Foo - Do you tip movers?

For the first time in my life I've hired a moving company to help me move. Is it customary to tip the movers? I have no knowledge about these things.

i tip anyone who can damage me or my stuff. and if i tip, i tip before the work is done.

bottled water and donuts.

i tip anyone who can damage me or my stuff. and if i tip, i tip before the work is done.

the envelope was empty. i will find you. keep looking back.

If you are there when they are packing or unpacking, have a cooler of water / drinks available and maybe spring for lunch. At the end of the job, if you feel they have done a good job, maybe a little something for the guys is not out of the realm of possibilities.

Having done a few long distance moves, we found that tipping $20 each man/woman was very helpfull. This is done on both ends (loading and unloading). Yes it adds to the cost, but it helps preserve your stuff. For a local move, they get tipped once.

Having done a few long distance moves, we found that tipping $20 each man/woman was very helpfull. This is done on both ends (loading and unloading). Yes it adds to the cost, but it helps preserve your stuff. For a local move, they get tipped once.

This was basically how I've done it in the past too.

the envelope was empty. i will find you. keep looking back.

you frayed my brake cables didn't you?

Yes, tip. Tip well. Especially the mover who's moving the breakables. Have some snacks and drinks out for them too.

only to distract you from the real problem

Yes, tip. Tip well. Especially the mover who's moving the breakables. Have some snacks and drinks out for them too.

and make sure the dancing girls have the right address if you are moving fine china.

having done a few long distance moves, we found that tipping $20 each man/woman was very helpfull. This is done on both ends (loading and unloading). Yes it adds to the cost, but it helps preserve your stuff. For a local move, they get tipped once.

+1

Yes. I slipped a twenty down my own shirt. It made me feel good about helping myself out, and made sure I was extra careful with my stuff.

I also tip after a local move, and before/after a long distance move. I also try to have a cooler full of Cokes and gatoraides on hand as well just in case. Bonk in 100+ (F) degree weather sucks, so I try to be prepared against heat exhaustion.

I generally provide bottled water and tip $20 a person, assuming they dont break anything.

I don't move much, but when I have, or when I've had to have stuff moved or cleaned out, I generally tip about $20/person and yes, the water is a nice gesture.

A-ha! I thought I asked this question last year (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=458376&highlight=movers).

... and got a very different response. Now I feel kinda bad for not tipping?

A-ha! I thought I asked this question last year (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=458376&highlight=movers).

... and got a very different response. Now I feel kinda bad for not tipping?

Was that back when all the "tip hate" was going on?

Was that back when all the "tip hate" was going on?I recall no such tip hate. was it? (http://www.bikeforums.net/search.php?)

I recall no such tip hate. was it? (http://www.bikeforums.net/search.php?)

You only linked the search page. LOL


It was when somebody asked a question about tipping and it ended up going FOREVER and people were getting hot under the collar. Some were ADAMANTLY AGAINST tipping at any time to the point they were almost aggressive about it. May have been some spinoff threads too.

i though americans tip everyone for everything? damn, i got ripped off!

Nah, they do a good enough job robbin' me of my hard earned cash!

Movers are expensive. I have no desire to tip unless they used female models.

You only linked the search page. LOL


It was when somebody asked a question about tipping and it ended up going FOREVER and people were getting hot under the collar. Some were ADAMANTLY AGAINST tipping at any time to the point they were almost aggressive about it. May have been some spinoff threads too.you were supposed to go find the tipping thread, dur.

+1 on the food and drinks.

I would only tip if they did an excellent job. Previously when my Family moved, we bought they guys lunch and they still charged their lunch time in...a crappy move, but whatever.

I used them once. With the cost of purchasing a home it was easy to throw in an extra $500 to have someone move me. I expect the next time I move I will go back to the DIY route.

Man, you folks are cheap. Those guys worked their asses off carrying stuff in and out of the house all day long. I gave them $50 each on the move out to storage, and $50 each again on the move from storage into the newly renovated house.

They're probably making little more than minimum wage, and most of the guys looked like they probably had families to take care of.

It only takes about an hour to load, and an hour to unload my stuff- and nothing particularly fragile or heavy. Tipping $20 each guy ($40 total) on top of a $300 bill seems pretty hefty to me.

i though americans tip everyone for everything? damn, i got ripped off!

you owe the mods a tip for us allowing you to post here. just saying.

Don't tip movers.

Tip cows.

I had no idea so many people used movers! Everyone I know just does it themselves, and solicits any help they can get from family and friends.

Us too--we never used movers. But I guess some people have a lot of heavy furniture to move. Not us--it's all lightweight ikea-like stuff in our house.:lol:


It only takes about an hour to load, and an hour to unload my stuff- and nothing particularly fragile or heavy. Tipping $20 each guy ($40 total) on top of a $300 bill seems pretty hefty to me.

Agree. I'd just get them lunch/snacks and drinks in that situation. But for moves that take any longer than 2-3hrs, or for those involving lots of breakables I think the movers should be tipped.

heres the last mover I tipped. :D


http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/stumpyspic/efd19a79d1a4a3db0166ecbb5bbe0f9e.jpg

I had no idea so many people used movers! Everyone I know just does it themselves, and solicits any help they can get from family and friends.

When you move from Denver to New Orleans, or from New Orleans to Oklahoma, and you live in a 3BR. house, you hire movers. It is too much work to do on your own. Also, when you move cross country, you don't have family and friends to help you!

When we moved 2 miles from our first loft to our second, we had bottled water, OJ & donuts at the first place, and Gatorade and water at the second. At the first, they had to carry the heavy wood bedroom stuff down one full flight of stairs, and everything had to go down a fairly narrow hallway and down a short flight of 5-6 steps. From there it was all elevators. We'd arranged for a preset price for the move based on what was being moved, as opposed to paying by the hour. It turned out to be the better deal, as they got their trailer stuck in the parking garage of the first place, and it took them over an hour to get it unstuck. We tipped the three movers when the job was done. I don't recall the amount, as it was 5 years ago.

When we moved 2 blocks from that second loft to our current loft, we again hired movers. No stairs involved, but the loft management at the old place kept stealing our reserved elevator, which delayed the movers about 45 minutes in total. We again had water at both places, and I bought the two guys PowerAde after they loaded. I believe I tipped them $40 total, and they cut us a break on the total time involved to move us. I didn't care about that as we were being reimbursed for the move via rent credit at the new place. But it was a nice thought.