Tips

Son Of A Vidic

I'm just wondering did anyone one tip the postman or bin men over the Christmas period. They do us a great service and largely go unthanked for it which is a pity. I missed my bin men just before Christmas, but I caught them today and gave them a well deserved tip. They were genuinely shocked I think.

I haven't nabbed the postman yet because the postbox is outside the gate. These guys kept the service going despite the lethal conditions out in my neck of the woods. So I thought the least I could do was show some appreciation.

bobcar61

While I was at home I gave our postman 2 bottles of wine. I never see the man as i don't live in Ireland and was just home for the Christmas holidays but he seemed to appreciate it.
While I was at home he got to my family home everyday during the snow, fair play to him.

TequilaMockingBird

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

I'm just wondering did anyone one tip the postman or bin men over the Christmas period. They do us a great service and largely go unthanked for it which is a pity. I missed my bin men just before Christmas, but I caught them today and gave them a well deserved tip. They were genuinely shocked I think.

I haven't nabbed the postman yet because the postbox is outside the gate. These guys kept the service going despite the lethal conditions out in my neck of the woods. So I thought the least I could do was show some appreciation.

I was chatting to my postman during the awful weather - assuring him he REALLY didn't need to deliver my bills in that weather! He said that if one postie goes out, they all go out. All or nothing approach, but, I got the impression that the one who had decided to go out that day was NOT popular.

Anyhoo, no I don't tip. They get paid fairly to do the job. I will chat, and offer warm drinks/snacks but not cash anymore.

starbelgrade

Eh, no.

UrbanSea

We gave the bin men a bottle of whiskey,don't know about the post man to be honest.

magnumlady

Yes the postie gets a tip.
The dustmen did this year because we now have a brilliant service which collects the rubbish from the house and I no longer have to put stinking rubbish into my car to take it into the village...and they gave me a free wheelie bin

jimmmy

TequilaMockingBird wrote: »

Anyhoo, no I don't tip. They get paid fairly to do the job.

+1. I am amazed some people do tip, but I guess its a nice gesture if they can afford to do so and if they get a good service. Here in Dublin where I spend most of my time now, nobody would tip the postman. In Sligo I would be surprised if many people done it, except maybe some people who lived half a mile up a boreen. As someone else said, they get paid fairly to do the job, and at least they have a secure job and regular income. What next, do you tip in McDonalds or the local shop, where people would work for close to the minimum wage, unlike the postman ? One postie I know gets to sit down and have a cup of tea and a chat with my uncle for 10 minutes every morning when he is supposed to be working, I suppose you could say thats a bit of a tip, and no harm in that.

bobcar61

I think in more rural areas it's a little bit different than urban areas, the postman builds up a rapport with the houses and can sometimes build up a more personal relationship than a professional one.
I live on top of Cairns Hill which is never good when there is snow/ice so the postman deserved a little tip for making the effort of coming up, he could easily have decided not to bother for his own safety.

By no means would I ever give a cash tip, just a small gesture like I did this year by giving him two bottles of wine, I also gave him that as there was loads of bottles in the house, too many to get through.
I'm sure they appreciate the thought though.

sligono1

jimmmy wrote: »

+1. I am amazed some people do tip, but I guess its a nice gesture if they can afford to do so and if they get a good service. Here in Dublin where I spend most of my time now, nobody would tip the postman. In Sligo I would be surprised if many people done it, except maybe some people who lived half a mile up a boreen. As someone else said, they get paid fairly to do the job, and at least they have a secure job and regular income. What next, do you tip in McDonalds or the local shop, where people would work for close to the minimum wage, unlike the postman ? One postie I know gets to sit down and have a cup of tea and a chat with my uncle for 10 minutes every morning when he is supposed to be working, I suppose you could say thats a bit of a tip, and no harm in that.

i gaurentee your uncle looks forward to the chat with the postman,the postman can be the only person some people see each day.i say fairplay to that postman he's doing nothing wrong yet people give out hes ment to be working.thats part of the problem with this country theres less and less interaction between people.

Son Of A Vidic

There's obviously a bit of an Urban/Rural divide on this topic. In the town people don't care I suppose, now I know you can say that's a generalisation but I do think it is largely the case. I'm out in the sticks now 3.5 years and I've grown to appreciate the services of the postman and binmen. Couriers, home heating delivery, no one would come out to me with the lethal roads around my house except the posty and binny. Now I've got German Shepherds in my house that don't take to kindly to strangers, so my appreciation is not based on my acquaintance with them.:D

fillefatale

My dad is a postman. He gets some tips, moreso when he worked in the country because like a poster above mentioned, he called in on a lot of older people who don't get to interact with people as often, there was a case I know of an elderly women whom he called in to check on when he was in the area even if he had no post for her, he ran errands for her, fixed her tv, etc and she died there last year and nobody told him, until he eventually asked a neighbour and they told him the funeral had been a week previous. He felt a bit let down to be honest.

I'm biased but they work hard for their 'fair' money, I'm a student living away from home and I tipped the postman over here. My dad has had falls, many many dog bites, injuries due to heavy loads and never has he complained or lost his good humour. He's always happy to pass the time of day. Tbh, the postmen I've encountered in Sligo seem to a lovely bunch, always jovial, don't know where they get their spirit.

I know certainly that the more affluent, suburban areas of town definitely, in 85% of the cases do not tip. Its a lovely gesture and in a lot of cases the money/gesture is very much appreciated.

I don't know what the case will be now that An Post is being privatized.

Buford T Justice

They probably get paid more than I do, so no, I don't. I pay enough for my services, i don't see why I should have to pay out any more.

Surely their bosses should be taking care of their bonuses and not their customers / clientele.

A lot of us don't have the money any more.

Son Of A Vidic

greetings wrote: »

We gave the bin men a bottle of whiskey...

I've just realised that maybe the lads were 'twisted' drunk and then had the courage to come out my way :eek:.

Slidey

My postie always tries to deliver any parcels to either my immediate neighbour or my friend a few doors down. It is very much appreciated as I don't be there to sign for anything.

I gave her a few quid only the other day. Not the binmen though

TheQ47

I tipped the postman, but not the binman.

Why one and not the other? The postman is extremely friendly, came out in all weathers, and if you saw the road where I live, that's saying something.

The binmen didn't come up my road for 3 weeks, and then when they do come, if something falls out of the bin when they're emptying it, they never pick it up, just leave it there.

Hence, postman got (cash) tip and a Christmas card, and binman got nothing.

dnme

Look after your postman and he'll look after you !