If you are planning relocation with the help of professionals, you might come to think about tipping them for their services. Most people dwell on how much to tip movers, as there are no right or wrong answers to the “What is an appropriate tip for movers?” question. This article is here to help you solve some of these common dilemmas and allow you to thank the professionals for their assistance in the best way possible.
How to Decide How Much to Tip Movers?
When moving from state to state, you will most likely opt for getting professional help and letting them take care of the entire thing. Interstate moving is quite a complex process and requires a lot of physical work. You will probably think about “How much should I tip movers?” Unfortunately, there is no correct answer to this question, but there is plenty of advice and moving tips we can give that can be super helpful in moments like this.
When Deciding How to Tip Movers, Consider How Much Work They Do When Moving You
Deciding how much to tip movers for long-distance moving can be pretty tricky. Usually, it’s best to think about how much work they need to finish to move you into a new home. You may hire state-to-state movers just to pack up a few fragile items and deal with some stuff you’re not sure how to pack and secure properly. That part of the job isn’t so physically exhausting.
On the other hand, you may hire them to do the entire move, meaning they must organize the entire packing process and bring all the necessary packaging supplies and materials. That’s not all, as they would also be responsible for relocating furniture and lifting heavy items. How much do you tip movers depends on a few more factors as well, such as:
- What were the weather conditions like?
- How many packages have they packed for you?
- How many hours have they been working?
- Were they carrying stuff upstairs and downstairs?
- How many oversized items have they taken?
So, do you tip movers on both ends? Can you tip too much? Tips are considered to be a standard way of thanking your assistants for helping you out with the moving process. Tipping should always be regarded as the right thing to do, but you should still decide how to tip the movers based on how hard and long the labor was.
There Are No Universal Rules When It Comes to Tipping
Usually, companies moving interstate don’t have any specific rules when it comes to giving out bonuses to their employees. Everyone that hires workers for these types of services has the freedom to decide the amount of money to give out to the workers on their own.
Keep in mind that professionals do hard physical labor, which is often quite dangerous and can lead to severe injuries. These people do the hard work instead of you, so if you can give them bonuses, consider doing so.
Consider Some Usual Ways of Tipping Long Distance Movers
If you decide that you want to reward the professionals for their assistance, you can consider following some of the most usual methods. In most service industries, it is common to give somewhere between 15 and 20 percent of the entire bill. For some typical home or office moves, people give out $20 to $50 to each worker, depending on how complicated the relocation was.
Calculate how many hours they have been working in your house. Generally, the rule is to give $5 per hour and the 10% of the total move cost. So if the total cost of your move is $1000, you should provide between $50 and $100 and divide the amount evenly between helpers.
Long-distance moves to a new home can last anywhere from 2 hours to 8 hours, depending on how extensive your inventory list is. For 8 hours of labor, tips should go somewhere around $150. If that seems a bit too much for you, consider giving out a flat bonus of $5 per hour per mover.
The Size of the Tips Should Be Based on Your Satisfaction
The tips’ sizes should also depend on your satisfaction with the services they have provided you with. When the workers come to your home, carefully pay attention to their performance and how invested they are. Notice how they handle your belongings and how professional they are when relocating you to your new home.
Of course, be an excellent host and communicate each issue with them. If you consider it a very efficient move, and they have correctly packed everything from your to-do list, you should reward them appropriately. If you think they have exceeded your expectations and done more than expected, raise their bonuses a bit. You might be in a situation where you’re unsure if you tip too much, but considering movers are essential workers, rewarding them for a well-done job shouldn’t be considered a problem.
When Is It OK Not to Tip Movers for Long-Distance Moving?
If you feel like each mover hasn’t done what you asked them to, or they weren’t careful enough, you are not obligated to give out rewards for them. Here are some examples of bad relocators that you should choose not to reward or reward less:
- If the crew shows up late,
- If they don’t bring the necessary equipment,
- If they don’t handle your belongings properly,
- If something gets broken during packaging,
- When you have to do most of the job with them.
What Is the Best Time to Give Out the Bonuses for the Help Provided?
Now that you have an idea of the size of the bonuses you should give to the employees, you should also be aware of when is the right time to give them out. If this is your first time relocating, you may wonder: Do you tip movers when they load or unload? The most logical answer to this question would be to reward them once their service is done.
You can always choose to motivate them by letting them know that they can get bonuses if they do the job properly, but that’s totally up to you. Keep in mind that if you choose a reliable relocation company and don’t fall for one of the moving scams, they should be dedicated to the job either way.
Who Are You Supposed to Give Out Bonuses To?
Now, one more question you might be thinking about is, who are you supposed to give the money to? You have few options when it comes to this situation. Usually, each crew has a foreman that controls everyone’s work and is sort of the main person. You can give them all the tips and leave them to split the money with their employees.
Or, if you want to be a friendly host, give out the money yourself and thank each worker for all the labor they have done and for helping you out. If you give it to one person, you might risk that they won’t equally split the money among the working crew.
Can You Give the Bonuses Using a Credit Card?
Using a credit card is also a pretty common dilemma when preparing for movers. When you have to reward a larger crew that has been working for several hours, you might not have enough money on you at the moment. It is also becoming less common for people to carry cash with them. For most people, it would be easier to give the crew bonuses by credit card for each mover. Is this possible? In this case, you should check this with the company you are hiring by calling their local office or customer service.
How to Reward the Workers if You Don’t Have Enough Money?
The cost of an interstate move can get quite expensive, so if you are relocating out of state on a budget and don’t have enough money to provide everyone with bonuses, that’s fine. You’re relocating budget shouldn’t suffer because you want to be a friendly host. There are plenty of different ways you can show gratitude to your helpers.
Some people also wonder, “Is it customary to buy lunch for movers?” While you don’t have to buy them lunch, it would be nice to offer them refreshments at the end of the day or during a break. If you don’t have the cash to give out, this can also be a good way to thank them for the job they’ve done.
Always Write a Review for the Company and Their Employees
No matter if you gave out the cash bonuses or you haven’t, writing a review is something everyone can do. This is a small gesture that will take a few minutes of your day, but for the company, it is going to mean a lot. If the workers have shown up to provide you with their moving services and gave their best to finish packing service as efficiently as possible, go on their website and leave a lovely review. You can also go to the Better Business Bureau website and leave a review there.
This is helpful for their business, and it is going to help them gain new clients and customers. When someone wants to hire a company for a move, they are first going to read reviews to find out whether they are reliable or not. Sharing a few nice words about them and recommending their services will be out of great use to them. And it’s the least you can do.
Is It Necessary to Give a Tip? Although Not Mandatory, It Is a Nice Show of Appreciation
Throughout this article, you have concluded that it isn’t necessary to pay the workers their bonuses. Still, at the end of the day, it’s an excellent way to show how much you appreciate the hard work they’ve put into moving your belongings across the country. The answer to the question, “How much do I tip movers” depends on your opinion and situation, but consider applying some of the advice we gave you today. If your state-to-state movers gave their best to help you out, be so kind as to reward them in some way because it’s always nice to know your job is appreciated.
