Souvy

My missus cuts my hair, so I give her one.

Piff Poff

I found it was more the thing in the UK to leave some kind of tip for garbage and milkmen etc. Could have been my fathers influence. Don't feel the need here, probably my husbands influence

Teaandtoday5

Our post lady is lovely, and I gave her a tin of choccy biccies today. Particularly as I haven't shovelled the front steps since the last snowfall, but mostly because she is so nice. If she didn't think it ok she didn't show it.

Not sure how I would manage to give a tip to the bin men, certainly would have no idea if it was the usual guy. Also separate lorries for rubbish and recycling just make the whole thing too difficult to organise.

I always give gifts to the elementary home room teacher (chocs and Lcbo or indigo card) but also the music teacher (chocs) because Teadaughter is in 3 bands that practice after school, which is amazing for one teacher. I don't give anything to secondary teachers, even the music teacher despite band practice before school twice a week.

I used to give small gifts to the bus drivers but only one child currently entitled to bus travel, and he doesn't like the driver, so I don't bother.

Regarding people we pay directly I give small gifts to the skating coaches she gets private lessons from, but not the ones who do the group lessons. I give a gift to the lovely violin teacher, but didn't even think of one for the maths tutor, or badminton coach (but it's not always the same guy). (When oldest was here I never gave a gift to the squash coach either, although we didn't pay him directly)

It seems my Christmas tipping is both inconsistent, and arbitrary. And long-winded.

Shirtback

1 & 2 no, not expected (& as others have said, it would be hard to catch our bin men!); 3, don't have one; 4, I very very rarely frequent the hairdresser but tip when I do, but nothing special for Christmas.

I do give our concierge-type person a small present & a gift card at Christmas because she goes WAY above & beyond all year round, & I like her, a lot .

Danny B

I used to give the bin men a tenner every Christmas back in the UK so I thought I would try it here in Kamloops.

One year I waited for the truck to show up at 7am and I ran out in my dressing gown & slippers. I banged on the window and he ignored me at first, eventually I got his attention and he wound down his window. I think he thought I was handing him a letter of complaint. It was a most awkward encounter. First and last time that ever happened.

Aviator

Tips to -

Garbage pick-up - don't leave the bin lying in the middle of the road.

Recycle pick-up - If it is over 4 foot long, or bundled together, it won't cause bodily harm to pick it up. You are grown-ups!

Postie - If a parcel has my address on it, deliver it, don't send it to the post office for me to drive 20 mins to pick it up and say delivery was attempted when it wasn't. Someone is in all the time!

Couriers - if it is on the truck for delivery, deliver it, don't expect me to meet you in the middle of town to save driving to my house.

Free newspaper delivery - I don't want the damn thing, how do I get you to stop sending it! If you must deliver it, put it in the mail box, the wind will not blow it down the drive to my house.

Large delivery truck drivers - The sign says 'Reverse in - No Turn Around' That means the back comes in first, because?.... There is not enough room to turn around and you will get stuck.

I do give a gift to all my staff, they are great, lawyer, tradesmen and accountant.

Tootlepootle

I give gift cards to my cleaners and landscaper. We have a community mailbox and I never see the garbage guys.

I realize quite how middle classed I've become!

Stinkypup

Landscaper = posh gardener ?

R I C H

Ditto.

By that, I mean my missus, not Souvy's. That'd be an awkward post snip moment.

Oink

I bought a couple of tins of posh biscuits for the office but as everyone has already buggered off to the far corners of the continent until after the new year I don't have to give out any gifts. HID's protection racket yielded two boxes of "gifts" although apart from five bottles of wine they were of little use to me. She'll probably give her hairdresser and the postie something but that's about it. Ho ho naffin' ho!

Tootlepootle

Yup!

leith

Great tips from Aviator. I'd like to add:
Hairdresser: Please don't keep snipping bits off my hair to correct your mistakes. I did not ask for a buzz cut.
Financial advisor: How about giving me some real information and advice instead of leaving me to do my own research on the Internet and telling you all the things you've missed?
Courier guy; Throwing my parcel over the back gate into a snowbank does not count as delivery.
Flyer deliverer: Just because I have a big mailbox doesn't mean you can shove into it bundles of flyers you can't be bothered to deliver.
Newspaper carrier: Do not throw my paper on the steps. I don't want it anyway but I do have a mailbox. Ask the flyer guy if you can't see it on the wall beside the door.
Dog walker: I don't need your services and I certainly don't need the crap you allow my neighbor's dog to dump on my lawn.
Servers at restaurants I no longer go to: People who wear shabby clothes have as much right to service as the better dressed ones you give a priority to and stand chatting away with while the less obviously affluent are left waiting.
Purveyors of poorly cooked food: Do not ignore customer complaints about burnt fries, gluey gravy, half-cooked vegetables etc.
No money, no gifts, no repeat custom to any of the above.

BristolUK

One up for Canada Post then

Oink

Do you tip your therapist?