# Quick response needed! [Do you tip carpet layers?]



## Patri (Oct 17, 2012)

The carpet layers are here. Two guys. Should I tip them when they are done?


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## Timeshare Von (Oct 17, 2012)

I have never given a tip for carpet installation people.


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## geekette (Oct 17, 2012)

I had friends in the carpet installation business.  it is not normally a tipped position, but they would appreciate it more than you know if you believe they did a great job and reward them for it.  However, there is no obligation to do so.  

What a dear you are for even considering it!


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## wackymother (Oct 17, 2012)

I tip them if they're pleasant and do a good job. It's very hard work. 

(OTOH, once we had a team that told me they could not bring the roll of carpet around a hallway corner because there was a large, fully packed bookshelf over to the side. I was nine months pregnant, home on maternity leave, and would you believe those three guys stood there and watched me unload that bookcase all by myself? It took about 30 minutes because I could only carry a few books at a time. And then when the shelf was empty, I had to dance it over out of the way, again by myself. I was so angry. The baby in question is now 18, and I'm STILL angry!)

(Needless to say, no tip for them.)


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## Passepartout (Oct 17, 2012)

I did that work for a few years. A tip is unnecessary, but if they are pleasant and do extra things- like furniture relocation or special things- like upholstering the sides of steps with the carpet- anything not on the work order, a little extra is appreciated.

If your place is rural and some distance from fast-food type lunch places, you might offer to spring for sandwiches if the lead guy approves. 

Jim


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## Patri (Oct 17, 2012)

I gave them each $10, which they did appreciate. We had nice chats throughout the morning, and they gave me care tips I'd never heard before. They also vacuumed and cleaned up the room well.


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## csxjohn (Oct 17, 2012)

Patri said:


> I gave them each $10, which they did appreciate. We had nice chats throughout the morning, and they gave me care tips I'd never heard before. They also vacuumed and cleaned up the room nicely.



There you go, you gave them a nice tip and they made sure they finished up nicely.

It never hurts to tip someone doing manual labor for you even though they are being paid.  I sometimes tip the cooks at restaurants when the meal is exceptional and they do appreciate it.  Others out of the ordinary that I sometimes tip are the people working on my tires or an oil change, people at the counter at take out restaurants, gas station attendants,  and of course the housekeepers at my timeshare stays and motel and hotel stays.

I'm not saying I give them a lot but even a little helps them out and, I hope it  brightens their day a little.

I just noticed your signature and it fits right in.


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## jmurp62 (Oct 17, 2012)

*Great move*

You did a really nice thing and also were rewarded with a few tips from them. I love to cook and usually if I have a contractor doing some work for me I will greet them in the morning with a cup of coffee and offer to cook lunch. It really gets appreciated and I feel good about it. 
As my mom always brought me up to be a good person, I always say "It's Nice to be Nice". It would be a much better world if more of us showed kindness to each other 
Murph


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## geekette (Oct 17, 2012)

Yeah, I used to hear stories about how they weren't allowed to use the bathrooms at a customer house, so would have to hop in the car and head for a gas station or McD's to use their facilities.  

I do know that moving things is generally not part of the job order, so as wrong as it seems to be super pregnant and emptying a bookcase, it apparently was not part of the work order.  Sympathy and helping would have been nice, but my guess is that these guys had before had to do "just this one little thing" and it snowballs and they find themselves Always doing Just This Little Thing out of scope and eventually decided NO, if it's not part of this job, I'm not doing it!  

Not sure why they didn't determine it might be a probelm when the job was spec'd so it could have already been moved.  

I also wonder about liability - what if in moving teh bookcase one of the guys was hurt?  Not on the work order, what happens???  I don't know, just wondering...  but possibly workmans comp would turn it down.


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## LUVourMarriotts (Oct 17, 2012)

When we had carpeting installed in 2 rooms, I did the same $10 per installer.  When I have a contractor at the house for an extended period, say from morning to night, I tell them that I will provide lunch, and go pick up whatever they want.  The way I see it, that helps me because they are not leaving for an hour or more, they get what they want, so are happy to work for me, and they finish faster not being gone.


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## Patri (Oct 17, 2012)

wackymother said:


> (OTOH, once we had a team that told me they could not bring the roll of carpet around a hallway corner because there was a large, fully packed bookshelf over to the side. I was nine months pregnant, home on maternity leave, and would you believe those three guys stood there and watched me unload that bookcase all by myself? It took about 30 minutes because I could only carry a few books at a time. And then when the shelf was empty, I had to dance it over out of the way, again by myself. I was so angry. The baby in question is now 18, and I'm STILL angry!)



When I was 8 months pregnant, I had to pick up a TV at the repair shop. One of those big, clunky ones. The two young men who owned the shop watched me load it in the car. Then I had to take it out again at home. I was so shocked they didn't consider it their responsibility or would just want to be helpful.
A day or two later I hemorrhaged, and our son was born early, and spent two weeks in the hospital. He turned out fine, but I have always believed it was because I had to carry that TV.


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## wackymother (Oct 17, 2012)

Patri said:


> When I was 8 months pregnant, I had to pick up a TV at the repair shop. One of those big, clunky ones. The two young men who owned the shop watched me load it in the car. Then I had to take it out again at home. I was so shocked they didn't consider it their responsibility or would just want to be helpful.
> A day or two later I hemorrhaged, and our son was born early, and spent two weeks in the hospital. He turned out fine, but I have always believed it was because I had to carry that TV.



Crazy. You would think that it's easier to help than to watch! 

Meanwhile, all these years later, we need new carpeting, and that shop is the only game in town. I'll be damned if I'm going to buy new carpet from them!


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## MuranoJo (Oct 18, 2012)

I would tip them if I was happy with the job.  I also tip window washers and furniture delivery guys--all based on the quality of the work they do.

I was a waitress in high school so I know how much a tip is appreciated.  It should be an acknowledgment of good customer service (when you work your butt off).

I can't fathom the mental set of the carpet delivery guys or the TV repair guys who stood by and watched very pregnant women do the heavy lifting.


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## pjrose (Oct 18, 2012)

muranojo said:


> . . .
> 
> I can't fathom the mental set of the carpet delivery guys or the TV repair guys who stood by and watched very pregnant women do the heavy lifting.



I can't either.  I wouldn't have done the moving or lifting myself, that's for sure.  Either do it (and yes I'll be happy to pay extra for the carpet people if it's not on the contract, but NOT for the repair people), or at least apologize about why they can't (in which case I'll say thanks but no thanks and talk to the manager).  

No way I'd tolerate that!


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## wackymother (Oct 18, 2012)

That carpet store was awful--first they made a mistake w the estimating, and then when the guys left, we discovered that they had left a big flap of carpet going over a doorway. They hadn't made the last cut. 

I must have called them twenty times to get them to come back to do that trim. On our way, very busy, truck broke down (we lived about eight blocks from the shop!), yada yada. 

The fifth (or so) morning they were SUPPOSED to come, a Tuesday, I was in the hospital having the baby. Then they had the nerve, when I called after I got home on Thursday, to say, "Well, we were going to come on Tuesday, but you weren't home." I went completely berserk on the phone with them. The woman could probably hear me shrieking eight blocks away. 

They finally trimmed it on Friday. The guy didn't even talk to me, just came in, trimmed the carpet, and left. No tip, btw. 

Thanks for reminding me why I can never use them again.


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## Renny30 (Oct 18, 2012)

muranojo said:


> I can't fathom the mental set of the carpet delivery guys or the TV repair guys who stood by and watched very pregnant women do the heavy lifting.



They are untrained low lives who likely go home and smack their wives. :annoyed:

I tip everybody. Money often finds me so I consider it a blessing repaid when it does.


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## GeorgeJ. (Oct 18, 2012)

I guess I'm a sucker with tipping....

When we had carpet replaced 10 years ago a crew arrived and after a few minutes they left and said they had to go back to the shop & would be back in an hour. They didn't return. Apparently they didn't want to do the job because there were about a dozen bookcases upstairs & they didn't want to move anything...a second crew was sent out the following day. They didn't have a problem in moving the stuff. They finished one bedroom & then moved all the bookcases into there & then put them back when they finished each room. I think I gave the head guy $100 to split between them. 

Earlier this year we had a new microwave installed. I didn't want to do it because our cabinets have crown molding on both top & bottom. The bottom molding goes back under the sides of the microwave so it has to be slid straight in and not back & up like it usually is done. It was a pain for me to get the old one out since it also had to be slid straight out so I paid Home Depot to have it done. Took the 2 guys a half hour here, which I'm sure is longer than normal. I gave them $20 to split & told them to have lunch on me.


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