Picture this; you go out for dinner to your favorite restaurant and the waiter shuffles a dozen or so items between your table and the service area. If the service is good, perhaps you leave ten to 20 percent of the bill as a tip. Segue to your condo move the following day; your movers handle 100 items from the premises to the truck and to the new premises again, all without delay or incident, do you tip them 20% too?
Granted, a meal in a restaurant is not completely analogous to residential furniture moving when it comes to the issue of a gratuities. But if you lean toward what Richardson calls the “tightwad tendency,” let me give you a couple of suggestions that may appeal to tipping out of self-interest.
Moving is a difficult job that requires strength, patience and attention to detail. An average move of a one bedroom condo can take half of a day and more. During the course of a move it is natural that the pace may slow marginally as the day progresses. Do you want your movers to keep the pace steady? Then consider this – a bottle of pop, energy drink or a coffee. It is really that simple, and if you are feeling particularly indulgent, a bit of food. Remember, these are the best few dollars you will spend on the day, a bit of sugar/caffeine and away we go!
O.K., so the move is complete and you are happy with the entire process. The bill is presented and you reach for payment – but are you inclined to tip? To be clear, we do not expect anything other than payment of the bill. However, if you have found a mover that is professional reliable and affordable, you may have found someone worth enhancing your rapport with. I tell people the moving business is best understood by the 90/10 rule. That is to say ten percent of the companies out there are very good, and then there are the rest. Let self-interest be your guide to gratuities with your mover; it’s a win-win.
