When do you tip your doorman

The recommendations are generally in line with what Brick Underground recommends, though Triplemint surveyed doormen in Manhattan to determine its numbers, which gives some modicum of insider info. The Emily Post Institute also has recommendations for tipping for all manner of service providers, from live-in nannies to to pool cleaners. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from.

By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Cities Atlanta Austin Boston. Chicago Detroit Los Angeles. New York San Francisco Archive. Filed under: Expert Advice Curbed Handbook. Holiday tipping guide: How much to give your building staff New, 6 comments. Loading comments New York Share this story. Hence the importance of tipping at the holidays to the extent you can afford. To help you calibrate tips that are neither too small nor too large, we've updated our annual holiday tipping guide, plus our recommendations for how, exactly, you should go about dispersing your generosity.

We are presenting it again with updated information for December as part of our holiday Best of Brick week. If you need a laugh, read how one New Yorker's holiday tipping was remarkably easy, thanks to a mysterious wad of cash she found in her apartment. Are you a seasoned tipper seeking yet more guidance? Check out our rundowns of holiday tipping pools, alternatives to cash tips , the renter-versus-owner tipping divide , and how to tip staff you hardly ever see.

Plus, our two-minute video guide to tipping , and the inside scoop from doormen themselves. Find Your Next Place. Many building staffers tell us they treat non-tippers the same as tippers, just as plenty of others admit to extending fewer favors and smiles to non-tippers, or subtly encouraging them to "pay as you go"—in other words, to tip for each extra service staffers perform.

Here's a general framework, for you to use as you see fit:. And if you needed more services this year—you really should. That should make it clear that your intention is to offer a bonus and not a raise.

Here's an overview. Some security guards do just sit there, because that is all that they are required to do, while others work just as hard as doormen. In the former case, it's okay to tip on the light side, so use your discretion.

Rather than make what could be interpreted as an insult by completely withholding a tip, many residents in this position tip on the low end of the scale. You might withhold a tip and then forget about it completely, but building staff is not likely to forget your gesture, or lack of one.

In Brick Underground's Naughty vs. As for those with delinquent supers, only 49 percent of the respondents planned to give them some extra cash.

Newer doormen in their first few years of service often receive smaller tips. For instance, a first-year doorman may collect half of what a senior doorman does. Again, it is ok to use your common sense here. Tipping is theoretically about rewarding service, not about how big your apartment is or how much you pay for it.

Barts and waltzing in with Neiman Marcus bags. With a tipping pool, residents contribute what they wish into the pool, which is then divided according to seniority and full-time or part-time status. The anonymity of the process means that tenants feel they will get equal treatment by the staff—no special favors for the big tippers. But in practice, in many buildings with tipping pools, owners continue to tip individually; at least for the staff members they see the most.

Renters, as a group, tend to tip less than condo and co-op owners. The reasons why have a lot to do with renting life, for example, a renter who has not lived in a building for a long time and does not know the staff well is not likely to tip a large amount.

And with so much invested in the building, owners have a bigger stake in how the building is cared for. Income is a factor as well. Renters can be at the early stages of their careers—and earning power—than owners. Renters simply have less money to spend on tips. Moreover, first-time renters who are also first-time New Yorkers may not be familiar with the custom of holiday tipping.

Isn't the rent enough?! If you have a close rapport with your mom-and-pop landlord, a nice bottle of wine is a nice gesture. Similarly, if you are calling the management company every other day to see if a larger apartment has become available to accommodate your growing family, a little something to stay on the landlord's mind, in a good way, certainly wouldn't hurt.

Cleaning service: Tip percent throughout the year, as a portion of their earnings goes to the cleaning service. If the same crew cleans your apartment each time, a holiday tip one week's pay is appreciated. Full-time nanny: One week's pay minimum, or two if you can afford it.

Or, one week's pay and one week of vacation. Regular dog walker: One week's pay. More if you have a lot of business-related deliveries. For a fuller discussion of the postal carrier tipping question, click here.