Understanding the nuances of tipping can be a challenging task. With clear tipping guidelines in the hospitality sector such as restaurants and hotels, it's a different ballgame when it comes to moving services. The etiquette and standards are less defined, leaving many of us in a quandary about whether and how much to tip movers.
Traditionally, gratuity ranges between 10% to 15% of the total cost for service providers as a token of our appreciation for their work. Naturally, the amount can vary based on the quality of service received. For instance, if you feel the service was subpar or the provider was discourteous, it would be reasonable to withhold a tip.
However, the question remains - is tipping movers a customary practice? If so, how much should you tip? Are there specific circumstances where tipping might not be appropriate? Delve deeper into this article as we untangle the tipping etiquette for movers and equip you with the necessary knowledge to navigate this often confusing aspect of the moving process.
Should you tip movers?
Unlike some other services, where you have clear customs, things get a bit blurry with moving services.
According to experienced industry veterans, you can choose between the two options. You can tip a mover $4 or $5 per hour of work. Keep in mind that tipping movers is customary, but you shouldn't do it in every situation.
Here's how much to tip movers:
- Half-day moving (4 hours) - $16 to $20 for each mover individually.
- Full-day moving (8 hours) - $32 to $40 for each mover individually.
- Prolonged shift (12 hours) - $48 to $60 for each mover individually.
The rules are pretty simple and straightforward, and it shouldn't be too hard to do the calculation. Some people like to do extra tipping if the move has lasted a bit longer or if the professional moving company did an exceptional job.
For example, if the team was working on the project for more than 12 hours, you can show your appreciation by giving $10 to $20 extra per person. However, you shouldn't feel obligated to do so; the regular tip for movers should work just fine.
The other option is giving from 5% to 10% based on the service's value. Keep in mind this is usually a more expensive option, especially if you're moving to another city. However, if you're transporting a few boxes to a nearby location, the fixed model might just be cheaper (this also depends on the team size).
So, if you're feeling a bit stingy but don't want to offend anyone, you can always use the lower amount to tip the movers.
Do you tip movers in every situation?
Like any other service, the tip should reflect your satisfaction. Alternatively, you can give them money based on the task's difficulty or special requirements. You can consider things such as the number of objects, their shape, if they had to take stairs, etc.
Some people are reluctant to tip local movers just because the service provider charges them a high price. Truth be told, this service can be very expensive, especially when relocating to another state. To make matters worse, homeowners have to consider other major costs when moving to a new house.
So, the employees carrying all this heavy stuff get the wrong end of the stick. In our opinion, this is the wrong approach, and you should treat someone who is taking good care of your personal belongings.
Of course, there are also some situations where you should definitely avoid tipping. These are some extreme cases when a person was excessively rude, unwilling to go the extra mile, or damaged your things due to negligence.
When deciding do you tip the movers or not, you should ask yourself a simple question: how important were the things that the guys transported? Are they crucial for your business? Are these important childhood memorabilia? If the answer is yes, it would be nice to show your appreciation by treating the employees.
Even if it's a smaller sum than the usual tip, it's better than nothing.
Do you tip movers after long-distance transport?
People also don't know whether they should tip long-distance movers.
In these particular cases, a moving company will rarely use the same crew. There's one crew in the first city for loading objects, and there's one in the second city for unloading. This makes things a bit tricky because you would have to tip both teams.
So, are you supposed to tip for long distance moves?
Giving some money to the driver is always nice, given they're the only person present from the beginning to the end. You can also provide tips to both teams of movers, although this can be very costly. Avoid giving percentage-based tips, as this can cost you several hundred dollars.
If you're trying to save money, an excellent solution is to give each team half of the fixed tip rate. For example, if you would give a single team $100 dollars during a one-day project, you could instead give $50 to each crew.
Common reasons for tipping the movers
Here are a few other things that can help you determine whether and how much to tip:
- Helping with packing
Some families barely make any preparation before moving to a new location. For example, they haven't placed things into boxes, or they haven't labeled them correctly. Whatever may be the case, movers sometimes have to step in and help with packing.
If you require lots of assistance with your boxes and labeling, you should consider giving them extra money. This is especially true if you have some interesting but hard-to-execute requests.
- The time spent on site
Spending too much time on site is often a bad thing. In most cases, it shows that the movers are too lazy or unmotivated. If they planned on finishing moving in 5 hours, and they told you it would take 5 hours, spending a few extra hours is an excellent reason to deny tips.
However, if something unplanned happened outside anyone’s control, you might consider tipping them just because they stuck with you. This is especially true if they skipped lunch or stayed till the late evening to finish the task.
- Weather conditions
Like some of us, movers must deal with extreme conditions when working. If it was raining or snowing, and they still managed to finish everything in time, you should consider giving them something extra just because they went the extra mile.
- Moving tricky and oversized items
The moving process for certain objects can be extremely complex and stressful. The best examples are sensitive, expensive machines and art pieces. Even if a company has full insurance, they might have trouble getting their money back in case of damages.
Oversized objects can also be troublesome. Certain types of industrial machines are more than 5,000 pound heavy and might require special equipment for transporting. Following that logic, you should tip piano movers more than you would a furniture moving team.
When working in such rough conditions, it makes sense to give movers a nice tip when the job is done.
- Upward or downward transport
Even if you have the best transporting equipment, there’s very little you can do when moving upstairs or downstairs.
To be honest, most American homes have one or two floors, so movers usually have to deal with such situations. Although this is a common part of their job, it makes sense to tip them for the effort. Just imagine how much you would have to hassle if you were to move these things by yourself.
Every person has their reasons for tipping or not tipping. Being friendly or polite is also a solid reason to tip someone.
Common reasons for not tipping the movers
Unfortunately, there are also some situations where it doesn't make sense to tip the movers. In most cases, it has to do with laziness, unprofessionalism, or simply a bad attitude. Here are a few instances where you probably shouldn't tip them:
- Being late
Sometimes, there is a valid reason for being late for an appointment. When it comes to handymen and similar professions, workers often get stuck during previous appointments and can't reach the next customer in time.
However, when it comes to movers, being late for a morning appointment can be a sign of disrespect. It can even cause issues for the family if they're on a tight schedule. Then again, it depends on how much you have to wait for them.
- Being negligent
The nature of this business is as such that movers will sometimes damage furniture and machinery. In fact, never causing any damage during a long career would be very unusual.
However, if a mover is transporting a relatively small object and they still manage to break it or chip the wall, this is a clear sign of unprofessionalism. Assess the situation, and if you think they handled the object improperly, you have every right not to tip them.
- Messing up the boxes
If you properly label all the boxes and the new house has a simple layout, there's no excuse for movers to miss the room. Most transportation companies generally ensure that every box reaches its destination. Still, there will always be those who purposely leave boxes in the first open space.
- Messing up the house
We can't do anything about weather conditions. Sometimes, handymen and other workers will come to your home in dirty shoes after a long, arduous day in rain and snow. Still, they should at least try to wipe them on the doormat. It's a simple courtesy that, although it might not help, most homeowners will appreciate.
- General inefficiency
You also shouldn't tip movers who are lazy or wasting time. Although homeowners usually have no problem with movers taking a lunch break, they shouldn't take too much time.
What are the other acceptable forms of tipping for movers?
Although most guys prefer getting monetary compensation, you can also offer them something different. For example:
- Buy lunch for the entire moving crew.
- Give them cookies and similar snacks.
- Beer, at the end of the work day.
- Gift cards or something similar that has tangible monetary value but isn't necessarily cash.
Not everything should be considered a tip. Simple things like giving guys some water is greatly appreciated, but you shouldn't consider it tipping.
Just be careful with beer. Some moving companies have strict policies regarding alcohol, so you can easily get movers into trouble. Offer them beer only if they just finished their shift. Most of them probably don't drink during work hours, anyways.
