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When it comes time to move, hiring movers is a convenient option that allows for a quick, stress-free experience. Not only can they move your items from one house to another, but they often provide additional services like boxing up your items and even unpacking them in your new place so you don’t have to lift a finger.
As a general rule, you shouldn’t skip tipping movers. They work in the service industry and should receive a tip based on overall service, similar to restaurant workers. Building a tipping budget into your moving expenses can help you show appreciation for the service provided. Here’s everything you need to know about tipping movers.
How much to tip movers
We’re used to tipping between 15 and 25 percent at restaurants, but tipping your waiter is different than tipping movers. Moving companies don’t operate the same way as restaurants and workers don’t rely mostly on their tips to make money. Movers are usually paid by the hour already, making tipping a nice gesture, though not required. However, they’re also working in the service industry like restaurant workers, and it’s generally acknowledged that you should tip service industry workers.
A good rule to keep in mind for general reference is $5 per mover per hour. Or, if you want to use the total moving cost, you can tip between 5 to 10 percent of the total bill for the entire team of movers to split.
Things to consider when tipping movers
Various factors will affect how much to tip movers. Not every move is equal and, therefore, tipping will vary. A half-day move is a lot less work than a two- or three-day ordeal. Here are a few factors that can help you decide how much to tip movers.
How many professional movers are working with you
If there are only a couple of movers that come to help you move an entire house, that means they’ll each be doing a lot of heavy lifting. On the other hand, if you’ve got a big professional moving team with lots of movers to help out, it’s likely their individual workload will be a little lighter and less strenuous.
If you’re looking at it from an individual view, it would be more appropriate to tip the smaller group of movers each a little more than if there’s a large group. You may even want to decide upfront that you’ll tip a certain percentage for the entire move, then divide that amount by the number of movers.
If the movers pack boxes for you
You might hire a professional moving company to do everything for you from beginning to end, including packing all of your things into boxes. This is a time-consuming and strategic process since it requires good organization and additional time to wrap fragile items, place them into boxes in a way that won’t break them and get boxes labeled so they’re easy to unpack.
If movers are packing boxes for you, it’s best to tip them for the extra work! Keep in mind that if you’re moving far away, there are possibly separate crews for packing your belongings into boxes and loading and unloading the truck. You’ll want to check with the moving company to make sure you’re tipping each crew accordingly.
Large or heavy objects
Movers that take care of really big or heavy items have a risky job — they’re careful and strong to make sure they don’t do any damage to the items or to the home as they move things in and out.
When you’re tipping a crew that moves large, heavy furniture, remember that they have a stressful and important task. If they do it well, it will save you from paying for a new item or repairing your home. After all, if piano movers drop a grand piano on the floor, it’s going to do some damage all around. But, a good mover will ensure that doesn’t happen and you can show your gratitude for a job well-done with a tip amount that reflects your gratitude.
Size and number of boxes
No matter how many or how few boxes and belongings you’re planning on moving, it’s going to take at least a few trips in and out of the house to get it all. However, the size and number of boxes can make a difference. Lots of big boxes might seem like it will be quicker and you can take fewer trips in and out to get them loaded. But, if they’re too bulky or heavy, it will take longer to move them as they might require moving slowly or more than one person to lift them.
Opposite that scenario, you might have a lot of little boxes to avoid things being too heavy, and lots of boxes mean lots of trips, even if they’re small and you take a few at a time. You need to find the sweet spot between the size of boxes and the weight of the objects they hold to ensure the movers are efficient.
Distance of the move
A quick local move is very different from a cross-country move. Usually, local moves will take much less time than a long-distance move. And, you’ll likely have the same crew helping you load your stuff from your old place and unload at your new home.
But, if you’re moving across the country, there’s a good chance you’ll work with multiple crews. One crew might pack your items into boxes, another will load your stuff into the truck. A separate crew may transport your items, with a different crew unloading the truck when you reach your destination. That’s a lot of long-distance movers and a lot of time spent helping you. Make sure you factor that in when deciding how much to tip movers.
Length of the move
You can typically expect long-distance moves to take more time. But, there are cases when shorter distances actually take more time. This is dependent on the number of items or boxes you’re moving or if you end up waiting around for one reason or another.
Being unorganized as a customer and not planning anything out can end up taking longer, especially if you have a partner or roommate that you’re moving with. If you constantly have to ask your partner or roommate where something is going and then relaying that information to the movers, it’s going to take a long time to get things settled.
And, if you do end up waiting around at any point, don’t assume you shouldn’t tip your movers for that time — although they may do much, they’re still spending their time there and it keeps them from working on other potential moving jobs that they could make money from. Be considerate of not just the effort, but the total time movers spend helping with your move. They don’t want to stand around for a half day just as much as you don’t.
The overall difficulty of the move
There are other elements to think about when considering how much to tip movers. Keep in mind the difficulty involved for your entire move when you tip movers. The number of rooms, size of the house, flights of stairs and even the weather conditions.
Going up and down multiple flights of stairs in hot weather is not ideal. Even the most hardworking movers will have difficulty with it. Movers expect to deal with some hard scenarios on moving day. But, getting a good tip for extra hard work and great service is greatly appreciated.
How to tip movers
The method of tipping will depend on what you have on hand and the movers. Tipping etiquette is very casual and flexible. Whether you carry cash or keep it electronic, there’s a way for you to tip movers.
Cash tip
Cash tips are almost always the easiest way to make sure the people actually helping with your move get the exact amount you want. When you’re handing the money directly to each crew member, you’re guaranteed that they’re getting the appropriate amount.
Credit card tip
Many companies will allow you to add a tip when you pay for your move with a credit card. Most moving companies will pass the tip along to each moving crew member in some way. But, it also might mean that the company takes a shared percentage.
Cash apps
As we continually move away from cash in our society, cash apps work just as well! You’ll need to see if the movers have accounts on the cash apps you use so you can tip directly. But, most people use the same cash apps, so it’s probably not too big of a barrier.
Contact the moving company
If your move went well, but you pre-paid or forgot to tip your movers, you can contact the moving company. They’ll give you the best option for tipping. And, they should have a record of which crew members moved you so you can ensure the right people are getting a tip from you.
Food
It’s not quite the same as giving money, but most movers appreciate any food you provide! You can provide food as an extra “thank you,” though you should give it in addition to a monetary tip. You can offer smaller snacks and sports drinks. Or, if you’re ready to really good the extra mile, hold a crew lunch and give a meal like pizza or another takeout.
When to tip movers
The best time to tip movers can depend on a few factors. There’s not one “most appropriate” time to tip movers. You’ll have to decide when is the best time for you to tip your movers.
Before you move
If you want to make sure your moving crew does a great job, you can give a tip upfront to motivate the moving team. However, they might provide poor service and you may feel like you gave a larger tip than necessary. Or, they might have done better than you expected and you feel you haven’t tipped enough.
During the move
Especially if your move is long and far and you know you’ll be working with multiple teams, you can opt to tip long-distance movers throughout the process. You’re showing appreciation for the work that’s already been done. And, you’re giving a little extra motivation for the movers to keep doing good work.
You’re also making sure that you tip the right people for the time they work. Some might only work for a few hours, while others are there the entire day. You don’t want to miss the chance to tip if someone leaves earlier than anticipated.
After the move
Tipping after the move is a safe bet because you’ve seen the work from beginning to end. You can gauge how well every part of the process went and tip accordingly.
Tipping is appreciated for a job well done
Tipping isn’t mandatory in the moving industry. But it’s a nice gesture to acknowledge that the moving company did an exceptional job and that you’re grateful for their work. After all, moving is strenuous. And, moving crews a nervous as they handle belongings that aren’t theirs and do a lot of heavy lifting. It’s nice to give them some extra appreciation for helping you through the moving process.
Source: rent.com