Christmas Tips for local services

[JohnfromUK]

I have always given a modest tip at Christmas to the local services that I use/receive.  In my case this is the Postman and the Dustmen/Refuse Collection.  In my case I have excellent service from both of these (the people who actually come round) and it's a small token of thanks for 12 months of regular service.

It is a tradition I have inherited from my parents, and in the days when milk and other things (bread, veggies, Corona etc. were delivered my parents used to tip the regular delivery driver).

I'm not sure how many people do this (a reasonable percentage locally seem to), but if they received a couple of quid from every house it would be a welcome bonus indeed ........

As an aside - I was told locally that a couple of years ago, on bib collection day - a 'team' of non bin men went round in advance of the real team and half inched all of the enveloped that had been attached/tucked in handles etc, so I make a point of trying to see the team in person.

By the way, I am not a postman or dustman soliciting gratuities  

[guzzicat]

4 minutes ago, JohnfromUK said:

I have always given a modest tip at Christmas to the local services that I use/receive.  In my case this is the Postman and the Dustmen/Refuse Collection.  In my case I have excellent service from both of these (the people who actually come round) and it's a small token of thanks for 12 months of regular service.

It is a tradition I have inherited from my parents, and in the days when milk and other things (bread, veggies, Corona etc. were delivered my parents used to tip the regular delivery driver).

I'm not sure how many people do this (a reasonable percentage locally seem to), but if they received a couple of quid from every house it would be a welcome bonus indeed ........

As an aside - I was told locally that a couple of years ago, on bib collection day - a 'team' of non bin men went round in advance of the real team and half inched all of the enveloped that had been attached/tucked in handles etc, so I make a point of trying to see the team in person.

By the way, I am not a postman or dustman soliciting gratuities  

We have a very surly refuse collection operative, last Xmas he made a point of noisily rattling the bin, " You only empty my bin once a fortnight now don;t you? I asked, YES he growled, then come back next year for your tip!

[decoy1979]

We choose not to these days as hardly ever seem to have the same postie two days running and same with refuse collection team. Refuse collectors have also got lazier over the years, having to play hunt the bin every week now as they seem to drag 20+ bins to one point along our road and then abandon them there. So as far as I'm concerned they can jog on!

[walshie]

Postman = £20. Black bag guy and recycling guy get a pack of beer each.  Everyone else gets nish. 

[ShootingEgg]

The way our rubbish collection has been for most of this year im going to give them a map of our village and a picture guide of what a bin looks like. Has been appalling, some weeks they dont even show. 

[old'un]

I don’t give tips to someone who is paid a wage to do a job, and poorly at that.

[Me matt]

In the words of Mr Pink...

" I don’t tip because society says I have to. All right, I mean I’ll tip if someone really deserves a tipping, if they really put forth the effort, I’ll give them something extra, but I mean this tipping automatically, it’s for the birds. I mean as far as I’m concerned they’re just doing their job.… "

[panoma1]

24 minutes ago, Me matt said:

In the words of Mr Pink...

" I don’t tip because society says I have to. All right, I mean I’ll tip if someone really deserves a tipping, if they really put forth the effort, I’ll give them something extra, but I mean this tipping automatically, it’s for the birds. I mean as far as I’m concerned they’re just doing their job.… "

Dunno who mr Pink is....but this is more or less how I see it too!

[mel b3]

You miserable bunch of old misers ?.

Binmen should be showered with gifts of cash ,alcohol ,and cakes at this time of year ?.

I'm a bin man , and I'm certainly not lazy , or stupid.

Not many people offer gifts these days ,and it's just as well ,because we aren't allowed to accept them anyway.

As a binman ,it makes my day when someone says thank you . 

[walshie]

6 minutes ago, mel b3 said:

You miserable bunch of old misers ?.

Binmen should be showered with gifts of cash ,alcohol ,and cakes at this time of year ?.

I'm a bin man , and I'm certainly not lazy , or stupid.

Not many people offer gifts these days ,and it's just as well ,because we aren't allowed to accept them anyway.

As a binman ,it makes my day when someone says thank you . 

I'd best go and take the beers i left for the binmen back in as they aren't allowed. Don't want to get them in trouble. 

[Me matt]

2 hours ago, mel b3 said:

You miserable bunch of old misers ?.

Binmen should be showered with gifts of cash ,alcohol ,and cakes at this time of year ?.

I'm a bin man , and I'm certainly not lazy , or stupid.

Not many people offer gifts these days ,and it's just as well ,because we aren't allowed to accept them anyway.

As a binman ,it makes my day when someone says thank you . 

Ah- I have a question for your proffesion- when me and my neighbours put our bins out on our lawns so we can get off our drive ways in the morning - why the hell do the bin men leave them smack bang in the middle of the drive, so when returning from work we have to leave our vehicles in the road get out and move the bin before parking from whenst we came? 

 

 

[clakk]

Eh up Mel can u tell me why they launch the lids for our recycling across the garden/driveway and chuck the cardboard and paper bags into the road and find it too much effort to leave the boxes in 1 place as its easier just to dump them roadside.As hard as u work our local bin men specialise in winding the whole street up with their dont give a monkeys then expect a christmas tip.This Friday will be the magic day when lids in boxes neat and stacked and bags inside too ,but as its once a year the missus growls and says jog on .

[yod dropper]

Postman, binmen, milkman.

[Old farrier]

2 hours ago, Me matt said:

Ah- I have a question for your proffesion- when me and my neighbours put our bins out on our lawns so we can get off our drive ways in the morning - why the hell do the bin men leave them smack bang in the middle of the drive, so when returning from work we have to leave our vehicles in the road get out and move the bin before parking from whenst we came? 

 

 

To remind you to give them the Xmas tip ??

1 hour ago, clakk said:

Eh up Mel can u tell me why they launch the lids for our recycling across the garden/driveway and chuck the cardboard and paper bags into the road and find it too much effort to leave the boxes in 1 place as its easier just to dump them roadside.As hard as u work our local bin men specialise in winding the whole street up with their dont give a monkeys then expect a christmas tip.This Friday will be the magic day when lids in boxes neat and stacked and bags inside too ,but as its once a year the missus growls and says jog on .

Because you never gave them a tip last year ??

[Wb123]

I did a paper round whilst at school and usually got as much in Christmas tips as four months wages. In fairness I made the mistake of working for the same place for three years straight without attempting to renegotiate pay and discovered shortly before I left a competitor were paying near triple the amount per house. 

 

On the rare occasions papers were missing from the bag the ones who tipped best never lost out. 

 

These days i just get the occasional bottle of wine, though not just at Christmas. The better half gets an annual bonus around Christmas depending who she is working for which tends to be about 10% of her annual pay. 

 

If if we had a regular postie I would definitely tip him, this year I left a case of beer for the porters where I currently work. In eighteen months here I don't think I have ever seen the bin men, clearly they do a fine job given I am not drowning in refuse. 

Edited December 20, 2017 by Wb123

[mel b3]

2 hours ago, Me matt said:

Ah- I have a question for your proffesion- when me and my neighbours put our bins out on our lawns so we can get off our drive ways in the morning - why the hell do the bin men leave them smack bang in the middle of the drive, so when returning from work we have to leave our vehicles in the road get out and move the bin before parking from whenst we came? 

 

 

its quite simple , all of the residents that have made unwanted homosexual advances towards the binmen , have their bins left in the middle of their drive , so that other local authority workers can spot and avoid them more easily  , youll notice that theyre just doing it with your bin , and not your neighbours 

the simple answer is that theyre doing it to save time (but that still doesnt excuse it) . either have a polite word , or call the local authority and ask their boss to have a word.

my loaders put the bins back in the place that they collect them from(safety permitting) residents leave them in some really dumb places at times , and if my loaders block a drive with a bin , i send them back to move it , if they continue to do it , they will be looking for another job.

on the other side of the coin , i have residents that complain bitterly if the bin is even out of line , or more than an inch away from where it was collected from.

this is me and my crew , i cant answer for every binman in the whole world.

1 hour ago, clakk said:

Eh up Mel can u tell me why they launch the lids for our recycling across the garden/driveway and chuck the cardboard and paper bags into the road and find it too much effort to leave the boxes in 1 place as its easier just to dump them roadside.As hard as u work our local bin men specialise in winding the whole street up with their dont give a monkeys then expect a christmas tip.This Friday will be the magic day when lids in boxes neat and stacked and bags inside too ,but as its once a year the missus growls and says jog on .

i refer you to my earlier answer , stop flashing your tackle at them from the bedroom window dude .

the real answer again , is time. it might look like theyre working slowly (from your perspective) but theyll actually be going as fast as they can , and theyll do anything to save a few seconds wherever they can , its still no excuse though , our lot put the recycle bags into the box and drop them back on the garden or wherever theyre collected from , the biggest problem with the bags and boxes is windy days , theyre ok when theyre full , but the empty bags just blow all over the place.

5 hours ago, walshie said:

I'd best go and take the beers i left for the binmen back in as they aren't allowed. Don't want to get them in trouble. 

youre too late , theyve already drunk them .

 

 

 

i know that having a dig at the local authority is a bit of a national pastime ,and the binmen normally get more grief and earache than any other local authority workers , because theyre the only ones that you normally meet , so if they seem a little bit offish when you moan at them , its probably because theyve already had ten people moaning at them that day . and it might help to remember that , you have 1 bin to deal with each week , you can do it as and when you please , and take as long as you like , your binmen have 7 seconds to ,  collect ,  empty , and return your bin, and  those guys will have around 11,000 bins to deal with each week.

when i first started working for the local authority , each five man bin crew , would service 500 properties per day , we now run three man crews , and each three man crew , will service 2,200 properties per day.

 

go give your binman , a big christmas hug , yes hell stink of dog wee and rotten food , and will be bleary eyed as he gets up at 4.30 am every day , but hes still a human being.

 

[Hayden]

We give a tip each year, just a few cans of beer or something along those lines.

Our collection was yesterday, so my 3 year old daughter did her usual, as she does every week, and wave at the binmen from the window, every week they wave back, but this week was different they knocked the door and gave her a terry's chocolate orange as a thank you, for cheering them up each week!  She was over the moon, and is going to draw them a picture, to say thank you!

 

[figgy]

Hayden that post made me smile. So nice that your binmen gave your daughter something for Christmas. Her making making them a picture is priceless. 

[mel b3]

7 hours ago, Hayden said:

We give a tip each year, just a few cans of beer or something along those lines.

Our collection was yesterday, so my 3 year old daughter did her usual, as she does every week, and wave at the binmen from the window, every week they wave back, but this week was different they knocked the door and gave her a terry's chocolate orange as a thank you, for cheering them up each week!  She was over the moon, and is going to draw them a picture, to say thank you!

 

thats a lovely story hayden 

[Mice!]

well given the bin men bashings I have to say ours do a great job, always waved at kids if they see them, never moaned about the weight of our brown bins          ( which from April is going to cost us £30 a year) two of them sprint down the street while one just sits and drives (Mel) 

still never tipped them though just say thanks when I see them.

[Fisheruk]

We have an excellent postie, pretty lass and always has a smile. That’s worth a fiver any day. 

[mel b3]

5 minutes ago, Mice! said:

well given the bin men bashings I have to say ours do a great job, always waved at kids if they see them, never moaned about the weight of our brown bins          ( which from April is going to cost us £30 a year) two of them sprint down the street while one just sits and drives (Mel) 

still never tipped them though just say thanks when I see them.

as an ex loader , and now driver , loading is by far the  the best job.

to me , a simple thank you , is worth much more than cash or gifts.

 

the best gift that i ever received on the bins , was the annual jar of home made marmalade , that used to be given to me by an elderly resident.

[daveboy]

I will never tip the Binmen after I caught the wife having sex with 2 of them.

She said it was my fault as I told her "Give the Postman £10 and **** the Binmen".

Edited December 22, 2017 by daveboy

[Mice!]

2 hours ago, daveboy said:

I will never tip the Binmen after I caught the wife having sex with 2 of them.

She said it was my fault as I told her "Give the Postman £10 and **** the Binmen".

brilliant 

[bear-uk]

If my bin men take my wheelie bin this time I will defo tip them.

There a blanket in there that has a smashed up toilet and a bag of plasterboard bits.