Tipping Building Staff (for Apartment Dwellers)

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The holiday season is upon us! And that means stores are already packed with festive shoppers, eager to find that “perfect gift” for everyone on their list. However, there may be a certain someone you may be forgetting when it comes to holiday gift giving.  The generosity of tipping the people you interact with on a daily basis is oftentimes an afterthought or entirely overlooked. Rent.com conducted a survey and found that sixty-one percent of renters who live in an apartment building don’t tip their superintendent, doorman or building staff during this time of year. Luckily this year, Rent.com has a few tips for tipping etiquette this holiday season:  1)     Budget Your Finances: Maybe the reason you don’t tip is because you don’t think you have enough holiday cash left for the staff. Make a budget sheet that includes the doorman and super in order to be sure you have enough cash for them as well. You don’t have to break the bank over their gifts.  2)     Standardize the Amount: After you have worked out your budget, figure out the allotted amount of money you would like to give to your doorman and super and divide this equally among them. People talk and the last thing you want is for your doorman or super to be unhappy with the generous tip that you chose to give them. Likewise, if you did give your doorman or super a gift last year, make sure you maintain the giving amount this year.  3)     Show You Care: Make sure you thank them for all that they have done for you. Add a card with their tip to show that you truly appreciate all of their hard work throughout the year and that it doesn’t go unnoticed.  4)     Make it Personal: Spark up a conversation with your doorman or super and ask for recommendations of their favorite restaurants or their favorite places to shop. Instead of, or possibly along with, a tip, add a gift card for a place they love. It adds a great personal touch to the gift.  5)     Get the Neighbors to Hop on the Bandwagon: Talk with your neighbors and see if they’d be interested in a group gift. If you get more people to give a little, you are able to get a nicer gift, while simultaneously getting others in the habit of tipping. So start spreading all of the knowledge you’ve gained on tipping to others in your building.