Service occupations make up more than 26 million of the total workforce in the US; however, those workers earn less than $29,450 per year on average. One way that those employees make money is through tips.
Many people have strong opinions about tipping in the service industry. For some, tipping means that the business owner should be more responsible or pay more.
For those of us in the service industry, tipping is just a thing that you should do.
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Should You Tip Furniture Delivery?
If someone provides a non-professional labor service, you should tip.
Wait staff, transportation workers, hired hands are all included in this industry while teachers, medical professionals, and military service members are not.
Some jobs are non-professional labor services that should not be tipped like clerks, cashiers, and retail associates.
One industry that is often overlooked is furniture delivery. As a rarely-used service, most of the time people don’t know how much to tip for furniture delivery.
How Do I Figure a Tip?
While there are no rules on tipping, there are considerations to take into account when figuring a tip.
First, a tip is added to a base salary, so the employee is still getting paid, but that pay is sometimes laughable.
Second, it helps to think of tips in 5 categories: really bad, not good, good, great, and exceptional.
Finally, assign prices or percentages to those categories. Examples are listed below.
How Much Should I Tip Furniture Delivery Guys
In furniture delivery, you will find a team for this high-ticket process.
There is usually the owner or the individual who gave you a price, set up your appointment, etc.
That person is on the phone or online, so you will not likely encounter him or her. Tipping that individual is not necessary.
You should, however, tip most of the other individuals who are part of that team.
Let’s say the price of the move itself is $1,200. We will use that as a base to add estimates.
In this instance, add a small tip based on the base price of the move. $25 is a reasonable tip for good service so move your offering up and down based on that amount.
Below are individuals who are likely part of that team and who should be tipped.
Should You Tip Furniture Delivery Drivers
Driving a box truck or a semi is not easy. Navigating roads, streets, and driveways take skill and patience.
If you have a considerate driver, that person should see a higher tip.
A really bad driver might ruin a yard or cause damage while a not good driver will likely scuff up an area.
A great driver might navigate cautiously and carefully review items on a checklist with you while an exceptional driver will do both and call ahead.
You will only incur this cost with one individual, but this individual may also take on tasks below, so pay him or her separately.
Do You Tip Furniture Movers?
Moving furniture is not taxing.
Taking it off the truck, moving it into the house, and placing it per your request requires physical strength and patience.
A really bad mover might damage wall casings or pieces of furniture while a not good mover might leave furniture in bad spots or stack furniture.
A great mover might place the furniture where you ask while an exceptional mover might offer a few options.
You will incur this cost with each mover, but not all movers are created equal so feel free to rank each mover differently.
How Much to Tip Furniture Assembly
Putting furniture together is not easy.
Reading instructions or knowing how parts go together and in what order requires patience and physical strength.
A really bad assembly person might forget a screw and damage a piece while a not good assembly person might spend too much time on a single piece.
A great assembly person might put pieces together quickly and efficiently while an exceptional assembly person might put the pieces together in a sensical order.
You will incur this cost with each assembly person, but you can rank each person differently.
Trusting in individuals to move your valuables is intimidating, but figuring out how much to tip doesn’t have to be.
Based on calculations above, you will have around $300 in tips, making it 25% of the price of your move.
Since tips are given after a service, you will need to keep a close eye on progress.
You also need to know who is in charge as foremen and managers typically do not receive tips.
Also, never give everyone’s tip to one individual.
If you want the company to know that you’re willing to tip for good service to help motivate them to provide stellar service, tell the person who you set up the process with or say something to a friend or family member in front of a laborer.
Word will get around quickly, and you will likely have the best moving service of your life.
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Martha Warner is a writer, editor, and educator. As a single mom for many years, Martha knows the value of money, how to work hard, and how to hustle. Her freelance career started as a side hustle (to support her love of travel) and quickly grew into the most lucrative career she’s ever had. Martha still teaches at the university as well as other online and in-person courses, including Writing to Make Money, College Scholarship Writing, and Write that Grant. Find out more about her on her website.