Movers - Tipping

Pretty good idea to give a tip after the first day.

Oz had minimum tip in the contract. Check your contract.

How does it include a minimum tip in the contract? Isn't that then a fee?

I would split the tips equally. Never understand why the guy who gets paid the most also then deserves a bigger cut.

I had 2 movers, no packing required. 1 loading and unloading at 2 destinations done on the same day (2nd was 3.5 hrs out of NYC, which made for a long day). Large 1 BR, lots of fragile items (artworks, mostly). Tipped each $150, cash, which totalled just over 15% of the contract price.

Aaron2 - thanks. Seems like a lot but that's why I asked the question. Isn't $150k close to doubling the wage for the day?

Oz - I'm getting a quote so I'll look for this. I'd agree that a contracted minimum tip sounds sketchy to me. Is it a backdoor way of increasing the cost above the headline rate? Do the packers get to keep it? Is it a way around minimum wage?

There were no broken or damaged items, it was pouring rain for the loading and first unloading but nothing got wet, the 1st stop (co-op) has a somewhat difficult building manager, elevator operator, and parking situation - the manager later said he thought they "did a good job" (high praise from him). The 2nd stop was significantly outside of NYC (usually 3+ hrs away, but they got stuck in traffic on the TZB, so it was more like 4+ hrs), and so weren't finished unloading until nearly 6pm, and so were facing a 3+ hrs drive back to NYC that night.

I don't know what they make per day, so don't know what percentage $150 is of their day rate. For a successful move, reasonably heavy manual labor, in an industry with a reputation for not paying well, I'm willing to be generous.

I like the idea of tipping each worker individually rather than hoping that the supervisor is honest & equitable.