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Long distance move, three bedroom household. Mover estimates full days of work (guessing 2pm - 10pm) with 4 professional movers for loading and 2 professional movers for unloading (probably 8am - 3pm).
Your post is a little lacking in details.....two days to load, three day drive, two days to unload? The hours you mention don't make any sense. Same crew on both ends, or different crews?
The single most important determinant of a gratuity is the quality of the work. Everything of value wrapped in blankets, then shrink wrapped, then cardboard wrapped? Or they just put it on the truck raw? Boxes stacked heaviest on bottom? Everything arrived? Everything arrived in pristine condition with nothing broken, no scrapes, dents or dings?
UP stairs, or level? Transfer for a truck to the van, or directly to the van?
Think about $100 per man on each end. That makes your tip about $600, as part of a $10,000 move......assuming a lot about how much stuff you have and how far (long distance) you are going.
You ONLY tip like that if the service is exemplary. Clean movers. No walls banged. No smoking in your house--either end, shoes off (or booties) in house, and plastic/cardboard /furniture blankets laid over your floors.
Your post is a little lacking in details.....two days to load, three day drive, two days to unload?
Just one day to load, and one day to unload. I'm sorry that wasn't clear.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Bear
The hours you mention don't make any sense.
That's all that they had available between now and the day we have to vacate, a situation caused by games-playing by the folks buying our home.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Bear
Same crew on both ends, or different crews?
The way it sounded to me was that two of the guys will be there on both ends, with an extra two on the load-in side. That makes sense: There is a lot more work involved in load-in than delivery. They're rebuilding two beds and one three-part desk, but otherwise doing none of the unpacking.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Bear
The single most important determinant of a gratuity is the quality of the work.
Yup, understood. So I'm looking for the range.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Bear
UP stairs, or level? Transfer for a truck to the van, or directly to the van?
From a two-level townhouse with a basement to a two-level condo without a basement. They didn't indicate that they would need to do a transfer. Unlike other movers, they seem to be planning on using two trucks for the move rather than a huge 18-wheeler.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Bear
Think about $100 per man on each end.
Thanks for the input. I'd love to get a few more folks weighing in.
I initially thought that your recommendation here was double what I've gotten from others, but now that I look it back over it isn't: You were probably basing that on a two-day load and a two-day unload, and instead it will be a one-day load and a one-day unload. So I guess you're saying $50 per person each day, which is right in the middle of what others have recommended.
We usually tip $25-50 per mover on each end of the move, with more money going to the lead guy. We also buy breakfast and lunch for them. Interested to see other replies.
I do not tip movers, they get paid by the company they work for, don't get them breakfast, lunch or snacks either and never have.
We have everything packed, wrapped and in the order it is to be loaded and when it is unloaded all boxes are put into the first room they walk into, furniture is placed in the appropriate room but they do not put anything together or set it where it will be located in the room they just place it in the room itself.
I have always tipped professional movers. $100 per person on both ends (packing and unloading). This is usually for 2 or more days of work. I give the driver $200. Offer lunch and drinks to everyone (though not everyone takes you up on that). I have never had anything but a good experience with movers-no significant damage to items or the house itself, but I suppose if I did, it would affect my tip amount or decision to tip at all. I paid a total of $800 in tips on my last move, which cost over 19K, so about 3-4% of the total amount.
The idea that it is commonplace to pay 15-20% of a bill to tip a waiter, stylist, nail person etc, but not pay a tip to someone who is engaging in backbreaking labor while I stand around and direct their activities, is frankly, unconscionable to me.
Regarding buying lunch (or in my case, given that they're not starting until about 2pm, dinner) for the movers: Pizza seems to be the simplest approach. Anyone have a reason to do something different?
I have no idea what the tipping expectations are for movers. I moved a bunch of stuff into a storage unit a few miles down the road, and ended up tipping each of the guys $20. Was going to do $10 each, but they actually were very helpful and did a very good job, even though my stuff was suboptimally prepared to head out the door. They also didn't make me feel like I was just getting in the way all day. The job took a few hours.
I don't think a percentage-based tip is appropriate here. I wouldn't want to spend $1k on tips on a huge move. Frankly, I think our tipping-based culture in this country is a bunch of BS, so I'd just do what you feel comfortable with. I have no experience spending 5 figures on a move, and hopefully I never will. I do think it's appropriate to offer water bottles from the fridge if they're doing heavy lifting. I don't think offering lunch is necessary, and if I did offer food, I doubt it would be pizza. Pizza is terrible for you. Plus you have to spend a bunch of money on tips and delivery fees.
If my job were to lift heavy stuff all day, I don't think I'd want to deal with turning down pizza every day and potentially looking rude. If it's a quick job, they can go get lunch before or after. If it's a long job, it's reasonable for them to go take a lunch break like anyone else. I doubt UPS buys their employees who just lift heavy packages all day lunch. They pay them to do their job.
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