Removal men and tipping

NEH

Is it the done thing?

We're breaking our arms and legs paying for these guys and adding a tip on top of that might be the straw and the camels back...

We were going to give them endless cups of tea, biscuits and cake, should we tip them as well?

Really2

We never tipped them TBH, they get paid wages so the fee you are charged covers that and more.

Savvy_Spender_South

I usually start the day like you, tea, coffee and biscuits. Around Lunch i throw in Bacon Sandwitches, which works well and a few beers from TESCO (£10 for 24 currently) is a welcome finisher.

When you think, a tip would need to be £20 plus to be wotrh while, there are better options for this service.

Hope that helps.

pinkteapot

We tipped our team of three £25 each. But that was because we had a furniture delivery arrive at 3pm, just as they had finished moving us in. We'd bought from an independent shop in the Lake District and had a king size bed, bedside tables, chests of drawers, dresser, three book-cases, dining table and chairs, lamp table and nesting tables all arrive in a lorry (all solid oak). We asked if they'd help us move it all in for a tip and they were more than happy to. 20 minutes work for £25 isn't bad.

I would have tipped anyway (probably not as much). Despite what we paid the removals company, I have no idea how much the actual guys we had were paid, especially the young trainee who was with the two experienced ones.

olias

We had paid thousands for our removals (moved form overseas), and our new house had lots of problems for them - 4 floors, tight staircases etc etc. It was a hot day and the 5 guys worked hard all day. Despite being seriously strapped for cash, I tipped them £10 each. The way I saw it was it was peanuts compared to what I had spent on the removals, and yet would make a difference to the guys (If everyone did that it would be a nice £50 bonus each week for them).

Don't forget the guys doing the donkey work are probably all on not much more than minimum wage. Most of the cash for your move goes for the companies premises, vehicles, insurances and management - the guys doing the graft don't see much of it.

Olias

scooter_chick

I kept mine supplied with cold drinks (cans of coke etc) all day - they refused offers of tea. They got their own lunch en-route to the new property & I gave the head one £60 tip for the 3 of them at the end of the day. Head one told the others - in front of me - that I'd given them a tip, so I knew all was fair!

amyb_2

My OH is a Driver/Porter/Packer for a removal firm so I’ll give his view.

Sometimes they get a tip sometimes they don’t. When he gets a tip it roughly averages out an equivalent to £5 a day per person (e.g. 2 men on a 3 day job £20.) Also occasionally they get alcoholic ‘tips’ – a crate of beer to share. Which although we don’t drink is nice as it shows appreciation. One old lady gave him a 40 yo framed photograph of Portsmouth as a tip which was a bit odd but still sweet.

As someone else mentioned if a cup of tea and a bacon roll is much appreciated. He works loooong hours without a break. Customers have also bought them fish and chips before if the job is going way overtime (often they have to wait ages for keys which puts them off track). He is worked days in excess of 16hrs only fortified by his ham sarnies and a bottle of squash!

Also saying thank you if they have done a good job is something often forgotten.

If you can’t afford to tip. Don’t.Its noit expected - more a pleasent bonus. And obviously it depends on if it was a good job or not.

Salary wise he is paid £60 a day (10 hours), plus a non breakage bonus of £10 if they are no damages from the entire

NEH

Thank you all for your replies, much appreciated...

We don't know how many are coming tbh, i assume 2/3 of them. We certainly can't afford £10 each as we can only just afford the removal men in the first place and we may have to move again in anther 6 months so we're kinda having to factor that into account as well.....

As for lunch we were going to leave them to it, as the move is going to be extra tiring for myself with being long term sick so i'm not sure i'll have the energy for cooking for ourselves never mind anyone else. Will look into getting cold drinks in for them.

I hate tipping tbh....it's the same thing with hairdressers as well...Restaurants i suppose it's the done thing but you never know with other professions and the thing is you ask yourself well yes removals is a tough job and i appreciate what they do but for example my hubby will be working away tomorrow for 5 days in a dangerous environment, 12 hour shifts and he doesn't get tipped for doing so....Bit of a moral dilemma...

kelda_shelton

I hadn't even thought of a tip until my Mum mentioned it to me as my removal folk were finishing up - they had done a grand job, and so I gave them what I had in my wallet - which was a tenner between the 3 of them!

Not much but the guy was like oh are you sure?!
So even something small might be appreciated. They got a few cuppa and kitkats from us too!

lee636

kelda_shelton wrote: »

I hadn't even thought of a tip until my Mum mentioned it to me as my removal folk were finishing up - they had done a grand job, and so I gave them what I had in my wallet - which was a tenner between the 3 of them!

Not much but the guy was like oh are you sure?!
So even something small might be appreciated. They got a few cuppa and kitkats from us too!

I wouldnt mind £10's worth of kitkats! :rotfl:

pimento

My dad tipped our removal men. I don't know how much but it would have been a good tip (probably £20 each), but we had LOADS of books and videos, I mean loads. I'd have hated to have had to do it myself so it was worth it. They did a great job and didn't complain.

The web site (a local firm) had a page for clients' letters, so I made sure I wrote one naming the men involved. I'd use them again.