How and When to Tip Your Movers

Let's face it — moving sucks. It's hard, tiring, and generally a hassle for everyone involved. You might be stressing over your next home, but moving companies bear the brunt of your transition to a new life. Between loading, driving, unloading, and accounting for your valuables, movers are under constant duress to do their job right.

Naturally, the complex nature of their business brings complex tipping rules. But given how often people ship out to a new city, there's little consensus on what proper practice entails. Should you tip in percentages? Should you buy them food? What about beer?

Let us do the heavy lifting on this one. Here are three tips to help you be a more conscientious customer.

Lunch à la carte

Keep the pizza to yourself, M. Tribbiani. When it comes to the traditional free lunch, it's best to ask each worker what food they'd prefer. In addition to being considerate, this simple thought could give your movers a break from the typical mid-move pie they might otherwise receive.

Beyond lunch, also make sure you keep your Miami movers well-supplied with a variety of cold drinks. Water, soda, Gatorade, you name it - this small kindness would help them stay hydrated and refreshed, and goes a long way towards building a positive working relationship.

However, steer clear of the beer: it could potentially open you and your movers up to liability issues.

Flat-rate shipping

Advice on tipping cash varies from source to source. Some people swear by a percentage, while others tip based on performance.

The best option, we believe, lies somewhere in the middle. Pick a flat sum — say, $20 per worker — and add to it in the event of good service. Time also plays a role. If you book a company for a multi-state move, tip them more than you would if you only had to ship across town.

Even if it's just for a day, your life is, quite literally, in the hands of these individuals. Might as well thank them for not inadvertently ruining it.

The personal touch

Finally, your journey to a new life is complete. In appreciation for their hard work, you scrounge together some 20-dollar bills and approach them, congratulating them on a job well done.

When you get to this point, take the time to tip each worker individually. It shows that you truly appreciate the work they've done and helps bring a pleasant close to an otherwise trying ordeal.

It also ensures that the money gets where you want it to go. According to worker testimonies on moving.com, not everyone in the business is as kind as you are. There have been instances where a foreman, entrusting with dispensing a nice chunk of change to his crew, has pocketed the tip money, leaving his employees worse for wear.

In moving, an extra step goes a long way. If your Miami movers performed above and beyond expectations, be sure to take it.