5 Ways to Tip Movers: A Complete Guide

by Linda
October 22, 2021
Movers, Moving
0

5 Ways to Tip Your Movers: A Complete Guide

Movers are essential when moving because it’s one of the most stressful, time-consuming, and expensive tasks a family will undertake after purchasing a forever home. Nothing will make this task easier than hiring movers to pack, load, and unload all your precious valuables and heavy furniture. Having a great moving team is a lifesaver so you better treat them right!

5 Ways to Tip movers:

Cash
Digital cash
Food
Beverages
How you treat them

Before you think of hiring a moving service, you first have to declutter your home and clean out the things you don’t need. You shouldn’t waste time packing the items you will only throw them away once you get in you are moved into your new home.

Second, you will need to plan to purchase some eco-friendly moving and storage supplies. This will make it easy for you and the movers to help pack, load, and unload your valuables while you keep them eco-friendly in the process!

Now, you’re ready to plan for the big move and hire some movers!

Do You Tip Movers?

YES! If you’re happy with the service provided, there is no question you should tip your movers for all their hard work. You may think about tipping the team or each member of the team individually.

Like most services, tipping isn’t required. However, it’s important to remember how much work and care these individuals put towards safely moving your stuff into your new home. Tipping is more than money or a bill, it’s a sentimental “Thank You” of appreciation to people who put their bodies at risk and cared so deeply for your valuables.

5 Reason You Might Decide Not to Tip Your Movers

Although most moving services are very good at what they do… or else they will be out of business, there are rare occasions where movers make your already stressful move a nightmare. If you aren’t satisfied with the services provided, you might pay a smaller tip. Here are a few reasons not to tip your movers:

The movers left behind or lost some of your items
They didn’t care about your items
Your stuff was damaged in the process
The moving service showed up late and delayed the scheduled move
The team took longer than planned and wasted a lot of time on tasks not related to moving your stuff.

How Much Should I Tip Movers?

Deciding how much to tip movers is very important, especially if you’re on a budget and your movers put in extra effort towards your move. First, you need to determine your budget and the total cost for the movers. Then plan to provide 5% to 20% of the total cost of your move as a tip to the moving team.

There are many variables that go into what to decide to tip movers.

Time it took to move, working overtime to get the job done or going so smoothly they finished the job early.
Helping pack items when they were not paid to do it
The experience less stressful for the family

All these variables should factor in what percentage and how you tip your movers. Typically, a 10% tip of the total bill should be a good tip for the entire moving team. This 10% total should be split evenly between every member on the moving team and can be paid in many different ways as described below. This tipping method suggests $10 per person is acceptable for a 4-hour day, and a $20 tip for a full day.

Payment Methods for Tipping Your Movers

Not all forms of payments come through financial incentives. There are many ways a person can pay the moving service for their hard work and caring nature towards your fragile items. Although It is natural to always tip individuals in cash. Physical cash is becoming limited in today’s society so after a trip to the bank, you should also stop at the store for some treats to help fuel your movers.

Cash Money

Cash is king when it comes to paying movers! Although you may pay the moving company through your credit/debit card, there is a large portion that doesn’t go directly to the movers. Tipping in cash allows you to have full control over who receives what through your tip. You never know how the company distributes the tips so it’s best to hand over cash to each individual member of the moving team. Personally, handing over cash to each individual member will always mean a lot more as you are paying directly to the movers. People appreciate the kind gesture a lot more when it’s in direct connection with them.

This is why you need to figure out how many movers you will need. Calculate your 5%-20% tip you will give your movers, and head to the ATM to get some cash to distribute between all the members of the moving team. Everyone should get their fair share immediately after the move is complete.

Digital Cash or Cryptocurrencies

In today’s digital world, the next big thing is digital financial payments and transactions. Digital currencies made famous by Bitcoin, are a way of transferring financial payments digitally in real-time. Tipping is becoming more popular with Bitcoin as Twitter just announced they have integrated with tipping, facebook approving first cryptocurrency tipping app, and other cryptocurrencies specifically designed for tipping such as ChangeTip, BlockTip, and DogeTipBot.

Basically, all you would need to do in order to send financial tips to your movers is make sure they have a digital wallet with whatever cryptocurrency you want to send them, and then you send them however much you want to tip. They will receive their tips immediately so you don’t feel bad that it would take a few days.

Should I Provide Food for My Movers?

Food is the universal “Thank You” to your friends, family, strangers, and people who help you move! It’s definitely a nice gesture to provide food for your movers, especially if they put in a full day’s work. Since you’re moving, you don’t necessarily have to provide a full-cooked meal, but some snacks such as nuts, protein bars, sandwiches, or something quick from the store should be enough. Carrying heavy furniture and boxes is hard physical work that takes a lot of energy so you need to provide food that provides essential energy while keeping your muscles from cramping.

Since your move may take up to 8 hours, your movers will need to take a break at some point for lunch. Keeping your movers close or on-site will both save time and help things go smoothly. Handing food directly to your movers will be much appreciated by the movers which will encourage them to work a little harder and care a little more about your stuff. Food is a universal payment system that goes a long way.

The type of food you choose really matters. Movers may have specific diets, while you need to provide the clean fuel to help them last the rest of the day. Basically, movers need carbs and protein to give them energy and repair their muscles. For your carbs, you can provide something with rice, bread, quinoa, or oatmeal. For your protein, you can provide chicken, steak, turkey, beans, legumes, or tofu. You can easily pick this up at Chiptole, Whole Foods, Qdoba, or any other grocery store. There are many quick and cheap places where you can build your own meal with everything in it which won’t break the bank.

Remember, don’t be afraid to ask your movers what they prefer and from were prior to lunchtime. They will make sure your stuff gets moved safely, as long as you come back to feed them!

Beverages to Keep Movers Hydrated

You cant provide movers with food without the hydration they need to wash it down. Beverages such as water and coffee are essentials to a good, clean move. Even if you don’t provide movers with food or snacks, you should provide them with good clean water so they stay hydrated and don’t cramp. Cramping is a movers nightmare and will slow down your mover or could even break something. Moving burns a lot of calories which causes movers to sweat. This means they need to hydrate to make up for all the liquids they are sweating out.

Even if you’re moving in the winter months and it’s cold outside, expect to have water available at all times. Some other beverages to consider providing for your movers:

Wake your movers up… with Folgers in their cup! Coffee is a great beverage to keep your movers energized.
Good ol’ H20. Water is the most essential beverage for movers.
Gatorade or Powerade. Something with electrolytes to help from cramping.
Hot cocoa or tea for workers who don’t like coffee
Non-caffeinated beverages

Treating Your Movers Well

There is no measurable value in treating your movers with respect and gratitude. The greatest gift anyone can give is the kindness and actions to treat your movers well during this stressful time. These individuals are putting their bodies in the way of handling your most prized possessions. Treating your movers with gratitude and kindness is the most cost-efficient and budget-friendly way of showing your appreciation. Their valuable service often goes without the appreciation it truly deserves. A professional move team saves you from a considerable amount of stress and time. Additionally, these workers face difficult jobs with high risk and sometimes difficult people.

Your home has valuable possessions in which you may never be able to replace. You want your moving team to treat your stuff like you treat them. Knowing how much to tip your movers can go a long way in making sure the whole experience is low-stress and enjoyable for everyone involved.

Be sure to provide your movers with a sincere thank you no matter what tips and benefits you can provide.