Should I tip the movers?

[tenbananasaday]

I had no intention of doing so. I didn't know people even did this until recently but this is my first time using movers. I am moving on Monday and have hired movers. They aren't cheap at £1100 to move us from a two bed terrace. Do I have tip them on top of this? I only usually tip at a restaurant, or I'll let the delivery person or taxi driver keep the change but I wouldn't go out of my way to tip. What do you think?

As a guideline, youshould tipyourmoversbetween 15% to 20% of the total cost of the move for large or long-distance moves and 5% to 10% for smaller, cross-town moves.

I spent years working in the removals industry, both national and international moves and I have never heard of this. You are not expected to tip. They are being paid for the jib they're doing. Would you feel you had to tip a plumber or an electrician?

The job, not jib!

As a guideline, youshould tipyourmoversbetween 15% to 20% of the total cost of the move for large or long-distance moves and 5% to 10% for smaller, cross-town moves

You must have needed to google really hard to find that, because that’s not what comes up when I google.

When we moved 10 years ago we gave ours £50.

We tipped ours, but that was because they did extra for us – they moved stuff around for us that we were actually leaving behind. Also, I made them a bacon sandwich and a cup of tea. Why not do that?

I work in this industry, and whilst it's not expected it is appreciated. I don't class it as the same as a trade like a plumber, removal crew are low paid, pretty much minimum wage or slightly higher.

@FunkyFunkyBeat

We always tip- about £100. Movers don't earn a lot. Seems pretty tight not to.

No, sorry but £1,100 to help someone move house is not a small amount.

It's not ever tight for a customer to refuse to make up the short fall in what someone else pays their staff

I don't want to sound facetious but what is "going above and beyond" when moving boxes and furniture into a house that deserves such huge tips?

I intended to tip but got so stressed out on the day with two under 4 to look after as well that I forgot! I did get the sense in retrospect that they were expecting it.

I would not give someone moving my belongings and shortly about to drive a large truck a cold beer

We gave ours tea, biscuits, toasted tea cakes and £20 each as they moved a wardrobe from a completely different house for us and rescued husband when he got locked in the new bathroom. [eyeroll]

We didn't tip them, but during the day we ordered Pizza and drinks for everyone :)

Yes we did and handsomely but we moved on a very very hot day, should have had the keys at 1pm but the banks had a systems glitch and didn't get them until 4.30. They worked flat out until 7.45! I was so pleased I'd booked an hotel that night.

We tipped ours £20 each. They were really lovely blokes and did an efficient job with no damage or breakages. One even helped dh get the washing machine plumbed in and moved some heavy furniture that the previous occupants had left that we didn't want. You don't have to tip but if someone goes out of their way to do a good job for you then it's a nice thing to do.

Yes. £20 each.

It's very hard physical work and they're probably on not much more than minimum wage.

If they have done a good job I always tip, seems mean not to and I agree for all their hard work they are probably on minimum wage.
Most recently when I moved everything went in to storage initially, due to the double expense of moving twice I only tipped at the final stage.

Yes, £20 for each of the 6 guys. They worked so hard, moved everything into exactly the places we wanted and were so friendly. Worth every penny!

Not sure why someone is aggrieved at a mover earning £35k. Seems well worth it for what is a skilled job if done properly and often with specialisms, e.g. artworks, instruments.

I think £35k pa is well worth it for someone to keep the entire contents of my home safe and intact.

I didn't tip (10yrsago) but bought them all fish and chips as we were getting some and a beer each. We had been waiting around for the money to clear in the account (thanks useless solicitors) so they ended up staying till quite late. They seemed v happy with that!

I really hate the way we (UK) seem to be moving further and further towards a tipping culture.
It only helps bad employers to screw over their staff who then rely on tips to make ends meet. I really object to subsidising shit employers and the more we get into this tipping thing the more we do that.

Vettiyalruken. I disagree I think it shows gratitude for good service and helps build good relationships. When the lock came off last summer I was contacted by my hairdresser for one of her first appointments and in usual times she will always fit me in in an emergency. Similar at our favourite restaurants.

Dont tip by default but if they have gone to the effort of being very careful with your possessions then yes a tenner each. Tip for a good job well done not because you think its the norm.

Yes, our last movers worked so hard. There were three of them and I think we gave them £20 each (this was 7 years ago)

I recently tipped mine £20, they were great and did lots more than they needed to do. I completely cleared a flat and had some furniture moved and had no one to help me.

Imo that's what their wages are for. Who does and doesn't get tipped doesn't make sense. We don't tip nurses but we tip someone who drives us from a to b - a journey that we pay for, and tip someone who cuts our hair - a service that we pay for. We don't tip the teaching assistant when they bring our child out but we tip the person who brings a plate of food to our table - a meal that we pay for.

I just genuinely feel that tipping is simply supporting employers to continue to screw over and underpay their staff.

What Nandocushion said:
Frankly, that's ridiculous. I've done international and long-distance moves in the past and it's never one single company doing them - they use different contractors along the way, drivers change, etc etc. The people who pack aren't the people who load the truck, and there are different people again who unpack, all from different, smaller contracted companies. Why would you bung a massive amount to the people who picked up your belongings in the final 12 hours of the move?

It's similar to the scenario of people bunging the bin men/recycling crews 'tips' because they do a terribly hard and dirty job. Mmm. They do. It's not NEARLY as dirty and difficult as it is once that material has been delivered for hand-sorting by actual humans who do that to get more recycling out.

What are these benevolent tippers never at the MRFs to reward those people at the truly shitty end? The warm and fuzzies only extend to those they can bestow from their doorsteps.

Tip, or don't tip. It's not the 'right thing to do', it's the thing that you elect to do and either do it fairly and across the board if you want to make a song and dance about it, or just carry on and acknowledge that actually, you're just 'tipping' the easy part of the service chain because that makes you feel good/part of the crowd.