Appropriate tip for movers?

[cmyx6go]

I’m stumped, need your feedback please. I have 2 moving vans and 5 guys coming. I packed and marked everything so they are loading boxes, furniture, patio furniture, snow blower, BBQ grill. Only things they are packing are 2 TVs, 2 big pictures and 3 wall mirrors. I was thinking $50 per man. My brother said 20% of moving charge which I think is excessive. Thoughts appreciated.

I’m so freaking stressed!

[Murf993]

We are moving Monday, for the first time we hired movers to do a complete move. 4 ladies showed up at 9 am today and in 5 hours packed the whole house. My wife had left a few dirty dishes in the dishwasher so we'd have some cups and plates to get us through the weekend......they packed them too. Fabulous. You could pay them by the hour and give them a decent tip if they're fast and do a decent job. Not sure what a fare rate is in your neck of the woods but I'd be looking at least $25/hour or so.

[cmyx6go]

Adding details. Two bedroom sets (king and queen beds and one has 3 dressers) living room, dining room, tread mill, exercise bike, bowflex. 2 story house no basement to 2 story house with basement.

[Murf993]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

Adding details. Two bedroom sets (king and queen beds and one has 3 dressers) living room, dining room, tread mill, exercise bike, bowflex. 2 story house no basement to 2 story house with basement.

Are these friends or have you hired them?

[cmyx6go]

Originally Posted by Murf993

Are these friends or have you hired them?

Moving company. So I’m talking tips, not cost. Moving company charge is $3,000. But again, I already packed everything.

EDIT. The $3000 is estimated based on $300/hour. I don’t think it will take 10 hours. Maybe 6 or 7 tops.

[vreihen16]

A had a new dishwasher delivered a few days ago. Gave $5.00 to each of the two guys. For comparison, it was a single hand truck up three steps and about 45 feet total from the curb to the kitchen, and it took them less than two minutes including the paperwork.

Here's the first hit that came up in my web search engine du jour, complete with a BMW reference:

https://www.moving.com/tips/tipping-movers/

[cmyx6go]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

A had a new dishwasher delivered a few days ago. Gave $5.00 to each of the two guys. For comparison, it was a single hand truck up three steps and about 45 feet total from the curb to the kitchen, and it took them less than two minutes including the paperwork.

Here's the first hit that came up in my web search engine du jour, complete with a BMW reference:

https://www.moving.com/tips/tipping-movers/

Thank you! I was already planning to tip each guy individually and based on my local move of 10 miles, most of the estimated cost is load and unload and not distance traveled. Based on this my thought of $50 each is more than adequate.

[Murf993]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

Moving company. So I’m talking tips, not cost. Moving company charge is $3,000. But again, I already packed everything.

EDIT. The $3000 is estimated based on $300/hour. I don’t think it will take 10 hours. Maybe 6 or 7 tops.

So there are a number of factors that go into the cost of the move, the time, weight and mileage among others. So $3000 doesn't sound to outrageous. The last time I moved I paid $2500 to move a two bedroom house 60 miles. I packed just about everything. The two guys were great, they worked like dogs as a couple of pieces of furniture were really heavy and had to go up tight staircases. I gave each of them a $50 tip as I recall and they seemed pretty happy. If you thin about what you might tip a waiter after a meal in a nice restaurant $50 doesn't seem like a lot.

[cmyx6go]

Originally Posted by Murf993

So there are a number of factors that go into the cost of the move, the time, weight and mileage among others. So $3000 doesn't sound to outrageous. The last time I moved I paid $2500 to move a two bedroom house 60 miles. I packed just about everything. The two guys were great, they worked like dogs as a couple of pieces of furniture were really heavy and had to go up tight staircases. I gave each of them a $50 tip as I recall and they seemed pretty happy. If you thin about what you might tip a waiter after a meal in a nice restaurant $50 doesn't seem like a lot.

I’m ok with the $50 each guy but my brother threw me a curve ball with his 20% of cost divided by each guy. I think that is excessive.

[IllSic_Design]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

I’m ok with the $50 each guy but my brother threw me a curve ball with his 20% of cost divided by each guy. I think that is excessive.

I know people who used to be movers and they would be more than happy with $50 each.

[Murf993]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

I’m ok with the $50 each guy but my brother threw me a curve ball with his 20% of cost divided by each guy. I think that is excessive.

So he's saying about $120 per guy.....that might be a bit high.....maybe buy them lunch plus the tip.

[cmyx6go]

Originally Posted by Murf993

So he's saying about $120 per guy.....that might be a bit high.....maybe buy them lunch plus the tip.

I honestly think that $50 per man is appropriate and my brother is out of his freaking mind. Just looking for feedback. I don’t want to under tip.

[kscarrol]

$50 is good. As suggested, maybe throw in lunch or some cold adult beverages for post move relaxation...

[Murf993]

Originally Posted by kscarrol

$50 is good. As suggested, maybe throw in lunch or some cold adult beverages for post move relaxation...

I was going to suggest that but I didn't want to encourage drinking on the job....having said that it was a nice warm day here and the ladies who packed my house might have had a couple of cold drinks on the porch at the end of the day.

[vreihen16]

The last bullet point in the article linked above explains why frosty adult beverages should NOT be offered:

"Avoid giving the guys beer at the end of the day. It’s a bit stereotypical and most legitimate moving companies have rules against drinking on the job. It also opens liability issues. Make the tip cash and the movers can spend it how they wish."

[kscarrol]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

The last bullet point in the article linked above explains why frosty adult beverages should NOT be offered:

"Avoid giving the guys beer at the end of the day. It’s a bit stereotypical and most legitimate moving companies have rules against drinking on the job. It also opens liability issues. Make the tip cash and the movers can spend it how they wish."

Go back to the you know you're old thread!!


I hope you know I'm kidding!

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

I honestly think that $50 per man is appropriate and my brother is out of his freaking mind. Just looking for feedback. I don’t want to under tip.

If you are tipping $50 for your estimated 6-7 hours of work, that winds up being the federal minimum wage to the workers in your tip alone. Obviously not the NYC minimum wage, and a far cry away from being "the bitch with the BMW that only gave us a shiny nickel to split five ways" that I'm sure is a recurring post on the moving professional's forum site.....

[cmyx6go]

Thank you all. I thought I was i in line, and maybe generous which is ok. But my brother is out of his mind. Happy Friday.

I’ll be back late next week. I can’t wait till moving hell is over.

[Our03z4]

I gave $20 per guy (two of them) when my sofa was delivered. Only had to walk 30 or so feet. I think $50 would be fine. If it takes the amount of time you think it will then that's a nice boost to their hourly wage.

I wonder if tips are still the norm now? Rarely do I or any of the people working for me get tips. Use to all the time and if and when we do it comes from elderly clients. I don't expect anything and neither do my employees. Honestly when people try to tip me I turn it away, we charge plenty and I feel we are fair for all parties.

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by kscarrol

Go back to the you know you're old thread!!


I hope you know I'm kidding!

Because this is BP-OT and threads must be hijacked, that post reminded me of something that happened to me in the 1970's in Key West. My family was watching the street performers doing their daily sunset show, with dancing and all of the usual tourist trap stuff. My grandmother pulled a handful of change out of her purse, naively saying that she thought that the performers wanted us to throw pennies at their feet. My old man told her that if she threw pennies at them, they would pick them up and throw them back at her!!!!!

[cmyx6go]

Originally Posted by Our03z4

I gave $20 per guy (two of them) when my sofa was delivered. Only had to walk 30 or so feet. I think $50 would be fine. If it takes the amount of time you think it will then that's a nice boost to their hourly wage.

I wonder if tips are still the norm now? Rarely do I or any of the people working for me get tips. Use to all the time and if and when we do it comes from elderly clients. I don't expect anything and neither do my employees. Honestly when people try to tip me I turn it away, we charge plenty and I feel we are fair for all parties.

I tip anyone that comes to my house to to stuff. It pisses me off however when people expect tips for doing their job. You’re a cashier, why should I tip you? I tip Starbucks because they see me coming and have my coffee ready before I walk in. Lately I see tip cups every where WTF? I’m not cheap by any means but you don’t deserve a tip just because I am in your checkout line ay the pork store.

[upstatedoc]

When I (briefly) moved out of my house I paid a local moving company (bunch of dudes) $300 to move all my stuff there. Three months later paid them the same to move everything back