holiday tip?

How much is your rent?
How old are you?
How much does the super do for you?

The rule of thumb batted around here for a few years seems to make sense: take the amount of your maintance and spend that amount on your building staff, splitting it up at your discretion. If you rent, you can check listings on streeteasy for places in your building for sale to get a sense of the maint. A small studio in Manhattan is likely $600-700/month, I would guess (but do your own research).

$1,495 and 37. In the six months I've lived here, he's come by my apartment once to help me with the fuse box. He handles all the garbage and recycling for the building.

I forgot to say (if it isn't clear) that he is the only staff person for the building.

What amount feels comfortable for you?

give.him.$100

$30 ~ $50

$150 min if the number of apartments is small.

I would think that $50 would be a sufficient tip in your case. It sounds like the super is doing the basic maintenance for the building, but nothing extra.

I would give $200 as he is the only staffer you have to tip.

10 grand min.

you asked

I work as a Resident Manager, what you need to take into consideration is how does he interact with you does he hear what your saying or is he listening? is he proactive and does he respond in a timely manner to your phone calls/emails? how is the building kept? These are things you need to take into consideration and figure out how much these things are worth to you.

Happy Holidays!!

Without being in your circumstances, in your building, ... I'd venture that $50 would be totallly fine, as would $100.

"I work as a Resident Manager, what you need to take into consideration is how does he interact with you does he hear what your saying or is he listening? is he proactive and does he respond in a timely manner to your phone calls/emails? how is the building kept? These are things you need to take into consideration and figure out how much these things are worth to you."

I'll tell you what they're worth to me: precisely what I'm paying every month in my monthly maintenance.

As long as he's doing his job well, he gets the privilege of getting to keep it. That's "tip" enough.

That's how it works with the rest of the world. Why should it be any different for building staff?

I live in a building with about 400 apartments. There are about 25 staff, of which 10 are doormen, concierge, super, handymen and the rest are porters. Although I've been here over 4 years, I have no idea who the super is, or the porters. I only know who the doormen, concierge and one handman are. The doormen and concierge are generally nice. I have no idea who 80% of my neighbors are as they have all moved in within the last 6-12 months. Who/how much should I be tipping? WIll a bottle of booze and $25 be enough for the people I actually know? I would feel bad about the 15 porters and handymen, but I don't even know who these people are and do they even know who I am?

NYCMatt, there has to have been some serious childhood incident that has led to your adamance and persistence.

Did a doorman fall on you? Did a handyman not pay attention on a tour of the local Harrisburg CBS affiliate?

NYCMatt- Hey thats great you feel that way! You do not have to tip and you shouldnt feel like you have too!
Just when you need things done in your apartment or favors that DOES NOT pretain to the operation of the building dont look at the staff. Because your maintenance doesnt pay for us moving your furniture around, taking your dog or unclogging your toilet when their are feces in there because you know we could get sick which could result in litagation which means your mainteance could go up to cover the costs now we wouldnt want that to happen. Matt Merry Christmas!!

>>As long as he's doing his job well, he gets the privilege of getting to keep it. That's "tip" enough. That's how it works with the rest of the world. Why should it be any different for building staff?<<

Sounds a bit grinchy, Matt :-b

By the way, workers in all sorts of professions get year-end bonuses.

I just moved into my coop the last week of November. I was thinking of giving the doormen that I have met and the super $20 each. Is this sufficient?

Matt, darling, with your lovely attitude about the holidays, I'm CERTAIN that you wouldn't accept a bonus from your employer or a gift from a supervisor or co-worker. If you DO, I hope your flippin' HAND falls off.

drdrd, Matt has argued in the past that his doormen are well-paid union members and any tip/bonus should come from the building. His building supposedly provides bonuses for the doormen and residents are not supposed to tip. Therefore, I don't think his advice is relevant to most people on the list, but it would certainly be easier if every building gave the staff bonuses in lieu of tips. Maintenance would increase so there's no out-of-pocket advantage, and you wouldn't have the ability to dole out/allocate money as you seem appropriate, but it would certainly spare the headache of getting a bunch of cash from the bank, stuffing it into envelopes, and tracking down every employee.

"it would certainly be easier if every building gave the staff bonuses in lieu of tips. Maintenance would increase so there's no out-of-pocket advantage,"

Not necessarily.

Our staff is paid bonuses out of the general operating budget -- IF THERE IS A SURPLUS ONLY. Maintenance will NEVER go up for any shareholder to pay staff bonuses.

"Our staff is paid bonuses out of the general operating budget -- IF THERE IS A SURPLUS ONLY."

What a stupid system. Doormen, maintenance staff etc. don't set operating budgets, and they really don't have any control over cost. You are tying a merit-based bonus to something non-performance related.

"What a stupid system. Doormen, maintenance staff etc. don't set operating budgets, and they really don't have any control over cost. You are tying a merit-based bonus to something non-performance related."

Welcome to the REAL WORLD in which the rest of us live and work.

If they don't like it, they can find other employment.

Matt, aren't you a part time freelancer in a declining portion of the media industry?

"Our staff is paid bonuses out of the general operating budget -- IF THERE IS A SURPLUS ONLY. Maintenance will NEVER go up for any shareholder to pay staff bonuses."

This makes NO sense. What happens when you need to fund capital improvements and your operating budget is deplated? What happeneds when there is a deficit the next year? Maintenance will go up

Dear JaneRain: If this is the only person you're tipping in your building, I think it's a combination of 1.) tipping him for what he did in the past year (meaning his job + any extras you may have requested like the fuse box); and 2.) if (heaven forbid) you do need him in the future to drop everything and rush to your aid in the middle of the night (say a burst pipe or something of that type) that he will do so without delay.

Based on that - if you can - I would tip him $100. I think of it as coming out to about $2 a week as a 'thank you,' and that seems OK. If that's too much for you, simply do what you can.

"Welcome to the REAL WORLD in which the rest of us live and work."

In the real world, your bonus is often tied to factors that you can influence, so buster's criticism is fairly on-point.

"If they don't like it, they can find other employment."

You guys must get really exceptional staff when every other similar job in the city offers a reasonable likelihood of income from holiday tips.

>I would tip him $100. I think of it as coming out to about $2 a week

Well put.

"This makes NO sense. What happens when you need to fund capital improvements and your operating budget is deplated? What happeneds when there is a deficit the next year? Maintenance will go up"

No, it makes perfect sense.

The total amount of money we pay out in bonuses hardly makes a dent in the operating budget.

It would be like a household writing an extra check to the church for the Sunday offering at Christmas.

Then you should include a provision for bonuses in the operating budget -

Not necessarily.

Bonuses are for when the "company" has a good year.

If the "company" doesn't have a good year, no bonuses.

See how it works?

"Not necessarily.

Bonuses are for when the "company" has a good year.

If the "company" doesn't have a good year, no bonuses.

See how it works?"

Yeah, and if you are in an industry where EVERY ONE ELSE pays a large year-end bonus, and for WHATEVER reason yours does not, you will try as hard as you can to quit your job and move to the 99% of other companies that DO pay a bonus.

See how that works?

"Yeah, and if you are in an industry where EVERY ONE ELSE pays a large year-end bonus, and for WHATEVER reason yours does not, you will try as hard as you can to quit your job and move to the 99% of other companies that DO pay a bonus.

See how that works?"

Yes I do.

We're willing to take that chance.

It's not like we'd need to replace rocket scientists here ...

jordyn & jason, agreed. And of course most companies budget, accrue and expense bonuses all throughout the year so they are not funded by some end of the year pool of surplus cash. And of course they are treated as a real cost of doing business and are supposed to provide proper incentives and align interests. And of course companies are supposed to make profits while co-ops have very different goals.

This sounds like a totally asinine system unless you want to end up with a staff of complacent doormen who will never go above and beyond the call of duty as defined in their union job description. Or unless your other shareholders tip the doormen, which I strongly suspect is the case.

In the case of larger apartments, the owners are generally far better off than the doormans/supers. A little holiday gift is only appropriate as appreciation of the work done and being generous to those who are less well off. In addition, these people can make a real difference in the quality of your life. Blocker toilet, leaking sink, letting in some one to deliver furniture when you are not there - technically not a part of their job description as their responsibility is only what is in the walls. However, for a studio, it should be based on the service provided and ANTICIPATED SERVICE NEEDS. A little like insurance for when your sink leaks.

"A little holiday gift is only appropriate as appreciation of the work done and being generous to those who are less well off."

We pay generous salaries and benefits. That's "appreciation" enough.

You still haven't responded about whether YOU accept a holiday bonus or gift at your place of employment, Matt.

I am self-employed.

How often is a surplus the result of excess income versus the result of projected expenses being too high - Are you defining a good year as mis-budgeting - laughable -

"Just when you need things done in your apartment or favors that DOES NOT pretain to the operation of the building dont look at the staff. Because your maintenance doesnt pay for us moving your furniture around, taking your dog or unclogging your toilet when their are feces in there because you know we could get sick which could result in litagation which means your mainteance could go up to cover the costs now we wouldnt want that to happen. Matt Merry Christmas!!"

Nice, I hope you don't work in my building.

This is reason enough why you should never tip your super. And do not use building staff for extra jobs. Of course, that would mean the loss of all that extra side money, wouldn't it?

I am figuring this out right now. We have only lived in a doorman building for 6 months, prior to that we lived practically in a tenament building that was not cared for at all. We were lucky if they sent illegals to fix our plumbing, but it was always held up with scotch tape and elmers glue.

So anyway, we are thinking of tipping our doormen about $40 each (pro rated) and other maintenance staff about $5 or $10 (again, pro rated) depending on their function and our interaction with them. Even though they're all great, I'm a little upset that a tip is expected since our rent is already inflated to account for all of the staff. I'm in agreement with @NYCmatt that the salaries are their tips and they are expected to do a good job to earn it. I always meet or exceed my goals at work, but I rarely get a bonus so it just seems unfair.

Matt has offered me a tour of CBS and ABC. If i take him up on that, I will not be tipping.

JJason offered me a tour of his office and if i take him up on that I will make a big show of tipping him in front of hospital coworkers. Jason, that offer is still good right?

Hey w67, can i get a tour of the primate wing at the Columbia County zoo?

>JJason offered me a tour of his office and if i take him up on that I will make a big show of tipping him in front of hospital coworkers. Jason, that offer is still good right?

iPhone sure does make some odd word choices.

hospital -> his

Nice, I hope you don't work in my building.

This is reason enough why you should never tip your super. And do not use building staff for extra jobs. Of course, that would mean the loss of all that extra side money, wouldn't it?
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Most likely I don't since the building I work in people can afford their apartments without having to complain about maintenance or have a chip on their shoulder and take it out on the building staff.

And just for the record I DO NOT DO SIDE JOBS IN MY BUILDINGS NEVER HAVE NEVER WILL! I am here to make sure that you always have hot water and plenty of heat in the winter. I run my buildings with pride and it shows and your friends, guests and family all take notice to the attention to detail from how well kept the building is and to how helpful the staff is and to how respectful and polite we all are. And they appreciate it and they show it this time of the year. Because when the newspaper(s) are outside one of our residents door for more then 24hrs we knock on the door and call to find out is everything ok! We call our elderly residents to make sure they're ok we call and ask the if they need anything. And we do it all not for the tips because we don't get tips for things like this! its about the service we provide and they respect it and appreciate it at the end of the year they show that appreciation.