Tip appliance delivery men?

[Anonymous]

I'm getting a new washer/dryer delivered, installed and hooked-up today. Do I tip the delivery guys? FWIW, the purchase was made from Home Depot, so there is no delivery fee.

If so, how much do I tip? TIA

[Anonymous]

$20.

It's back breaking work and I'm grateful for all the trouble it takes to get that heavy stuff into my narrow row house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
$20.

It's back breaking work and I'm grateful for all the trouble it takes to get that heavy stuff into my narrow row house.

You know they get paid, right? Just because there is no delivery charge doesn't mean they are working for free. I'm not saying dont tip--I'm curious about this as well. But I think $20 is a lot. If they do a delivery an hour, on top of their hourly wage, that's a ton of money if everyone is tipping that much.

[Anonymous]

I'd tip $10 or $20. $20 if there is a flight or two of stairs involved, and I'd add a bottle of cold water if it's really hot that day. When I lived in FL I offerered every delivery and repair guy a bottle of cold water and they all seemed to really appreciate it. Nobody ever said, "No thanks, I'm alright."

[Anonymous]

OP here, thanks for the responses. They came unexpectedly before calling this morning, so I didn't get a chance to read the responses first. I ended up giving them $20 total - I had originally thought $10, but saw a $20 in my wallet, so pulled that out instead. The man said thank you, and didn't act like I was under-tipping (nor over-tipping), so I think the $20 response was right on target. Thanks again!!

PS...loving my new washer right now - so quiet!

[Anonymous]

What did you get?? I'm washer shopping.

[Anonymous]

Crap, I had the exact same thought yesterday when I got a new fridge and didn't have any cash on me and I feel terrible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What did you get?? I'm washer shopping.

I bought the LG WM3470 front loader and matching dryer. It's rated #2 in consumer reports. I first purchased CR's #3 rated Whirlpool Duet, but I came home and read the actual customer reviews which scared me off, so I cancelled that order and paid a couple hundred more for the LG. I really love the stacking feature and so far don't find it difficult at all gathering from the washer and tossing into the dryer.

Just started my third load, so far everything is running quietly and quickly. The first two loads were towels, and seem nice and clean. The load washing now is my 21 month old's clothing, some of which have been sitting in the hamper for nearly two weeks. I am running a pre-wash on it, so hopefully all stains come out on this one.

FYI, I really wanted to buy from Lowe's because they have a great price matching policy AND let you try it out for 30 days risk free. But they don't carry LG. So I ended up purchasing from Home Depot, who matched Best Buy or HH Gregg's price of $990 each (plus beat it by another 10%) AND are running a buy more get more sale. I walked out spending a few cents over $2000 for both appliances, all the accessories, stacking kit and 5 year extended warranties. This was more than I had originally planned on spending, but of course I also had originally not wanted to move into the world of HE washing machines either. (The Duet set was $1775 out the door, w/a 4 year warranty, fwiw.)

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much for posting! I've been looking at the LG and the duet. I'm glad you told me about Home Depot specials because I went to HH Gregg and was told that they price match, but it sounds like your deal was even better.

So you didn't get the pedestals?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks so much for posting! I've been looking at the LG and the duet. I'm glad you told me about Home Depot specials because I went to HH Gregg and was told that they price match, but it sounds like your deal was even better.

So you didn't get the pedestals?

HH Gregg is really popular, but I can't figure out the appeal. They charge for delivery, even though they give you a rebate to cover it, and their extended warranties are about $220 EACH appliance! Home Depot and Lowes have free delivery and their protection plans are under $200, covering BOTH appliances for the same time period. I always feel like I'm walking onto a used car lot when I walk into HHG ~ the people are nice, but so high pressure. Maybe the employees are more knowledgeable about the product, but I'm not sure because I knew what I wanted by the time I checked them out. As a side note, I learned the most from the 20 year old at Best Buy! lol

I didn't get the pedestals because I decided to stack them. (The stacking kit is about $35 and I think most front loaders have their own version of it.) My laundry "room" is actually just a very large closet. By stacking them, I still have 1/2 the closet left. I'm looking at ikea online to find shelving that will work in the extra space.

[Anonymous]

FYI update:

Thanks to the OP for the washer/dryer info. We ended up going with that exact model. We also bought through Home Depot but they weren't doing buy more save more at the time, however that model has gone on sale for even lower. I hope it ends up being a good one!

As for the tipping: the guys helped rig the installation to accommodate a pipe that was too short. I tipped $25 total (2 guys). They were here for about 30 minutes. After I had given the tip, on their way out, the guy mentioned the had a full truck with 18 deliveries for the day.

So to put things in perspective, if each delivery gets them $20, that's $360 or $180 each (cash) in a day on top of their hourly pay. Of course, not everyone tips, tip amounts vary, and it sounds like 18 deliveries is a lot for 1 day.

I just thought I would share that info in case it helps anyone figure out what amount they want to tip.

Thanks again OP! How are you liking the washer/dryer?