You need to be smart when tipping movers.
Is it compulsory to tip movers?
There is no rule-book that you need to stick to while tipping movers. The most important thing is that you should appreciate the hard work put in by your movers. However, you need not over-tip your movers. After all, you might have to move a lot of times and you cannot tip a fortune every single time.
If you are satisfied with the quality of the moving service, you can decide to tip your moving crew members. Tipping a good way to show your appreciation for the hard work put in by your movers. This is an effective way to show your gratitude. Certainly, tipping is not compulsory. Before tipping your movers, ask yourself if you are happy with the moving service that is delivered to you. Be honest here.
Try to figure out how your moving crew has handled your items. Your movers must have taken vital steps to avoid the damage to your items. They should have been there at every stage. These are some of the factors to consider while deciding whether your movers deserve tips or not. You are under no obligation to reward your movers if they have not provided you with a satisfactory service.
You can give them a generous tip, a basic tip or no tip at all. It is all up to you. You need to do your homework right in order to make a fair decision. Your chances of tipping a mover are higher if you have the support of a reliable moving company. After all, a reliable moving company is highly likely to provide you with more than the satisfactory quality of services.
How much to tip movers?
There is no fixed answer here. As told earlier, there is no rule-book. The amount of tips is pretty much based on their job performance, your level of satisfaction and your budget. Make sure to use your best judgment to come up with the fair amount to tip your movers.
If your movers did a brilliant job, go for bigger tips if you can. This is more applicable if your movers made a seamless move even under bad conditions.
If your movers did an average job, you can go for standard tips. Your movers might have protected, and loaded your household items with care.
If your movers showed bad conduct of some manner or did not carry out the move well, you might not tip them at all! This is more applicable if they led to the damage of some of your items.
What are the standard tipping amounts?
For local moves:
If your movers did a satisfactory job, you can tip them $4-$5/hour per mover. If your movers did an excellent job, you can reward their efforts in the range of $6-$7/hour per mover, or even $8/hour per mover. Use your sense of judgment here.
For long-distance moves:
You can prepare to tip money in 10- or 20-dollar bills. This way you can reward each mover separately. If you have gone for a long-distance move and you are considering tipping your movers based on a percentage of your final moving bill, you might have to reconsider. As per the American Moving and Storage Association, the average moving cost of an interstate move is nearly $4,300.
When it comes to tipping on long-distance moves, it can get a bit confusing. These movers include:
the movers who will load the truck at your old home
The movers who will drive the truck across the country to your new place and unload your items once they reach your new address.
However, sometimes, just one crew of movers complete the two-stage long-distance move. Here, you will have to call up the main office of the moving company and find out how many teams will be dealing with your move.
Do not follow the percentage-based tipping here. You can actually use the universal tipping formula here. You can tip your long-distance movers around $5/hour per mover if they do a good job. Else, you can round up the tip to $40/day per mover. However, you need not be so rigid while tipping. If you wish, you can add a bit more cash if that goes fine with you.
Giving a bit of an incentive
Go ahead and inform your movers prior to the move that you will be rewarding them with great tips if they do their job excellently. This is a great way to encourage your movers.
You can decide to add incentive. The added incentive can actually boost the productivity and efficiency of professional movers for many reasons. When your hired men do their job, make sure to live up to your promise.
When to tip movers?
Timing is crucial here. In case you have decided to tip your movers, you must have a good sense of timing. Make sure to encourage your moving crew to work harder by informing them that you will provide them with valuable tips at the end of the move. You can also give a $10 bill to each worker to let them know that you will tip them for their genuine efforts. This will make them do their moving job seriously.
However, if you are not a fan of initial tipping, stick to the general rules of tipping. You can wait until the end of the move to tip your movers. You can tip them when they have delivered your boxes and furniture pieces. In case you availed of an additional service, you can give them tips after they are done.
Before tipping, you must make sure that all of your items are in good condition. You can then sign your final paperwork. Make sure to take out your wallet to reward each mover separately.
However, there are alternate ways to tip your movers. It is not always about money. You can provide them with delicious snacks or dinner or lunch. You can provide them the beverages. Thus, you can find innovative ways to tip them.
