New to Tipping, just moved in last month

Yes, you are indeed a cheap-ass.

Doormen should be given $500 apiece, otherwise you might as well have spit in their mothers' faces. Porters deserve no less than $300 apiece.

Your holiday tips for your already well-paid building employees should be equal to at least two months' worth of mortgage and common charges/monthly maintenance. Any less, and don't expect anyone to even bother to call 911 if they see you getting raped in the lobby.

CJ - while not the most generous I've seen, certainly in line with the median. For buildings that have a ton of staff, often a collection is coordinated by the building management which is then distributed. Check in to see if this is the case. If not, your plan will work fine. Duane Reade stores have 10 packs of bill-sized cards w/ envelopes that work well to personalize the gesture.

as you moved in a month ago i think your tips are very generous... if there were people that were esoecially helpful during your move in a little extra thank you, verbal or note is always nice.

CJ123, your amounts are generous, and you obviously live in a fairly large building.

You're new, and quality staff persons often do not expect anything at all from a new person, so they will be pleasantly surprised by your generosity. Plan on taking a few minutes to chat when you deliver your gift.

You could definitely pull back on amounts if you want. If these people are at all good, it will be fine if you do.

I always put gratuities in a holiday card and write a personal note of appreciation, with my apartment number of course, and then hand them the card. I don't tip high (it's a pied a terre) but I get great service.

Welcome to New York good cat!

{Manhattan real estate agent.}

"I don't tip high (it's a pied a terre) but I get great service."

Because you tip, or because they're doing the jobs they're paid to do?

I have a question-

6 months ago I moved into a condo that doesn't have the amenities...just a live in super (a good one), and i think a porter that comes once a day or something (met him once). it's a great, clean building but i wouldn't say there's lots of services. additionally right now the building is mostly rental (7 units sold, some vacant, some rent controlled).

is this a situation in which i am expected to tip?

Thanks for the comments guys, Matt, why are you so bitter?

I've always felt tipping is extrinsic way of giving feedback for service. Don't get me wrong, I'm not thrilled with the idea of spending this much money but good performers should be rewarded and poor performers should enticed into working harder. It's capitalism.

"Matt, why are you so bitter?"

I'm not bitter.

I just don't like this mob-style shakedown by well-paid UNION employees on tenants who are already paying through the nose for either rent or monthly maintenance/common charges.

It's one thing to "tip" a service employee whom you encounter on a random basis -- in whose best interest it is for you to patronize their services again (restaurant wait staff, hairdressers, etc.) particularly when a substantial portion of their income is DEPENDENT upon tips.

Not so with staff building personnel with steady and secure jobs that include generous health and pension benefits, not to mention sick pay and vacation pay.

These people don't "need" tips. Nor should building tenants -- who can't *not* patronize the services of these workers simply by avoiding their establishment (since they're a captive audience and it's their HOME) -- feel obligated to "tip" these employees under the fear of receiving sub-par service in the following year.

Next up, the teacher's union starts demanding tips... because 43% raises and rediculous pensions aren't enough..

Well, most building supers and doormen are paid more than teachers.

prove it

No.

our super drives a new bmw x5. he is doing fine.

i agree with the shake-down although i think i tip more than the average person in my building.