Hello all, I was hoping some Swiss, or someone living here long enough to almost be one, to help me with a little dilemma.

I have been receiving by post some boxes full of books, which weigh around 4kg each, and will keep receiving them for some time still (parents are mailing me my preciouses). My postman comes in the mornings when I am already gone for work, so I am not able to receive them. However, he is kind enough to bring these heavy boxes down the stairs to my door, instead of taking them back and leaving a note, or even leaving them by the common building entrance.
I am extremely grateful for this, and I would like to show him my appreciation, as I think that he is going beyond his duty and saving me worries and hassle.

So, I would like to leave him a gratuity and a small thank you gift. Now, as I mentioned, I am no longer home when he comes by, so I can't do it in person. Normally, I would leave an envelope stuck to my door with something like "Dear Mr. Postman" in big letters, but I don't know how is the etiquette around here. Are public workers even allowed to take small gifts?

The other question is what to give, or how much. A card, for sure, and I would usually give a chocolate and some money as a tip, but, again, I have no clue of what is acceptable here. Let's say 50 francs. Is that enough to show appreciation for a guy who is spending about 4 months basically carrying 8kg of my stuff per week down a flight of stairs? Or is it insulting that I should even be offering him a tip at all for doing his job (although way beyond his basic duty)?

Thanks a million!

I'd be careful here, and run this by one of your Swiss neighbors. Ask what he or she would do, explain that this would be a normal way to thank someone in your country, but that you don't know what is expected or appreciated here.

The reason I suggest that is that 'norms' vary all over Switzerland - so what is right in my neighborhood in SZ might be different in yours.

(Here giving a gratuity to someone outside the gastro or hospitality business would definitely be considered an insult, as if you saw yourself better than that person, belittling the dignity of his job. But then, we are very proud egalitarian Schwyzers - YMMV.)

That said:

Switzerland is not a tipping society - and giving a monetary gift runs the risk of being construed as patronizing, even insulting.

The norm in my area is to give a gift at Christmastime, something small and not money. A bottle of wine, chocolates are good 'neutral' gifts but if you know the person something more personal is appreciated.

For instance, the postman and I often chat about gardening and he knows that I make jam from my own fruit. So I give him a selection of my own jams.

Gift giving outside the holidays is best done with a thank you card, in response to a specific event.


But again - I'm not Swiss, and thus even after all these years still worry about putting a foot wrong, misconstruing the subtleties. So to be sure, ask your Swiss neighbors for advice.

Personally I would just stick a envelope addressed to the post man on the outside of your post box or your front door with a thank you card or note inside.
Tell him/her how much you appreciate his kindness in bringing your parcels all the way to your front door and leaving them there. He will probably be really touched by your gesture.

To be honest he would normally have to bring the parcels to your door to deliver them as part of his job and leaving them there actually saves him the bother of having to carry them back to his van and leave you a yellow slip in your post box.

That and a box of chocolates

I think cash would be conspicuous, and can set a bad precedence. Chocolate or a bottle of wine would go over just fine.

Thank you all, you have been very helpful!

Thank you for the suggestion of asking my neighbours, it really was silly of me to not even think of it. I'm taking you all up on your advice, and stick to the thank you card and box of chocolates, as it seems more innocuous. But just in case, I'll run it by one of my neighbours first.

(As for the box delivery: in my small home town, postal workers drive around on scooters with those little trunks and saddlebags, which means that parcels that are voluminous or heavy are not delivered to your post box, you get instead the paper slip to pick it up. Since I've seen the local ZH post driving around in their scooters - even though with a small trailer - I thought they might do the same to save space.)

Personally, if the postman has been doing it, I would leave things and give a generous gift for Xmas.

If you give a gift suggesting he is doing more than what is his job, you could open a whole new can of worms.

I wouldn't stick anything to your door unless you want to tell burglars you are out. I would arrange with a neighbor who is in when the postman comes round to pop out with a present from you & tell him you appreciate his work. My postman happily went off with some tomato plants one year. He was lovely but seems to have been replaced by a young man who thinks the mailbox is a tardis & crams big parcels into a little space instead of taking 3 seconds to ring my doorbell.
A bottle of local wine from your region with an envelope containing a bit of pocket money or a shop voucher should go down well.

Waiting until Christmas to do anything may be fine, but by then the mail carrier may no longer be working that "beat". So do it now!

Are you sure it is your mailman? I ask because mailmen ride motorbikes and deliver letters or very small packages. Larger Packages tend to come by van driven by another mail person and not the normal mailman. If it is coming via post van the person may change frequently and not be the same person each time. Also, unless your package requires a signature it is normal for it to be left at your door.

I think it is great that you want to thank the person who is doing this. But I think it might just be that your packages can and should be left and when the delivery person can get into the building they almost always take the package to the door. You may also have a nice neighbour who picks up the package at the mailbox and brings it to your door, that often happens at my place.

Nonsense, next time you get paid, walk into the local post-office with a roll of beaners and start giving it away like candy. All this chocolates and cards remind me too much of that dreaded V-Day...ugh!