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Your Holiday Guide to Tipping Everyone from the Doorman to the Dog Walker

By Savannah Cox | November 10, 2015 7:46am | Updated on December 7, 2016 2:48pm
 Local experts weigh in on how much to tip service providers during the holiday season.
Local experts weigh in on how much to tip service providers during the holiday season.
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As the holiday season approaches, New Yorkers can find themselves short on time and ideas on how best to say thanks to the people who make everyday life a bit more pleasant.

From nannies to hairdressers, that end-of-the-year thank you list can get long pretty quickly, so DNAinfo New York spoke with experts at the Etiquette School of Manhattan and the Etiquette School of New York to make the process of holiday tipping easier.

Here's a guide for what you should consider tipping, adjusting for how long you have known a specific person, and how much you can afford:

► Doorman: $25 to $150

► Building superintendent: $50 to $200

► Teacher: Small gift card or gift basket featuring food or other items.

► Nanny/Housekeeper: One week to one month's pay, and a gift.

► Dog walker: Cost of one walking, and perhaps a small gift from the dog.

► Personal trainer: The cost of one visit.

► Mail carrier: The U.S. Postal Service regulates the kinds of gifts its workers can receive. Small gifts worth less than $20 are fine, experts say.

► Delivery people: $20 to 25

► Dry cleaner: Snacks such as a box of chocolates and gourmet nuts or a small tip.

► Handymen: $25

► Trash collector: $20

► Hair stylist: A 22 to 25 percent tip in lieu of the standard 20 percent tip.

In general, these gratuities should be given as close to the beginning of December as possible and in person, Etiquette Director Patricia Napier-Fitzpatrick said.

"They'll want to use this for their own families," Napier-Fitzpatrick added.

If you tip in cash, Napier-Fitzpatrick recommends that the bills are crisp and placed in an envelope with a thank you note.

If you're short on cash during the holidays, Dianne Marsch of the Etiquette School of Manhattan suggests giving these people a handwritten note, telling them that they will receive a tip after the holiday.

Likewise, both Napier-Fitzpatrick and Marsch say that giving a gift of food, wine (if you know they drink,) or a gift card is fine as well.

If that's out of your budget, Marsch recommends simply writing them a nice note, saying how much you are grateful for their service.

"A special thank you card is remembered, appreciated and read for years," Marsch said.