My Handyman Says I Should Tip Him $20/Job. Seriously?

Expensive P.,

In case your handyman thinks he can command an additional $20 per job for his providers, he ought to cost clients accordingly. On no account would I begrudge anybody for taking the best-paying work they will discover. However what he shouldn’t do is count on his clients to get the memo through ESP that he desires more cash.

If solely there have been an affordable normal for when tipping ought to be a norm. In professions the place staff have lengthy trusted suggestions for his or her livelihoods, like serving and bartending, gratuities are non-negotiable. They’re additionally a pleasant gesture when somebody really exceeds your expectations, notably in the event that they most likely aren’t raking in a fats paycheck.

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The HE’s Robin Hartill is a Licensed Monetary Planner and the voice of Expensive Penny.

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However it’s completely different if you’re coping with a enterprise proprietor. When you can’t justify your value will increase and as a substitute depend on the goodwill of consumers to spice up your income, you don’t have a viable enterprise.

Nonetheless, I don’t blame you for second-guessing your self, on condition that tipping tradition has gone wild up to now couple of years. So I polled roughly 10 mates and acquaintances about tipping on this situation simply to verify you and I aren’t the lone cheapskates. The consensus was clear: The overwhelming majority of individuals aren’t tipping their handyman — not as a result of they don’t worth the providers they supply, however as a result of they count on them to extend their charges to replicate their market worth.

One of many large issues with the proliferation of tipping is simply how a lot data is predicted of the client. You’d most likely be extra inclined to tip somebody making $12 an hour than somebody making $120 an hour, however you usually haven’t any ballpark guesstimate for what a employee is incomes. Some employers don’t even permit for tipping. And naturally, an enormous issue within the resolution is what everybody else is doing. You don’t need to be a cheapskate, however you additionally don’t need to give away cash if you’re not obligated to take action.

Sooner or later, it’s important to marvel: Is it ever acceptable to easily pay somebody to do a job on the price you mutually agreed upon?

The truth that your handyman didn’t provide the possibility to easily pay the upper price is odd. He might not need to settle for future jobs from you for any variety of causes. However he might have communicated that by saying he’s not obtainable, slightly than dangling one consumer’s tipping habits over you.

The best way your handyman handled this was unprofessional. I additionally assume he did you a favor, although. I don’t know if his story concerning the buyer who suggestions $20 per gig is legit. However you place a excessive stage of belief in somebody you rent as a contractor. I’m undecided I’d belief this man, and I wouldn’t need to cope with somebody who communicates so ineffectively — notably within the occasion {that a} dispute would come up.

Discover a new handyman. Ask your folks or neighbors for suggestions. Whilst you’re at it, ask them what they pay for his or her providers and whether or not they add on a tip.

In the meantime, I hope the client who suggestions your earlier handyman $20 per job has loads of work obtainable for him. As a result of together with his method, that particular person might wind up being his solely buyer.

Robin Hartill is a licensed monetary planner and a senior author at The HE. Ship your difficult cash inquiries to [email protected].