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They get salaries to do their job. Tipping is an extra benefit for good service.
Why are you tipping if the service is not good ? If you tip regardless they will continue with the attitude.
Why should they change if you will tip them anyway ?
I admit, that's sorta how I feel and why I started this thread in the first place. Part of me is like, if I continue to tip, the more I train these people that they don't have to do anything to earn a tip. But then again, would it cause hard feelings if I don't tip them? But if so, what are they really going to do? They don't do anything for me anyway, so unless they plot some sort of vengeance against me, then I fail to see any harm in not tipping them.
The ONLY people I can see that might cause an issue if I don't tip is the doorpeople because they do open doors for me and provide me my packages. So they are doing "something" for me, albeit only doing the bare minimum. But the porters? What are they really doing for me that warrants a tip? They are not even cleaning the floors, let alone doing anything specially for me! As for the super and handyman, they will get a tip when I need them from something. If I need them for a plumbing or repair issue in my apartment and they need to fix something for me, THEN I will gladly tip them for the house call. But I have never needed anything from them in over 6 years, so again, why am I tipping?!
Are you tipping to show YOUR appreciation, or are you tipping them to elicit THEIR appreciation?
Well hard to say. Tipping your building staff is a tradition and I'm afraid it could cause problems or hard feelings if I don't. Even every Christmas, the management posts the staff list right in front of the elevators for everyone to see. I mean, why else would they post the staff list once a year? Obviously, that means they are expecting a tip.
But it would be nice to have a hint of appreciation in return since technically, no one is 'forcing' us give anything.
Do you live in New York City? I've heard about the tipping culture there, where every single person who performs any kind of service, no matter how menial and no matter how easily one could do it themselves, has their hand out. It seems to me like they're trying to make the tenants become helpless, unable to do the smallest thing for themselves, so they'll be at the mercy of their "servers" who constantly extract tips from them. Personally, I can't even imagine living this way.
As for your specific situation, look at your tips not as a reward for good service, but as protection money against being put last on the list for maintenance service if anything in your unit requires any kind of repair work. Because you can be certain that they're keeping careful track of who tips, and how much, and how often.
As for your specific situation, look at your tips not as a reward for good service, but as protection money against being put last on the list for maintenance service if anything in your unit requires any kind of repair work. Because you can be certain that they're keeping careful track of who tips, and how much, and how often.
I almost feel like I can give a Christmas Card with $100 in it or an empty Christmas card with a big "F*** you!" note in it and it wouldn't make a damn difference! I'm telling you, when I distribute Holiday tips every year, I get a big emotion-less reaction like they don't give a damn in the world! And that's what is frustrating me.
And yes, there is one service I require. My window screens need replacement. When the maintenance workers repaired my windows last year, they put in a order for new screens since my current ones are falling apart. That was four months ago BEFORE Christmas. I still tipped them and till this day, I still did not get my window screens. So again I must ask, why do I bother tipping for nothing?!
I live in a co-op building and every year during Christmas, it just seem customary to tip the building staff, whether it be the doorman, porters, super and handyman. But every year I give $30-40 to each of them and the thing that bothers me the most is that my building staff seems to do a poor job overall and even though I tip annually, the staff doesn't seem to care. They just take the tip from me like it doesn't make them happy and they really don't go above and beyond their duties anyway. For example, our hallways and elevators rarely get cleaned and looks quite dirty sometimes. There are tiles in the hallway that are falling apart that never get fixed. And sometimes when I have a package, the doorman never notifies me, so if my package did not have a tracking number, I would never know that my package has arrived. And sometimes, when I see the doorman for a package, he misplaces it and almost lost my package a couple of times.
Part of me wants to stop giving annual Holiday tips because it almost seems like my building staff couldn't care less whether they receive a tip or not. And because of that, I'm spending extra money tipping the staff every Christmas and getting nothing in return... no appreciation and lack of service. And our building keeps increasing our maintenance fees anyway, which probably means that these people are probably getting annual raises for doing less.
Do you think it's worth continuing to tip my building staff? I've always been indecisive every year about stopping the tips because I feel guilty, but if the staff doesn't seem to care and they are getting lazier at their jobs, it's like, why bother? What do you guys think?
I've heard of some buildings having a doorman. I have never heard of having porters though. What exactly do they do. But I think you need to contact management to complain about repairs and cleaning. It's their job to fix them. But they won't do anything until you complain. Doormen and porters are not maintenance, nor do they clean. If you have a doorman and a porter than your co op should have a concierge. Strange that they don't. If you feel like you're not getting the service you want then don't tip. Or maybe tip $5 if you want to give something so that you don't feel guilty. Honestly, I wouldn't feel guilty by not giving anything
From what the op says. Those folks can KMA. What remains to be seen is if the people aren’t tipped, would they punish you for it? Lose you packages, or whatever?
They sure have a funny way of showing it. Like when I ask my doorman for packages, I get an attitude! I mean, is that the right way to treat someone who tips you every year??
Depends where you live, is it a high cost of living area?
30-40 dollars seems *low* perhaps?
Maybe ask around to find out what other people tip.
Depends where you live, is it a high cost of living area?
30-40 dollars seems *low* perhaps?
Maybe ask around to find out what other people tip.
When you have to tip 10 people (12 people if you count the property manager and her assistant) then 30-40 is plenty generous. You're looking at $300-400 total for tips.
But I'll happily give $100 to any one of them that goes above and beyond and does me favors. But they don't even do the bare minimum, so they are lucky they are even getting what they are getting...
When you have to tip 10 people (12 people if you count the property manager and her assistant) then 30-40 is plenty generous. You're looking at $300-400 total for tips.
But I'll happily give $100 to any one of them that goes above and beyond and does me favors. But they don't even do the bare minimum, so they are lucky they are even getting what they are getting...
I really don't care nor do I blame you for your views.
I was just offering and explanation, not an absolution for their work or attitude etc.
That's the odd thing, I don't even think these people remember or care who does and doesn't tip. When I give these people a tip, it goes one ear and out the other, like it doesn't register to them. It's really odd when you think about it.
Two things. First, the tipping is too infrequent to be associated with the service level. It's just human nature. There needs to be quicker feedback response to good or bad service. A person isn't going to bust balls in February in the hopes that something will be rewarded in December. Second, there is little connection between who tips and who gets better service. What are they going to do? Clean the hall or elevator for the person who tipped and not for the person who didn't tip? Not possible. The tipping and non-tipping persons use the facilities randomly, and sometimes at the same time.
It's a lot like annual bonuses for salaried office workers. I've never worked at a place where it seemed to make a difference in the daily effort or output. It might have been appreciated in December but was forgotten by February.
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