Tipping etiquette for movers?

[sebglover10]

I am kind of confused as to what to tip my movers that are going to be moving my family and I. The move is part of a relocation and the process is as follows: Day 1- movers come in and pack everything, Day 2- movers load everything onto truck, and Day 3- movers deliver and unload into new home. I am confused as to how much I tip and if I tip each mover each of the 3 days. Please HELP. Thank you :)

[jamesglewisf]

I'd follow the instructions at http://findalink.net/tippingetiquette.php for multiple movers.

I just moved last October and used a moving crew. The packers were completely different people from the movers. One thing you can do is call the moving company in advance. Ask them if the same crew does everything. Sometimes you'll even get different crews loading and unloading if it is not on the same day. Every time you know there is going to be a crew change, give them the tips that day.

A simplified method would be to pool the tip (not decrease it), and give it to the supervisor, making sure he knows it is for the entire group.

One advantage to not pooling is you can reward the movers who seem to be working harder more than those who do not. Don't assume that the crew leader doesn't work hard. He probably got there by being one of the best at organizing and hard work. You usually tip him more if the move goes great.

One last thing - if the relocation is paid for by a company, oftentimes they take care of all the tipping. Find out first.

[jamesglewisf]

BTW, if it is a long distance move, you usually tip at the orignination and destination.

[jamesglewisf]

BTW, for the packers, I might not tip as big as the movers. They are not moving large heavy items out in the heat or cold.

[jamesglewisf]

One more thing. I read somewhere that some people tip base upon weight. They tip $15-20 per 1,000 pounds. If it is a 4,000 pound move, the total tip is $60-80 and you divide it among the workers.

I can't tell you with certainty if one method is better than another. Frankly, any tip is appreciated by the movers. They are not highly paid individuals, and they work their butts off. Be generous!

[Grimey]

Moving seems to be a popular topic. I guess it's because most people don't do it often.

[theyeti]

Wow, 4 "one last thing" things! That might be a record, even for Jim! ;)

[jamesglewisf]

This is one of my most popular topics lately. Everyone is asking about tipping movers.