How much money is appropriate to tip the doormen/cleaning staff of my apartment building for the holidays?
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8 Answers
That question is different for everyone... In NYC, some buildings are staffed by 4 doorman and 1 porter... while others have 10+ doormen, 5+ porters, etc. Thus you can't define it based on a specific amount per staff member. Think of it this way, the big buildings with a large staff can expect less from each resident as there are more apartments to even it out. I have developed a formula (but it only works for those renting) which I think is fair and has worked for me. Take 15% of your monthly rent (you may want to do 20 for your second year in the building or whatever value you feel comfortable with) and split that between all of your staff. If you live in a smaller building then you could be tipping each doorman $50-$100 while if you are in a bigger building it could be only $20-$25. I feel as if this method is fair and fits the standard 15-20 guidelines we have become accustomed to in life. I also will not take the total amount and split it equally but that is just my personal feeling and if you choose to also do so... remember people can talk and you have to be prepared to confront it (be it a bad stare or whatever it be). As for me, getting the cold shoulder in NYC is not a new concept so I do not have a problem with this and do feel those who work harder than others should be rewarded with such. If you are uncomfortable knowing one might find out what the other was tipped then split it evenly.
I like how my building handles the whole holiday gift/tip thing... I live in a Chicago high rise w/ about 500 units and approx. 20-25 staff between the doormen, security, maintenance, garage attendants, etc. My building's association does a collection for the staff, where we can give once and it gets split up among all the employees. They receive a list of which residents gave, but not the amounts.
Probably just going to throw the people at our front desk some sort of coffee/chocolate/other treats gift basket, and they can pick it over as they like. There's probably only 4-5 people who are involved, so that seems like the most fair way to do it.
There's a great website that tells you exactly how to tip everyone in every single country. Check it out.
$20