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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Quick please! Tiping etiquette?

85 replies

RandomName130 · 13/04/2022 13:03

Team of 3 house movers. Small company, guys have been great! Very cheap compared to some quotes we had - only £320 😳 moving a 2 bed house and it’s a 10 min journey.

What do I tip? Give them £400 cash for the job? Tip each one a certain amount? Should I be tipping more than that?

OP posts:
gogohm · 13/04/2022 21:13

I don't tip myself. I pay the invoice. I did offer breakfast on arrival and bought them McDonald's for lunch

PlasticineMeg · 13/04/2022 22:12

Generally speaking it’s usually people who are on a low wage doing hard, personal work who are tipped

Yet you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who tips the cadets that wipe their elderly parents backsides for minimum wage. I wonder why…

PlasticineMeg · 13/04/2022 22:13

*carers not cadets

mummyh2016 · 14/04/2022 08:42

@PlasticineMeg

Generally speaking it’s usually people who are on a low wage doing hard, personal work who are tipped

Yet you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who tips the cadets that wipe their elderly parents backsides for minimum wage. I wonder why…

As far as I know you're not allowed to tip carers, the ones DH gran had weren't even allowed to accept chocolates. And my nan was in a home, the one day she wouldn't eat, the carer looking after her was trying everything. My nan said she wanted some chicken nuggets from McDonald's so the carer went on her break to get some for her. My dad wasn't even allowed to give the carer the money to cover the cost of the McDonald's, she said she wasn't allowed to accept it. So she had used her own break, her own fuel and her own money to pay for it.
FloraPostePosts · 14/04/2022 08:44

@SniffMyQuiffyHair

I've just bought them some beer
We do this - never tip in cash if it’s a job where we’ve agreed a quote, but DH gives them beer as they leave.
GreenWheat · 14/04/2022 08:49

I would only tip movers and tradesmen if something exceptional had occurred, eg they stepped in last minute, or the job turned out to be more challenging than agreed. Otherwise I pay the agreed amount only.

IsabelaMadrigal · 14/04/2022 08:54

Tipping is an American thing, we have minimum wage so it's entirely unnecessary.

And tipping culture in the US allows companies to not pay their staff a likeable wage and have their staff's financial security at the mercy of their customers.

It's something we have imported from America for no good reason and it makes no good sense.

It always pissed me off as a teen whose first job was in retail that no one topped up my wages, and I still got all the horrible experienced you get dealing with the public as a young person, without the bonus of extra money that my peers got.

Hobbesmanc · 14/04/2022 09:43

If I've had good service from a tradesman especially a manual labouring job such as a man with a van or a gutter cleaner then I'd always give them a tip- usually enough to buy a few beers. When we've had longer jobs done to a good quality, I'd tip at the end too and treat to chippie lunch or bacon balms. I tip the window cleaner at Christmas. Usually add a quid to a taxi fare and always at the hairdresser

Danikm151 · 14/04/2022 11:10

Tipping culture needs to stop.
Moving companies set their prices, the staff are being paid to do that they are going to do. Tipping used to be "to ensure prompt service" traditionally for waiters to make sure you got served quickly. Now it's an american custom because they don't pay their staff a fair wage. Your movers will be being paid a decent chunk. £320 each, with 3 of them you're looking at 2 hours. so they're getting £50 an hour each then £20 to cover the petrol of the van)

Does that mean I need to tip a person at a checkout because they scanned my groceries? I know i'll tip the nurse when I go for my smear next time too.

Svara · 14/04/2022 14:27

@IsabelaMadrigal
I read once that the Americans got the idea from us, that it was the rich showing off and throwing their money around to buy better, quicker service or a more servile attitude.

yellowsuninthesky · 14/04/2022 14:38

The fact that they might get paid more than you is irrelevant really, isn't it, and a terrible (and miserly) excuse not to tip

? Why on earth would you tip someone who earned more than you do?

It would never occur to me to tip removal men (it usually is men isn't it). They charge a lot, although it does sound like the OP got a bargain, so maybe rounding up to £400 would be nice. But I wouldn't remotely feel like I had to.

I really wish there was some formal, state induced list of who to tip and who not to tip I agree, and also much stricter rules on how gets it, so eg in cafes the owner/manager doesn't nick it all. The government was looking at this, and I think the Irish government has recently changed the law, or is consulting on it.

yellowsuninthesky · 14/04/2022 14:39

I know i'll tip the nurse when I go for my smear next time too

probably a lot more deserving to be honest, especially if they manage to do it painlessly!

IsabelaMadrigal · 14/04/2022 14:51

And if I think about low paid jobs in general...
Nursery nurse, teaching assistant, carer, hospital orderly. Never tipped. Females make up a larger part of the workforce.

Window cleaner, removals, waiting staff,
hairstylist, bar staff tend to be either more equal or more men in those roles.

So unless you start tipping all people you deal with it seems like men will get the majority of 'tips' anyway.

ExplodingElephants · 14/04/2022 14:53

We didn’t tip our removal guys. They turned up with a van half the agreed size so that DH had to go and hire a van, leaving our car outside our old house (as I don’t drive). DH then had to return the van the next day to collect our car and some non-valuable items from the loft which we’d left in the car. We also filled up my mum and son’s cars! To say we were unimpressed is an understatement. However, if you’re happy then go for it.

orangeisthenewpuce · 14/04/2022 15:49

@ExplodingElephants

We didn’t tip our removal guys. They turned up with a van half the agreed size so that DH had to go and hire a van, leaving our car outside our old house (as I don’t drive). DH then had to return the van the next day to collect our car and some non-valuable items from the loft which we’d left in the car. We also filled up my mum and son’s cars! To say we were unimpressed is an understatement. However, if you’re happy then go for it.
I wouldn't have tipped them either.
Anonymous48 · 14/04/2022 15:55

@yellowsuninthesky

The fact that they might get paid more than you is irrelevant really, isn't it, and a terrible (and miserly) excuse not to tip

? Why on earth would you tip someone who earned more than you do?

It would never occur to me to tip removal men (it usually is men isn't it). They charge a lot, although it does sound like the OP got a bargain, so maybe rounding up to £400 would be nice. But I wouldn't remotely feel like I had to.

I really wish there was some formal, state induced list of who to tip and who not to tip I agree, and also much stricter rules on how gets it, so eg in cafes the owner/manager doesn't nick it all. The government was looking at this, and I think the Irish government has recently changed the law, or is consulting on it.

Why on earth would you tip someone who earned more than you do?

To show appreciation for doing a good job of course. Your own personal salary has nothing to do with that.

PinkSyCo · 14/04/2022 16:29

I’d probably just round it up to £350, so a tenner each.

Svara · 14/04/2022 17:30

To show appreciation for doing a good job of course. Your own personal salary has nothing to do with that.
Of course it does! If I'm on £10 an hour and have only budgeted for the removal fee then I'll use any spare cash to treat my child not a stranger.

DDivaStar · 14/04/2022 17:51

@SniffMyQuiffyHair

I've just bought them some beer
A bit of an assumption they drink beer.
flaglady · 14/04/2022 18:10

We tipped our two removal men £20 each. We would have tipped more but we were broke from moving. Two Romanian men employed by a big company so not able to set their own profits. They were amazing and really took the stress out of moving. Arrived at 8am and had cleared out a 2 bed first floor flat before 9am. Then after 4 hours of waiting, took 30 minutes to put everything in our new house.

Marmite27 · 14/04/2022 18:13

I wouldn’t tip. The amount they quoted should be enough! I’d it’s not they need to charge more.

HELLITHURT · 14/04/2022 18:37

@girlmom21

FFS are we supposed to tip moving companies now too?
Yeah, I would and have.
Doingtheboxerbeat · 14/04/2022 18:50

I didn't know it was a thing but I did tip the 2 guys who did my last removal, because they turned what should have been a stressful day, into an enjoyable one. I really think they were shocked because I was dirt poor and on my ar*e, but I gladly gave them £20 each. I thought I was Johnny Big Balls Grin.

Anonymous48 · 14/04/2022 20:44

@Svara

To show appreciation for doing a good job of course. Your own personal salary has nothing to do with that. Of course it does! If I'm on £10 an hour and have only budgeted for the removal fee then I'll use any spare cash to treat my child not a stranger.
Your budget for the movers should include a tip.
IsabelaMadrigal · 14/04/2022 20:47

Here's my tip.

Set fair prices so you can pay your staff and make a profit instead of blindly relying on a non standard tip to get your business through.

And if you can't pay your staff a liveable wage; it's not a viable business.