Girlawhirl never knows how much to tip. While she's mastered tipping bellmen and doormen through her travels, tipping for the holidays still gets her a little flustered. And after a report she heard last year about a woman who tipped her hairdresser $50,000, she's feeling a little unsure of what's expected of her. Honestly, she would prefer to shower everyone with gifts, but she knows there are certain people that she must “take care of” each holiday season, and yes, that means cash. As always, etiquette expert Maria Manna comes to the rescue with a set of guidelines and ideas to make Girlawhirl's tipping a little less anxiety provoking this year…
• People who perform services throughout the year should be tipped, like a babysitter who always comes through at the last minute or a hairdresser who squeezes in an appointment on short notice. In apartment buildings, the doorperson and/or superintendent should be tipped, especially if they are extremely helpful or accommodating.
• Most recipients do want cash, but there are other ways to go. Gift certificates or gift cards, tickets to a show or movie passes can also work. Alcohol is okay if you know that the recipient will drink it, but not a good idea if you aren't sure. Baked goods are a nice touch but shouldn't be given to those who are dieting.
• Some specific guidelines:
- Babysitter: a night's pay plus a small gift from the child or children
- Teacher: check the school's policy, but a gift card or gift certificate is a better idea than cash
- Parking attendant: $15-$40 or half a month's parking fee
- Paper delivery person: $15-$30 for daily delivery, $5-$20 for weekend delivery
- Hairdresser, manicurist, personal trainer, massage therapist, etc: cash or gift to equal the fee of one session or more if you see them quite regularly and they provide high quality service.
- US government workers are not allowed to receive tips but if you would like to give your postal carrier something, the US Postal Service requests that the gratuity be less than $20
• Maria also reminded Girlawhirl that she should not feel required to tip too much or, for that matter, to tip at all.
As with any gratuity, the quality of service should warrant it, but at the holidays, there are a few other things to consider. How close you are to the recipient, what's the frequency of your visits, and if, like Girlawhirl, you live in a city, tip amounts are usually higher.
But, Maria warned Girlawhirl never to overextend herself when tipping and not to feel bad or belittle her gift, even if it is less than she would like to give. And Maria's best tip of all: a handwritten card thanking the person for their services throughout the year… and another one to their supervisor or manager.
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