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Author Topic: Mid-year tips for steady newspaper delivery?  (Read 699 times)

Offline Suzaan

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Mid-year tips for steady newspaper delivery?
« on: April 05, 2021, 07:00:21 PM »
Neighbors -- Pls give me your views on WHAT TO DO:
We have the printed NYTimes delivered every day.  Since October, our regularly missing paper has ceased.  Every morning we open our sixth floor door and there it is, and it is a relief from our prior anxieties of Will it Be There, or Not??
In December a self-addressed envelope with a Corona address came with the delivery and I mailed him a hefty gift in cash with a thank you.  Now we're getting envelopes monthly.  We can afford regular tips, and he must need money, but we're already paying for the paper to be delivered. How much and how often do you suggest?  Thx.
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Offline hum@njukebox1

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Re: Mid-year tips for steady newspaper delivery?
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2021, 07:31:36 PM »
I am curious to know how he makes his way up to the 6th floor.  Our papers are left on the front doorstep of the building.  With regard to tipping.......I have never heard of mid-year tips for newspaper delivery.
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Offline r

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Re: Mid-year tips for steady newspaper delivery?
« Reply #2 on: April 06, 2021, 08:23:58 AM »
If the envelopes come monthly, I would divide the yearly tip you were going to give by 12, and not give a yearly tip anymore.
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Offline itsit

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Re: Mid-year tips for steady newspaper delivery?
« Reply #3 on: April 06, 2021, 08:56:09 AM »
 I would write to them and let them know that this is a new type of request. With the understanding that they must be in need, maybe you can ask for specifics and see if they are eligible for other sources of support. If you want to continue to help, that's great but they may be in a higher need category than what a tip could cover and you might be able to serve them better as a connector to more extensive social services.
  On the other hand, it feels somewhat predatory though that you are getting these requests delivered to your door. Have you ever actually seen/met this person?
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Offline ljr

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Re: Mid-year tips for steady newspaper delivery?
« Reply #4 on: April 06, 2021, 11:39:05 AM »
Wow, interesting. When we first moved to JH a decade ago, our NYTimes delivery was so sporadic we cancelled it and starting buying copies at a bodega. Then I cannot recall when (was it because of the pandemic? maybe!) we ordered delivery again, and now it has been consistent except for during extreme weather. We sent a cash tip in December, and we only receive the envelope requesting a tip once a year at that time. Our paper is left in our lobby vestibule, and has never been brought right to our door.
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Offline the80s

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Re: Mid-year tips for steady newspaper delivery?
« Reply #5 on: April 06, 2021, 05:12:29 PM »
This doesn't address the original question, but I am interested to hear of others with newspaper delivery problems. I had to cancel my NYT weekend delivery because more often than not I did not get it. It was left in the unlocked vestibule, but still I was surprised people would just take someone else's paper so routinely.
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Offline ljr

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Re: Mid-year tips for steady newspaper delivery?
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2021, 09:22:34 PM »
We could never understand why we were not getting the paper either. We would file a complaint with the NY Times, and their system would promise to bring the paper we missed--but it never happened. So we gave up and cancelled. I did not think someone else took the paper--I thought it just was not delivered. The thing is--many people are not that interested in reading the NY Times, so I doubt that many issues are stolen out of vestibules or off stoops. And people who are interested usually read it online anyway. Another odd thing was that a neighbor a few doors down said she always got her paper, so I couldn't figure out why our deliveries were so erratic. Wasn't it the same delivery person? Anyway we don't have the problem anymore, thankfully.
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Offline JHResident

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Re: Mid-year tips for steady newspaper delivery?
« Reply #7 on: April 07, 2021, 08:58:23 AM »
If you're not sure what to tip or how often, you could use the envelope to send a note and tell him you plan to tip annually, or whatever, or to ask what is expected.
As a former paperboy, please tip away. This is no doubt a side hustle for someone struggling and will be appreciated.
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Offline fillmorep

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Re: Mid-year tips for steady newspaper delivery?
« Reply #8 on: April 07, 2021, 09:57:51 AM »
I tip based on service, as I do in any other realm. The delivery has been great lately so from time to time I send $10. And I sent $20 at Christmas. Yes, we should be able to expect good service for what we pay, without extra compensation. But the reality is that this is a tough gig, with a lot of turnover. So I view my tip as an incentive to someone doing the job well, for once.
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