subject: Tipping Courier Drivers? Good Idea Or Not? [print this page] Tipping is one of those subjects which almost always end up creating some sort of immediate debate. We live in a country where tipping has become the norm (in many it is not) and so we always wonder which workers we are supposed to tip, and how much. So, if you have a driver that is working for an Orlando courier service, is it a good idea to tip them or not?
Unlike some other industries, this is something that you have to be a little careful about. The best way to approach this is to first contact the courier company themselves (not just the driver) about their tipping policies. The reason that this is important is because some of these companies actually have a policy in place about tips and gratuities for their drivers. This means that those that are working for certain courier companies are not actually allowed to accept tips.
If you do try and tip a driver that is not allowed to accept them it creates a very unfortunate situation. Ultimately, they must refuse the tip, and this can be a bit of an awkward moment for both you and for them. If, on the other hand, they accept the tip, they could very easily get in trouble at a later date with their employers if they should find out about this.
If you have a courier driver that you are allowed to tip though, use the same basic guidelines that you use for tipping anyone else in any industry. Never less than a dollar is always a good rule, as is tipping more based on exceptional service.
Since this is a business environment rather than a more casual one such as a cab driver or a bell boy, you can use another method to compensate your courier for excellent service. Christmas gifts and bonuses are an excellent way that many companies find for showing their appreciation for a great courier without actually tipping. Even many courier companies that have policies which prevent their employees from accepting tips do not have policies against them accepting holiday gifts, so this can be a great way to make sure that your courier knows that you are actually appreciating the hard work that they put in for you on a regular basis. Showing appreciation in this manner has come to be expected in American, and so you should make that effort if receiving admirable service.
