How much and how often should you tip a doorman?
I recently moved into an apartment with a doorman. How often and how much should one tip a doorman?
A good doorman can get you anything. Should you avail yourself of his services, you should be tipping for each instance (e.g., he procures a cold bottle of champagne for you at 3am - so you tip the following afternoon when your hangover has subsided). Once a year for the holidays would be a minimum.
3 Answers
A good doorman can get you anything. Should you avail yourself of his services, you should be tipping for each instance (e.g., he procures a cold bottle of champagne for you at 3am - so you tip the following afternoon when your hangover has subsided). Once a year for the holidays would be a minimum.
I worked in Manhattan as a doorman / concierge at an exclusive condominium on the UWS for 11 years, and take it from me, EVERYTHING that your doorman will do (or not do) for you is based on how you tip. Now, how you should tip is entirely dependent upon what kind of life you lead, and how much you rely on the building staff to get you through your day.
Sure, if you're lights go out, or you're having trouble with the A/C, your concierge / doorman should have someone there to help you inside of 5-15 minutes, regardless of how you tip, that's just common courtesy, and besides, not taking care of that kind of issue puts the service person's job on the line. So, if you're just the typical work-then-gym-then-home kinda guy, you can get away with being a little stingy at the holidays, and only give about $100.00 to $200.00 to each person on the front of house staff. However....
Do you want to know the details about the hot girl that just moved in? Do you constantly have deliveries that need an escort? Do you stumble home late at night with a drugged up skank on your arm? Do you throw parties in your apartment that get loud? Do you always ask the staff to watch or park your car? Are you renting in the building, but would like to buy a unit when one becomes available? If so, you'd better open up your wallet and let the bats fly out, because the better your tip, the better your life will be. You get what you pay for, and believe me, service is no exception to that rule.
While I was there, we had 74 apartments, and the average holiday tip was about $250.00 per staff member. The high was $1500.00, the low was $50, and it ran the gamut in between for everyone else. Keep in mind that these people only make about $40,000 a year, and the tips at holidays are how most of these guys get by, and support their families. If you choose to live in a building with a front of house service staff, you most likely did so because it says that you're a classy, well-to-do guy with taste, so don't ruin it by having it get around that you're cheap. Doormen can be either your best friends or the jerk you have to see every time you go home, and the choice is largely up to you, and a couple of bucks.
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I've heard once a year for the Holidays. The suggestion being 20% of your rent but that can be pretty steep depending. I have a doorman (recent as well) and will probably give $100-$200 at Christmas.