how much to tip the movers?
 

HardDrive's thread about tipping got me wondering...

At the end of this month, we're moving my parents across town from a 2-bedroom apartment to a nicer 2-bedroom apartment. The moving company said this will be about a 6-hour move @ $80/hour, so about $480 total. Could be a little more, could be a little less.

This is a small local company, only been in business for two years, and they've already won a "best of" local award for customer satisfaction. The owner of the company is one of the two guys who do the moving, and he is a long-time family friend of my girlfriend's family.

Considering all that, and assuming they do a good job for my parents, how much do we tip them? I'm thinking $ 30 each + a supersized chilled bottle of water for each of them, but I'm not sure.

I'll be transporting the guns and liquor. :)

_

Whenever I use movers I make sure to provide coffee for the morning, bottled water and if it spans over lunch I'll get a big bucket of KFC or a couple of Pizzas to make sure they are fed.

Amount of tip is kind of dependent on how long the move takes and difficulty involved, things like stairs etc...

Figure $20-30 per guy.

My neighbor is a construction contractor, he and a couple of his buddies helped us unload a container (POD) into my garage (3-4 hours). They refused money so I got them two cases of beer.

Many years back I got free delivery of a huge 36" glass TV (still working... damit!) I tipped the guys who drug it up a flight of stairs $20 each.

Thanks for bringing me up to speed.... sounds like we better plan on large coffees with creamer on the side, lots of chilled bottled water, food for lunch, and tip $ 40 per mover since it's a friend of my gf's family.

Both apartments are on the 2nd floor, and both buildings have big padded elevators, so it should be a relatively easy move, considering.

_

I just had a company paid move from PA to TX. Five guys packed and moved us out of a 5000 sf home to a 4000 sf home. Packing and moving took four days, stuff went into storage for two months then three days to move us in and unpack. Same crew who were outstanding. Coffee and water every day, then $50 each ($50 bill in each hand with a hand shake of thanks) when they moved us out and a $100 bill on each hand with a handshake of thanks when they moved us in. This was a huge move that cost us a total of $750 in tips and it was well worth every penny.

Have an idea ahead of time, but don't commit until you see them work-

A friend recently shattered his wrist right before moving. Hired a moving company based on another friend's recommendation.

They were worthless!

I got a call, asking me if I could come help. As soon as I showed up, it was obvious that these two movers had never been trained how to simply work! Slower than molasses, no work ethic.

It would have taken them two days to load the container at the rate they were going. After I arrived, my buddy said "Thanks, we'll take it from here", paid them, and I had the container loaded in another hour or two.

Nice guys, but they did not deserve any tip at all.

Hope yours goes smoother.

I am an expert moving a large household numerous times. :)

I always provide lunch, tap water out of cups with ice and depending on the performance I give them tips. Usually I give $20 each per day. They always are really really happy about the tip. I guarantee that they do not see a tip on a regular basis. I have had it where a company hired goons through U-haul to unload, and these guys were a mess. No tip.

So, my input is to not overdo the tip and rather get them lunch. They'll appreciate the gesture. $40 is way too much for a cross town 1 day move IMHO.

George

I used to be a mover for a summer job. In 1988 it paid $10/hr in cash plus tips and sometimes beer and lunch.

When I moved to AZ, I think I tipped the guys who packed up my 1100 s/f condo $40 each. The ones in AZ were just day laborers the driver had picked up at the local Home Depot parking lot. Also tipped them $40 each. Moving company were complete criminals, but the driver assured me I was in the right and his company were the idiots.

Movers get tips!?!?! Not when I used to do it. I worked for United Van Lines in 1985/1986 (for a whopping $5 an hour - this was in the South). We were hardworking, conscientious, rarely damaged anything, etc., and I NEVER saw anyone ever get a tip. Ever.

Man, how times have changed.

That wasn't too long before I started doing it. We didn't always get tipped, but it was common. We were all day laborers then. We went to a warehouse waiting room at 6am and waited for drivers to show up and pick the ones he wanted.

I have tipped the movers each of the last five times I've moved. We had great companies (were recommended) and the guys were awesome. Was $20-40 per guy depending on the situation.

Food & beverages for all and beer at the finish. NEVER a money tip.

Moved twice last year and never even thought about tipping them.
Beer at the end of the day though.
Who knew?

Yeah, in my day it was beer and pizza when the job was done...

Should I have tipped the truck driver that dropped off our POD? He didn't hang around with his hand out.

And yes, I tip waiters/waitresses 20%

I moved alot when I was in the Navy. The movers just picked out their own tips. Like a box of over 200 dvds, or dvd player. Alot of my garden equipment went missing. I just moved 3 weeks ago and did it myself.

This exactly is what I have done the several times I've moved. You'd be surprised how far that goes. In the morning when the guys arrive I tell them upfront that I will provide water, eats through out the day + beer and a good cash tip for each when they're done.

I follow that with I expect their best at not breaking or scratching anything and get it done in a timely manner. Always works.

Movers get the same tip percentage as a lawyer or surgeon