When hiring state-to-state movers, you know that there will be a lot of hard work involved, and you probably want to know are you supposed to tip movers who handle the relocation. As there are no written rules about expressing your gratitude in the relocation industry, here is advice you can implement when deciding about tipping movers and packers.
Moving from state to state is a stressful and energy-consuming life event, and the best possible way to have as stress-free a move as possible is to hire professionals to handle everything. Still, a lot of stress can emerge from not knowing whether to reward your crew or not. Is $40 a good tip for movers? Do you tip movers when they load or unload? These and many more questions will be on your mind, so to prevent any additional anxiety about relocating, let’s crack this nut open and see what is a standard tip for movers and do you tip movers whatsoever.
Is Tipping Moving Company an Obligation?
As you know, rewarding your waiter or cab driver is not mandatory, and it’s the same when it comes to rewarding relocation crews. There is no obligation, and if you feel like not doing so or if your relocation budget doesn’t allow it, it’s fine. No one will blame you. And if you are satisfied with the job done, there are other ways you can show your appreciation.
Is It Bad to Not Tip Movers?
In theory, it’s not bad since all professionals will get paychecks for their work. But there are cases when not tipping professionals can be considered bad. For example, you hire a company only for moving service, and your contract clearly states what is supposed to be done – packing a truck, dissembling the furniture, and so on. The contract also clearly states the cost of your move, and depending on the arranged job, the worker will get a paycheck. But if you ask your professional to do something for you as a favor, like dealing with your fragile items, and they decide to help you, some reward is absolutely in order. If you skip showing your gratitude, they can feel cheated.
Are You Supposed to Tip Movers if You Are Not Satisfied With the Service?
Even if you put giving extra cash to your workers on your relocation checklist, any reward is out of the question if you are not satisfied with the service. The culture of tipping is invented as positive encouragement to professionals in certain fields when they perform exceptionally. It’s a way to show your appreciation if the interaction and experience were satisfactory. On the other hand, if you are not satisfied with the provided services, refusing to give tips is the way to show you are not pleased.
What to Look for When Deciding if the Service Was Good?
No matter your reasons for the move, whether you are relocating for love or a new job, you hired movers to have less stress and take a lot of hard work off your shoulders. But relocating to a new state is demanding. A lot of things must be coordinated perfectly to have a smooth transition. This is why it’s crucial to have the best professionals to provide you with everything you need, from car shipping and packing to storage units.
The last thing you need on relocation day is a team that doesn’t perform in a manner you want. And avoiding mover-tipping, aside from bad reviews and formal complaints, is the way you can express your discontent. There are signs and factors you can consider when estimating the performance of your hired team, so pay extra attention, especially if you are relocating for the first time:
- Unprofessional behavior by team members,
- Intentional damaging of your belongings,
- Prolonging the move when paid by the hour,
- Not showing up on time on relocation day.
Factors to Consider When Estimating How Good Is Long Distance Moving Company
Before you decide do you tip moving companies, there are ways to prevent or minimize the risk of getting bad service in the first place. If you book the best company for moving interstate, your relocation to a new home will be a stress-free and happy experience, even if you relocate on a rainy day. With the right professionals, you will be more than glad to show your appreciation.
When choosing the best company in the industry, first, you need to rule out any potential relocation scammers. Because not only will you get bad service (if you get any service at all,) but they will rip you off in the end. The best relocation advice is to check if they have a USDOT number, which all long-distance companies are obliged to have by Federal law.
The next step is to check online reviews and see how other people were satisfied with their performance. And last but not least, see how agents are behaving during the initial talk and whether they seem confident and professional enough to get the job done. A good indicator that businesses have high professional standards is if they can provide you with everything you need, from packing service to storage. A business that has difficulties providing you with a full relocation package is probably understaffed, and it might have difficulties performing the move to another state.
What to Consider When Showing the Appreciation of Quality Relocation Services?
As you can imagine, relocating from a house to an apartment is not the same as relocating a four-bedroom home. For the first, you will probably have to do some downsizing for a move, which will lead to fewer things to pack. Furthermore, it’s not the same if you have a lot of furniture to move or just a couple of chairs – the amount of work will be different. Your tips should follow the amount and intensity of the relocation process as well. But there are other things you can consider when assessing the job done. So if the team’s performance is up to the following criteria, you shouldn’t feel sorry in showing your appreciation:
- High expertise in dealing with fragile items,
- Professional handling of antiques and other valuables,
- Carefully disassembling and reassembling your furniture,
- Fast and safe loading and unloading of your items,
- Professional and friendly behavior,
- Job was done in a reasonable amount of time.
Determine the Amount of Cash Rewards
As we mentioned above, you must consider a number of factors when determining the quality of the work that has been done. First, you need to understand how complicated or not your relocation is. Are you relocating locally or from one side of the country to another? Is your home approachable for the truck or not (in case it is not, the crew will have to carry everything further)? Do you have a lot of stairs and narrow passages? Is $20 enough to tip movers?
To make things clear, when determining the average tip for movers, you should think about all the things that can make this job harder than unusual.
There are two ways you can calculate the amount of cash you will give to the crew. You can give 5 to 20% of the total cost of your move, or you can set an hourly rate. For example, a four-hour shift should be tipped $10 for each professional for each hour (so $40 in total) and $20 an hour for eight hours move.
Is Tipping for Interstate Moving Different?
On the other hand, if you are relocating far, you should also consider that the price of your move will exponentially grow the further you go from your current location. Naturally, determining the tip based on the total bill of your relocation can be pricey. So instead of depending on the size of your move and the number of crew members that will be engaged, you should leave cash aside to give them. Around $200 should be enough to be divided among the crew.
Choose a Person to Give a Money To
Another tricky part of showing your appreciation can be the fact that you don’t know to whom to give the cash. A lot of people will be rushing in and out, and it can become chaotic and messy. And before you know it, the truck is drifting away, and only then do you realize you haven’t given the cash to anyone. For this reason, the best option is to give the whole amount to one person, preferably the one coordinating the team.
There Are Different Ways of Payments You Can Pick
Like with any money transaction, you can choose to pay with cash or with a credit card. And in this case, you can also choose when to give the money. You can add it up to your final bill and pay everything after you get your stuff, or you can pay after professionals have packed the truck at home you are leaving.
There Are Other Ways of Showing Appreciation Besides Cash
No matter if you decide to give extra cash or not, there are other ways you can show your gratitude for excellent performance. And one of the best ways to do so is to have a nice meal ready for the team. Set when your lunch break will be and order some food. Also, it would be good to have bottles of water and hot beverages as well, especially if you are relocating in winter.
Another excellent idea for showing your appreciation is to leave flattering online reviews. As you know, many people will look at those reviews and maybe base the decision to pick the same company as you did on them. So what is a better approach to say thank you to a company than by contributing to its good image? But reviews will not only benefit the business but the crew as well. They might be rewarded for a great performance by career advancement or raise.
Interstate Moving Is Easy With Great Professionals at Your Disposal
The best approach to avoiding any anxiety about moving or additional stress is hiring professionals to help you. There will be so many things you must do, from finding a new job and a new school for your kids to home hunting. And on top of that, you need to think about “simple” stuff – how to pack pots and pans or how to safely move the refrigerator down the stairs. So don’t hesitate to hire professionals to help you out with all the daunting aspects of your relocation. You will have more time to concentrate on really important things like saying bye to friends and family and making other necessary arrangements. And once you see how much hard work will be involved in the process, you will feel lucky you decided to hire professionals. And believe us, the tipping part will not be so difficult either.
