Tipping movers (moved from Dallas TX forum) (relocation, moving company, job)

[mutigers]

We are moving this week and using moving company for first time. The trip is an 8 hour drive from Kansas to Murphy and we are moving a 5 bedroom house. What kind of tip do you give movers for this sort of thing?

[Rakin]

See if you can buy them pizza while they unload.

[kacvb1974]

I've never had to make a long distance relocation but have moved over a dozen times within DFW. Because not all movers/companies are created equally, I don't automatically tip them. But my good experiences have outweighed the negative so if there's no negligence and they have decently pleasant attitudes about hauling all my stuff, I tip 15% of the bill. Higher for outstanding service. Doesn't work out to be that much per person when it's a large crew. I offer them a snack and a drink regardless... because if my Mama found out I didn't, she'd kill me. But I do check the company's policy because some specifically request you DON'T tip their drivers/movers.

Here's several previous c-d threads on the topic: //www.city-data.com/forum/searc...archid=6720440

[USA_Mom]

When we moved long distance from McKinney to Georgia and then Georgia back to Allen we tipped $100 per person as they did a super job, as well as provided lunch the days they worked, packed and unpacked, etc. However, we were corporate moves so we were not out the thousands of dollars that it would have cost to move us. They also (both teams) did excellent jobs.

[Beretta]

Originally Posted by mutigers

We are moving this week and using moving company for first time. The trip is an 8 hour drive from Kansas to Murphy and we are moving a 5 bedroom house. What kind of tip do you give movers for this sort of thing?

I would probably do $150 for the head mover and $100 a piece for the others.

[suzie02]

Wow, I didn't know we were such lousy tippers.

[donsabi]

Why is it that people insist on tipping for a person simply doing the job they were paid to do? If a person provides service/services above and beyond their job description then they should be compensated. i.e., it used to be that a cab driver would open the door for his fare entering and leaving his cab, carrying luggage and load it in the trunk. Today the cabbies I see just sit there doing nothing more than they have to do. They are doing their job, so why tip them. We used to tip wait staff for good service and now we tip regardless of the service we get. Tipping for take out is another joke.
As for movers, provide plenty of bottled water. If they do an exceptional job give them money for lunch/dinner and be sure to give the money to the head guy while the rest are present after they complete the move.
Don

P.S: Also do a walk-through of the moving truck/van when they are done and make sure it is really empty.

[Bigg Mann]

I used to deliver and set up appliances for a major company and got paid a small 8.00/hr. for busting my @@s and was told not to accept tips. But after awhile of switching doors of fridges that salesman forgot to mention and lug old appliances up and down stairs and moving furniture all around house so to fit new crap and never getting a good job thank you from bosses, working long hrs. (16) in a day so you get sent home on slow day not to get overtime I and helper started to accept tips. Made 16,000.00/yr salary plus 4000.00/yr tips and now when anybody delivers to my house I tip generously since I know how it is.

[suzie02]

Originally Posted by Bigg Mann

I used to deliver and set up appliances for a major company and got paid a small 8.00/hr. for busting my @@s and was told not to accept tips. But after awhile of switching doors of fridges that salesman forgot to mention and lug old appliances up and down stairs and moving furniture all around house so to fit new crap and never getting a good job thank you from bosses, working long hrs. (16) in a day so you get sent home on slow day not to get overtime I and helper started to accept tips. Made 16,000.00/yr salary plus 4000.00/yr tips and now when anybody delivers to my house I tip generously since I know how it is.

So what is an appropriate tip?

[Bigg Mann]

I moved mostly appliances and big screen tv's so we usually got a minimum of 10.00 total (2 people doing unload ) for stuff like washer/dryer if we had to take out old w/d up stairs. same for fridges. But when we had to take door jams off, remove stair railings, fences, etc. anything out of ordinary we got 20.00 to 40.00, and if we did whole house full which happened quite often with all old pieces being removed we got 50.00 to 100.00. The only time we refused tips is when it was obvious customer was on a very limited income. we also got yelled at and items thrown at us from mostly high income customers wanting above and beyond what was expected and very rarely got a tip or even a glass of water from anyone that had money, but that is the norm for people that have more money than sense. This job I had was back in 1994 so not sure if this is what they get out their still.

Now if someone does something for me usually a neighborhood kid I pay 25.00 for washing car, 20.00/hr.pulling weeds, or shoveling snow (up north) mostly if it is something I hate to do I pay what I would want.