You have packed your house, the movers have loaded and unloaded your items at your new home. As they are about to leave you may wonder about whether you should provide a tip. Like in most service industries today, it is becoming customary to tip your movers. But how much should you be tipping your movers? It’s not quite like working in a restaurant where wait staff depend on tips to make a living, but it isn’t far off, either. When it comes to tipping your movers, consider your particular circumstances. Tipping is never expected, but is often an appreciated gesture to movers who have just completed a difficult move.
Standard Moving or Specialty Moving?
To figure out if your move warrants a tip, think about what your move has entailed. Did you have a huge crew of packing, loading, unloading, and transport? Did you have any particularly difficult equipment to move? Did your move take a lot longer than anticipated? Are you moving long distance? How far is the crew moving your belongings? These are a few questions you may want to ask yourself to determine if a tip is warranted.
How Much Should I Tip?
If you have determined that a tip should be given to your mover, then you need to figure out how much to tip. BMS Moving & Storage is happy to provide you with these general guidelines that you can follow, should you choose to tip:
- Packing/Loading Crew – You can provide your tip at the start or end of the move. A good rule of thumb is about $20 per person, but you can go as high as $100 if the job was particularly complicated and well executed.
- Driver/Supervisor – If you have a bigger move where there is a supervisor present, you will want to tip them a bit more. You can even provide the supervisor with the full tip amount and they can distribute to other employees.
- Overall Calculation- Another good way to determine how much to tip is to take the total cost of the move and tip about 5-10% split among the workers.
More than Money
You don’t always have to tip using cold hard cash. Having cold water, soda, or sports beverages available along with ordering a pizza or sandwiches for lunch can make a great tip. It also can make a huge difference on morale, resulting in a better move for you. When you treat your movers well, they will treat you (and your belongings) much better.
Just Ask
If you are unsure if your movers expect a tip, just ask ahead of time. When you hire your moving company, inquire whether tipping is customary. You can also ask in an online moving forum if it is common to tip in that particular area. When you are informed, you can better prepare for moving day.
If you are in need of professional moving services, contact BMS Moving & Storage today. Call (877) 594-1187 for your completely free moving quote today!
