Tipping Movers

I've never danced the watusui with a transvestite.

Some people just don't know how to live.

What are you paying as far as the base price in the move?

Is it a moving company? or people from craigs list that rent a u-haul on a weekend and move a bunch of different people...

If its a "Moving Company" then $10-$20 a head is sufficient.

If its two guys with a truck off craigs list, the base price is going into their pocket... so $5-$10 a head (but if they seem kinda shady, give them $20 so maybe they dont want to come steel what they just moved for you...)

a long, long time ago, when slapinfunk was only a few months old, we hired movers to move a full house of furniture. this was back in 1980. I dont recall what the tip was but I think $20 each for the movers (3 of them) taking the stuff out, and a different delivery crew (two of them) $20 each. But I also went out and bought them lunch from the nearby deli. they picked the sandwiches. as I recall, it was the lunch that they reacted to more favorably than the tips they got later. and back in 1980 the deli lunch was much less than the $20 tip.

Our daughter is paying over $800 to move a small condo's furniture. They will take lots of the little stuff in the weeks prior to the big move.

Thanks for your replies.

$800 is the estimate? Actual price may vary?

I believe that price... "Movers" wanted $300 just to move my Full Size Bed and nothing else! (found a guy with a truck on craigs list for $35, I gave him an extra $25 for an even $60 and he was SOOO thankful).

My hubby and I disagree on this one. Do you tip the guys delivering your latest furniture purchase ?

Yes, I tip the furniture guys too. I bought a large TV at sears. It wouldn't fit in my car. The guy at Sears helped me to unbox the TV and get it safely in my car. I said thank you. My wife gave me an elbow in the ribs. I said thanks again and gave him $5.

I used to work for a moving company.

Cold drinks (water, Gatorade, cokes), coffee and donuts in the morning, and some sandwiches and cookies, etc at lunch time go a loooooooong way towards encouraging the moving crew as well as the tips. Since the food comes first and the tips may or may not come at all at the end, why not build some goodwill with them? Nothing fancy is required, really - you can even just get a loaf of bread and make your own sandwiches for them. Trust me, they will appreciate it.

The amount you tip is up to you. If it's a particularly difficult move (stairs, long carries, huge furniture, etc) you might want to consider a bit more, but $10-20 per person would be ok, with perhaps a bit more going to the "leader" of the crew. It seems they will be moving only the "big stuff" so it probably shouldn't take too terribly long. As always, tipping is a personal thing - if you feel you got good (or better) service, then it should be rewarded.

Good luck to them with their move!

Cheers,
Deanna