How & When to Tip Your Movers

Almost no one enjoys moving. It’s a hassle from start to finish, typically, and can be particularly nerve-wracking as you watch all of your material possessions packed away into a surprisingly small moving truck before disappearing down the road. That’s where professional movers come in! If you’re looking for a stress-free moving experience, investing in professionals is probably the single most important thing you can do. The right movers will be able to ensure your move – at least everything they’re in charge of – is completed on time and as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.

One thing that many individuals seem to be unsure of when it comes to professional movers is when they should be tipped and how much they should receive. Here are a few simple guidelines to keep in mind when tipping your movers.

How Much to Tip

Exactly how much should you tip your movers? Well, that can be a tricky question. When you tip at a restaurant, this tends to be much easier to calculate. Most people tip at least 15% to 20% of their bill and go on about their day. When you’re moving, however, that percentage no longer works. The difference, of course, lies in the overall cost that these activities can run. Tipping a mover 20% of your $10,000 move would be quite generous, indeed!

Instead of looking at percentages of your total moving costs, consider tipping your movers based on the items you’re moving and the amount of time they’re working. If your home is all packed up and ready to go when the movers arrive, you don’t own a lot of heavy furniture, and you don’t have any narrow doorways or tricky staircases to contend with, then tipping around $10 per person for every four hours worked is a good baseline. If you own boxes and boxes of books, a lot of heavy furniture, or have a particularly difficult staircase to navigate, however, then you should probably increase that amount.

Likewise, if your movers also worked all day to pack your belongings before packing the van and getting everything safely to your new home, you should consider tipping more than $10 per person per every four hours worked as the movers did more than simply load and unload your belongings. If you have a crew that works eight hours packing your belongings and then another four hours loading and moving them to your new location, a figure closer to $30 or $40 per person (total) might be closer to a fair figure.

When to Tip

You probably want to wait until you know the movers in question handle your items carefully and efficiently before tipping them, right? Otherwise you might end up wasting that money on movers who aren’t as professional as they claim. Tipping after the truck is loaded or after the truck has arrived at the new destination is typically a good time.

For more information about professional movers and how they can help make your move a quick one in Vero Beach, reach out to Family Moving and Storage today!