Tipping a mover: Should you do it?

Money tends to be the biggest issue when moving. There is a lot of things to plan and people to organize, most of them require some funding. With some easy steps, you can cut moving expenses but for some things, you should shy away from saving your money. Tipping a mover is one of them. There are instances where it may not be advisable to tip, but more often than not you should do it. Here are some bits of advice on how to approach tipping your movers.

Why tipping a mover is a good thing

In NYC tipping is always a good thing. If you are interacting with someone who is providing you with a service, be it a waiter, delivery boy and yes, even movers, a tip can be a big difference in the quality of their service.

Improved services

When a moving company is relocating you, their staff is handling all your possessions. Depending on your arrangements, the company may be just transferring your possessions or it may be packing, loading, unloading, transferring, unpacking etc. And everything in between. Whatever they are doing, there are ways in which it can be done right and the ways in which it can be done wrong. By tipping your movers you are making sure that they will take care of your stuff. No matter how much a moving company may assure you, some "moving accidents" can happen, and you will end up with damaged items. Tipping is a small investment that goes a long way. Ways in which movers can punish a non-tipping customer are only known to them, but you can be sure that there are. Think of a waiter spitting in your coffee, but with moving.

When you tip a waiter, they are happy to serve you. Same goes for tipping a mover.

Why it can be ethically good

Tipping is a sign that you value someone's service. A small gesture that says: "Hey I don't have to pay you anymore, but you are doing such a good job that I am going to." In western culture, it has been common to tip for a long time. A low paying service person can increase their revenue if they are skillful at their job. And that is a good reason to tip someone. Today it is almost expected of you to tip. By not tipping you will most likely be considered a stingy person and, if done often enough, will be punished for it. If you have enough money for moving you have enough for tipping a mover.

How to tip

If you decide that you want to tip your movers, there are different ways in which you can do that. The right one depends on your situation:

• You are moving simple and short distance - By simple, we mean that there are no overly fragile items or items that require a special tool to move (like pianos). If you are having a simple move that lasts for 4 hours (half a day move), you need not tip your movers too much. A simple $10-20 per person is good enough. Note that if you are hiring packing and unpacking services NYC your move will take longer than that.
• A simple move that lasts a bit longer - For a full day move (8-12 hours) you are looking at $20-40. This usually means that they are moving a lot of your stuff, and $10 just isn't enough. Depending on the time spent and service provided you can vary the price, but try to stay above the lower limit. When giving money to movers, don't give it to foreman to distribute. Give each mover their own tip. That way you will show that you appreciate their effort.

Make sure that people helping you feel appreciated.

• You are moving long distances - For a long distance move, you are looking at 5-10% of your total cost. In this situation, money should be given to foreman and you should tell your company that you will tip your movers that sum. When moving long distance, you will probably need moving and storage NYC services during your move. Such things can complicate your move and usually need to be done extra carefully. If your move is overly complicated, you may want to spend a bit more on your tip. The more complicated the move itself, the more things have to be done right. And if you want to make sure that they are done right, you should consider tipping a mover handsomely.

Why not to tip

Although tipping a mover can seem good on principle, there are some instances in which it is not a good idea. And if done recklessly can even cause you problems with your moving company.

Company forbids it

Business models of companies can differ drastically. While some companies expect that you will tip their movers, others outright forbid it. There a multiple reasons why they do so. Usually, they have had a bad experience with people tipping their movers, or even people arguing about the amount of the tip and how it is distributed. You should always check with your moving company if you should tip. If you are really keen, you can arrange to pay for employee bonus provided by the company. Or, you can pay for workers food. Just be sure to be completely open with your movers.

Sometimes tipping can cause you more problems than not tipping.

Ethical reasons for not tipping a mover

In our culture, no employee that works at a job that normally gets tips will refuse a tip. The problem usually arises with employees boss. By tipping you are not only saying that you are satisfied with the service, but that you think that the people who served you should be paid more. Thereby, you are insulting their boss, by saying that he is exploiting them. In some countries, tipping is considered impolite or even illegal as it can lead to unfair service by the employees. You should have faith in your movers boss that he is giving them an honest wage, and that they are willing to the work they are paid for properly.