Is good newspaper delivery service worth an extra $300 a year?

A wealthy friend recently explained to me how he had finally dealt with a problem that confounds many: his morning newspaper frequently arrived late, and he often found himself digging through a bush so he could read the day's Wall Street Journal before heading to his office. Repeated requests for better service went unheeded but he finally solved the problem in the form of a holiday tip of more than $300.

The next day, he told me, the deliveryman shook his hand and handed him the paper and, since then, it's delivered by 7 AM sharp every morning, "practically gift-wrapped" on the front porch.

Bribing the delivery guy to do his job might seem distasteful but, on the other hand, $1 a day is hardly too much to pay for the peace of mind of an on-time newspaper, if you can afford it.

What do you think of the big tip as a strategy for procuring solid service? Have you had a similar experience?