Not sure how much to tip your doorman this holiday season? Triplemint has released its very own, first-of-its-kind “Holiday Doorman Tip-O-Meter” to dynamically calculate exactly how much tip you should give. With six quick questions (ranging from your building size to how generous a tipper you are), the Tip-O-Meter immediately generates a minimum-maximum tip range suggestion.
The program’s algorithm is based on data collected from surveys conducted on over 100 NYC doormen in major neighborhoods in Manhattan. NYC doormen were asked: How much do you recommend you give residents this year (based on apartment size Studio, 1-Bedroom, 2-Bedroom, 3-Bedroom +)? Do you expect More/Same/Less than last year? And what is the size of your building?
If you’re looking for some more general guidelines, in early December, CityRealty posted a very handy guide on tipping. It contained a lot of useful information such as:
- When to tip (between Thanksgiving and Christmas)
- How much to tip ($20-$500 depending on status and length of employment)
- Renters vs. owners (renters typically tip less)
- How to present your tip (cash is preferable to checks)
- And what not to give (don’t give silk ties and/or gift cards in lieu of cash)
As Cait Etherington pointed out, there are many personal factors that go into deciding a tip amount like whether or not you tip during the year for help with moving, packages, handyman work, or for watching your child as you run back upstairs for an umbrella, etc. But the Tip-O-Meter suggested tip ranges takes the guesswork out of exactly how much you should give and suggests “a sense for what’s ‘normal.'” Then you can personalize your tip from there.