How much do you tip your paper carrier?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

It used to be so easy...I paid at the end of the month and determined the tip as a percentage of the amount due...0-20%, depending on the quality of the service. Then, if the carrier generally seemed to care about the quality of their work, I'd give them extra money at holiday time.

But now I'm not sure how much to give. They've done a very good job this year.

So what do you DUers think?

[azmouse]

1. I give my carrier $40 a year but

I may even rethink giving that.
My paper always ends up under a bush or on top of the latest pile of dog shit at the edge of my sidewalk.
Since they seem to be able to get all the neighbor's papers on the walkway to their house I have to think I'm way under tipping even though the $40 is 20% of the newpaper's cost.

[HopeHoops]

2. When I lived in NH and a kid delivered the paper - put it inside the storm door - $20

Now the carrier drives by at way too high a speed and launches the paper with enough momentum to shred the plastic bag meant to protect it from wind and moisture. I don't tip anymore.

The mail carrier is another matter. He brings the packages to the door along with the mail in a rubber band and flags me down if I pass him in the car and he knows a package is in his truck. He gets a $20 gift certificate to a local family-owned bar/grill. I checked the USPS site in the past and $20 is the maximum value gift they are allowed to receive.

[CatholicEdHead]

3. How do you tip the TCP/IP process?

:evilgrin:

[whistler162]

4. about 90 degress after that gravity

tips him the rest of the way.

[elocs]

5. I have a USA Today motor route that includes maybe 20 home deliveries.

I put my papers in exactly the place where the customer wants them.

Last Wednesday when we had 15" of snow in the storm here in WI I made every one of my home deliveries that morning. I had one where I had to walk 4 blocks from the main road to deliver 1 paper. In fact, since none of the side streets had yet been plowed I had to trudge through that snow to deliver most all of the home deliveries. I had 2 in a housing addition where some clown was plowing the snow using a Bobcat with the bucket on the front. Since he had poor traction he kept spinning his wheels and making ice on the street. Then add some snow on top and that is the reason I fell flat on my back and ass 2 times (I take personal pride at having not fallen on the ice or snow in 10 years).

In fact on that very snowy Wednesday I was told by some people right here in the city that they did not receive a copy of their local paper. That being said I will get no tips this year because my customers do not know me and to tell the truth I prefer it that way. I do my job and I do it well, but I prefer my anonymity. I don't know the names of any of them either other than a guy named Murphy because he has a big "M" on his garage door (my manager pointed that out when he showed me the route).

[tigereye]

6. usually only at Christmas - or when they send an envelope...

I must be a cheapskate in this case - usually 5-10 dollars, since sometimes the paper ends up in the hedge, flowers, and once broke a flowerpot... :D


However, the NY Times usually is just where it should be. I don't know who delivers that one...

[ohiosmith]

7. $20.00 at Christmas. We are usually away four to six months of the year so a double sawbuck seems

fair. :hi:

[Bluzmann57]

8. $10.00 every 13 weeks

Now. But for the longest time, I had crap for service and they were lucky I didn't cancel my subscription. During that period, they got zero.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

10. I didn't tip for a few years...

The paper ended up in the trees, on the roof, in the dog's favorite crapping spot, and everywhere except the front porch. Sometimes the paper wouldn't even be delivered.

When I called the circulation department, they basically said that, unless we were disabled and made a special request to have it put on our porch, the deliverer could put the paper anywhere they wanted, as long as it wasn't damaged in the process. I figured Mr GoG's bruised spinal cord qualified us for "disabled" status, requested porch delivery, and have received it properly delivered ever since...except when there's snow.

For some reason, the carrier seems to feel that snow justifies next day delivery.

[WT Fuheck]

9. I wouldn't even know how to do it.

I've never even seen one of them.

...but they do a great job.