Should you tip your mover?

You moved to a new location, and your movers worked perfectly. Now comes an uncomfortable part – when and how do you tip them? Do you have to tip them? How much should you tip? We are here to help you. Find out how and when you can tip your mover to avoid this awkward moment when you are not prepared.

Do you have to tip your mover?

Tips are not something that you should feel obligated to do, but this is a standard way to demonstrate your gratitude. Most movers do not clearly expect a tip, but when you give it, they appreciate that very much. You may feel that you are already paying a moving company a fortune, and tips are excessive. But few in the services sector work as hard as movers do. The tip is a gesture that shows that you recognized their efforts. And movers are someone who can help you relocate stress-free, so you should appreciate that. In addition, there are much more things your movers do than the waiter or barber.

How much should you tip your mover?

Using a standard percentage of tip costing is not recommended for movers since the total cost of your move usually depends on how far the moving van travels, not how long it takes to move your belongings. Instead, consider the time and difficulty of moving.

If it is half a day (4 hours or less), then $20 per person is considered suitable. If it is an 8-hour day, $40 per person is recommended. And if the crew is working 12 hours or more, $50- $60 per person is fair. Another option is to base the tip on the hourly chart for each team member, varying from $4 to $5 per hour per engine.

Ultimately, the amount you give as a tip should reflect the level of service and degree of difficulty. Consider the size of the movement, the number of big pieces, and whether there are stairs. Depending on these complicating factors, consider adding tips to the amount.

Sometimes, for long-distance moves, you may need two crews of experts that can help you start over in Brooklyn. The one that loads the truck in your original location and the one that unloads it in a new location. It is a good practice to tip both crews.

Finally, if your move is the result of a career, your tip may be deductible from taxes. The IRS has strict rules about what moves apply for this type of tax deduction. But if yours does, tips can also be included. Since you are dealing with the IRS, do not accept this deduction, without clearing it with an accountant.

How to tip your mover?

Before the team begins to unpack, you may want to encourage them to work more, promising tips at the end of the move. In addition to your verbal confidence, you could give $10 to each mover as an additional incentive.

However, if this is not convenient for you, stick to the general rule to tip your moving team after they have completed the work. Do not give a lump sum to the foreman or the driver. Give each employee his tip. First, it shows that you recognize and value individual efforts. Secondly, there are some unscrupulous foremen who will keep the entire amount for themselves.

Buying lunch for your movers

For those who believe that hospitality is an important advantage, especially if it takes more than two or three hours to complete your move, you can provide a completely different type of tip that your engines will definitely appreciate. People often decide that the best way to reward movers is to buy them lunch delivered to the house. They can take it while everyone takes a much-needed break and rests before completing the move. It’s become extremely easy to order, which allows you to order something healthier and better for physical labor than pizza.

Making coffee, tea or lemonade

Sometimes people who hire employees don’t have much extra money to save on generous tips or lunch. But they still want to give something to the nice people who come to carry all their heavy boxes and drive a huge moving truck to your new home. If you want to tip your mover, but the move itself ruined your budget, you can still say “thank you”. You can do that by giving them drinks corresponding to the season. For cold weather, make hot coffee and tea so that your movers can warm up between their trips outside. For summer moves, layout something like lemonade or packs of cold soda to keep your movers cool and hydrated. This shows that you appreciate everything they do without breaking the bank.

When not to tip

Did the movers come late? Ding your new bedroom wall with a headboard? Put the boxes labeled “upstairs bedroom” in the living room downstairs?

Tipping is common and polite, but if you have a bad experience, this is certainly not guaranteed. Be careful: the one thing that you need to consider before completely discarding the tip is how the movers react if any of the above incidents occur. Accidents happen, and it is how your movers deal with these situations, which should determine if you should tip them.

Give feedback

The final tip on tipping movers: if you get a good service, consider leaving an online review. Positive online reviews go a long way for people looking for moving companies. And this is a very valuable way to show your appreciation for outstanding service.

 

So should you tip your mover? The answer is that you don’t have to. But, since not everyone is doing it, you will receive a lot of thanks and respect from your moving team.