Tipping for newspaper delivery??

[MNNHFLTX]

So a question for all of you--do you tip your newspaper delivery person and, if so, how much and when? We always used to tip them at Christmas time, using the complimentary envelope intended for that (isn't that nice of them?) Two years ago at Christmas we got distracted with some events going on and forgot to send the envelope. A week or so after Christmas the newspaper delivery guy showed up at our door, wondering if we were aware that we had forgotten to tip him! I was so taken aback--I gave him a $20 (our usual holiday tip). I was so turned off by this that last Christmas I purposefully did not tip (he did not show up, however) So with the holidays approaching, I'm just wondering what everyone else does. Honestly, I can't say that service has been stellar--there are usually several days during the year that we have had no delivery and have to call, and even then a couple of times it never showed up. And we only get the paper delivered Wednesday through Sunday now. What with the subscription price going up and the paper (the Houston Chronicle) getting thinner and thinner, it just doesn't seem worth it.

Thinking about it, I bet we are one of only a handful of people out there that still get a paper delivery instead of reading it online (which I do Monday and Tuesday).

[SBETigg]

I get my news online. I love having many different sources to choose from instead of one paper that ends up being a pain to recycle. But it's sad that we've lost our newspapers. Good for you, supporting the industry. I have no idea what they get for tips these days.

[greengeen]

Tipping at Christmas is 100% appropriate (I used to be a paper carrier). But asking for a tip is wrong, wrong, wrong! I wouldn't tip that person again, in fact I'd probably cancel. Just my 2 cents.

[Disney4us2]

There is always an envelope in the paper for the Christmas "gift". My father also gives to our mail man. He is very nice and will bring the mail up to my dad if he is outside. The mail box is at the curb.

[DizneyRox]

No need for newspaper... I know people that do and it's hit or miss on service these days.

When I had a paper route, I put the paper exactly where it was supposed to be, I didn't leave the paper in the rain, and I would never have reminded someone they forgot to tip. Sure I might have thought to myself, "Hey thanks or the nickel! Cheapskate!" but I was 7 or 8. It wouldn't have impacted the delivery of the paper.

I did stop delivery if people wouldn't pay me for a few weeks... We got some Christmas cards with money, and from some people we got nothing. It wasn't expected, but it was appreciated.

[AgentC]

I get the Sunday paper and I always mean to tip at Christmas but often forget.

I got my subscription direct from the paper and pay for a year in advance so I really have no relationship with the delivery person. I would say it is a nice extra but not required.

[Pirate Granny]

We pay 6 month in advance and there is a line for tips...we give $30 for the period...maybe too much?

[CynBeth]

We get the paper every day and get billed every month. It is $40 something a month and on the bill is a line for a tip so we give a $7 tip every month. Our person is fair. I would give more if he did something special such as putting the paper on our porch when it rains.

[mariak]

Wow, I may need to increase! I’m glad to see this out there. I pay our paper bill every six months and always wonder if I’m paying enough or if I should even pay at all. I always go ahead and pay an extra $12 (for 6 months) on my bill. That just doesn’t seem like enough but then, if I give them $5-$10 extra per month, I’m paying an additional $30-$60 on the bill and that seems outrageous for the paper. I wish I knew how many houses they delivered to so that I could say, “OK, if they deliver to 100 houses and they get $2 per house/month, then they’re getting an additional $50 per week.” But I have no idea, they may have twice as many houses and they may get more than that from people. Or, they may have half as many houses and get less. I guess I do it just to give “something” but I’m not always happy about that because we have also had many days that we’ve had to call to get another because we had soaked papers or we were missed altogether. I’m sure there are some who never give tips at all and some who pay a lot more (well, maybe). Additionally, I do also question whether or not the right person is getting the tip…or even if it really gets directed to “tips” at all. What if someone else gets it and then my delivery person thinks we stiffed him? And do they even know who tips and who doesn’t? That’s just my paranoia running wild but it does cross my mind occasionally.

We’re not cheapskates (generally tipping 20% at restaurants, sometimes more) but there are just some things that I don’t agree with…like the “delivery charge” from Schwan’s. We used to be regular Schwan’s customers but, a couple years ago, I noticed the delivery charge that we had been paying. It was only like $1.50 but I stopped service on principal (even though there are some things that they offered that I can’t get anywhere else). I mean, delivery is the nature of their business! Moreover, I thought that that was exactly why we paid higher prices for their products…many of which you could get elsewhere for much cheaper. I’d rather see prices go up a little than to pay for something that should not be an “extra” charge. It’s just the principal of the situation.

At Christmas, I usually give the mail carrier and the UPS man something extra like gift cards for food that they can get while out on their routes along with some holiday candy or something small. The only person we really give cash to is our hairdresser.

Sorry for venting but I appreciate the opportunity to do so. I think I’ll be calling the paper tomorrow to get a little info so I can make an informed decision on increasing or not.

BTW…it takes a lot of you-know-whats to ask someone for a tip!


Maria

[brownie]

It's not a tip if you have to ask for it. I think it's up to you if you tip or not.

I was a paperboy for 6 years (middle school & high school). I would get tips at Christmas time and sometimes at other times during the year. I didn't ask for it and I didn't hand out extra envelopes for a tip. Just about every house on the streets I delivered to got the newspaper and it was a walking route. I would stick the newspaper in the door if there was any kind of precipitation or the possibility of precipitation. I would keep the newspaper out of the snow. If I couldn't get a newspaper in the door, I stood it up next to the house, in a plastic bag, and with the opening of the bag at the bottom to help keep the newspaper dry.

It seems like today you're lucky if a newspaper gets to the end of your driveway, which is one of the reasons why I don't subscribe to a newspaper anymore. Tipping should be about recognizing superior service.

[Janmac]

We used to do the paper relay - bringing the St. Louis Post Dispatch from one town (about 100 miles from St. Louis) to 4 other towns further west, kinda like the Pony Express. And then also had a route in one of the towns. Some folks tipped and some did not. I think many might just forget. I do not recall how much tip we got.

I used to tip our mail carrier - we're on a rural route which is something like 90 miles by the time the carrier goes down several county roads. We are 18 miles from our post office, so there are a lot of roads to cover. In past years I have been giving a Christmas card and that seems to be all that is expected. Our mail box, which is huge, is maybe 100 yards from the house, but if there is a big pkg, the carrier will drive up to the house to hand us the pkg.

Jan

[MstngDrvnDsnyLvr]

We don't tip. Hubby was a 'paper boy' in HS and NEVER got a tip and our guy is rude and obnoxious so no tip for him.

We also never give monetary gifts to our postal delivery person. They aren't supposed to accept any money as they are Federal Employees. IF our regular post man is delivering during Christmas week - we give him a fresh baked loaf of bread or pound cake. He and his sweet family LOVE my baked goods.

[merlinmagic4]

My daughter delivers our local paper two days a week. She delivers 40+ papers and makes .15 per paper. She delivers every paper right to the door. She would never ask for a tip OR put a Christmas card in the paper hoping for a tip! Many, many people don't tip at all despite exemplary service but we have a few who tip very, very well. It all works out in the end.

[Disney Doll]

We don't take the paper, but if we did I probably wouldn't tip. The delivery person in our neighborhood is horrendous. I've called on multiple occasions to ask that I not get a paper even during complimentary trial periods because I don't open it and it's just wasteful. Meanwhile, we have neighbors who are paying customers who are constantly missing their paper. I think generally tipping at Christmas is nice, but asking for a tip is super tacky. I would probably cancel if that had happened to me.