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December 3, 2007
Tipping Postal Worker
I moved to Bed Stuy this year, and for the first time in my adult life I have a fantastic postal worker.
She keeps stamps that I can buy from her, deals with packages, showed me how to deal with international postage by myself, and generally acts like this mobile post office with no wait.
I should tip this woman at Christmastime, right?
How much? What's the standard? I want to exceed it. Anyone?
Comments
IS SHE BLACK?
Posted by: guest at December 3, 2007 7:00 PM
My letter carrier is fantastic as well. I plan on tipping him $100. No idea if this is standard.
Posted by: guest at December 3, 2007 7:07 PM
wow, you guys sure are lucky. my postal worker bites. maybe if I tipped him he would be better, but i don't think so.
Posted by: guest at December 3, 2007 7:11 PM
I think the feds place limits on the amount that the post office worker can accept. Google tipping Federal employees. I know for NYC workers it's not to exceed $25.
Posted by: guest at December 3, 2007 7:31 PM
That is GREAT - you are so lucky!! I would say a standard would be $25-$40 and that you should at least double that to way exceed. It sounds like it is money well spent and she will not forget it! Nobody pays attn to federal limits - jeez. If she does she will tell you and only accept the lesser amount. We just gave our trash guys $100 and they actually gave us their number to call directly if we ever needed anything. I'm so happy to hear something positive about the postal service - lately I have not been so lucky.
Posted by: guest at December 3, 2007 7:57 PM
Federal employees are not supposed to accept cash gifts. The limit on non-cash gifts is $20 for a single gift and not-to-exceed $50 in a year. The ethics stance is that the public trust is diminished if employees accept gifts of greater than nominal value.
The sanitation workers accepted your money in defiance of rules placed on them by the City's Conflict of Interest Board. Do you tip the inspector from the Fire Department and the Building's Department? The entire Elevator Unit at the DoB was fired a few years ago for accepting payouts.
I know a holiday gift for a job well done is a little different but I would stick to a nominal non-cash gift.
By the way, do you get tipped for your job?
Posted by: guest at December 3, 2007 8:05 PM
SHE IS ACTUALLY A DEEP ORANGISH-RED COLOR. WITH HINTS OF PURPLE IN HER HAIR AND BLUE LIPS.
Posted by: vanburenproud at December 3, 2007 8:18 PM
And no, I don't work for tips myself, but have in the past. This woman basically makes it possible for me to work efficiently from home. She seriously kicks ass.
Posted by: vanburenproud at December 3, 2007 8:20 PM
Government employees should neither be tipped or accept tips.
a retired goverment worker
Posted by: guest at December 3, 2007 9:43 PM
A good friend of mine works for sanitation dept. He gets 50k to 70k in tips this month. It may be a stinky job, but they only work 2 to 3 hours a day and get paid for 8.
Posted by: guest at December 3, 2007 10:40 PM
You do know what the "k" stands for, right? You are trying to tell me that the trash guys each make $50-70 thousand each december? Where do I sign up.
Posted by: guest at December 3, 2007 11:21 PM
Since postal workers are not government employees, the the rules maybe different for them. Who knows?
I say tip the lady! It sounds like she's doing a lot more than her job requires.
Posted by: guest at December 4, 2007 9:16 AM
I thought Postal workers were government employees???...
Isnt the US Postal Service a government agency?
Posted by: newsouthsloper at December 4, 2007 9:23 AM
USPS is a government agency.
If you aren't at home when she/he comes by (and this goes for sanitation guys too) how do you tip them? I'd love to give them a tip, but since I'm at work when they come by, I have no idea how to show my appreciation.
Posted by: guest at December 4, 2007 9:54 AM
Lucky you.
The postal worker sounds like a jewel. By all means show your appreciatian.
Posted by: Ysabelle at December 4, 2007 10:59 AM
Wow. What a miracle. I want to add to your tip, and I don't even live in Bed Stuy.
Posted by: guest at December 4, 2007 11:03 AM
This postal worker will REALLY reveal herself to be a jewel if she declines your tip, as she should. Tipping a mail carrier is ridiculous. What, you tip firemen, cops, city council members, too? Here's a tip I'd like to give MY mailman: Do your fucking job, you moron, and stop bringing me other people's mail. God only knows how many of my paychecks have gone to somebody down the block, or into the river, or into somebody's furnace.
Posted by: Rehab at December 4, 2007 1:17 PM
Well perhaps you'd get your paychecks if you didn't treat you postal worker like a moron and gave them a tip.
Posted by: guest at December 4, 2007 2:02 PM
For those who want to tip, but don't want to sit around waiting for the trucks: I tape a card marked "mail carrier" to my mailbox in my co-op vestibule and tape one under the trashcan lid for the garbage men. This reduces the likelihood of the wrong person walking off with a gift you leave on your stoop.
I usually just put in a starbucks gift card rather than cash. Everyone likes a little overpriced coffee. I see no need to overdo with $100. I'm sure your carrier appreciates dealing with someone friendly along her route. Moreover, if you give $100 this year, how do you not give it agin next year and the next. It could get weird.
Posted by: guest at December 4, 2007 2:16 PM
Who knew so many mail carriers spend the day dicking around reading Brownstoner and encouraging people to tip them? Get back to work, you jagoffs!
Posted by: Rehab at December 4, 2007 4:26 PM
Rehab, I think we have the same mail carrier!
Posted by: guest at December 4, 2007 4:32 PM
The way my mailman reads numbers he'd probably think a $10 bill was a $100 or possibly a $50 and he'd think it came from another address.
Posted by: guest at December 4, 2007 5:20 PM
tipping a mail carrier, i have now heard everything.
Posted by: guest at December 5, 2007 1:56 PM
Here is a good tip for your mail carrier---
Next time you watch my Netflix DVDs put them back in the right envelopes. Otherwise i know what's up.
Posted by: guest at December 5, 2007 3:27 PM
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