pay a tip? How much?

[DDS]

Hello

We've just had a whole load of good work done in our back garden by a local chap who runs his own garden maintenance company - he quoted to trim all of the trees/bushes, remove a couple of dead/unwanted conifers and took out the stumps, build a big slab base for a shed, build some other bits and pieces. He then extended the work to do some further tasks (including a set of very nice railway-sleeper raised beds) and all in all, did a thorough and (I feel) sensibly-priced load of work.

The thing is, he actually did more than we asked him to do; for example there was more pruning to do than we first agreed so he just volunteered and did the extra bits (which were in the front garden and above and beyond the original quote), and when he'd finished one job it'd encompassed more finishing off than we had expected - so he added a load of gravel and relaid part of a path such that it looks very very good indeed. A few other things which he "threw in" were pointed out to us by him - not in an ostentatious way, but so as to show us how thorough he'd been. The quote breakdowns he gave us before starting the work were spot on and the final bill added up to the exact amount he said it would be on those quotes. We certainly aim to use him again one day.

It would seem right to "tip" him now that we've paid the man for his work, which came to about £3k, but I don't want to insult him by giving him too little but then again we've spent pretty well all of our money and can't afford (say) a 10% tip.

Would 100 quid be a poke in the eye?

DDS

[The Medway Handyman]

As someone who operates a similar business, I'd be happy with just the agreed price. I often do 'a little bit more' simply because its good business sense.

Pay him cash rather than cheque - only because it will clear in his business account faster.

If a customer gave me £50 cash tip on a £3K job I'd be delighted.

He probably can't (like me) get away with banking less than he charged you, but anything extra goes straight in his trouser pocket. £50 tip is worth £75 through the books*.

• I would like to stress here that I would always pay any cash tips into my business acount and record them for tax purposes.

[Tim Watts]

DDS ( [e-mail]) wibbled on Sunday 06 March 2011 23:45:

You could get him a box of really nice wine/whisky/beer. A discrete phone call to his missus (home number while you know he's out) could find out what he likes - or just go to the most decent wine shop in your area and ask them to make up a box as a gift with some decent scotch and wine to a value of

50-100 quid (or whatever you want).

That will never be seen as an insult and will seem better than the equivalent in cash.

I gave the bloke down the tip a small box of mixed decent ales (Badger IIRC) at Xmas - not costing very much, just for being the most helpful tip boss in the history of the universe. It was just a small token but happily accepted.

Cheers

Tim

[DDS]

Thanks Dave, helpful advice as always. Yes, we reckoned on it being best to pay any tip in notes direct to him.

DDS

[BartC]

I would just ask if he needed more money (BTW how long did he spend for that, a month?).

10% seems over the top (it might be OK in a restaurant to tip the minimum-wage waiter).

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember The Medway Handyman saying something like:

Same here, Squire.

[Dave Liquorice]

True but makes the assumption that he drinks alcohol. If he doesn't or not in any great quantity, it's very difficult for him to refuse the gift but it doesn't quite have the (non-monetary) value to him that you may hope for.

'Tis a difficult problem, I think talking to the chap saying how pleased you are with the work and you have noticed the extras offering a cash tip would be the way to go. =A3100 is probably too much, but having said that it's only a tank of fuel and you wouldn't get much change from a super market trip...

[D.M.Chapman]

It's ok, I don't think Dennis is around

[dom]

Yup - present is best - makes it a much more personal gesture.

The good contractors I've used on a self-build project (which is virtually all of them) have all gone away with some gift or other - even something trivial - and been as pleased as punch.

[Ronald Raygun]

Your shrewd use of the subjunctive is noted -- "would" rather than "will".

Of course there is no difference in principle between cash tips and non-cash tips. If someone gave you a bottle of whisky, what would you record in your accounts?

[Jim]

I reckon what has happened is that the work completed quicker than expected so he had some extra time to use up. I wouldn't worry too much about tipping him: the best thing you can give is to pay promptly and recommend him to people you know.

[The Wanderer]

Best thing you can do is pay him asap, that'll be far more use to him, rather than waiting for his money.

Personally, I'd offer him another £20[1], tell to have a beer with you[2], and that you're well pleased with what he's done, that you'll be recommending him and using him again.

[1] You don't want him to think you're an easy touch and to up the price for any future work. [2] Whether he drinks or not is irrelevant

[Peter Johnson]

I gave my builder and his labourer each a 12-pack of beer on the basis that if they didn't/wouldn't drink it they could pass it on to someone who did/would.

[Moonraker]

I would think that the best tip you could give him is make recommendations to friends and relatives, and tell you have done so. where do you live, I would love to use him?

[ARWadsworth]

I couldn't give a toss if he was around. Any tips I get go straight into my pocket thank you very much.

And to the OP, I agree with TMH. A £50 tip on a 3 grand job would delight any tradesperson.

I have had tips of crates of beer, bottles of wine and whiskey. They are just as welcome to me as a cash tip.

[Peter Scott]

I think tipping depends on whether exceptional service was given. I exclude catering where the poor b*****ds depend on tips. The person who now maintains my oil boiler has put the word out that I needed a replacement burner unit, found one, fitted it in double quick time and sorted out a faulty bearing. By putting himself out like this he has got me out of buying a new condensing boiler and either having the flue lined or fitting it outside. I reckon about 3000 to 4000 all told. He definitely will be getting at least 50 quid even though his bill won't justify it on percentage terms.

Just a thought. I would like to make the money a gift, entirely unrelated to the work he did for me. Do you reckon this would legally not need to be counted for tax?

[ARWadsworth]

So just don't ask for a receipt for the tip:-). No-one will know apart from two people.

[Dave Liquorice]

There is a "gift" element in the tax laws. I *think* you can give up to =A33000/year but that is to avoid IHT on the part of the donor, is tied up with the IHT seven year rule and may only be applicable to regular payments to family members rather than unrelated 3rd parties.

[Frank Erskine]

Rightly so. A tip is a personal gift, and is unrelated to the bill, which is the only bit which should concern the taxman.

[John Williamson]

Except that the taxman is under the impression that he's entitled to his cut of it.

Ask anyone serving in a restaurant or pub, who probably has an allowance for tips deducted from their wages. :-/