Code red, code red, this is not a drill! I repeat this is not a drill! We see something large in the distance and it is approaching rapidly! All hands on deck and man your battle stations everyone! It is getting closer! What will we do?!

I will tell you what we will do ladies and gentlemen, we are going to celebrate. Why? Because tip Season is finally upon us.

Now as a doorman/concierge this is what we all look forward to working in this profession. This is what makes it all worthwhile. This is our Super Bowl, World Series, or whatever other sports clichés for a big moment I cannot think of right now. This is also where you learn what you are made of as a doorman.

I am blessed to report that tip season came early this year in the building. Which is great seeing as my birthday is less than two weeks away, but as I looked at that first white envelope I received which was holding a lot of green inside I got to wondering.

“Did I just get handed this money because of my position or did I work for it?”

Spoiler alert: I busted my ass for it.

Yes, tips are given during November and December but they are earned from January to October. Since I compared tip season to giant sporting events such as The World Cup and NBA Finals (thought of them) earlier, let us say that January to October is our regular season.

During the regular season, one works on perfecting their craft to make sure they are ready come postseason time. And if anybody is good at perfecting their craft as a doorman it is me.

I have mentioned my duties as a doorman in previous columns so I will not here, but one thing I never mentioned are the intangibles. (I have sports references for days)

A doorman can coast by doing the bare minimum. As long as packages do not go missing or you open the door and run the elevator for guest and tenants you won’t be fired.

You also will not have more money than me in that white envelope come tip season either.

Early on as a doorman at this building, like literally a week on the job, I began compiling a list on my “Notes” app of each tenant. Every time I found out another quirk or anything about my tenant I jotted it down to find ways to organically fit it into later conversations.

I will use Greg as an example. After writing “asshole” as my first note for him, I quickly realized he is obsessed with the frozen yogurt chain 16 Handles. One day before work I decided to pick up some 16 Handles myself, but the guy messed up my order and I got an additional fro-yo free of cost. Instead of having no self-control, like I mainly do, and eating both I saved the other one in hopes of encountering Greg during my shift. Once I saw him from the outside camera I was ecstatic, first time I can ever say that about Greg, and quickly bolted for the refrigerator in the back. I brought out the fro-yo and the usual jeers I am greeted with are paused momentarily. They were quickly turned to tears.

“I love 16 Handles,” said Greg.

“Well that is great that you do because this is for you,” I said trying to hold back a smile.

Greg’s eyes lit up like he just finished burning a fat doobie. He still thanks me for that to this day.

He went on to tip me about 1,000 dollars that tip season. No other doorman got more than 200 dollars.

I am not the biggest fan of kids I will admit that, however, if any tenants have children best believe I will know their birthday, favorite color, toy, and singer. You name it. And yes, it is all logged in my notes.

Shoot I even do that with any pets in the building. Wish a tenant’s dog a Happy Birthday and watch them love you forever. The tenants I mean not the dog. Do not even get me started when you give them a treat. This time I mean the dog and not the tenants.

This column was not to brag about how good I am at being a doorman or that I make some pretty decent coin this time of the year. No, this week’s column shows how I operate as a doorman and how in doing so I can reap those sweet sweet rewards come year’s end.

Every time I receive one of those white envelopes it is as if I am hoisting my own individual Lombardi Trophy (days).

And for those wondering how much that first envelope was holding. Not much. Only 500 dollars.