How much to tip staff at my building?

December 11, 2004 10:33 AM

EtiquetteFilter: how much to tip? [mi]

I live in a large secure apartment building that employs approximately 12 people (4 door people, 3 manager's/leasing office people and 5 maintenance guys). What is customary to give as holiday tips? Do the maintenance guys get the same tips as the front door people? Do you tip the people in the manager's office at all? When I lived in NYC, I got the sense that I overtipped, but now that we live in the 'burbs, just curious what everyone else does.

Since I work out of my apartment, I do get a lot of packages which are held at the front desk, but are generally low maintenance tenants otherwise.

Thanks in advance for your help.

posted by psmealey to Human Relations (3 answers total)

Best answer: I would tip the the doormen, but not the people working in the office and only the maintenance staff if they go above-and-beyond (fixing an overflowing toilet in the middle of the night, etc.)

I would, however, do something nice for the rest of the building staff. A large plate of cookies, pizelles, or lefse and a handwritten "thank you for your professionalism and excellence throughout the year, happy holidays, love 3b" can actually go a lot further than a cash tip.
posted by nathan_teske at 10:50 AM on December 11, 2004

Yep. Cookies and kind words, I would say. You can't tip all 12 people in the building any non-insulting amount of money, that would be cost-prohibitive.

You could also ask your neighbors, if they've been there longer than you, what they usually tip.
posted by Hildago at 10:57 AM on December 11, 2004

Luckily, the people in my building have set up a "holiday fund" - you can contribute what you want and it gets divvied up later. I think this is a really sane answer. Can you suggest it to your neighbors or the staff?
posted by CunningLinguist at 11:02 AM on December 11, 2004