The coronavirus has made an impact on how and who we are going to tip this year. Although it is early November, it’s not too early to make a plan and think about your tipping budget. For example, in the past, the takeout protocol would have been to “skip” the gratuity jar if you so desired. Today, I would urge you to leave some form of gratuity, now and during the holiday season, to those who are putting themselves at a higher risk to serve you and make your life a bit easier.
With the aftermath of how COVID-19 has impacted our family and community, here is a soft guide on what to consider when creating your 2020 holiday tipping list.
Don’t forget…
Delivery Drivers and Personal Shoppers
These are the people who are literally doing your shopping for you (Instacart and Shipt). They would greatly appreciate a liberal tip. Some companies add a mandatory ten-dollar gratuity but for those going above and beyond, tacking on an extra five to ten dollars as an added holiday bonus is a nice gesture. Of course, it all depending on your personal budget and your ability to give more during this time.
If you complain you don’t have the funds to tip, you should consider other options. Such as having a family member shop for you or going to the store yourself if you are healthy and able.
Curbside Pick Up
The norm has become driving up to the curb and picking up your meals, dry cleaning and supplies curbside. While a standard tip of five dollars is acceptable, for the holidays, consider leaving even more to your favorite dry cleaning attendant or small business pet store attendant. Leaving a tip for one person may not cover all of the people you deal with regularly so a store-bought box of doughnuts and smaller, more manageable tips of five to ten dollars per each attendant may be in order. This may be unreasonable if there are multiple people so you have to be creative and think carefully about what else you can do to show your holiday gratitude.
Dog Groomer, Stylist, Manicurist, Salon Owners and Attendants
People visit grooming establishments less during the pandemic so a thoughtful holiday tip is appreciated even more right now. You may have previously taken your pet to get groomed regularly or enjoyed a monthly hair treatment but have curbed your visits for several months. Consider leaving a tip for the amount of time you have missed as a holiday “thank you.”
FedEx, UPS and USPS
For most of us, package delivery is at an all-time high. I find myself ordering everything from shampoo to food prep storage containers and my trusty delivery person never lets me down. FedEx doesn’t allow gratuity but will accept a gift of up to 75 dollars, UPS discourages cash but won’t deny it if offered and USPS forbids cash as a holiday tip. Mail carriers can accept a gift ranging up to 20 dollars. You can’t go wrong with leaving a box with sealed goodies for the delivery drivers in individual bags that say, “Thank you for your kind service.”
App Over Cash
Contactless delivery, as well as gift-giving, is optimum because it is less personal contact. However, giving a holiday tip in an envelope is always appreciated and people will seldom refuse cash. As they say…cash is king!
Thoughtful Wrapping
If you are giving a holiday tip to a regular vendor, make sure to spend some time on the package. Use a gift bag or box and wrap it up and tie it with a bow. Add a card of thanks for their continued service and let them know you are looking forward to better times ahead. Showing your appreciation for their continued loyalty and support is a true holiday perk.
You may also like Celebrating Fall by Doing Good for Someone Else. For more of Diane’s etiquette tips read her posts on Inc., subscribe to her articles on The Huffington Post, “like” The Protocol School of Texas on Facebook, and follow her on Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.
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