You’ve squared away all the details of your move, but you’re left with one lingering question. How much do you tip the movers? Moving day can be stressful and exhausting, made more so when you get to the end of the day and aren’t sure if you should tip and how much. Let’s solve this dilemma upfront so you can be more relaxed on the big day.
Consider their job
Moving is a hard job. If it were easy, you’d be doing it yourself, right? Being a mover is a demanding profession that requires hard physical labor and attention to detail. And like any service trade, there are some great movers and some that don’t put in any extra effort. When you hire movers who are good at their jobs, it’s appropriate to show your appreciation for a job well done.
How much to tip
As with any service trade, you can base the tip on the quality of the service you received. If your crew was inattentive and careless with your belongings, you may not feel inclined to tip at all. Conversely, if your crew was careful, hard-working, and pleasant all day, you can tip them an amount you think is fair. While there’s no standard when tipping your movers, a good ballpark figure is 10-15 percent of the bill. That generally works out to about $20-$30 per mover. Of course, this will depend on the size of your job, how difficult the job is, the time it takes, and the number of crew involved. Keep in mind that most movers don’t expect to be tipped, but are very appreciative when you do.
How to tip
The next question is – how do you leave them the tip? In most cases, cash at the end of the day is the best way to tip your movers. You can either give the tip to the crew leader, who can distribute it to each crewmember. Or you can opt to tip each mover individually. Your decision can be based on what you feel most comfortable doing. If you’re concerned the foreman won’t distribute the money fairly, then be sure to tip each crewmember personally.
How else you can show appreciation
A cash tip at the end of a hard day isn’t the only way you can show appreciation to the crew who executed your move. Consider having cold or hot beverages on hand during the day to make them more comfortable. You can offer to buy the crew lunch, but make sure to ask what kind of food they would prefer. Not everyone wants to eat pizza every day. You may also be tempted to offer them cold beer, especially if it’s a hot day. But be aware that they may have rules against drinking on the job, as it could be a liability issue if anything were to happen. Another great way to show your appreciation is with great reviews online as well as new customer referrals.
Hopefully that helps to clear up any confusion you may have about tipping your movers. In the end, you should consider it appropriate to show your appreciation in some form for a job well done.
