Do I need to tip carpet installers?

[Tyga11]

I'm having new carpet installed in my house (as we speak) and I'm curious if it's expected to tip them?

The entire job is costing me $6k and it's thru a major company (not random guys off the street)

If so, what amount? There are 2 of them and they'll probably be here all day

[shoei]

Originally Posted by Tyga11

I'm having new carpet installed in my house (as we speak) and I'm curious if it's expected to tip them?

The entire job is costing me $6k and it's thru a major company (not random guys off the street)

If so, what amount? There are 2 of them and they'll probably be here all day

I dunno man, to each their own but I do. Anybody who comes to my home and does work, yeah, I'm going to tip. Moving guys, the appliance delivery guys etc.

I do tend to make sure I'm tipping well for services / restaurants et all that I frequent. For example, if I happen to be in the garage when the Amazon driver pulls up? They get a joint / pre roll. They all love it and I can tell you my packages are always neatly piled up by the front door and I've had zero packages go missing lol.

But I always view it as they're doing a tedious unrewarding job (you said major company and not their own carpeting business) making peanuts breaking their backs, yeah, I'm going to break them off a little something if that makes sense.

[Tyga11]

Originally Posted by shoei

I dunno man, to each their own but I do. Anybody who comes to my home and does work, yeah, I'm going to tip. Moving guys, the appliance delivery guys etc.

I do tend to make sure I'm tipping well for services / restaurants et all that I frequent. For example, if I happen to be in the garage when the Amazon driver pulls up? They get a joint / pre roll. They all love it and I can tell you my packages are always neatly piled up by the front door and I've had zero packages go missing lol.

But I always view it as they're doing a tedious unrewarding job (you said major company and not their own carpeting business) making peanuts breaking their backs, yeah, I'm going to break them off a little something if that makes sense.

Yeah, that does make sense and I'm the same way. I just wasn't sure since this thru a major company but I think I'll give them $50 each. That should be fair?

[shoei]

Originally Posted by Tyga11

Yeah, that does make sense and I'm the same way. I just wasn't sure since this thru a major company but I think I'll give them $50 each. That should be fair?

It's better than nothing man. It's the thought that counts + gesture. It's the little things that make the difference.

You just dropped 6K on carpet. $50 to us isn't as meaningful as it might be to someone who's an hourly employee. Imo. Not saying they're less, just saying they may make a little less $.

At least you asked to find out if it's appropriate to do so or not. That's even more than most.

[ezaircon4jc]

Who DOESN'T think they need tip these days? Seems everyone is looking for a tip for doing their jobs. Isn't that the purpose of a paycheck?

[NothingButToast]

Originally Posted by shoei

I dunno man, to each their own but I do. Anybody who comes to my home and does work, yeah, I'm going to tip. Moving guys, the appliance delivery guys etc.

I do tend to make sure I'm tipping well for services / restaurants et all that I frequent. For example, if I happen to be in the garage when the Amazon driver pulls up? They get a joint / pre roll. They all love it and I can tell you my packages are always neatly piled up by the front door and I've had zero packages go missing lol.

But I always view it as they're doing a tedious unrewarding job (you said major company and not their own carpeting business) making peanuts breaking their backs, yeah, I'm going to break them off a little something if that makes sense.

This x2. Exactly my sentiment on it. Unless they do shitty work, then probably not.

[G35POPPEDMYCHERRY]

i fucking hate tipping. just stand outside with a coffee mug

[Chick Webb]

For something like that I generally tip $50 per head, maybe $100 if they do a really good job. When I had my entire heating system re-done there were three guys at the house for three days, crawling around under it, through the attic, etc. The grunts got $100 and the jefe got $200. When I had my trees trimmed it was just a 1 day job, but it took three guys, they worked pretty damn hard, and they did a good job (e.g., managed to not drop a 30 ft limb on my shed). The two guys on the ground got $50 and the one who spent most of the day up in my redwoods got $100. All seemed to genuinely appreciate it.

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by G35POPPEDMYCHERRY

i fucking hate tipping. just stand outside with a coffee mug

This. Entire concept is asinine and has lost all meaning.

[G35POPPEDMYCHERRY]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

This. Entire concept is asinine and has lost all meaning.

srsly just charge more

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by G35POPPEDMYCHERRY

srsly just charge more

...but that's reportable on everyone's taxes.....

[TheWatchGuy]

Originally Posted by G35POPPEDMYCHERRY

srsly just charge more

the company charging more doesnt mean the laborers doing the work are getting that extra.

those installers are probably making between 20-30/hr. any tip is better than nothing, and being someone who did manual labor for an hourly wage, even a $5 tip was pretty sweet to get. Its not that youre trying to make them rich or show you have so much money, but more that you appreciate they didnt fuck shit up and they did a good job.

Now if they do a shit job and fuck shit up, probably wouldnt tip.

[Tyga11]

I ended up giving them $150 to split. They were very grateful and I felt like I did a good deed. Thanks all.

[Chick Webb]

Originally Posted by TheWatchGuy

those installers are probably making between 20-30/hr. any tip is better than nothing, and being someone who did manual labor for an hourly wage, even a $5 tip was pretty sweet to get. Its not that youre trying to make them rich or show you have so much money, but more that you appreciate they didnt fuck shit up and they did a good job.

This. I live in a place where the difference between lower and upper income folks is pretty extreme, so if somebody whom I know is in the former group works hard and does a good job for me I like to let them know I appreciate it. And, I want to help them out a little. They need it.

[G35POPPEDMYCHERRY]

Originally Posted by TheWatchGuy

the company charging more doesnt mean the laborers doing the work are getting that extra.

those installers are probably making between 20-30/hr. any tip is better than nothing, and being someone who did manual labor for an hourly wage, even a $5 tip was pretty sweet to get. Its not that youre trying to make them rich or show you have so much money, but more that you appreciate they didnt fuck shit up and they did a good job.

Now if they do a shit job and fuck shit up, probably wouldnt tip.

I feel you man,

If people go outside of their job requirements and treat me with respect, I'm sure everyone on this forum as some level of OCD…

I'll tip anyone any amount. Money is not so important to me as maybe to them, and I respect an honest man's work whether it be cooking my fry's or installing carpet.


It's the smug entitlement people have for tipping in America that grinds my fucking gears.

[premier3is]

Fuck that. They already getting paid to do their job, what you need to tip them for?

Jesus Christ man, what's up with this country and tips?

[M_Six]

If I can sort of derail this thread while still talking about carpets...

We need to have the stairway from the ground floor to our walkout basement re-carpeted. It's roughly 3ft wide except for the last few steps where it widens out to nearly 4ft. Plus there's a 90 degree turn at the top with two triangular steps. The centerline run from top to bottom is about 20' 6". We had Home Depot's installers do it last time, so we went to them again for an estimate. The guy came out and measured today and it came out to about 95sf. A few minutes later I get an estimate that called for a 12'x12' 9" cut of carpet. I was like, WTF? I know there's always some extra carpet needed for corners and all, but that's 153sf. So when HD called to discuss the estimate, I asked why they need so much carpet. The kid I was speaking to thought something must be wrong for the estimate to require that much, so he went to ask his boss. He comes back after a few and says the installation contractor will only lay carpet in one piece and the roll is 12ft wide. That still doesn't make sense because you can't get 20+ linear feet out of a 12x12 piece of carpet. They'll have to use more than one piece anyway. So why not cut a 4ft wide strip off the roll for the main run and another 4ft strip for the landings? (Or somewhere thereabouts)? It'd be much closer to the footage needed without wasting 60sf of carpet (and padding).

[Tommy-G]

I don’t come from money but I always think if it’s something I wouldn’t do, or couldn’t do or they make me feel like I’m special in the way they treat me…..I’m giving them something

[Tommy-G]

Originally Posted by M_Six

If I can sort of derail this thread while still talking about carpets...

We need to have the stairway from the ground floor to our walkout basement re-carpeted. It's roughly 3ft wide except for the last few steps where it widens out to nearly 4ft. Plus there's a 90 degree turn at the top with two triangular steps. The centerline run from top to bottom is about 20' 6". We had Home Depot's installers do it last time, so we went to them again for an estimate. The guy came out and measured today and it came out to about 95sf. A few minutes later I get an estimate that called for a 12'x12' 9" cut of carpet. I was like, WTF? I know there's always some extra carpet needed for corners and all, but that's 153sf. So when HD called to discuss the estimate, I asked why they need so much carpet. The kid I was speaking to thought something must be wrong for the estimate to require that much, so he went to ask his boss. He comes back after a few and says the installation contractor will only lay carpet in one piece and the roll is 12ft wide. That still doesn't make sense because you can't get 20+ linear feet out of a 12x12 piece of carpet. They'll have to use more than one piece anyway. So why not cut a 4ft wide strip off the roll for the main run and another 4ft strip for the landings? (Or somewhere thereabouts)? It'd be much closer to the footage needed without wasting 60sf of carpet (and padding).

I know a flooring guy, he over bids square feet and uses the extra for friends or small job and banks the profit. Guess it’s a trick of the trade

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by Tommy-G

I know a flooring guy, he over bids square feet and uses the extra for friends or small job and banks the profit. Guess it’s a trick of the trade

I was going to ask them to leave the extra large pieces so we could have them trimmed and used as area rugs.

[RickFLM4]

Interesting. It has never occurred to me to tip a flooring installer. Or a plumber or electrician or painter.

[e90335e36m3]

I'm more entitled to your money than you are. It's just the new social construct. Sounds a lot like someone else paying your student loans. None of this stuff was a thing as late as the 90s.