Relocation requires professional assistance, which leads to the question of how to tip movers. In case you ever wondered Do you have to tip movers? in the first place, the answer is – yes, of course, you do. You can’t put a price on how much the moving team can help you and ease the otherwise stressful moving process. You should always remember that and treat the movers to let them know that you appreciate the effort. When it comes to tipping, most people usually wonder What is a good tip? and Do you tip packers when they load or unload? Here you can find the answers to all these concerns and more.
How to Tip Movers
Whether you need them to wrap your stuff or provide you with moving boxes, your crew will be there for you every step of the way. Keeping this in mind, it soon becomes clear that you absolutely have to tip them, but it still remains the question of how to do it. It’s only natural that you show them your gratitude for all the hard work, and here’s how you should do it properly.
Give the Tip to Movers Individually
Keep in mind is to give the money to each mover individually instead of gathering it and giving it all to the foreman or the truck driver. It might seem easier to do it this way, but it is only fair to acknowledge everyone’s efforts equally. Not only will they all feel better, but there is no risk of someone being left out.
How Much Money Should You Leave for the Tip?
How much money is considered enough in this situation? There’s no single answer to this question. It rather depends on several factors, but here are some rough numbers so that you get the idea. For instance, if it took about 4 hours to finish the job, the minimum should be $10 per person. Naturally, the longer they worked, the higher the rate should be. So, for 8 hours of work, $20 is appropriate, while 12 hours of work call for at least $40 per mover.
What to Consider When Tipping
To make sure you’ve set the right amount of money, you need to take into account several different factors, such as :
- The quality of the service – Consider whether the packers arrived on time to your old place, how friendly, helpful and professional they were, whether they treated your possessions with required attention, etc.
- How demanding the move was – depending on how much trouble the movers had to go through to get the job done, you’ll determine whether they deserve a higher or lower tip. For instance, consider if they had to deal with many stairs or narrow corridors, as well as how heavy and tricky to pack your stuff was.
- Weather conditions – if it’s too hot or too cold outside during your relocation, you can’t forget that when it comes to rewarding the packing team because extreme weather conditions require extra effort.
What’s the Best Way of Showing Your Gratitude?
Some people believe that leaving tips is not necessarily the best way to treat your moving crew for all the hard work and the service provided. Others think that the perfect way to go about it is to combine money with something else. Although there’s no rule of thumb, you should do what you feel is right and appropriate depending on the situation.
Leave the Tip
Even though it’s not mandatory, tipping is expected in the moving industry. It is a great way to reward your crew if you were satisfied with their work. Thanks to them, all of your precious belongings were delivered intact to your new place. A tip will show how much you appreciate that, so it has a greater meaning than simply some extra cash.
Buy the Crew Lunch
In addition to money, providing some food and beverages is an excellent way to show your gratitude. You might decide to buy the crew lunch or just provide some snacks and cool drinks. Either way, refreshment won’t do any harm. It can only help them do the job even better. Don’t forget that they’re doing physically demanding work.
Leave the Tipping for the End
Finally, we come to the question of when is the best time to give the tips. Timing is quite important. It’s probably for the best to leave this for the very end of the relocation. Wait for the movers to unload the boxes and get them all into your new home. Or, if you had asked for unpacking, wait for them to unpack the boxes. All in all, once the crew gets the job done, it’s time for you to do your part – take out your wallet and treat them for a job well done.
Hopefully, you’ll find it easier to follow the unwritten rules of tipping movers during the relocation. Whether you’ve moved by yourself or not, you are aware that the safest way to go about this intricate process is to hire experts. They can provide you with more than useful moving services and save from all the hard work, as well as stress and pressure. These guys can handle packing for you, making sure all your items are protected properly, they can save you from all the heavy lifting and so much more.
It’s important that you acknowledge their hard work in one way or another, whatever you find most comfortable and appropriate. Of course, if you find yourself in a rather unpleasant situation and your packing team lets you down in some way, you shouldn’t feel obliged to tip them. However, this is highly unlikely to happen if you turn to a professional and reliable relocation company.