What would you give/tip your postie?

[UTH]

I'm aware most people will say "nothing".

But since moving from Fulham to Surbiton, you suddenly realise how you get to know your regular postie by name, have a chat any time he delivers a parcel etc, so come Christmas time I feel he should get something from us.
We were fairly new here last year, gave him a box of chocs, but who knows if he even eats them or if he gets the same thing from a hundred people.

Should we just tip him a bit of money? Or an Amazon card? Or a thoughtful gift (god knows what!)?

Just interested to see what other people do, I'm aware there are no rules to this!

[Jamescrs]

Whilst I wouldnt do it personally, as I don't have one set postie anymore, I'd probably suggest giving him £5 or £10 if you really want to and telling him to buy himself a drink with it and leave it at that.

Not sure a postie would want a bottle of whatever because whatever you give will have to be carried the rest of the day by them.

[ColinM50]

Well if you're in Surbiton, I'd have thought a few days away at your holiday home would be OK.

Or do as I do. Effall. For Chrissake he's a postie, not a brain surgeon

[greygoose]

ColinM50 said:

Well if you're in Surbiton, I'd have thought a few days away at your holiday home would be OK.

Or do as I do. Effall. For Chrissake he's a postie, not a brain surgeon

Are you supposed to tip brain surgeons then? Before or after the op?

[otherman]

We've had some great posties, very helpful, and we give them a tenner in an xmas card. I don't think many people do it, but I also think it pays dividends and we get year round good service because of it.

[UTH]

Jamescrs said:

Whilst I wouldnt do it personally, as I don't have one set postie anymore, I'd probably suggest giving him £5 or £10 if you really want to and telling him to buy himself a drink with it and leave it at that.

Not sure a postie would want a bottle of whatever because whatever you give will have to be carried the rest of the day by them.

Yeah fair point, I know he does have a van so probably does our road then gets in the van, but even then a bottle in his bag walking up our hill would be annoying.

£10 amazon voucher can't do any harm I guess.

[LosingGrip]

greygoose said:

Are you supposed to tip brain surgeons then? Before or after the op?

Depends if you live or not I guess!

When I was a delivery driver, tips were appreciated around Xmas. It was always manic with full vans. Money or chocolates i got mostly.

[arfur]

I live in a rural area and my usual postie is brilliant

He signs for things for me, places them in secure location and lets me know. He does this if I am in or out. If the parcel etc looks in any way damaged then he will ring the doorbell to ensure I'm happy to accept

Last Xmas I gave him one of those Sainsburys Port and Cheese boxes to say thanks

I will do the same again this year

[steveo3002]

if you feel you must then make it cash , many more uses than an amazon voucher that gets lost in a drawer

£5-10 should do

[UTH]

steveo3002 said:

if you feel you must then make it cash , many more uses than an amazon voucher that gets lost in a drawer

£5-10 should do

Yeah maybe right there.

[vikingaero]

We tip our postie - sometime cash or some alcohol as we are teetotal and get loads of spirits.

He's regular, hard working, keeps an eye out on everyones property/cars/bins, gauges whether to put stuff over the gate or card us or leave things with neighbours.

For some neighbours he's trusted with keys to their house to check and water plants.

[Richard-390a0]

My tip would be - stop dropping effing elastic bands everywhere!

[Evoluzione]

We'll tip ours this year as he has a heck of a trek to ours and was welcoming and chatty when we first moved here, as suggested above probably a tenner and a card as I don't know what he's into.
Where I used to work I had a UPS driver who went out of his way to help and was always chatty, I used to buy him a box of beers at Christmas until I found out through someone who was standing in for him he didn't drink

[rigga]

I dunno about tipping the postie, but do find the bin men are more thoughtful n putting the bins back where they came from, rather than just leaving them a walking menace all over the pavement.

They can fk right off if they think one week will get them a tip

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Our postie is brilliant. Always goes above and beyond. Every Xmas, a bottle of whisky, or something similar. Plus the wife, if she sees a good offer on a tin of luxury biscuits or something, will buy them on an ad hoc basis just to give to him at any time as a thank you.

[glenrobbo]

Do you mean the posties who keep shoving mail addressed to a different street through our letterbox?

fk all.

Years ago we had a regular postman who was diligent, always cheery and very reliable with plenty of common sense.

Nowadays we rarely see the same one twice, and they're all bloody clueless.

Sign o' the times?

[CrutyRammers]

Used to give ours some sloe gin.

[Roofless Toothless]

CrutyRammers said:

Used to give ours some sloe gin.

If you gave him some fast gin he'd get through his round quicker.

When I lived in Epping we had a wonderful lady postie. She knew everybody, looked out for the old 'uns, and was always good for a pleasant chat. They fired her because she was taking too long to get through her round.

Working on a Blood Service mobile team for many years, I had to opportunity to work inside - and get the feel of - many organisations, from the Bank of England in the City, to the tractor factory in Basildon. I can say without doubt that the Post Office was the most unpleasant atmosphere I ever experienced during any of these these visits. I don't know how the people there stood it.

At the moment my own post office in Chelmsford is being 're-organised', which of course means 'dis-organised'. Everybody has had their walks changed, just when staffing levels are decimated by Covid, which is rampant round here again. We are lucky to get a delivery once a week. I wouldn't even recognise my postie even to leave a tip.

[BT Summers]

greygoose said:

ColinM50 said:

Well if you're in Surbiton, I'd have thought a few days away at your holiday home would be OK.

Or do as I do. Effall. For Chrissake he's a postie, not a brain surgeon

Are you supposed to tip brain surgeons then? Before or after the op?

Made me laugh,

I had a vasectomy a couple of years ago, surgeon and maybe 4 people round the table. as the surgeon was cutting away a nurse held my hand, believe it or not that was very comforting.

As it was finished and people were walking away I said Thank you to the nurse. The surgeon turned around and said, 'it was me that did the difficult stuff'.

[Zumbruk]

We give ours £10.