So, say you were paying $1300 to have 5 men move some furniture for you, (stairs at both residences involved) Would you feel obligated to tip additional money to the movers? Is it common practice to tip movers?

I'm probably not the greatest person to respond because I'm not an overwhelming fan of tipping... but I'm gonna put my two cents in anyway.

To me a tip is for going BEYOND your duties. I don't really tip unless I think someone has gone above what their job requires of them. So, I wouldn't tip.

I think you should do what makes you comfortable though.

I could talk for 59829047182746 pages of threads about all I think about tipping.

I am of two divergent opinions on it (not unusually so).

I agree that tipping should be a gesture given voluntarily for excellent service that goes above and beyond.

That being said, it is viewed as tacky to NOT tip in many industries.

I know I am not really helping.

It's a loaded issue.

My take on it is ~ if the job has been contracted out for a set price...no tipping is necessary...but being in construction it is always nice to recieve something a little extra for a job well done...donuts ~ sandwiches ~ sodas....anything to show appreciation, if warranted, is nice to the guys.

One thing ...if you do something nice early in the "relationshiop" it can go a long way on how they treat your "stuff" in the move!..in other words...get them donuts early!!

Yes, you should tip the movers.

Whether someone "believes" in tipping or not, it is customary and expected in our society (i.e. American service industry jobs) that someone who works in a service job and is not an owner will get tipped. Many times these workers' pay rates are set because they are expected to be tipped and so owners can get away with paying them less.

15% to 20% is a customary tipping range for most industries. I would have tipped each man $20 - $30, which is right in that range. If any one of them went above and beyond, I'd have tipped more (e.g. moving a particularly large piece of furniture, taking particular care with something, bringing things to your attention, etc.)

As I said above, I know a lot of people don't "beleive" in tipping and I can respect that belief. But I also don't think that service workers should be penalized out of what is a reasonable and customary part of their income because someone wants to fight the status quo.

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Customary tipping rate is, approximately, $10 per 4 hours worked for each crew member. So if it takes 8 hours, customarily, you'd tip $20 per crew member.

If this is a long-haul move involving lots of driving, this goes to 5% of the cost of the move, divided equally among the movers, with extra given at your discretion if someone went above and beyond.

An alternate, if you're not comfortable tipping, is to offer to buy the movers lunch. But you'll probably spend the same either way.

http://www.moving.com/articles/tipping-movers.asp

Yes, it's expected that you tip movers.

When you pay a moving company, you're paying the company. Not the individual men (or women) who are carting your things around. Last time I moved, I wound up having more to move than I quoted the company, but the crew chief told me he wouldn't charge me extra if I "took care of the team", that is, if I tipped them well.

On a $600 move within New York City, I tipped the three men $100 on a hot August day. They took good care of my things, made an effort to do things in a timely manner and were very professional.

While I can see not tipping someone who makes you a cappuccino, someone whose moving all your possessions, in my opinion, has done you a service. And one that unfortunately, they're probably not making nearly what you've paid to have them do.

When I moved recently, we tipped our movers. We did have a lot of stairs at the old house but the new house was really easy. I think we gave them $100-$200. We bought pizza and soda for the guys also.

Oh I have a LOT to say about tipping. I've waited tables for years, and nothing makes me angrier than people who don't know how to tip. Those people don't realize tips are actually what pays the bills...common courtesy at restaurants is AT LEAST 10% of the total bill, and that's for average service...ANYWAY, I know this isn't about restaurant-tipping!

My opinion, tip the movers. I know they're getting paid hourly, but they're not getting as much as you'd think...here's what I found online:

Tipping Movers

There are many things to consider in a move. A professional mover is going to be careful to protect your floors, walls, doorways, and belongings. That said, it is unlikely that your move will go perfectly, whether you are moving yourself or paying someone else to do it. Something will get broken. The question that matters is were they being careless, or was it a genuine accident? Every time I have moved furniture myself, I have caused more damage to my home than movers ever had. I take this into consideration when I look at accidents.

Tipping occurs at the completion of the job. Consider providing lunch if the move extends over lunch, and always provide beverages for the movers.

* One mover - limited move - 1-10 items and nothing over 20 pounds - $10-20
* One mover - difficult move - The degree of difficulty changes based upon stairs, narrow passages, small elevators, large or heavy items, appliances, etc. - $20-50.
* Multiple movers - Basically tip each mover the same as above, but lower it by $5-10 for each mover. Feel free to pool the tip and give it to the supervisor for distribution, but don't lower the amount because you combined it. The problem with combining the tip is that you cannot reward people based upon their individual performances.

Not being American my opinion probably isn't popular - or even relevant given the differing employment structures of each country.

But I don't tip - pretty much period.

Very occasionally I will tip at a restaurant if the service and food has been exceptional but that is about it.

The difference being people don't need tips to make up for a small wage here...so it's a different cultural mentality. Having said that, some people still do, but not many and it's certainly not expected.

Ugh I have major issues with the inconvenience of tipping!

I have no problem doing so in a restaurant, because I can simply add it to my bill.

My problem comes when I have to have cash on hand (especially large amounts of cash).

When I get my hair done (approx. 2 times a year), the bill is about $150. Am I supposed to start handing out twenty dollar bills to everyone who touched my hair in the process? There's no place for it on the credit card receipt, so if I want to tip I have to have cash.

I don't mind tipping, but if they don't make it easy for me to do so, I don't tip.

My move was $400 and I tipped my movers $20 each (there were two of them) and I bought them Red Bulls and bottled water (it was a very hot August day). I tip everyone in the service industry. I think a lot of them do get paid low wages and depend on tips to make up for it.

JellyDisney - I pay my hairdresser by check for this reason. But then, she's the only one who touches my hair when i get it done.

Totally unrelated to moving, but in case any of you get tattoos:

If the person who does your tattoo is the shop owner, you do not tip at all. The shop owner gets a portion of each of the other worker's take for the day in the shop. This more than makes up for your not tipping them. Many owners have told me not to tip them.

If the person is not the shop owner, its the same as at a restaurant. Anywhere from 10-20%, wherever you feel comfortable.

The shop should have a systsem in place for this. If they don't, shame on them. The place I get my hair done will add a lump amount to my credit card slip and then give me cash and envelopes so I can divide it up. I always tip the person who washes my hair $2 and the rest to my hairdresser.

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