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Original poster

Do you buy snacks/drink for the removal guys on moving day?

63 replies

LenJoseph · 17/06/2022 21:18

We just exchanged contracts and will complete next Wednesday. Removal booked with a local company. We will pack everything ourselves as the house is small and we do not have lots of stuff. Will need the guys to dismantle our bed and reassemble it at the new place, all other things will go as they are.

So my question is as the subject: on the moving day do you prepare any snacks/drink for the guys? If you do, what do you suggest we get for them? Our tea set and baking trays will be in boxes so no home made stuff please. Thank you :)

OP posts:
cocktailclub · 17/06/2022 22:45

We always have

HollowTalk · 17/06/2022 22:47

stuntbubbles · 17/06/2022 21:39

Always. Tea and biscuits once they’ve packed up everything (kettle etc goes in the “moving day box” which comes in the car with me), tea and biscuits at the other end too, packet of ice lollies from nearest shop at the other end in weather like this, or bacon sarnies (bread, bacon, frying pan go in moving day box). It’s intense physical work! I want tea and a snack when moving and I’m not lifting anything!

You'd really make bacon sandwiches in your new kitchen for the removal guys? I couldn't think of anything I'd be less likely to do!

Salome61 · 17/06/2022 22:56

I moved under Covid conditions, and put out tea/coffee/sugar/squash and packets of wrapped club/blue riband biscuits with two big flasks of hot water for my removal people, and told them to help themselves and put their cup/glass in the dishwasher afterwards. I also told them there were cold cokes/lemonade in the fridge. I had four men working for four hours, it was very hot and they all helped themselves.

Salome61 · 17/06/2022 22:57

I meant to add I gave them a £15 tip each, they never stopped until the van was full/empty.

LunaLoveFood · 17/06/2022 22:59

We bought some biscuits and left the tea/coffee/kettle as last things to pack which were appreciated.

KnitOnePearlOneDropOne · 17/06/2022 23:00

We did on our last move as it was extremely hot.

mamaduckbone · 18/06/2022 07:51

We kept the kettle etc out and in a moving day box so made tea and coffee during the day and provided biscuits.

Mellowyellow222 · 18/06/2022 07:56

They tend to grab snacks and a rest between pick up and drop off.

they will usually know there could be a delay in your getting the keys.

I bough in a load of cold drinks and kept them in an cool bag. That went down well.

I also tipped £20 each.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 18/06/2022 07:57

YellowAndGreenToBeSeen · 17/06/2022 21:53

Always. Tea, biscuits and cans of coke. Sandwiches and crisps for lunch and then a beer each and a tip (usually £20 each) at the end.

This

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 18/06/2022 07:57

**wouldn't offer beer though

dudsville · 18/06/2022 08:04

We did, but no you don't have to. Ours was the hottest day of the year. We bought water and bananas, and when we got to the house i went out to collect sandwiches. I'm not suggesting that i bought their kindness, they were nice guys before we offered these things, but it did feel personal, the help they gave. They even noticed the big step up from old house to new and commented on the great aspects of the new place and helped assemble the bed. It felt like they supported our happiness. It's a really nice memory, like a very low key version of a wedding day. I'm glad we hosted them and that it wasn't just a business transaction. But, absolutely it is a business transaction and it is completely fair to treat it that way.

YouHaveNoAuthorityHereJackie · 18/06/2022 08:06

Mine went above and beyond, I was hugely pregnant and DH was stuck at work all day. They were unloading long after I’d expected them to be gone, so when DH got home and was going to grab fish and chips for us all he got some for them too. They mentioned they were all of out celebrating something after they’d finished so we tipped £100. They’d really been fantastic all day though, one even unpacked my granny chair, which was the only thing I could comfortably sit in at that time, first, popped it in the living room and gave me instructions to put my feet up. To put the tip in context, these guys were local and were half the price I’d been quoted by a national chain, and had packed for us the day before too. We’d never used a mover before but I was barely mobile at that point, my dad who’d normally help us had just had a knee replacement and I was so grateful for the service they gave us.

KosherDill · 18/06/2022 08:12

Yes, I always have refreshments on hand for tradesmen and a plan for their lunch. I enjoy treating hard-working people kindly and it's always appreciated.

KatherineofGaunt · 18/06/2022 08:27

We did the last time we moved. They were packing everything for us (had a small baby so otherwise occupied) so I popped round to the local cafe and got them hot drinks and pastries. I felt redundant otherwise! 😆

hammsalllad · 18/06/2022 08:38

Wouldn't enter my head to specially prepare anything tbh.

They are being paid to do a job like anyone else.

They can bring their own flask, bottles, snacks etc like anyone else in a job like this where they are out and about.

Of course it's thoughtful to have some tea and biscuits on the go but I wouldn't be thinking about stuff like that on moving day it's stressful as it is.

3monkeybars · 18/06/2022 09:53

No - I offered to get them a sandwich when popping to the shops to get myself one and they declined.

I always tip a tenner each though, I've never met a removals person who doesn't work incredibly hard! Such a tough job and they do it so well.

ChickenGotLegs · 18/06/2022 13:27

I gave mine £20 to go get lunch while we went to pick up the keys and met them at the new place. There was only 3 of them though 😆

InFiveMins · 18/06/2022 13:43

Yes of course. It's the polite thing to do.

I buy in cans of coke / bottles of water and offer these to the removal guys and then get them something to eat. Last time we moved, we lived quite close to a bakery so went there and got them all a sandwich and crisps.

BasiliskStare · 18/06/2022 15:10

I bought bottles of water / soft drinks and & biscuits etc from the corner shop. - it is really hard work - Any thing not eaten I just took with us. I also gave them a tip. I realise this latter doesn't sit well with many on MN over and above the bill.

As an aside a decorator I once has said they worked for a woman who gave them tea and cake which they loved each afternoon. At the end of the week she gave him a bill for it Shock

MarmiteCoriander · 18/06/2022 15:33

To clarify my earlier point, if I had a plumber or electrician at the house, then yes, I would offer a drink- tea/coffee/squash etc. IF I had any biscuits, I might put 2 out- but I wouldn't be making sandwiches or lunch for them! Nor think I needed to provide lunch for removal people. I would assume that people in jobs where they are out and about- community nurses, HV, removalists, trades etc would take their own lunch along.

I'm rather jaded. The last trade I had here- I opened a tin of biscuits. He ate 1 biscuit then took the entire tin with him!

onmywaytooblivion · 18/06/2022 16:06

Surprisingly when we moved my otter half bought the guys a crate of beer and they were absolutely over the moon
He also gave them a cash tip
They were great, and helped do more than required

Megapint · 18/06/2022 16:07

No, you are paying for a service. They're not doing you a flavour by moving your stuff
. Most people take lunch to work or take a break & buy lunch. Same goes for builders (My husband is a builder) They don't want to hang around making small talk drinking tea & eating home made cake. They want to get on with the job & sit in the van with a Subway for 20mins at lunch.

Passanotherjaffacake · 18/06/2022 16:39

We did loads of tea and coffee and biscuits for our removal guys. They did do the bulk of the hard work!

also gave them a tip (£20) at the end of the day for beers/the weekend. The removal company gets the fee but the actual guys doing the job just work really hard for a fairly basic wage. So very happy to give them money directly for their hard work.

PlanetNormal · 18/06/2022 16:47

I would always provide tea, coffee, biscuits & squash as an absolute minimum. These guys are British, after all, so tea is a human right. if it was a red hot day like yesterday I would provide ice lollies as well.

GardensandGrandDesigns · 18/06/2022 20:02

We bought them pizzas for lunch. They did a great job.

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