We are moving next week. We will have packers come in Monday, loaders on Tuesday and I assume a different set of unloaders when we arrive. Im wondering should we tip and if so, how much? I have read people getting donuts, coffee etc and some tipping 20-50 dollars per worker and some people not tipping at all. I have never used movers before so I am unsure what to do. I cant afford 20-50 per person but I want to do something if that is the "norm". Please share your personal experiences!
Thanks for any help
OK- After reading a few responses, let me ask this. Is it "enough" to do drinks and breakfast and/or lunch each day? We will have a total of 12-15 people throughout the move and I just cant afford individual tips for all of them.
We all have always tip at least $50 per guy as well as buying lunch!!
I think they will want about $100 per crew. It's all about the cash for a job like that.
Yes, you should. I had an ice chest with water and pop that I told them they were welcome too because it was hot. We just had loaders and unloaders which was the same group of men both days. Wait and see what kind of job they do before you determine the tip. My movers were awesome. I didn't have one casualty, not even a scratch. I tipped them $50/each, there were 3 of them. I felt they deserved it. It was HOT, they took 1 break each day for about 30 minutes for lunch and worked non-stop.
We always "tipped" by buying lunch. Pizza or a McDonald's run, etc., and by providing cold canned sodas in the fridge. For multiple day packouts (aka when they'd be back the next day) we'd give them free run to grab a couple beers from the cooler to take home.
we have always bought them lunch and tipped them $20 a piece. If they are slackers and damaging your stuff then I would forgo the tip. If they handle your things with care then they deserve the tip. Some of these guys are making minimum wage and the moving company is using the majority of your money for the truck, insurance, advertising and themselves.
We never gave cash as a tip but bought lunch each day and gave them beverages (beer) at the end of each day. That would be super expensive to tip that many people. All the movers we have had were great and appreciative of the food. We've moved a lot and I have found that when they first come in the morning do a quick "this is where everything is". Besides showing them where your stuff is, show them where the bathroom is, where they can smoke and have an ashtray available that way there are not butts everywhere, have plastic cups available with ice tea, lemonade or soda in the fridge, if you choose to provide lunch tell them ahead of time if not tell them where the fast food locations are near you. If movers were coming two days I would usually do pizza one day and then get a sub platter from the grocery store for the second day. And be nice to them because they are handling all your precious items whether it be the sofa or your dishes.
