Tipping RCA's During the Holiday's

[U caught my attention]

If you follow the letter of the ELM, a $5 gift card should not be accepted.... I doubt many really follow this.... so, if a $5 gift card and a $100 dollar bill are both the same.... which one do you give back, and which one is okay to keep????

Neither is OK to keep. They want the customer to customize the gift. $20 worth of candy bars are OK to keep.

 

[U caught my attention]

I am actually looking forward to returning any cash or equivalent. I have to do thank yous anyways....these will be thanks but no thanks.

Edited to say I did not do this. My intent with this action was of a destructive intent meant to inflict outrage from the giftgiver. It definately would have. I chose to keep with the positive nature of the gesture and mostly pass on all the holiday cheer and appreciation to my sub. Maybe he will perform better this coming year by reading through their words how we are appreciated for what we do. I hope their kind words in the cards and gifts gives him a new understanding of how we become a piece of our customers day/life. My custoners literally took time to think of us; I couldnt get myself to turn that into something other than positive.
This is very corney, but I don't care.
I remember to this day my childhood mailman. I was 3 or 4 when he had the most impact. I knew when the mail showed up it was almost time for my Grandpa to come home from work. I loved the time I spent with my GPA. The mailman was my clock. Lol! Hearing that squeaky mailbox lid open and close was the best.

Over this past weekend, I just watched a household of little kids run to the window to watch me bring a box to the front door. Eyes in upstairs and downstairs windiws....bouncing up and down and screaming. The package was from Nana. It put a smile on my face like nothing else.
I do still love this job because of my customers.

 

[DB.Cooper]

I am actually looking forward to returning any cash or equivalent. I have to do thank yous anyways....these will be thanks but no thanks.

Let us know how that goes.... I mentioned earlier in this thread; I knew a carrier who gave back a $20 dollar bill and explain that they couldn't accept cash.... pi$$ed the guy off so bad, he'd never even wave at that carrier again....

 

[DB.Cooper]

i worked with a lady, she retired jan 1 but last day dec 22,... she bragged she got 9,600 in Christmas and retirement cash, that didn't include any value to sweets or cards... yes she was an excellent carrier and gorgeous to look at and be with to boot

We got peeps hauling in $10k.... and others who won't accept a $20 dollar bill or even a $5 dollar gift card.... quite the range of possibilities....

 

[DB.Cooper]

I am actually looking forward to returning any cash or equivalent. I have to do thank yous anyways....these will be thanks but no thanks.

Obviously, many are accepting the $$$$ cash.... would be interesting to know how much $$$$ cash is accepted by carriers nationwide each year..... also, in looking at the thread about the NALC contract, there's discussions there of carriers being homeless.... makes me wonder if any of those homeless carriers would be returning any cash they might receive from grateful customers.... I'm gonna guess probably not...

 

[Rogtar]

Obviously, many are accepting the $$$$ cash.... would be interesting to know how much $$$$ cash is accepted by carriers nationwide each year..... also, in looking at the thread about the NALC contract, there's discussions there of carriers being homeless.... makes me wonder if any of those homeless carriers would be returning any cash they might receive from grateful customers.... I'm gonna guess probably not...

Just gonna say I'll refuse it twice, first for policy, second for professionalism, but a third attempt brings me to needs, and unless i make 120k annually i will always be in need.

 

[U caught my attention]

pi$$ed the guy off so bad, he'd never even wave at that carrier again....

Yeah, I don't care about that. Worst case scenerio which could likely happen, it gets online attention with photos in a fb community group. Small town USA is ruthless.
Ripple effect of the action within the community that will spread to our office and I will look like a total ahole to all my coworkers.

Maybe the elm rule should be changed. I personally give cash and gift cards to even my nieces and nephews. It's just the way of the world. I am not understanding how $20 worth of candy bars is different than $20 cash or a gift card. The money given is the same
Why is cash or the equivalent the gateway to dishonesty and corruption?
But lotion, gloves, scented candles are not?

 

[LEFTINGUTTER]

I feel like giving the sub more parcels so that they work 70 hours a week, is a tip.

Is that right? 40 hours at $20.38 and 30 hours at $30/hr. Plus I successfully grieved for a ptf.

I need a grinch shirt

We had an RCA come in from another office today I had 500 packages and did not have to say anything she just loaded up and came back for two more trips she took 200 plus more from other routes, I got an envelope and put ten dollars in it and gave it to her because it was all the cash that I had but she deserved more. I did not mention that my knee came out of place today so I was in pain all day and could hardly walk, she did great helped all five routes.

 

[DB.Cooper]

Just gonna say I'll refuse it twice, first for policy, second for professionalism, but a third attempt brings me to needs, and unless i make 120k annually i will always be in need.

So, you're homeless.... and if some grateful customer tries to give you a $20 tip, then you're gonna say no thank you.... LOL.... good on you.... js....

 

[DB.Cooper]

We had an RCA come in from another office today I had 500 packages and did not have to say anything she just loaded up and came back for two more trips she took 200 plus more from other routes, I got an envelope and put ten dollars in it and gave it to her because it was all the cash that I had but she deserved more. I did not mention that my knee came out of place today so I was in pain all day and could hardly walk, she did great helped all five routes.

Obviously, payments between carriers is as verboten as accepting a $5 dollar gift card from a grateful customer.... wth.... seems like it's a cafeteria menu when it come to this stuff.... take what you want and leave the rest....

 

[DB.Cooper]

Yeah, I don't care about that. Worst case scenerio which could likely happen, it gets online attention with photos in a fb community group. Small town USA is ruthless.
Ripple effect of the action within the community that will spread to our office and I will look like a total ahole to all my coworkers.

Maybe the elm rule should be changed. I personally give cash and gift cards to even my nieces and nephews. It's just the way of the world. I am not understanding how $20 worth of candy bars is different than $20 cash or a gift card. The money given is the same
Why is cash or the equivalent the gateway to dishonesty and corruption?
But lotion, gloves, scented candles are not?

Like so many things USPS.... makes no sense....

 

[RammerJammer]

Don’t you think it’s idiotic that an agency has an elm policy against accepting cash gifts has a program to donate annual leave to hardship employees?

 

[DB.Cooper]

Don’t you think it’s idiotic that an agency has an elm policy against accepting cash gifts has a program to donate annual leave to hardship employees?

USPS is a case study in contradictions....

 

[oi veh.]

y'all, i could swear i saw somewhere that the rules on gift cards had changed...can accept up to $20 if not a money card (like one to dunkin or similiar).

i'll see if i can find and edit this post with link.

 

[stillfirstclass]

. but the thought often crossed my mind that I'd just as soon they didn't leave me anything.... I had plenty of customers who left nothing, and that was fine by me....

amen

 

[stillfirstclass]

Most of my tips come from residents that celebrate the "Festival of Lights" for 8 Crazy Nights ... it's Happy Holidays! lol

thanks for the clarification, then lets all make a point to honor what is theirs!

 

[hockey94]

I busted my ass on my route as a sub/regular for about 15 years, if, person wanted to give me cash/gift card during the holidays, I took it, regardless of the amount. I shared the cash with my sub (rarely had one), & one or two clerks who helped us get out of the building.

I believe the reason ppl are not supposed to accept cash/gc is all customers are supposed to be treated equally. If someone gave you $100 at the holidays & someone gave you $0, who would you maybe do something extra for. I know, I did.

 

[stillfirstclass]

I busted my ass on my route as a sub/regular for about 15 years, if, person wanted to give me cash/gift card during the holidays, I took it, regardless of the amount. I shared the cash with my sub (rarely had one), & one or two clerks who helped us get out of the building.

I believe the reason ppl are not supposed to accept cash/gc is all customers are supposed to be treated equally. If someone gave you $100 at the holidays & someone gave you $0, who would you maybe do something extra for. I know, I did.

bingo... the peeps i saw get in a tight spot about accepting a gift... were the ones who said " she does it for others" "why don't i get that service?" complaining to the p.m.

 

[U caught my attention]

If someone gave you $100 at the holidays & someone gave you $0, who would you maybe do something extra for. I know, I did.

I like the peppermint foot scrub over the bag of kettle corn. Same bias could arise.

My family and friends, kids friends, husbands friends, co workers etc...live on my route. I grew up here.... Does that make my integrity questionable? I will not treat the more well known and related as I do other customers?
One of my customers literally gave me life.

 

[hockey94]

I like the peppermint foot scrub over the bag of kettle corn. Same bias could arise.

My family and friends, kids friends, husbands friends, co workers etc...live on my route. I grew up here.... Does that make my integrity questionable? I will not treat the more well known and related as I do other customers?
One of my customers literally gave me life.

I agree the some bias could arise. Not sure if the elm says whether a gift is over a certain value, you are not permitted to accept. No, it does not make your integrity questionable.