Do you tip movers?

[edurnemk]

The movers are here packing all our stuff, they are almost done loading everything in the truck, and I started wondering if it's customary to tip the crew? and how much?

[SnuggleBuggles]

$10 each is what I usually do.

eta- I always give plenty of snacks and drinks too. I have done $20 each before but it really depends on the amount of work and the crew. The last ones were Jerks and they didn't deserve a big tip. ("I'm sorry but we can't fit any more on the truck so you are just out of luck. Good luck getting it 500 miles in your Civic.")

Beth

[cvanbrunt]

We always have. We buy whatever they want for lunch and give each guy at least twenty bucks. We give the cash to the crew chief.

[HIU8]

:yeahthat: exactly.

[edurnemk]

Thanks for the quick responses!

[maydaymommy]

Lunch + at least $20/each here, too. My parents have done up to $50/each.

[fauve01]

$10 each is what I usually do.

Beth

:yeahthat: we give the money to the crew chief to distribute. "here's a little something for you and the guys."

Also we usually buy lunch.

HTH,
Anne

[sste]

I am nuts so don't go by this but I tip at least $75 per mover. I am just sick with guilt during the entire moving process - - it is terrible, unregulated work and I can't imagine people are able to do it for a long time.

[PearlsMom]

About $20/person. Last move I was the last customer of the day on a Friday, and when they got everything inside the new house I made them rum punch cocktails!

[edurnemk]

OK, so I gave them $25 each, I still wonder if I should have given them a bit more but it was just a few pieces of furniture and mostly boxes, so not too many heavy items.

[secchick]

Lunch + $20 here too. Only one time have I not tipped. And that was to the guy who took a HUGE dump in our toilet and didn't flush. WHen I lifted the lid, I almost threw up. The thought of it gives me the heebie jeebies to this day.

[Corie]

We just went through this last week. My husband bought the crew
lunch and then gave them each $50.

[cvanbrunt]

OK, so I gave them $25 each, I still wonder if I should have given them a bit more but it was just a few pieces of furniture and mostly boxes, so not too many heavy items.

Don't worry about it. I bet most people don't tip.

[gatorsmom]

My dad owns a small, local moving company. He's run it for the past 40 years. It hasn't made him rich AT ALL but it has supported my family (mom, dad me and younger brother) and provided jobs for 4 or 5 other men and their families. As sste said, it is difficult, grueling work and many customers are soooo difficult to work with.

A tip is optional, but EXTREMELY appreciated. My dad tells stories still of very nice customers who bought them pizzas and tipped them nice after an entire day of backbreaking labor.

It's all about karma, kwim?

[kerridean]

If you don't...you may find your stuff will be broken. I am serious. We are a military family and this happens all the time. We tip ALOT and provide lunch and an unlimited supply of drinks.

[gatorsmom]

If you don't...you may find your stuff will be broken. I am serious. We are a military family and this happens all the time. We tip ALOT and provide lunch and an unlimited supply of drinks.

It's not in the movers' best interest to break your stuff. Really, if you let the movers know that you have items scratched, broken or just damaged, let them know you want it repaired/replaced. If they are contracting with the military, they must have insurance for this.

The Household Goods moving industry is a very discounted business. It's very hard for a reputable, insured company to make a profit on moving, particulary with all the irreputable "Three men and a Van" groups out there who don't pay Worker's Comp insurance or health insurance to their employees. So, it's in a respectable company's best interest to keep their reputation spotless and keep their customers happy.

[TwinFoxes]

DH tips generously, and also gives them beers. We've never done lunch. They usually seem pretty happy with the beers. :) (they take them with them, they don't crack them open in our house.)


If you don't...you may find your stuff will be broken. I am serious. We are a military family and this happens all the time. We tip ALOT and provide lunch and an unlimited supply of drinks.

We always tip at the end, so they don't know one way or the other if they're getting tipped. We've never had anything broken beyond a few glasses. I would seriously complain if I were you, that is just not right.

[DrSally]

We did, somewhere btwn $400-$200 for a 2 person crew.

[Cam&Clay]

When we moved last, I was barely pregnant with DS2 yet already deep into hyperemesis with DH stationed in another state. At the last minute (like 2 days before), we realized there was no way I could pack up that house with my head in the toilet all day. So, the company made the time to come and pack for us. It was extra $$$ but so worth it since I was so sick.

We had the fridge stocked with soda and water at both locations (about 10 minutes away from each other). We fed them lunch for 2 days and tipped about $200 for a 4 person crew. They were unbelievable. And it was mid-summer in VA. Hot and muggy.

The guys were so cute when they realized I was pregnant. On move in day, they set up a chair for me in the foyer and I was only allowed to point where each item went!

[kerridean]

DH tips generously, and also gives them beers. We've never done lunch. They usually seem pretty happy with the beers. :) (they take them with them, they don't crack them open in our house.)



We always tip at the end, so they don't know one way or the other if they're getting tipped. We've never had anything broken beyond a few glasses. I would seriously complain if I were you, that is just not right.

Oh....it has never happened to us...just to people I know who do not treat their movers with respect. I think it had more to do with their (homeowners) nasty attitudes then with the tip actually:).

[brgnmom]

my DH and I had a 2-men moving crew and tipped them $250 (I think it was a little over 25% of the cost for moving our belongings). They did a fantastic job.

next month we are having a much larger (cross-country) move (I had no idea that my little 3-year-old would have accumulated a lot more than I did), and will probably tip around $500 and include lunch/drinks as well.

[sunnyside]

I tip movers really well. My moves have never been too complicated (i.e. always just been myself) and I tip around $30 a person plus lunch and drinks.

My parents tipped $100 to each worker when they moved their things into their new house. It took the movers all day, the house is 5000 sq. feet and included having to move a piano into the second floor. They also fed them and gave them whatever they wanted to drink etc.

We all felt terrible watching them carry that piano. They were nice about it though.

[crl]

We had waaaayy more damage with military moves than with others. The system for getting reimbursed is cumbersome and you never really get what I think is a fair amount. Sure our stuff was used but I couldn't find comparable replacements for the amount they gave us. It's not like i could buy one used saucer for our dish set, you know? Or if I could it would be online and they weren't going to cover shipping So we either made up the difference to buy a new one or did without. And repairs often show in some way (like they scratch one piece of a set and we could get paid to have that one piece refinished but it was never really going to match the other pieces perfectly again). I'm still bitter about the amount of damage they did to our stuff the year it was in storage while dh was overseas. Anyway that was a bit off topic.

I usually provide plenty of bottled water and pizza or subs for lunch. And I usually tip $20 per mover--giving it all to the crew chief at the end.

Catherine