<p>Why tip anyone? Why tip the hairdresser, or the valet, or the guy who brings up your luggage? Why tip the taxi driver or the maitre d’? No one forces anyone to tip. </p>
<p>Our movers had to move a huge partner’s desk up a winding staircase. It was so heavy that I dreaded the whole thing. I tried not to be there when they brought it in, but it didn’t work out. I could hear them huffing and puffing, grunting and saying “Oh my God.” I was terrified someone was going to fall or get hurt. They got it upstairs with no damage to the desk or to the walls, but more importantly, with no damage to the movers. Yes, it was their job, but I wanted to give them a bit extra to thank them. And I don’t feel bad about it at all. I haven’t missed those dollars one iota.</p>
Hairdresser: Because there is an artistic component, and I can observe the difference between a good cut and an okay cut. I am tipping for the latter. If I get a bad cut (that they are unable to fix), I don’t tip. I am not sure that there really is a way for one moving company to outperform another.</p>
<p>Valet: Well, I don’t use valet parking, so I’m swinging blind on this one. I am guessing that there is a speed of service issue (or at least I have heard that mentioned with tipping valets) as well as a placement of car issue. I think there is also questionable liability on the part of the valet, so tipping may minimize car damage. Neither seem to apply to movers.</p>
<p>Luggage guy: Again, not something I use. I think at this point it is simply because you have the money and like handing it to people.</p>
<p>Taxi Driver: First there is the speed and comfort of the ride, second is their ability (like a good server) to interact with their passengers in an agreeable manner. I don’t really want or get interaction from movers, and the process takes long enough (and has enough scheduling uncertainty) that it seems unlikely that tipping meaningfully affects the speed.</p>
<p>Maitre’d: Well, as an old restaurant guy, you are tipping the maître’d for speed of seating and/or quality of table. A nice table now is a pretty big difference from the worst table in an hour.</p>
<p>We moved ourselves a million times early on. Our final move was paid for by the company; my FIL wisely suggested we tip the guys on the front end to insure a good working relationship. Should you have to? No. But we knew, and they knew, the move was costing us very little but the movers had to pay for their meals, their gas, and their overnight stay at a local hotel. It didn’t seem fair. My husband gave their crew chief the money, and they were sincerely grateful. We did the same thing for the crew on the other end, but after all that time together I couldn’t have looked any of them in the eye without having helped them out. Maybe in rural/suburbia we are more likely to see our labor force as our neighbors? ymmv</p>
<p>Yeah, well, you haven’t seen that desk. I don’t think everyone would have gotten that behemoth up the stairs intact. I was amazed they didn’t drop it, damage the walls, or end up injured. In my view, they earned that tip. ;)</p>
All of which is covered in the final bill. I am sure they were grateful, but why tip to cover billed expenses?</p>
<p>
And the bill includes various insurance policies that cover every one of those eventualities. While you may not have paid for the relative challenge of your end location, the variability in such is figured into the overall cost of the service. That is, any “extra cost” of your move was paid by the other people who use that mover but who had less challenging moves.</p>
<p>Most of a decade ago, my company paid to have us moved. It was my first experience with movers, I had no idea that tipping movers was a thing, and I didn’t tip. There were a few things damaged in transit, and they paid to have them all repaired or replaced.</p>
<p>Now, we were advised by the company that if we had anything that could not be reimbursed if broken (that is, fragile items of great sentimental value), we should transport them ourselves. And we did, so that the while affair became a very straightforward transaction.</p>
<p>My company moved us overseas. They paid for everything, and it included full insurance coverage. The bad movers broke 2 very expensive chairs and a Waterford lamp. We got money from the insurance company, but those item weren’t repairable or replaceable. </p>
<p>The local guys we hired to move us last time, we paid for ourselves. Everything arrived in perfect condition, which included the baby grand piano. </p>
<p>A lot of our furniture and home furnishing are not replaceable because of sentimental values, whereas if you get a bad haircut or bad restaurant service can be fixed or disregarded.</p>
<p>There is a difference between good vs bad movers, that’s why you tip for good movers. </p>
<p>I have always tipped movers (local moves) for their prompt and carefull moving of my things. If they know by me hinting in advance that there is a gratuity for all, I have found they do a much quicker and better job. Why?? Of course they like the cash tip at the end of the job. I also provide pizza and soda. Oh, for a 4 hour move, $50 per mover, 3 guy crew.</p>
<p>@Cosmicfish…you’ve misunderstood the situation, at least in our one case. The movers – the 4 guys — paid for their food, their lodging, and their gas (the truck stayed at the house overnight and a second crew did the next leg while the loading crew left for the next job in their own cars). It came out of pocket. It was not part of the bill. They got paid a smidge over minimum wage. I suppose I could have baked them cookies or written a nice note to their boss, but a tangible thank you for above and beyond work is never wasted. Or inappropriate. </p>
<p>If I die having given too many tips I didn’t need to, to people that are less well off, and that makes me some kind of unsophisticated chump, I’m good with that. </p>
<p>That was a custom made desk, and I’m very happy that I didn’t have to go through the hassle of having it or my house damage fixed. I had enough going on that month.</p>
<p>I’ve told you why I tipped those movers. Your opinion on my reasons is absolutely irrelevant to me and would neither make me regret doing so nor do differently in the future. </p>
<p>I tip movers, hair stylists, manicurists, valets, concierges, waiters, and the housekeepers when I stay in a hotel. I leave the money on the counter with a little note on the hotel stationery thanking them for the great job. It’s a common courtesy and show of appreciation to people who work very hard for relatively little.</p>
<p>Have moved several times across country using majors and getting ready to do it again soon ($9500) . If they are nice $50 per man. $100 for driver.</p>
That is really weird. What kind of company was this? I would not patronize one that took such poor care of its employees.</p>
<p>
That’s fine! I am not trying to change your behavior, I am simply trying to understand it. I am trying to understand why movers get lumped with wait staff and hair dressers and NOT with auto mechanics and plumbers.</p>
<p>“you’ve misunderstood the situation, at least in our one case. The movers – the 4 guys — paid for their food, their lodging, and their gas (the truck stayed at the house overnight and a second crew did the next leg while the loading crew left for the next job in their own cars). It came out of pocket. It was not part of the bill. They got paid a smidge over minimum wage. I suppose I could have baked them cookies or written a nice note to their boss, but a tangible thank you for above and beyond work is never wasted. Or inappropriate.”</p>
<p>I’m not objecting at all to tipping movers, but if that’s what they told you, I think they were not telling you the truth. If one is only making a bit over minimum wage, and then has to pay for lodging, food and gas…they are ending up with nothing. And nobody does that kind of work for free. I’m sure that story helps to get tips. I think that “smidge” over minimum wage might be a bit more than a “smidge”.</p>
<p>We had a local move like 15 minutes away and it took maybe 5 hours, the cost was $500 to $700. I really don’t remember the specific cost. I tipped them equally $50 each, 3 movers. So it’s not a percentage of cost. They were grateful. </p>