When it comes to the holiday season, what are your thoughts on tipping? I’m not talking about the cab driver or the waiter at your restaurant as that is something people do during the year.

Instead, I’m thinking about the people that work in your apartment building. What do you think of tipping them?

To be honest, this is a tricky one to deal with. The decision about whether you tip or not is easy, but how much do you tip?  Well, that is not quite so easy to deal with.

Of course, you don’t have to go ahead and tip. But remember that the staff know who you are and they will also know who showed their gratitude. If you fail to tip them and then ask for their help, then they might not be as forthcoming as you would like.

So, to help you wade through the minefield that is tipping, I’ve created this short guide that will make a difference.

Who Do You Tip?

First, who do you tip? Generally, you tip the people that deal with the upkeep and general running of the building. This doesn’t include sub-contractors brought in as this is more to do with the day-to-day workers that you rely on.

This means you should consider - the supervisor, cleaner, repairman, doorman and anybody else that plays an integral role. Also, avoid tipping the management company that runs the building. This is more in-line with helping out those on the ground and spreading some of that holiday spirit.

Choose Your Tipping Format

Next, you want to choose your tipping format and that’s going to be either a gift, cash or a cheque. Out of the three, a gift will be the least appreciated as they do prefer monetary tips to help bulk up their salary.

If you see the actual person, then a cash tip is best. However, if you need to go through a third party, then a cheque is safer as it means they will get all of the cash.

How Much?

Here comes the difficult part, how much do you actually tip? I could give you a guide but there are so many deciding factors that you are going to have to work out the value on your own. For instance, if it’s a woman, you could give her a vibrating love egg from Beyourlover.

The size of the tip depends on where you live, the income you have and even what they do. The manager gets a larger tip than the guy in charge of the garage. The handyman receives a bonus due to helping you, so do take that into consideration.

When Do You Tip?

Finally, getting the tip time is essential but it’s not always the easiest thing to do. A worker won’t appreciate receiving their tip on the last day. They may have already sought to use that cash and you are hampering their plans by doing this.

The second week of December would be best as it gives them a good chance to then use the tips in any way that they want. However, even if you are late in doing so, they will still be happy that you remembered.

Keep in mind that tipping them will be in your favor throughout the course of the year. Giving someone a reasonable tip will certainly move you up the list of who they are going to look after. You don’t want to be in a position whereby you are ignored or they are feigning a smile towards you. Don’t be a miser as you will get it all back and more.