Hiring a moving company is one of the most efficient ways to make sure your move goes as stress-free and effectively as it possibly can. Although movers belong in the service trade, their job is a lot more complicated than the job of a waitress. If by any chance the waitress drops your bowl of soup, she can quickly serve you a new order. In case of a moving professional’s job, there is a lot more at stake. Since enlisting relocation services North Carolina to help you relocate can make all of the difference for your belongings, it brings up the question – should you tip your movers? After all, you’ve already paid a fine bill. This is a question we get a lot, so let’s see whether we can answer should you tip your movers, how much is expected if you should and what is the reasonable tip.
Let’s go through the basics
In general, consumers trust that their full-service moving company will do a good job because they pay them based on a prearranged estimate. So usually clients don’t consider movers as service professionals. But they are part of the service industry and proper etiquette requires you to treat them as such. Basically, if you were wondering should you tip your movers, the correct answer is – yes, but percentages that apply in restaurant business do not really apply in the moving industry. The difference between a $2,000 and a $20,000 move depends on the distance the moving truck travels, not how much time it took the movers to load the vehicle.
How much should you tip your movers?
- As we established, movers are a part of the service industry but don’t worry, you don’t have to leave 15-20% of your bill as a tip. If you had a simple, local move where your moving company had everything packed and ready to go in a few hours, $20 per mover is more than enough. You can absolutely decide to tip more than that if the service exceeded your expectations.Likewise, you can choose to tip less if their work was not satisfying.
- For a more complex move that required full service or you relocated over a long distance, you can tip a little more. $30-$50 per mover will suffice, depending on your budget and satisfaction with the job.
If you thought the service was extremely good and your relocation went amazingly smoothly, you may want to offer a larger tip.
- Of course, the standards for what stands for exceptional service is completely subjective, but if it was very satisfactory for you, increase your tip, even if it’s just adding a couple of dollars a person.
- Some relocations are inherently more difficult. Some of the examples are when they involve going up and down several flights of stairs with heavy furniture. Or if you weren’t quite ready in time and the movers went the extra mile so they helped you pack last minute. A good way to reward that effort is to add a bit extra to your tip.
Occasions when the answer to ’Should you tip your movers’ is no:
- When the workers show up late or way too early, or on a wrong day, without explanation or apology,
- In the occasion that your movers were rude or disrespectful in any way,
- In case any of your belongings were damaged due to a lack of safety precautions or attention.
When you get recommendations and do a proper amount of research, you can find a reputable moving company. When you work with experts, chances of you having any problems during the move are next to nothing. Then you won’t have to worry about any of the scenarios listed above. Find a trustworthy, reputable movers Carrboro NC by checking out the American Storage & Moving Association’s ProMover List.
There are several ways you can reward your movers other than giving them cash
Tipping is the best way to show that you value someone’s work. But there are other ways you can convey your appreciation. Instead of providing them with a tip, you can feed them. You can also use these ways of appreciation as an addition to the tip. Maybe you want to go above and beyond. Should you choose to tip your movers and go the extra mile, here are some ideas:
- Arrange a cooler with cold water and snacks on moving day.
- Order food for the workers.
- A genuine “thank you” always goes a long way.
- Go online and leave a good review for the company you worked with.
A tip about tips from movers themselves:
Some people prefer to buy the crew lunch in the amount of the tip they’d give and this is perfectly okay. Some people will do both, but you should do whatever you are comfortable with. If you do offer to buy the crew lunch, don’t immediately opt for pizza. Ask them first. Just imagine how much pizza these guys must have had that month already. Then you will worry less about how much should you tip your workers.
They’ll be happy you took their preferences into consideration
Don’t give the total amount of tips to the foreman or driver. Give each worker their amount. First, it is more personal and kind, because it shows that you recognize their individual efforts. Plus, you’ll override any greedy behavior if the foremen happen to be unscrupulous.
