Holiday Tips

This has been covered in great, great, lengthy, exhaustive depth on various threads you can get to through this link: http://streeteasy.com/nyc/talk/discussion/23861-tipping-2010-
The threads referenced in this link should provide every imaginable view of the matter--hope it helps.

thanks.....seems mixed..ive been trying to get a nameplate on my door since earlier this year when i moved in to my apt.....i reminded the livein super 3x and still havent gotten it......i also told him i needed to be on the list of biweekly exterminator......he let them in for the 1st time 2wks ago and then didnt this past week...i asked him why...he said he had a lawyers appt and didnt even apologize...meanwhile ive seen cockroaches etc......he never seems busy...lives in the building, etc.........perhaps he is very busy and i dont see it......i never have packages, etc for doormen.......to be honest...i dont even care if i had a doorman...i can open my own doors! LOL....probably will give 50 each to doormen and same to super......$300 total.....

let's start 500 threads on this!!!! One for each angel I can fit on a pinhead!!!!

$20 per doorman if you do not use them much, $50 to the ones you use a lot, $50 to the super if he is helpful, $20 if he is not +$100 into the general fund.

if they're union don't tip them. they rip you off to begin with.

For $500-$1000, you really want to be the people in the building who don't tip the staff who you see every day and who are responsible for the maintenance of a significant asset of yours?

Tonight they slipped the list of people (doormen, super, etc) under my door. It totals 20 people...I don't tip everyone...I also tip when they come to fix something.

Tipping seems like socialism. Shouldn't you just let the invisible hand market forces compensate the people in the building?

Invisible hand market forces?

I think they prefer the hand that gives the paycheck, and the hand that gives the tips.

Unless maybe by invisible hand you mean direct deposit, which truly is a time saver.

I asked this on another thread but did not get a response--our new building has a Resident Manager (we did not have one in our previous building---we had a super). He has been extremely helpful during some renovations, move in, deliveries...and yes, I know it is his job but I would like to show my gratitude and thought the holidays would be a good time. I honestly just do not know the protocol....any suggestions???

An envelope with a card and some cash. Don't be cheap either. If you were thinking $50, isn't it worth just paying the extra $50, which comes out to less than an extra $5 per month for the year. In return you get a bigger smile and slightly faster service which may be well worth the extra $50.

(i.e. pay $100)

(or more if that's the type of building you are in)

I got it--but my question was not really about an amount but rather the appropriateness of tipping a Resident Manager in general. Believe me, I do not plan on being cheap to any of the building staff--I operate on Kylewest's philosophy...

Oh, God. I can't believe we are really doing this thread. Guess the other 1/2 dozen where the EXACT same things were said weren't enough. Well, have at it...

Kylewest--I am not re-hashing amounts--my question is about something I honestly have no experience with so please do NOT 'beat me up'!!

fleur, the amount does have something to do with your own situation and the value of your apartment. It's somewhat a perception matter.

> I have 6 doormen and 1 super in my building (roughly 60 apts).

similar thing here, but the super has also an assistant. we will give to both the super and assistant. didn't decided how much, but probably double the amount to the super than to the assistant... (now that i think about it, maybe it should be the other way around, the assistant might need the $ more).

we will only tip 2 of the 6 doormen, those that work like they want to receive tips. the other 4 cannot be lazier. we have to tiptoe to avoid waking one up (permanent siesta state). With another one we have to wait till he finishes he's personal phone calls before bothering him with a question... They don't seem to care for the tip imho.

> if they're union don't tip them. they rip you off to begin with.

how do i find out if they are?

> who are responsible for the maintenance of a significant asset of yours?

i rent, it's not my asset. should i tip anyway then?

I give up!

How do you expect other people to know your appropriate amount?

notadmin
1 minute ago
> if they're union don't tip them. they rip you off to begin with.
how do i find out if they are?

If you rent, why does it matter if they are union?

> who are responsible for the maintenance of a significant asset of yours?
i rent, it's not my asset. should i tip anyway then?

It is your asset for the term of the lease for all intents and purposes.

you are just not getting my question--the Resident Manager is NOT a super--is he supposed to be tipped at all? THAT is the question--I never asked anyone to give me an AMOUNT!! I can decide that for myself--but a Resident Manager is different from a super so I am asking if people normally tip this person....please do not become rude with me...

> If you rent, why does it matter if they are union?

i'm paying for their wages from my rent, what's the difference?

> It is your asset for the term of the lease for all intents and purposes.

no it's not. it's the landlord's asset, shouldn't HE tip his employees?

Do you see the contradiction in the two sentences you wrote?

http://apartments.about.com/

"According to a recent survey of 1,000 American adults by Rent.com, a whopping 61% of apartment renters claim they don't tip their doorman, super, or other building staff at all during the holidays. Of those who do tip, 71% give $25 or less per recipient, 21% give between $26 and $50, and only 7% give a higher amount."

wow, you guys just saved me some $. it makes total sense to me for owners to have to tip (either landlords or owner-resident). we are paying their salaries already through our rent.

how can i figure out whether they are unionized? which is their union's name? this is just for curiosity.

i'll still tip, but again, just those 2 i like a lot. the other 4, i wouldn't care if they are not there.

fleur, re-reading what I wrote to you, I'm struggling to find where I could possibly have been rude.

Although now I will say this, if your question was specifically about tipping someone who is a Resident Manager specifically because that person isn't a Super, why didn't you just ask the explicit question to begin with instead of waiting this long and until you've become this exasperated? (ps, NOW by this response, I'm intending to be rude in case it didn't come across strongly enough).

Notadmin, good for you on not tipping, you've lowered yourself to the lowest common denominator.

> Do you see the contradiction in the two sentences you wrote?

unionized workers inflate wages, not tips. do you get it? i'm on the hook for wages, the landlord should for tips to make sure they work well protecting his asset.

btw, i'm in the camp that doesn't need/want doormen anyway.

(ps, that was intended to be rude too)

fleurdelys: comment not directed at you--sorry I wasn't clear. It is just all the "union employees live rich and shouldn't be tipped" noise is draining. We all get it. Some people don't tip. Why they express it with such religious zeal and feel the need to prosthelytize the outlier view is exhausting and frankly strange.

I don't really know what a residence manager is so I can't offer any guidance there. I suppose I'd take what is appropriate for a super and adjust up or down based on how much the manager did/does for you compared to a super.

Do you also have a super? Can you explain the residence manager? I'm curious.

Did the doormen appear after you signed your lease? And if so, did the rent increase when they showed up?

My last comment was directed at notadmin

kylewest-- I would be happy to speak with you---The Resident Manager gets an apartment for free, all maintenance and PILOT (we are in BPC) paid for by the owners. He meets regularly with the management company (I believe weekly). He reviews plans for renovations, approves insurance certificates, schedules move in/outs, deliveries. He expedites everything and supervises all of the staff. His is truly a management position. He has a large office off of the lobby and tenants can meet with him if there are any issues/questions. He never does any of the 'work' himself (as a super would) but he does truly manage the building. For example, he sends the listing with the staff and their years of service (for holiday tipping) but his name is not listed. I see him as different from the other staff as his is more of an 'executive' type position so I just wanted to get a sense of what others do.

> Did the doormen appear after you signed your lease? And if so, did the rent increase when they showed up?

the lease doesn't say i have to tip doormen i would prefer not being there. the rent is higher cause of having doormen although it wasn't clear when we moved in whether the doormen will keep on being there. the landlord didn't decide that back then. guess it plays a role attracting higher paying tenants for hte expensive units. not our case.

now, clearly it's the landlord's responsibility to find good people and as a tenant you don't control who is fired and who isn't. it they were good workers, they would be tipped. most of them are the laziest people i've come across. one even asks me to cook for him to hold on to my FT. i'd rather not have them there, that simple. guess it's the invisible hand at work after all.

hunter, i really don't care whether you are rude or not. some people have the brain to argue, some just to attack. it's how it is, i'm indifferent to it.

notadmin
5 minutes ago

>the lease doesn't say i have to tip doormen i would prefer not being there.
the bill I got at the restaurant last night didn't say I had to tip either.

>the rent is higher cause of having doormen although it wasn't clear when we moved in whether the doormen will keep on being there. the landlord didn't decide that back then.

honestly, that's just odd

>guess it plays a role attracting higher paying tenants for hte expensive units. not our case.

>now, clearly it's the landlord's responsibility to find good people and as a tenant you don't control who is fired and who isn't. it they were good workers, they would be tipped. most of them are the laziest people i've come across. one even asks me to cook for him to hold on to my FT. i'd rather not have them there, that simple. guess it's the invisible hand at work after all.

That all sounded so low brow until I got to the FT part.

> That all sounded so low brow until I got to the FT part.

listen, i don't care how it sounds. it's the way it is. if they are the landlords employees, we don't have a say whether they are there or not, why not asking the landlord to give the tips to everybody across the board. then as a tenant if i like particular ones that do their job right, tip that guys. unfortunately in my case they are only 2. maybe in your case is everybody.

if you go to a restaurant and you don't like the waitress you go to another one, hence you don't tip again. tenants don't have that discretion. for tipping to be relevant it has to reflect good service. tipping that reflects lack of a living wage is just an excuse for the employer to keep on paying shitty wages (bartender, waitresses). i'd say get rid of that.

>tipping that reflects lack of a living wage is just an excuse for the employer to keep on paying shitty wages (bartender, waitresses). i'd say get rid of that.

Maybe we can arrange a march in Washington?

lol, imho those that use fallacies ad homimen are low brow (yes, you). this is not rude, just being honest, in case you want to reconsider and improve yourself :-)

Sure, your input is appreciated.

great! just figured i might be doing sby out there a favor :-) Happy Thanksgiving!

fleurdelys: that is a very unusual position. I assume you have an enormous building. It is a large expense and i'm not clear exactly what the value added is over what a management company does without having to give the managing company an expenses paid apartment. A super/doorman can deal with deliveries and deal with building renovations. What does the resident manager actually do all day long that justifies everyone actually paying for their housing? It seems kind of over the top. If the building is 1000 units and the tasks are 10x what they are in an ordinary building, I suppose I get why someone has to coordinate deliveries and otherwise divide labor differently than in a regular 100-150 unit coop.

I haven't any familiarity with this type of position (I don't know anyone who does), so your best bet may be asking your neighbors.

Thanks Kyle--btw--building is only about 200 apartments--I live in the Millennium in BPC--we have a huge staff--concierges, doormen, porters, handymen--as for the RM--he does manage the building well but not sure how he fills his time every day--I will take your advice and ask around--

I can't believe this thread! Tipping is personal and subjective. Common sense should follow. Doormen and maintenance people don't have very high incomes. In addition, if they are union, their benefits are awful. Have a little compassion for those that work very hard with not much pay. If you are living in a full service building in Manhattan, chances are you are making a lot more than the doorman or janitor.

If you live in a rental, I'm not sure what the difference is if the staff are union are not.

If I understand correctly, fleur, your building doesn't also have someone who's called a super ... ?

What we in New York call a super/superintendent is called an engineer in Chicago. It sounds like the resident manager is a fancy name for super, possibly to avoid the union, and possibly because it sounds fancy and professional.

Which raises a stupid question on my part. Is the title a "resident manager" or "residence manager"?

alanhart--yes--you are correct NO super --I agree the title connotes 'professional' and in fact, he does NO manual labor that I am aware of so his duties do differ from those of a super; hence, my dilemma as to the appropriateness of a 'tip'---

his title is Resident Manager as in manager who also resides (in the building).

I don't believe supers in 200-unit buildings generally do manual labor. They run the building and the building staff. They tweak the heating system. They prioritize work orders. That sort of thing.

See end of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_superintendent

I have never received a holiday bonus for doing my job. I swear, these "bonus - tip" threads are started by building workers and/or their family members to create this image of how "everybody" tips $100 plus to everybody.

Consensus (from what I have googled) is to tip him as I would a super--and you have just confirmed that for me so I will have to get over the semantic issue. Thanks to all who helped me.

I think for that type of positon (as you describe more of management/professional- non-labor), I would feel more confortable giving a non-cash gift or perhaps a gift card. If that person is so integral in controlling what goes on in the bldg and could potentially have an influence on your life $100 seems right to me.

bklyn11201, if you want tips, get a job whose compensation structure involves tips: restaurant service, taxi driving, residential building, hotel, massage therapy, caddy, barber. If you want to receive the compensation structure of your current field, that's fine too.

bklyn11201 - that is funny and probably true! who said their super earns $100,000/yr plus gets a free apartment? nice gig.

From what i heard(not officially confirmed)....many of these workers have great benefits, retirement, pensions, medical benefits, vacation, sick leave, union......everyone deserves something around the holidays but im not sure extravagance is needed esp since you are paying a large part of your mtce for the service of someone opening the door for you....etc....

Bump for the idiots starting new tipping threads

Just signed checks for :
$150-Building super
$100 for each of the 9 doormen
$50 for the 14 handymen and additional staff members
All great people- But most of their services i can do without
No wonder i don't like the Holidays!

It's all over the map, but I am often surprised at the total absolute number that it turns out some people are tipping. When tips total 1500$ plus it seems to me it has gone way beyond being nice, and is starting to seem like some kind of supplemental compensation. Personally, I think tipping as supplemental compensation makes no sense since the people are otherwise compensated. Of course, if a well-off person is simply looking to hand out charity to people they know and find helpful, but not everyone is wealthy enough to afford to do that and so should not be expected to do that.

I'm cutting back on tips this year and the outrageous tipping mentality. So, only 4 people are getting tipped this year and the amount is going to be around $20 - $30. Last year and before that, it was between $50 - $100 for a building with 20+- personnel.

Besides, I pay throughout the year when I get help. I too don't receive holiday bonuses for my current and past jobs.

I think this very large tipping is a symptom of the go-go years, bubble, hedge-fund, funny money times.. The same thing that leads people to pay 1600$psf leads them to overtip. Just a thought.....

I believe last year a rule of thumb emerged: Your total tips should equal about one month's maint fee. So if your monthly charge is $800 and there are 8 people on your list, they'd get $100 each. If you live in a small building with few apts/staffers, say only 2 people, $400 each.

I will follow the above for my building (and I know this is not the norm but I tip everyone the same in my building)

I gave $50 each to 4 garage guys last year, will probably do the same again.

Of course, my rule of thumb is NO TIPS.

"ust signed checks for :
$150-Building super
$100 for each of the 9 doormen
$50 for the 14 handymen and additional staff members
All great people- But most of their services i can do without
No wonder i don't like the Holidays!"

Sorry, but you're a idiot.

Why did you feel compelled to sign those checks if you didn't want to? Was someone holding a gun to your head?

I like Village's rule and will follow it. My monthly common charges are about $1100 and there are seven staff.

NYCMATT- You are right- I MUST be an idiot, than you for making that public. I do want to be generous but i think that the way certain building handle the whole tipping situation is a little forceful- We all receive a big card with every person's name on it. It's almost as if we are expected to tip each one-(most of these people i never see- And i hate speaking with my doormen- I can call my own taxi, thank you)
Im sure every one in my building tip every one individually- But i'd much rather give to a common fund (one month maintenance would be great)

Seven, if you really want to be generous, be generous to those who truly need your generosity, rather than gainfully employed people earning union wages with health and pension benefits.