Do you tip the delivery guys?

A frequent question I get is "Do we tip the delivery men?". And I don't have a hard and fast answer for you on that, however the "tipping culture" in 2023 is more prevalent than ever. I will give you my personal thoughts on tipping delivery drivers that apply to both my own team and the white glove delivery service people.

* Most delivery guys do not expect a tip, but appreciate them as you would expect

* Tips can range from a bottle of water to $ 20 a person. I don't think that in general you need to go above that $ 20 each.

* Your delivery should be clean without any issues whatsoever, and that includes them showing up in the time window or calling ahead of they are late

* How difficult is your delivery? Did you prep the area for delivery or does the crew have to take the storm door off, or remove wall art or other furniture to gain entry? If they have to do your delivery prep work, a tip is in order.

* Are you asking them to relocate existing furniture to another room, the garage, or to the curb? If so, a tip is in order, they are under no obligation to do so.

* Is there a surprise in the delivery? Such as that 200 lb power recliner going upstairs into a bedroom with a small door on it? If so, a tip is in order.

All deliveries are based on a projected delivery time of about 15 to 20 minutes at your home. There is no way anyone scheduling knows what we are going to run into during delivery, be it difficulty, doorways too small, complex staircases and the like. What we do see, is the really difficult deliveries are the least likely to offer a tip to the guys. If the delivery is smooth, quick and easy, you don't really need to do any at all.

Tipping may not be essential when everything runs smoothly, but if the delivery is exceptionally difficult or complicated, it is a good idea to give the driver a tip to recognise their hard work. That depends on where you ordered the goods; if the delivery person encountered difficulties, a tip would be appropriate.