Ms. Demeanor's Vertical Etiquette

Dear Ms. Demeanor: If the doorman accepts my drycleaning, do I have to tip the delivery guy?

By Jamie Lauren Sutton  | March 9, 2011 - 1:21PM
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Dear Ms. Demeanor,

I usually drop off my own dry-cleaning but it gets delivered to my building and is more often than not received by the doorman when I am at work.  I feel bad not tipping the delivery guy.  Thoughts?

Yours,

Starched

Dear Starched,

How very thoughtful of you....Bravo!  While some would say that the cost of dry-cleaning is so exhorbitant that a tip is unnecessary, I think that you deal with this the way one deals with the letter carrier, FedEx and UPS guys.  That's right - add another person to your holiday tipping pool.  

The alternative is that you hand over some cash once every couple of months or so when dropping off your clothing.  Make certain it is understood that it is for the deliveryperson and not the proprietor.  If the deliveryperson is the proprietor, tipping is unnecessary but a small token at the holidays would be lovely and may get those winestains out of your favorite blouse.

Stay clean,

Ms. Demeanor


Ms. Demeanor is channeled by a longtime Manhattan vertical dweller and real-estate voyeur who writes under the pen name Jamie Lauren Sutton. She is here to commiserate, calm and correct. Please email your quandaries to [email protected] and put "Dear Ms. Demeanor" in the subject line.

See all of Ms. Demeanor's advice here.

 

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