 

[myboardid]

I have no  mail delivery - everyone in this town has a PO Box.  And my PO gets an extra employee because of my business so they are happy with me.  They are not allowed to take cash tips - mail carriers can get away with it, counter workers and others inside the PO cannot, so I bake for them.  They appreciate it! 

[bluelinemetalsllc]

We tip our mail carrier, (who picks up 5 days a week) our UPS guy (who drops off heavy materials 2-3 times a week) and our Fed Ex guy (who delivers heavy a heck chewy.com orders every couple of weeks) each $100 cash every Christmas. The service they provide means I am free to run my home business while being the sole day time caregiver for our disabled child. If I could afford it, I'd give them each $1000!

[inhawaii]

Every year for xmas i tip my mail carrier a $25 gift card, a box of cookies or candy and a thank you note. 

[keziak]

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@emerald1830 wrote:

I always take care of my mailman ( same one for 7 years) and my UPS guy who takes the time to deliver my B and M store deliveries inside my warehouse...right up against my shelving..he doesn't have to do that, but he does..

My USPS guy gets a 50 Amazon gift card..

My UPS guy gets 100 Amazon gift card..

----

And I am a good tipper in general...usually 50 percent for great service anywhere I go...

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I wasn't aware that UPS apparently assigns drivers to routes so we get the same person all the time? I never see my UPS driver. Stuff just shows up. 

One year I gave the staff at the little post office I use one of those big tubs of flavored popcorn. But I stopped going into the lobby; I drop off at the loading dock. When I do go in it's a variety of staff, not the same people every time. 

If I had a mail carrier who picked up my packages day in and day out I would want to tip them, too.

[timzbiz]

See attached screen shot from usps.com

[emerald1830]

I've been very lucky to get the same guy unless he's on vacation...he's close to retiring (been telling me this for years..lol)...getting anywhere from 10 to 35 boxes every other week is tough for me..I don't even weigh 100 pounds..

And on top of that he always leaves me a little note on top of the desk asking me how is my son ( he was hit head-on last year by an elderly driver)...

so yeah..I am so appreciative...

[emerald1830]

I've never given him my thank you gift while he is wearing his uniform or when he's doing my deliveries..he happens to be one of my good customers who comes in with his son at least twice a month..I also do a Christmas party for my entire staff and he is always invited along with his wife...that's where I take always hand him his card with my gift card...

Just good people...and I take care of good people..( except for my neighbour, who plays in the NFL is the rudest person I have ever known)..

[pvcliff]

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I wasn't aware that UPS apparently assigns drivers to routes so we get the same person all the time? I never see my UPS driver. Stuff just shows up. 

 Back in the day, we always had the same UPS guy and he'd usually come during daylight hours so we'd at least say hello when he was dropping stuff off. They started shifting everyone around at holiday time to different routes, and my regular guy knew I always left a cookie tray for him. He let it be known to the other drivers not to take his cookies, and made a special stop one day to pick up his goodies. Eventually they moved the routes around so the only way we knew UPS was here was we'd hear our garage open and close (they have the code) between 7 & 8 PM, and we'd find the boxes the next day. So no more cookies for UPS, next!

[coffeebean832]

I generally tip my carrier 4x throughout the year in smaller amounts instead of one big bonus at Christmas- that's what works best for me.

[lovefindingtreasures2]

My USPS carrier is awesome! Last year I got him a $50 Home Depot gift card as I figured any guy could find something he needed there and I had no idea what he would want.

This year it's going to be more. He is a real sweetheart and I've had 2 surgeries in the last 6 months. One night there was a knock on my door, he and his wife were standing there with a homemade pot of soup. Said they made it for me, he could tell I was having a tough time. I was, and that little act of kindness turned me around, a lot.

Still thinking what I'm going to give him this year, he is only 24 years old so everything in life is ahead of him and his wife, they have a brand new baby too 🙂

[coffeebean832]

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@lovefindingtreasures2 wrote:
Still thinking what I'm going to give him this year, he is only 24 years old so everything in life is ahead of him and his wife, they have a brand new baby too 🙂

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Do you have a Costco by you? A Costco gift card will give somebody entry even if they're not a club member. One of the biggest ongoing expenses with babies is diapers. Diapers are really expensive so a gift card to Costco or anywhere they could make the money go far would probably be appreciated.