You may have heard that tipping is uncommon in the UK. However, this is only true for service industry workers such as waiters and bartenders. Generally, if someone has done excellent work and you believe they have gone above and beyond, a tip is a great way to express appreciation.
This is considering they have handled your belongings with care and delivered them to your new home or office without any issues. It’s especially advisable to tip if you have a lot of heavy furniture or fragile items.
How much do you tip the movers?
Tipping for movers should often range between £4 and £5 per mover. This is a reasonable starting point, but depending on the situation, you may want to offer more or less. You may want to give a little extra if you have a lot of heavy furniture or fragile items. If the movers go above and beyond to make your move easier, you may want to give a little extra. Here’s a simple illustration to help you figure out how much to tip:
| Hours of service | Tip |
| 5 hours or less | £20 per person |
| 8 hours or more | £40 per person |
| 12 hours or more | £60 per person |
As you can see, the amount you tip is directly proportional to the amount of time and effort the movers put in. You may want to give a little extra if you have a lot of heavy furniture or fragile items.
Factors to consider when tipping
These are some of the factors to consider you should consider when deciding how much to tip your movers:
- How did they handle the fragile items?
- Did they pack them carefully?
- Did they wrap them up well?
- Did they load and unload them carefully?
- How did they handle the heavy furniture?
- Did they take the time to disassemble and reassemble?
- How was their attitude?
- Were they polite and professional?
- Did they make the move easier for you?
- Did they move it without scratching the floors or walls?
- Did they make sure everything was where it needed to be before leaving?
- Were there any problems during the move?
Meanwhile, learn more tips about moving your office. Such as plan early and how to have a smooth relocation process.
Remember that tipping is given voluntarily as a token of appreciation for a service provided, so don’t overthink it. Just give what you feel is appropriate given the situation. Offering a tip should not be necessary if you’re on a tight budget; the movers will understand. In any case, a kind word of appreciation goes a long way in making someone’s day. Leaving a review on their company website is also a great way to show your appreciation.