While tipping a hairdresser or a waiter is a must and we all know it, the issue gets a little tricky when it comes to movers. Should you tip home movers? How much should you tip movers? Why tip movers? How much should I tip a home mover?
Keep reading to learn if tipping is needed and expected. We'll also give examples of when it is appropriate to tip your home mover.
It is one big act of faith to trust your much loved items to a couple of guys you just met - i.e. your home moving company, right? If you put it that way, a mover's job is not just any job, it is not only an exhausting one (tell that to their back!) but one that works around trust and being especially careful. It is up to each mover to give that little something extra (answering all of your questions patiently, paying attention to your requests, taking extra care packing those fragile items of yours, or even helping to look for your lost dog, who didn't miss the chance to run out of the house during the move...). Those little things matter, and if they give that little extra, maybe you should too.
Home movers don't usually expect a tip but of course, they would be glad to receive one, who wouldn't? Yet, the question remains:
How much should you tip your home mover?
It all depends. Some suggest to give them 5% to 10% of the final moving cost, divided by all of those who participated during the move. For example, if your move was $2,300 dollars and you had 4 movers, then you should tip from $115 to $230 dollars, divided by the four of them, which means, tip each mover from $29 to $57 dollars, more or less.
On the other hand, some people suggest tipping by the hour rather than by a percentage of the final cost, since the final moving cost is sometimes really expensive, not for all of the items to be loaded, but for the distance of the move. If this is your case, then maybe tipping by the hour is a better option for you. If we had to put a number on it, we could say that it is normal to tip -each one of them- $10 dollars a morning (4 hours) or if it's an all-day packing and loading job, $20 dollars each (8 hours).
Suggestion: pay each of the movers yourself so you thank them personally and actually show your recognition for their job well done. Also because sometimes -sad but true- the money doesn't quite make it in equal parts to its final destination when you pay just one person, hoping this person will distribute the money fairly. TIp the movers! It's the right thing to do.
What if you can't tip?
Moving is expensive and sometimes we just can not afford any extras at all. There are other ways to reward your hard-working moving crew:
Let the world know how good they are. Post it online, shout it out, recommend their services to your family and friends. Recommend their services on Google and Yelp.
Offer them drinks and snacks. Moving a home is exhausting and they at least need to be hydrated. Some snacks help too. If they are spending the whole day at your house, maybe you should buy lunch for them. It would also be nice if you asked for their opinion, since they do this everyday and if we all ordered the same food (let's say pizza or Chinese), they might get tired of it. Keep in mind that alcoholic beverages are not allowed during work hours, so stick to water and sodas, to avoid them-or you- any trouble.
Some people do both, offer them drinks and food and also tip their movers.
It is up to you and your budget, really. Offering food and drinks is almost a common courtesy people have towards their movers while money is a little extra that always comes in handy, of course.
Not to tip a mover?
There are times when your movers just don't deserve to get a tip and that's ok. For instance, when they:
- Are not respectful towards you or your belongings
- Do not assume responsibility for their mistakes (such as breaking or loosing something)
- Are not on time
So... to tip or not to tip movers?
Long story short, there is a gray area around tipping your movers but yes, if you feel they've done a good job and deserve it, go for it. It is always decent to be grateful (and show it) for a job well done. We all appreciate a pat in the back after all.
We, at Victory Van, make sure that all of our moving staff provide the best service that they and the company can give. We are responsible for your belongings and will do our best so you feel nothing but grateful towards our work and our team. Give us a call or ask for a free quote online, we'll be glad to talk about this and any other moving-related questions that you might have.
