Should you tip new appliance delivery people?

Answer 1

Yes. The general rule is that anybody who delivers something to your home gets a tip (not counting package delivery people like UPS or FedEx). The size of the tip depends on the weight of the object they are bringing, as well as its relative unwieldiness.

The general rule for tipping is 20% nowadays. Some people still tip only 15%, but that figure is really pretty outdated, especially in major cities like New York or L.A., where everything tends to be more expensive. I worked in the restaurant industry for a few years, and I can say honestly that a 15% tip for excellent service is considered a bit cheap.

There is a bit of wiggle room: for example, if someone delivers $25 worth of food to my apartment, I'll tip them 20%, which is $5. But if they deliver $50 worth of food to my house, I'm not giving them $10. They get maybe $6 or $7.

If it's a relatively small appliance like a microwave, then I'd tip them $10. If it's something huge and heavy like a washing machine, I'd give them $15 to $20 each (there will probably be more than one delivery guy for a washing machine).