Is It Bad To Not Tip Movers?
Tipping movers isn’t mandatory, however, many people do tip them for their hard work. However, it isn’t always justified to tip movers if they don't do a good job. So, is it bad to not tip movers?
It’s okay to not tip movers if they are rude or mean and intentionally waste time to increase the hourly bill. Some people don’t tip movers if they break valuable, sentimental items and even steal their belongings. Massive time delays without updates and communication can also lead to a lower tip, or no tip at all.
Think about how hard they work and how well they do when you consider what to tip your movers. It’s also worth talking to the crew’s foreman about your concerns before you withhold a tip. Follow along as we highlight examples of times when it’s okay to not tip movers.
Is it Wrong To Not Tip Movers?
It isn’t necessarily wrong to not tip movers if you have a good reason for it. However, you should only withhold a tip if the movers made exceptionally bad mistakes, such as:
1. Extensive Property Damage
Accidents happen, but moving is not a time where you want something to go wrong. You shouldn’t necessarily withhold a tip if your movers damage your property. However, many people won’t tip movers if they take no responsibility for damaging their property.
That’s especially true if they try to deny it or blame you for the damage. It’s also worth withholding a tip if movers damage many items. This may be a sign that they’re inexperienced or simply don’t care much about being careful on the job.
Damaging many items, especially if they’re valuable, is quite unprofessional. Be patient and have some compassion if they accidentally damage an item or two. However, when you decide whether you should tip them or not, you must consider the extent of the damage and how they react to it.
2. Intentionally Waste Time
Intentionally wasting time is a somewhat common problem with hourly moves. Moving companies offer fixed rates and hourly rates. As the name implies, hourly rates entail paying for each hour of work compared to a flat rate for a move.
Some moving companies are notorious for intentionally making jobs take too long to inflate prices. In that case, it’s not worth tipping your movers. However, you must keep in mind that moving takes a long time and requires hard work.
Sometimes, it may seem like they’re wasting time, but they’re struggling. You can tell they’re intentionally wasting time if they take too long without doing much work. Talk to the foreman if you suspect something is wrong, and withhold a tip if your suspicions are correct. Otherwise, try to be patient.
3. Huge Delays
Movers typically provide an estimated time of arrival for the big moving day. It’s important to consider that things change and there may be a delay. However, massive delays without communication are rude and can significantly waste your time.
The foreman should at least reach out to provide an update. Keep in mind that movers sometimes work with several customers throughout the day. They may be late because the move before yours took much longer than expected.
There is nothing wrong with that unless they leave you hanging without an update. That’s especially true if they run late by several hours. In that case, you may tip slightly less or withhold a tip altogether if it becomes a massive delay.
4. Rude Or Mean Behavior
Movers have a hard job, so tensions can sometimes run high. That’s how it goes with any job, but that’s no excuse to be mean or rude to the customer. Demanding behavior and mean comments are unacceptable and don’t warrant a tip.
That’s especially true if you overhear the moving crew saying rude and mean comments behind your back. In that case, you don’t need to say anything to them, as it may lead to a confrontation. Instead, withhold a tip, as it’s not worth rewarding someone for being mean on the job.
5. Shady Business Practices
Today, it’s easy to find valuable information about a moving company before you hire them. Online reviews can tell you a lot about a moving company’s business practices. Unfortunately, however, you may find out about some unusual discrepancies the hard way.
For example, some moving companies bill people for things that they never knew they’d have to pay for. You can avoid this problem by looking for this information in online reviews. It’s also important to prioritize communication and ask about everything that’s included.
Avoiding this problem is typically easier with a fixed-rate move than an hourly-rate move. However, you can factor exorbitant and unexpected bills into your tip. Remember that it likely isn’t the crew’s fault if the office or foreman decides to squeeze as much money out of you as possible.
6. Prying Eyes
Seasoned movers are professional and know not to snoop into their customers’ lives. Granted, what seems like snooping isn’t always snooping. However, red flags are often raised when movers look into drawers and personal items when they don’t need to.
Not only is that unprofessional, but it’s an invasion of privacy. You should be able to trust movers to move your belongings without peaking into boxes and drawers. However, just because they see something they shouldn’t see doesn’t mean it was on purpose.
Have some compassion and consider whether it was intentional or not. Understanding their intentions can help you decide how much to tip your movers, if at all. Intentionally going out of their way to see something private is a big red flag though.
7. Theft
Moving companies typically run background checks and vet their employees. However, they can’t monitor their employees all day, and sometimes, theft occurs. While you shouldn’t punish the whole crew, you obviously shouldn’t tip someone if you catch them stealing.
You may not notice that something was stolen until after they’ve left. Because of that, you may have already tipped them without knowing that someone stole from you. In that case, you must call the moving company and report the theft.
Depending on the insurance plan you have, they may fully reimburse you or replace the stolen item. However, that only applies if you pay extra for a premium full-coverage plan. Otherwise, basic coverage only covers $0.60 to $1 per pound of lost, damaged, and sometimes even stolen items.
Summing It Up
Some people don’t tip movers if they discover extensive property damage and stolen or missing items. It’s also common to withhold tips from movers if they intentionally waste lots of time. Rude or mean behavior, shady business practices, snooping, and poor communication don’t warrant tips either.
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Nick Durante is a professional writer with a primary focus on home improvement. When he is not writing about home improvement or taking on projects around the house, he likes to read and create art. He is always looking towards the newest trends in home improvement.
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