Throughout the years, we spoke to many professional movers in order to learn move about the moving process and moving. All that in order to provide you with the answers to some questions that you will definitely have when planning your local move. Moving is one of the most stressful events in a persons’ life, so don’t worry if you are not even sure where to start with preparation. Hiring professional movers is a good start, but there is more, of course, so let’s start with the question local movers get on a daily basis – Are you supposed to tip movers. This is such a complex question because there is no straightforward answer to it. There are many movers San Diego and they all have their own thoughts about this matter. Some of them think that tipping should be mandatory, while the others have their salaries with the moving company and they are not relying on tipping. Are you supposed to tip movers is a delicate question on your side as well, because you don’t want to look cheap and unappreciative of the hard work your professional movers just performed, but you don’t want to overtip the professional movers either? The fact is, when moving locally, we all have so many expenses and we all want to save as much as we can whenever we can, and you don’t have to explain that to anyone. Professional movers are also aware of that fact, and if they are real experts they will respect your decision.
Here are two don’ts when it comes to tipping professional movers, that will help you understand better your rights and obligations.
- Don’t tip professional movers just because you think you have to
Professional movers are employed at the local moving company they are working with, so you are not obligated to tip them thinking that that will be the only income they will make that day. The other name for a tip is gratitude, and it should be exactly that – the way you show appreciation to your professional movers for handling your belonging safely and efficiently. So the rule number one to answer the question are you supposed to tip movers is whether you are satisfied with the overall service.
- Don’t tip local movers if they are putting up the pressure on you
We have heard a lot of stories from many people using local movers, and those were different. From professional movers who don’t expect anything, to local movers who were basically demanding their tip. When it comes to this situation you really have a few options, depending on the professional movers you hired. Most of the local moving companies do background checks on their team, but there are many movers San Diego, and sometimes it might happen that the moving company hires someone who is out of control. So, if you hired professional movers from a reputable moving company when it comes to this situation you can call them back and explain the situation, and they should handle it with their professional movers instead of you. Now, there is a second scenario as well, where you hired some shady local movers, and they are not trying to resolve the situation, so here your options are limited, and most of the people decide to pay the tip because they want to avoid any conflict. It is out of crucial importance to choose professional movers that are indeed professional because you will save yourself from many headaches. When it comes to the situation we described, some people might even decide to pay the local movers and call back later for a refund. If your professionals’ movers are someone who cares about their reputation, they will gladly refund you the money. What you shouldn’t do is tip the local movers a certain amount and call back to say you want a part of the money back, because that is rude. Think about the amount you want to tip them and stick to that decision.
There are some people who might think that if they already paid professional movers, they don’t have to tip them on top of that. And that is also fine, but tipping became a part of our culture, so it is understandable if you feel like you should. But, before you answer the are you supposed to tip the movers question, you should answer these:
- Have your professional movers arrived on time?
There is a well-known prejudice that local movers are always late, but this is not true. Of course, professional movers might be late because there might be a traffic accident or anything of that sort, so it is understandable that this might happen. Most of the movers San Diego will be there on time, but we all know how traffic can get around the city. On the other hand, professional movers will inform you about being late, so you can know what you can expect and what can be done on your side for lateness. Being late shouldn’t be something that will immediately exclude giving the tip to your professional movers, but the way they handled the whole situation. And of course, it depends on how late they are. If someone is late for over a few hours, that should exclude the tip immediately. Professional movers should respect your time.
- Have your local movers been nice, friendly and sociable, or maybe rude, cold, and disrespectful?
When having local movers in your home, you want them to be nice and friendly. At the end of the day, they are someone who should handle all of your memories, belongings, and everything that you own in your home. They don’t have to be super friendly, but at least not rude and disrespectful. You don’t want to have local movers that will make you feel uncomfortable in your own home. Hiring professional movers is complete service, not only someone who will carry your heavy furniture, and you want to get the support needed. How you will recognize if you are hiring friendly professional movers? Well, everything starts with the first call you make towards them. If you see that the agent on the line is helpful, trying to explain the whole process, and overall nice – that is a good sign that professional movers will be the same. Usually, businesses are looking for people that are sharing their own vision and values, and they will hire people that are similar to one each other. At least, they have a similar approach to work.
- Have your professional movers acted in a professional way from the moment they have stepped inside your home?
Once again, we heard a lot of cases where local movers acted like everything but professionals, so you should take this into the consideration as well. Professional movers should be trusted, reliable, and act as the experts from the first moment they walk into your home.
- Have your professional movers treated and protected your belongings the way they should?
And now we are at the most important part – how the professional movers treat your belongings. There are many movers San Diego, and there is probably a good reason why you have chosen the local movers you did. If they have promised something, they should make it happen. The common services that professional movers include are disassembly and reassembly of your furniture with their own tools. Local movers usually wrap up and protect all of the belongings you have. Some of them provide wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes. There are many companies with different services, but what is important is to fulfill what they promised. If that is not the case, that should affect at least the amount of the tip.
- Have your hired professionals worked hard from start to finish, or have they tried, on numerous occasions, to deliberately extend the time they need to finish the job? This is especially true for local moves where you get charged by the hour.
Most local movers do charge the hourly rates, but that doesn’t mean that you should be paying for the time they spend on something that is not working. Of course, moving is physical work, so your professional movers will have to take a few breaks, and that is normal. Don’t step on their feet if they want to smoke a cigarette or drink some water. But if you see that your local movers are trying to extend the time, you should call back to the moving company to let them know you are not happy with the service. With professional movers, you are not responsible for paying the time they spend on a lunch break, and they have the right to take one during every move.
How much to tip the movers?
Now, after you have decided that you want to tip professionalism overs, you should decide on the amount. This might be an even more complex question than if you are supposed to tip the movers or not. So, here are some signs that your professional movers went above and beyond and that they deserve a better tip.
- Handled many flights of stairs or long hallways
How much to tip the movers depends usually on the level of effort your professional movers had to invest in your job, and the quality of the service they performed. You should know that every relocation that includes a lot of stairs or long hallways is way more difficult than the one without. Your professional movers will have to go up and down the stairs to carry each piece of furniture that you own, and that is exhausting.
- Hoisting
In case your professional movers have to hoist some belongings and move them through the balcony or the window, you should show big gratitude for that. Not only this is difficult to execute, but it can lead to damages and injuries, and it is one of the most complex tasks of the local move.
- Nothing was damaged
If your professional movers were able to relocate all of your possessions to your new location in one piece, you should be thankful. Moving is such a business where damages might happen easily regardless of how professional movers are. So, when your local movers are skilled enough to move you safely, you should show your appreciation.
- Professional movers helped you with packing as well
If you hired professional movers to help you with packing as well, that means they will have to invest extra time and extra effort to keep your items safe and to pack and move your home efficiently. How much to tip them in this case? A bit more than you planned originally.
These are some situations that require you to provide a bigger tip to your professional movers. However, we still haven’t replied to the main question – How much to tip the movers! So, here are some examples of how to decide the actual amount.
Firstly, you should know there is no right or wrong in this situation, but just our examples. If you don’t agree with any of these suggestions, you are free to decide on your own.
It is best to tip each crew member with the same amount of the tip, but if you would rather deal with one person, you can also provide the head mover with the full tip and they can divide them among the crew. As a guideline, most people will tip their professional movers 5-10% of their total bill. For example, if the full amount for your move is $1,200, you can tip the professional movers with any amount starting at $60. If you have three movers, that works out to $20 each. If this seems too low, you can always add up a bit more, based on your satisfaction level. Usually, when there are big relocations involved, people do decide to tip the flat amount to each mover. The reason for that is that the bill for a big move can be pretty high, and people don’t want to feel obligated to provide any certain percentage of it to the professional movers. On the other hand, the bigger moves have more local movers involved, so some clients don’t think it is enough to tip them a part of that 10% amount. The number of movers affects the amount of tip, so take that into consideration as well.
At the end of the day, one is guaranteed, and that is that your professional movers will be grateful for any tip they get from you because that is the increase in their salary.
And if you are looking for professional movers who can help you with your relocation to San Diego, you are in the right place. Reach out to San Diego Movers and get your free moving quote today! The whole process is simple, and we will be more than happy to assist with any moving project you have in mind. We are looking forward to talking with you!