We were (we, when we were a couple) friends with our mailwoman, at least somewhat. We did know a bit about her and she, us. Eventually she got another post but she stopped by when she was in the neighborhood anyway, sometimes. Years go by. I move north a thousand miles. A decade has passed. I go back to LA for a visit, such a strange feeling. I know my part of the city cold, all the byways, but I am also now sort of a stranger, even on my old street. I have to do some shopping in the Marina and mail a book to an architect up here and so I go to the post office there. I am looking around on the shelves of the sales stand for bubble bag, etc. and I hear, loud and clear, STOP THAT WOMAN!
The whole room is looking at me. It is Eartha, from the doorway from the back room into the behind the counter area. She could tell me from the back. Geez.
Well, we caught up on stuff.
I don't remember what we ever gave her but hospitality - iris bulbs I was dividing, I think. Ten or fifteen dollars at Christmas.
Grrrrrrrr.
Little Mo's parents - don't even get me started.
Little k - the mailman is one of those people that I don't consider essential to tip. If you've established a relationship with him its one thing - if he drops off your mail with no interaction it is another.
That said, send me the homemade soap and I'll send your mailman my big toe or something else that I like but might could live without.
Homemade soap!?
I would only give something that lovely to people I adore.
I didn't know that about Calgon and low light - I though it was Calgon and valuim that equaled relaxation in spades!
I love that story osso. It reminds me of my favorite post office woman - Grace. I buy postcard stamps by the thousands because I use them for work. One time Grace accidentally gave me regular stamps instead of postcard stamps - there is only a 10 cent difference but when you multiply that by hundreds of rolls it equals quite a bit. When I discovered the mistake I took the stamps back. At first I wouldn't even tell them that it was Grace who made the mistake fearing that she would get into trouble. When they assured me that she wouldn't but that they needed to know so that they could correct for errors I finally told them.
The moral to this story: Grace has provided me with more than exceptional service every single time I've stepped foot into that post office since.
I've told that story once before on a2k so I shouldn't wear it out, but that Stop That Woman really helped me on that strange trip back.
I'll remember that "Stop that Woman!" has such an effect!
Soz, thank your dad (and I thank you) for the info. Pin that fellow down though and get the nitty gritty on what makes a good tip!
I suppose he's right about the retirement aspect but barring a winning lottery ticket I don't have a fortune to spend.
C'mon Powerball..... I'm ready for some good luck.
I do have a friendly relationship with my mailman. He always jokes about his pal (Bootsie ferociously barking behind her door). Last saturday (first day of the snow storm) he had lost our blocks' mail somewhere (dunno if he ever found it) and he offered to help push my car if I was still stuck on his return trip (they load up a couple blocks' worth of mail and walk from their cars). It's the first time I have lived in one place long enough to know the MM. Unfortunately, during the holidays we get a bunch of different people, they put out extras in this densely populated are and so I never know if he's going to get his tip.
Wow -- valium would only enhance the effect, I'd think.
Myself, I consider it fine if I don't have to clean the tub...
While I wouldn't consider myself 'close' to our mailman, I do enjoy talking with him, and he's always polite and courteous. I try to give him a little something each year when we can afford it, but it's often tough buying for five kids, four parents, three siblings, two siblings s/o, and assorted grandparents (Somehow, this seems to change every year) and still be able to afford a five dollar g/c to Burger King. Crappy, I know, but try living with my salary someday. . .
That being said, of course I would get the mailman something if I knew he was leaving. Like I said, I may not be close to him, but he's a pleasure to deal with, and always nice and polite to us. (Plus, I tend to be a little more forgiving with the mailmen. Not only did I have a decent one growing up, besides our current one, but my grandfather retired from the place.)
That's a lot of presents to buy, Turner. We only buy for the kids - one stays a kid until they graduate from college, get married or have a baby (preferably in that order). As we get older our list mutates so its always pretty fresh. Still, it can bust our budget.
I know I can afford a little something - it is just figuring out what that little something should be....
Boomer... what are we going to do with you?!
Catch him at your box. In uniform. Doing what he's always done.
Take his picture. Frame it nicely.
Our mailperson gets a card and a twenty.
Our boxes from JJill, JCPenney, ad nauseum, get put by our door and we never have to slog over to the PO to pick them up.
The above is not necessarily in order.
Crikey, Joe, who's paying for the JJill merchandise?
That is a good idea, SealPoet - and one I can probably handle.
<Sheesh>
Between staff out with the flu and it being holiday portrait season I'm a little overwhelmed.......
Sorry about the AWOLing.
That's okay dear. We understand... real world interupts us all the time.
LittleK wrote:
Quote:Crikey, Joe, who's paying for the JJill merchandise?
Me spouse has to do her own paying, yah, and ven did joo start speeking Australian? Are you hanging around the bunny a bit too much??
Seal: [coded message] bubble wrapped container of you know what goes Friday to you know who.
Joe
Tipping the Mailman-what a help previous messages have been!
What a help this forum has been!!! I am new and found this site just now by googling, "gifts for mailman" and this is one of the links that came up! I have a good relationship with my mailman. Since I am on Social Security Disability my income is limited, my husband doesn't make much where he works but has been there 17 years! so we have to be frugle. I just started getting into selling on Ebay to suppliment our income and my postman has been SOOO helpful telling me all about how to package my items to lessen my out of pocket shipping, he picks up my packages that I have postage on to save me a trip to the post office!!! He leaves my packages that I receive on my bench by my front door...if something needs my signature after he finishes this area, he rides by my house to see if I am up or home yet so I don't have to make additional trips to the post office. This Christmas, I was worried that something I ordered for my husband might have a logo on the outside box and when I told my postman about it, he said he would make sure it couldn't be seen and sure enough, he put it in a plastic bag and put a note on it for me. He has been a great source of information that I otherwise wont have or know...I have never known who my postman was until now so I have never had occasion to tip him/her.
Do you think a $20 Gift Card to Outback Steakhouse is okay or I was thinking maybe Borders Books, they have magazines too...any thoughts?
BTW, I was talking with my PM and asking him about a package I am waiting for and he told me that many USPS personnel would be working on Christmas Eve delivery packages only and also on Christmas...to make sure anything that might be Holiday related gets to where it needs to go...I didn't know that they did that!
Anyways, sorry for going on and on, I just have never had a postman who went above and beyond, usually when it comes to customer service issues people don't like doing the bare minimum...lol
thanks for any input!
Suzanne
Hi lovescats75, welcome to A2K!
This is a newer thread that goes over some of the same ground with a little bit different emphasis.
http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=65590
I think a gift card sounds nice, maybe just a plain $20 would be even more appreciated.
So, I chased down my mailman and asked him if he was working the next day and if he drank alcohol. I left him a 20 (to make up for all the years I didn't tip him) and a small box of rumballs. He left me a thank you note.
You have a mailman?!
Dang!
The town I live in is so small the Post Office gives everyone a Post Office Box for free and we have to go pick up our mail!
Give the man a Rolex! :wink:
