How to thank service workers
6 min read
Table of Contents
The holiday season is here, and it’s traditionally a time when we choose to thank those who make our lives easier during the year. While it’s not a requirement, offering a holiday tip to service providers is a way to show your appreciation for their work.
“Consumers have been doing a lot more tipping this year throughout the year than we’re accustomed to, every coffee shop has a tipping screen for that muffin you bought, every convenience store has a tipping screen for the bottle of water you bought,” said Thomas P. Farley, an etiquette columnist, TV commentator and keynote speaker also known as Mister Manners. “It’s important for individuals to realize that these tips, this end of year gratuity, is definitely a separate animal from the tip that you might provide for somebody who’s pulling a muffin out of a bakery case.”
But how do you know whom to tip for the holidays? And, how much should you tip?
“Anybody who makes your life easier, you take care of them,” said Steve Dublanica, bestselling author of “Waiter Rant” and “Keep the Change.” “If it is a luxury that I can afford, I tip them.”
Lizzie Post, co-president of the Emily Post Institute, said that determining whom to tip at the end of the year is based on your personal lifestyle and the types of services you have. She said this might not just include needed services, but also optional ones.
Services inside the home
When it comes to service providers that operate within our homes, like home health care aides, housekeepers, babysitters, nannies or personal trainers, Farley said it’s important to show gratitude for these individuals because we view them as important enough to be inside our homes.
“These are people that we’re opening up our homes to, and they’re operating within our homes on a regular or semi-regular basis,” he said. “They’re providing some sort of service that’s vital to our lives.”
Why is everyone asking for tips :How tipping culture in America is changing
Services outside the home
Pool cleaners, plowing companies, landscapers, sanitation workers, dog walkers or delivery people like UPS or FedEx drivers are all examples of individuals that provide us services outside of the home.
“This is anyone who is operating outside your home or in the vicinity of your home to make your house itself and your grounds look their best,” Farley said.
Services for apartment buildings
If you live in an apartment building with a doorman, a super or a garage attendant, these are all individuals to think about thanking at the end of the year.
In some cases, Post has heard of buildings offering a streamlined way of tipping these individuals, like leaving an envelope in their mailbox. While this might not be the case in every building, Post said it’s still good to consider these individuals for a holiday tip.
Personal care staff
Personal care providers like hairstylists, massage therapists and nail technicians are all candidates for a holiday tip, but Farley said they are unique in that they receive tips regularly throughout the year. So, how you thank these providers could depend on how often you get these services done and how close you are with the service provider.
How much to tip for the holidays
“Most of these individuals, with the exception of personal care workers, are not people that we’re tipping throughout the year itself,” Farley said. “You’re most likely not tipping your landscaper after every visit, or your housekeeper after every visit.”
Depending on how often you tip service workers throughout the year may impact how you should thank them during the holiday season. But overall, Post recommends that a holiday tip be up to the cost of one service, a percentage of one service or some sort of gift.
“It’s a great metric to use and what I like about it is that it’s a real equalizer,” Farley said. “So, if you’re someone who gets their hair cut at a barber shop where you pay $15 and you’re in and out in five minutes, $15 is your tip. If you’re going to a salon in the finest part of town where you’re paying $150 or $200 for your haircut, that’s your tip.”
For individuals like housekeepers or nannies, who may only be tipped during select times of the year, Dublanica said the cost of one cleaning or a week’s worth of salary, respectively, is a good tip.
Post said to also keep in mind that certain institutions or organizations may have their own regulations for tipping their staff, so it’s important to consult those guidelines beforehand. This is the case for postal workers, who are legally not allowed to accept cash, so Dublanica said a nice note and even a sweet treat as a gift could be a good alternative.
Just say thanks if you can’t tip
In the event that you’re not in the position to offer a holiday tip or gift this year, Post and Farley said even just giving a card with a message expressing your gratitude is enough.
“I think it’s really important that if you’ve had a tradition of giving a holiday tip to at the very list give a card this year. Give a card that just simply says thank you for all of your excellent service,” Post said. “Most of these service providers would much rather have your service throughout the entire year than one tip at the end of the year.”
Farley said another option would be regifting an unopened and unused item you already have at home.
“No one should feel that they are going into debt or having to take out a loan to do all these gratuities. Yes, we want to be generous during the holidays and yes, we want to share our good fortune with others, especially when they’ve helped us through the year,” Farley said. “But if it’s a real hardship or something you’re not able to do, there are alternatives.”
How to deliver your holiday tip
While it is easy today to just send someone money through apps like Venmo, Farley said it’s a missed opportunity to truly express your gratitude for a service in a personalized manner. So, whenever possible, always deliver your tip in a card with a nice note and hand it directly to the person you’re tipping. He also said it’s best to give cash if you’re choosing to tip in a monetary manner.
“If you’re giving cash, try and go to the bank and get some really nice, clean crisp bills,” he said. “Don’t give ratty, wrinkled bills that look like they’ve gone through the washing machine.”
Overall, holiday tipping is meant to be a way to show your appreciation and gratitude to the service providers in your life.
“It’s an important thing to recognize that this is not something you have to do. It’s a lovely tradition, it’s got a lot of good sentiment in it,” said Post of the Emily Post Institute. “But it can get out of hand and it can make people feel like they are lacking the ability to do something like this, and that’s not the goal. We really want to make people feel confident about participating in holiday tipping, which we often call holiday thanking, in as comfortable and convenient way as possible.”
Maddie McGay is the real estate reporter for NorthJersey.com and The Record, covering all things worth celebrating about living in North Jersey. Find her on Instagram @maddiemcgay, on X @maddiemcgayy, and sign up for her North Jersey Living newsletter. Do you have a tip, trend or terrific house she should know about? Email her at [email protected].
