Everything You Need to Know About Tipping Movers

It’s common knowledge that you should tip waiters, bartenders, parking attendants, delivery drivers, and taxi drivers. However, did you know that you should also consider giving tips to the crew members of a moving company?

You may wonder why. After all, the total amount you pay for the service company should already cover the compensation for the said workers. Nevertheless, you might want to tip them as a way of showing gratitude for a job well done. If you’re not satisfied though, you shouldn’t feel the need to tip.

Moving Situations that Don’t Deserve Rewards

For some, it’s shameless not to tip people for their services. However, there are instances that justify non-tipping.

In the case of movers, it’s reasonable not to tip if the boys poorly handled your belongings. If their mismanagement leads to damaged items, it’s even more justifiable to forget tipping. Filing complaints and asking for replacement are the more appropriate actions for you.

Refusing to tip is also reasonable if one or more of the crew members are rude to you. If they can’t even treat you well up front, you shouldn’t expect them to pack and move your items with the utmost care.

You should disregard tipping if they act too unprofessional as well. Signs of unprofessionalism include arriving late, showing up in casual clothes, and leaving your place in a messy state.
Avoiding tips seems beneficial because it saves you from additional expenses. However, if your reason for not doing so is based on any of the above instances, there’s a high chance you’ve hired a terrible moving company.

Why You Should Consider Tipping

In contrast, a reliable company will see to it that their crew is on time and filled with respectful and skilled workers. Tipping the crew members doesn’t feel like an additional expense at all. They deserve it, especially if they adhered to all your specific instructions for packing, moving, and arranging your things.

The prospect of tips can also serve as a source of motivation for the workers. Imagine the attention to detail and strength they’ll need to complete the job. Yet, they’ll only earn minimum wage. Giving them extra earnings will truly make a difference on how they’ll work for you.

How to Compute Tips for Movers

You can either tip the movers the same amount or reward them individually. Both practices are acceptable as tipping remains subjective. When computing how much you should tip, you should pay attention to the following factors: your budget, the difficulty of the job, and your level of satisfaction.

You don’t have to spend over $1,000 just for the tips, whether you can afford it or not. However, it does help to set aside as much as that amount for tipping and other unexpected moving expenses.

Packing knickknacks, lifting furniture and organizing your new place are all standard tasks for movers. However, some things make these tasks harder. Think of narrow entryways and stairs. The excessive amount of glasses and other breakable items is another factor. Your possible nagging and micro-management may also cause additional stress to the workers.

As for your level of satisfaction, it largely depends on your impression regarding the work ethic and the performance of the crew members. Did they perform as you hoped for? To find out, you have to be there when they arrive in your home to pack and load your items into their trucks.

It’s also ideal to create a checklist regarding the placement of your items in your new place. You can give a copy to one of the staff members of your moving company. Ticking the boxes in your checklist provides an objective way of assessing the job and your level of satisfaction.

Don’t forget to research the amount of regular tip your movers get. You can refer to review sites for this matter. You can also ask the workers themselves but they’ll either set it high or leave the decision to you.

Now, if the workers did it as expected, you might want to tip them by the hours. You can reward each mover with $5 per hour of work or at least $40 a day. If they did it way better than you bargained for, consider giving each one at least $8 per hour. In case you have a small budget and only have a single truckload of items to be transported within the city, a tip of $20 per mover for their whole day should suffice.

Timing Your Tipping

Based on your initial interaction with the movers, you can already feel whether you’ll tip or not. If you’re going to, let the workers know. This way, you can maximize the effects of providing tips by using it to motivate them.

You can and should inform them within the first hour of packing and loading your items into their trucks. During their breaks, you might want to give them their initial $10 along with Gatorade and lunch.

With the above info, you can give the ideal reward for your dedicated movers. Aside from thinking of it as a way of giving back, treat it like a way of paying forward. After all, the moving company let them get tips in the past which contributed to the attitude they have when they work for you. Paying forward means you’d like their other clients to experience the same.