I've tried tipping to improve my service (which is still sporadic) - anyone else remember when there were paperboys instead of meth addicts delivering the news?

You always gotta give them a little something for Christmas! I think about 1/10 the yearly subscription price is nice.

Think about it. They are up at terrible hours and get you your paper by about 6:00 a.m.

Every Christmas.

As a newspaper carrier myself, i got a kick out of reading sfalconer, and tracy0021's comments. Its these types of people that make our lives on the routes more miserable. I deliver a newspaper for a company that has a strict reputation for customer service. Wherever a customer wants the paper, they will get it. It can be on a front porch, back porch, in a side door,in a front door, and in a paper box. This used to be a normal routine for the youth carriers everyday because the routes were smaller back then. The old youth routes had an average of about 40 papers daily, and 75 on Sunday. The adult routes now have an average of 100 or more daily, and 150 or more on Sunday. Today, the adult carrier throws most of the newspapers on the porches, or in the driveways to make the route less time consuming. However, their is still some customers that are very stubborn, and like their newspaper delivered to special locations on the route. These are the customers that make the job harder for us. If they complain about their service, they should stop, blame themselves, and wonder why they have s#itty carriers all the time. As a carrier, i dont mind delivering a newspaper in a door if the customer is handicapped or severely elderly, but some people just dont need the newspaper delivered to special locations on the route. It is just plain laziness. The ease of delivery, and the delivery deadline suffers because of this nonsense. What if the main section arrives late, or a snowstorm comes? Most adult carriers deliver newspapers as a second job, so they find themselves burning the candle at both ends at times. They both have to make a delivery deadline, and arrive at their full time jobs on time every morning. It can be very grueling. Especially now with the price of fuel. I went from spending 40 dollars a week on fuel to spending 55 dollars a week on fuel. After saving money, and buying fuel, i have only 20 dollars a week to spend at times. The customer that tips can really help make a carrier feel more appriciated. For example: I once delivered to a older man that walked to his mailbox to recieve his newspaper everyday. When i gave him his gift calendar at christmas, he was telling me he had heart troubles, and couldnt shovel snow anymore. He thanked me for the calendar, but did not give me a tip. After i found out about his health problems, i started to throw his newspaper onto his front stoop during days of awful weather so he didnt have to walk. The next christmas he said he really appricated that, and gave me a 10 dollar tip! When the company switches to property line delivery, i will have the last laugh when the jerk customers have to walk outside to recieive their newspapers. Its payback time!

on occasion at Christmas if they leave an address. and if they have been dependable. our latest person I have never seen him but he has our paper waiting on our porch every morning no matter how nasty the weather. so we sent him a tip at Christmas. cannot afford a lot but sent a little something.

Back in the day when it was a kid on a bike I could see giving a tip. These days it adults in cars or vans and I pay for my paper a year inadvance so why should I tip.