Dear Ms. Demeanor: How much should I tip the window washer?

By Jamie Lauren Sutton | May 29, 2013 - 1:02PM

Dear Ms. Demeanor,

I live in a high rise and am paying to have my windows cleaned. The on-site manager will not answer my simple question of how much to tip the washer ( who charges $13 per window x 12 windows). She says she hasn't any idea about the subject, although she recommended the washer.

Does one tip a window washer? If so, is it like restaurants and cabs--20-ish percent, or something else? I've always lived in walkups and cleaned my own windows.

Regards,

High Brow in a High Rise

Dear High Brow in a High Rise,

Window washing at 20 stories is not a career for the faint of heart, and I am sure those who do it would appreciate your appreciation.

I think 20 percent is a universally thoughtful but not obscene gesture for a job well done. (By universal, I mean, of course, New York City and environs. Italians, for instance, think our culture of tipping is just hilarious.)

Stay classy,

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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