Answered Conundrum Next Conundrum

shewolfsil... shewolfsi...

Do you give gifts to the mailman or other working people that you see everyday?

I see our poor mailman in the cold and rain and I thought about giving him some kind of little gift box. Do people still do this?
Interesting Question? Yes (1) No (0)
RSS

Best Answer Chosen by Asker

dtvrivera
dtvrivera
Marked as Best! December 06, 2009 01:31 AM
That’s so sweet. My husband and I are actually first-time home owners this year and I am not too familiar yet with who delivers our mail, picks up our trash, etc. However, I think if I were the mailperson delivering mail and packages to the same households every day and was somewhat familiar with the families living there, I would certainly appreciate the thoughtfulness put into a small gift, a card, or a box of cookies. I remember when I was growing up, my grandmother did just that, she baked cookies and small cakes for her mailman, milk man (yes, she still had milk and other drinks delivered), the person picking up her garbage, and a few other individuals she dealt with on a regular basis. I know it made both my grandma feel good about her good deed and made the recipients happy (may grandma was an excellent cook and baker). And I am sure that the recipients were very motivated thereafter to continue doing their best at their job after somebody showed them their appreciation for work that can be hard or unpleasant at times. I think if you feel you would like to share a gift or baked goods with the people taking care of you throughout the year, you should certainly go ahead and do so. I will make their day, especially if most others are not doing this anymore. They will know that there are special people still out there that care about and attribute value to the jobs they do daily.
Asker's Rating:
Helpful Answer? (1)   (0)
Permalink | Report
Reply

Other Answers (7)
Sort By

lisanne021...
lisanne021...
December 06, 2009 02:44 AM
Because we live in the country, and there isn't civilization within 30 mins away.... we give small gifts to our mailperson, dude that picks up our garbage, the UPS and FedEx dudes. We also give a little baked goodie to our son's bus driver.

They really take care of our packages and mail all during the year - which can be a lot as we have a home based business.

Our son's bus driver is excellent and she really cares about the kids.

The dude that picks up our trash has been very patient with us and hauled off far more than he should have.

For all these people, we usually bake cookies or brownies etc and put them in a Christmas themed box or bag and give them a little card too. They really appreciate the thought and I don't think many people think about them. I know if I had their jobs, and someone gave me a little gift just to let me know they were thinking of me and appreciated the job I do for them - I would make sure I continue to do a good job for them. :-)
Source(s):
own experience
Helpful Answer? (1)   (0)
Permalink | Report
Reply
91preludes...
91preludes...
December 06, 2009 05:45 AM
My wife delivered the newspaper several years ago for a few months (close to Christmas time) and several people left things in the paper box for her. (Things like a yule log, a gift card, etc.) It was nice and made her feel like they cared, especially since she was delivering the paper between 3-5am and they never actually saw her. When you're doing a job like that you rarely get recognition or thanks, and that was those people's way of saying "thank you". I think that it would be a great idea for a small gift to your mailman. He will appreciate it more than you can know!
Helpful Answer? (1)   (0)
Permalink | Report
Reply
owl
owl
December 06, 2009 04:17 PM
Yes! We do it regularly at all festive occasions. They really deserve it. Just think that how easy they make our lives. Had they not been there, we could not live in peace. But despite working so hard, mailmen all over the world are paid poorly. So, everybody should come forward and help them. If you cannot afford it, you can at least say "Thanks" to them sincerely.

They really really deserve it.

Thanks
Helpful Answer? (1)   (0)
Permalink | Report
Reply
jackiewrit...
jackiewrit...
December 06, 2009 05:07 PM
My husband delivered newspapers some years ago, and back then people were very generous. Not only did he receive checks and gift cards that helped us buy presents for our children and other family members, but the homemade goodies were certainly enjoyed by all of us.

I don't know if people are remembering their "paper boys" these days, but I do. In fact, I went from sending a check to giving a gift card at our Publix supermarket to the mailman, lawn man, and others.

Last Christmas our mailman returned that gift card to me with a note that he is very blessed in his own life and I should give the gift card to a needy family or to a good charity!! That was very unusual!!

All the people who do tasks for us all year long (hairdresser, cleaning lady, favorite waitress at a restaurant we regularly go to, and more) really do appreciate a small gesture of thanks in this tight economy, and that gives them the incentive to continue doing their usual good job.
Source(s):
personal experience
Helpful Answer? (0)   (0)
Permalink | Report
Reply
reetvk
reetvk
December 06, 2009 08:07 PM
absolutly...Mail carriers work super hard, especially at Christmas time, which actually starts in October for them and ends in Feb...They are way underpaid.
They take such abuse from management an the public...That is their ONLY
reward for all of what they have to put up with...So I make sure i give money to
my carrier. They should be patted on the back, massively..If the public only
knew what they go threw with their management alone..
Source(s):
My own experience.
Helpful Answer? (1)   (0)
Permalink | Report
Reply
ivy91189
ivy91189
December 07, 2009 05:44 AM
Something easy and cheap for all your acquaintances are cookies. I make a small bag of assorted cookies for people. It costs roughly $15.00 and makes everyone happy.
Helpful Answer? (0)   (0)
Permalink | Report
Reply
mjs1289
mjs1289
March 03, 2010 02:05 AM
Hi..let me just say i have been delivering mail for 30 yrs now...and trust me...we all appreciate whatever our customers may give us just to say thank you for doing a job well done...Lord knows we dont hear it enough....i purchase special thank you cards from the mailman...so ther people who give me something abd i give them the thank you card in return get a big kick out of that....i think i can speak for all mailmen/mailwomen....we thankk you very much...
Helpful Answer? (0)   (0)
Permalink | Report
Reply

Answer this Question


View All Belief and Thought Questions

Ask a Conundrum


140 characters left

Categories

Large Glass of Conundrum Wine

Welcome to ConundrumLand

Please enter your zip code.