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How much should you tip your movers?

A lot of people want to know how much you should tip your movers. They’re handling your belongings, making sure that they arrive at the new destination safe and on time so you definitely should tip them, especially if you’re satisfied with their work. So how much should you tip your movers? At Empire Movers, we meet with this question quite often. So we hope this article will provide you with the answer you’re looking for.

Moving is a complex and difficult process

Many people believe moving is easy. They believe that they don’t need professional movers to help them move. So they rent or borrow a truck, they get some friends and start moving furniture. But moving is actually a very complex and difficult process, especially if you want to move valuable belongings.

There’s no doubt that you and some of your friends can get the old piano down the stairs, out of the house and into the truck. But can you do it with no damage to the piano, the home, the van or to yourself? I don’t think so.

You should never try to move heavy items if you don’t have the proper equipment. Fortunately, moving companies do. They have the right equipment and the right people to get a job such as this done quickly and with no damage at all.

And remember, moving doesn’t just involve the piano. There are many other things that also have to be packed, disassembled, placed in boxes, protected, labeled, and, finally, transported safely. Professional movers can take care of all these things. They will save you time and even money, since the chance of your belongings being damaged during the move are very low.

Once you see professional movers at work, you will definitely come to the conclusion that they deserve tips. So if you want to pay them back for taking such good care of the stuff you’ve accumulated in your lifetime, know that, generally, 15% to 20% is a customary tip in metropolitan areas. For smaller areas, 10% is also acceptable.

How to tip your movers

Tipping is quickly disappearing nowadays. Just like many restaurants, which prefer to forbid tipping and pay their employees more instead, some moving companies are also instituting no-tipping policies. But not all of them.

Don’t be afraid to ask the company you chose to move your valuables about its tipping policy. This way, you’ll know what to expect and to have cash or a check on hand.

Many national companies include tips on the bill, which you can pay by credit card. This is great, because it allows you to prove to the IRS that tips were part of the total moving cost, if you’re deducting the cost of the move on your tax return.

If the bill does not include the tip, you can still get the same results by writing your movers a check. It might look strange at first, but don’t worry about it. Just give the check to the job boss and he will take care of the rest.

Buying someone lunch is not the same as tipping them

A lot of people buy their movers lunch and beverages. This is a nice gesture, and will definitely be appreciated, but it’s not a tip. So if you’re satisfied with the way the movers you hired did their job, don’t forget to show your appreciation with some good, old, hard cash (or a check).

How much should you tip your movers?