As the title says, bought some nicer furniture which is being delivered and curious if I should tip the delivery driver.
Edit: I’m in the USA.
No.
Don’t normalize the spread of toxic tip culture.
Tipping furniture deliveries isn’t spreading the culture because it has been a thing for decades:
For difficult deliveries consisting of more than one item. You buy a whole living room of furniture you have them put on the third floor, you should tip.
Buying one couch, not so much.
If you’re in the US it’s expected to tip everyone.
Please don’t forget to tip your landlord - inflation is hitting them hard right now.
I tip my bank teller, the canvasser with the clipboard in front of the supermarket, and the traffic light for turning green.
My landlord is really awesome, I didn’t realize tipping them was a thing we should do. What’s the etiquette for this? Monthly? Only when a service is needed? Etc
Hourly, set it up on auto-pay.
What relationship do you wish to cultivate?
In order to detach your contribution from their behavior, or in order to attach your contribution to their behavior?
My coarse understanding is that decades ago the gratuity was originally before service, so that one could establish the quality of service they were requesting.
This can be achieved by what you intend and practice.
Everybody loves a landlord Everybody’s bosom friend
Why tip someone for doing the their job?
Because America is fundamentally broken and making life harder for a laborer isn’t going to change shit except their ability to feed themselves.
Depends on how difficult it was. If they hauled the furniture up a flight of stairs, toss them a few bucks. If they drop it at the curb or just inside the door, no. I just had a fridge delivered and carried up four flights of stairs and tipped $50 because it was a huge pain in the ass for them.
As someone who said “hell no” earlier in the thread, asking for four stories with a fridge is an entirely appropriate situation to tip.
Check your delivery contracts, they’ll usually specify ground delivery or one floor only. Four is very much above and beyond, and worth the bribe if they’ll agree to it.
They can charge more for it if it’s “above and beyond”.
In US and Hell no. I paid for the furniture, I paid for the delivery. My side is done.
If they come inside your house throw em some cash. I’d say $5 for bringing it in the door, $10 for putting it near where it’s gonna be and $20 for placing it where it’ll go and unwrapping/assembling it.
That’s what I do, at least, no clue if these values are appropriate.
Excellent that’s exactly what I did. Thank you!
If it’s coming via FedEx, UPS, or USPS, I’d say no, unless for some reason they come into your house to help, then yeah if you’re generous. Moving company 100% yes tip. Normal corporate delivery service I’d say no unless they did something extra.
I have never tipped cash or been asked for a tip for furniture or appliance delivery. That said, having had lived in Louisiana and Texas, I always offer refreshments like water or fresh lemonade. It gets fucking hot!
Curb/dock drop: no.
Into home: yes, but at that point you’re “tipping” for an additional service usually purchased separately (eg, moving service, appliance installation)
I find this difference interesting, in the UK if someone has a home delivery it’s into your home, not left at the kerb.
That’s a good point. There is a type of delivery in the US that’s all-inclusive, where more than one delivery person show up and it’s assumed they bring it in and install it.
Standard delivery though is often some form of freight where final delivery is handled by a local carrier/vendor. Usually they arrive with a commercial delivery truck rather than a van or pantechnicon.
Unloading from the trailer to a loading dock is the easiest. Curb delivery is possible if the trailer is outfitted with a lift or a slide out ramp. But any further and the delivery can become a lot more involved, enough to throw off their delivery schedule.
Drivers often still offer to do it unofficially as a side-hustle, but if I don’t have cash on hand I won’t ask them to do it just as a favor.
Yes.
Yes. Absolutely. There’s a fuck ton of things you shouldn’t tip for. This is not one of them.
