Who and what to tip in a doorman bldg?

keeping in mind my apt would be one of the smaller units in the bldg

Xmas. Lots of posts on this.

Enter 'holiday tipping' in the streeteasy 'search discussions' pane to your right.

You'll get wildly-different answers, and will find that lots of people live in doorman buildings, who shouldn't, and who think doormen live high on the hog at $40K per year.

I do $150 for each of the six doormen/handymen/porters, and $200 for the super. That's in an 80-apartment UWS building. You'd adjust up/down for smaller/larger buildings and for location.

You give each one a card with his money. He will then shake your hand, say Thank You, and then say Thank You again the next time you see him, as if overcome by your generosity. The cheapskates who give $50 or cookies will get the same response, but without the second Thank You.

Also depends a bit on how many and if one of them works for only one shift or something.

$0, as I already pay for their benefits and lifetime pensions.

25% for waiters since as they're not union and don't get the same benefits/pensions/salary.

I can't help myself: why is this on your mind in May?

I agree with Kyle. This isn't about tipping your garage staff which you should be doing year round when you take out your car.

>keeping in mind my apt would be one of the smaller units in the bldg

the "would be" instead of "is" possibly suggests he hasnt bought the apartment yet and contemplating the additional costs for living in a doorman building.

Did I miss the mayor's memo on tipping garage staff year-round?

The doorman should not open the door any differently for you because you are in a small apartment than if you were in a large apartment. If you are a heavy user of the door (big family, lots of in/out), then perhaps you should tip more. Likewise, if the porters are regularly loading/unloading your car and delivering things to your door, perhaps they should be tipped more than if they aren't.

In some large buildings, the managing agent will add a suggested amount on to your Nov or Dec maintenance for the building-wide tip-pool (which they divide up among all the staff). If you think that is sufficient, then do that. If you feel your maintenance covered their services, don't add the amount. If you feel some staff have gone above the 'norm', then tip them individually or additionally.

My building employs 17 staff, so yes, at an average of ~100/person, the tip amount adds up. So do the services they provide to me. My employer pays me well for my skills and work, and extra when I exceed expectations. As the building staff (indirectly) work for me why wouldn't I do the same?

You think the mayor should regulate tipping, etiquette and politeness? What next - sodas, riding a bicycle without a helmet?

Here's the famous doorman interview, about David Koch stiffing the staff at 740 Park: http://youtu.be/6niWzomA_So

Oops, it's 45 minutes into the video.

NWT: David Koch is a heavy user of the door.
Happy Memorial Day weekend to all.

Thanks, you too!

Thanks Truth and alanhart.

"If you are a heavy user of the door (big family, lots of in/out), then perhaps you should tip more."

Using this logic, then the Latina welfare mama with five kids should be paying more taxes than the single affluent gay guy because she uses government "services" more than he does.

What if the door opens automatically?

>Using this logic, then the Latina welfare mama with five kids should be paying more taxes than the single affluent gay guy because she uses government "services" more than he does

Is this the same gay guy who was "drunk every night, loud arguments, doors slamming, everything a fucking drama, locking each other out of the apartment, banging on the doors, jilted boyfriends showing up in the middle of the night, banging on the door ... some of of them even caught shimmying up the fire escape. " http://streeteasy.com/nyc/talk/discussion/29312-crazy-loud-neighbor-question

Sounds like they should pay more.... A lot more HB

Also wouldn't the term, "high maintenance" apply there too HB?