What would be an appropriate amount to tip an installer? My 722 was installed today. It was a simple reciever swap out, that took about 45 minutes. I gave the guy twenty dollars, and he seemed surprised that I offered him anything. Was that enough?
Tipping Installers
- Thread starter hazmat626
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Oddly enough, many people don't tip. I'm a decent tipper, so I would think thats fine, but since many people don't tip (they think of it as an "well I am paying for it"), I suppose many installers don't expect it.
Now I'll admit I don't tip the plumber or whatever, but Its not a free toilet install, is it?
Now I'll admit I don't tip the plumber or whatever, but Its not a free toilet install, is it?
My feeling is if the installer goes above and beyond the call of duty you should tip him. If he simply does his job, then no need to tip. He is already getting paid to do what he did.
Nobody tips installers, nobody!
I did installs for 5 years and the most I ever got was $20 from a lady because I hooked up some other Tv's for her that where not on the work order!
But $20 is cool!!!
Last time I tipped an installer it was the Comcast guy. He came to my house at 9AM to install a new cable modem, the replacement one was bad and he made arrangements to come back around 8pm when I got off work.
Called me twice to follow up with an exact time to come back during the afternoon.
Tip was well deserved!
I did installs for 5 years and the most I ever got was $20 from a lady because I hooked up some other Tv's for her that where not on the work order!
But $20 is cool!!!
Last time I tipped an installer it was the Comcast guy. He came to my house at 9AM to install a new cable modem, the replacement one was bad and he made arrangements to come back around 8pm when I got off work.
Called me twice to follow up with an exact time to come back during the afternoon.
Tip was well deserved!
I think that this is where we as a society have wronged. I am a generous tipper...however that being said the tip is not a sure thing. I agree with R_J that if the person performing the service goes above and beyond then they have earned the tip.
As far as the whole "free" install...well nothing is free and the installer or other service provider is getting paid to do a job.
Just my $.02
As far as the whole "free" install...well nothing is free and the installer or other service provider is getting paid to do a job.
Just my $.02
Claude have you looked in the mirror lately, damn your scary
Seriously though people do tip installers, an average month for me would net about $60 with the best being $250 for the whole month.
It's a service plain an simple, you tip the wait staff for being timely and clearing your table and coming by at the right time and a pleasant atitude. You tip the movers if they get to your new home early and take off their shoe's and do it right. You tip the pizza guy and your pretty much garaunted hot pie when ever he/she comes out next. If the installer does a good job wether installing or upgrading or repairing your system and if its the last two and he leaves it looking better than when he got there ontop of treating your home like a castle then by all means tip the man because installers work hard ( the good ones anyways ) and you can easily figure out the ones that dont.
I have got several tips over the years, with $20 being the norm. I have got $50 3 times now, however I do go above and beyond for all, no matter if I get a tip or not, and no I don't do it for the tip.
I've got lots of tips, but it depends on the market. Vegas was good for tips but Phoenix isn't. If your gonna tip, tip more than you would the pizza guy but you don't have to tip as much as the stripper.
i go to a lots of houses on daily bases. when i live i want to make sure customer is happy, and understand how it works. a little tip is great( makes for a good day). if no tip at least call the office and say the guy did a really good job, because it is really nice to know when your manager comes up to you and says "do you remember that job?" customer called in and complemented you
I normally get $10-$20 for a tip.
I think this week I got $60 in tips. So yes claude people do tip, you must live around a bunch of tight wads.
lol
I think this week I got $60 in tips. So yes claude people do tip, you must live around a bunch of tight wads.
lol
I got a dish install when I moved to my current home. It was January 28th in Michigan and windy outside. Guy did a bang up job outside and I had a hot cup of coffee waiting for him when he came inside. We chatted for a bit while his hands got feeling back and he routed cables into walls for me and nice wall jacks instead of the typical holes in the floor near the wall stuff.
Unfortunately, I didn't have any cash when I went to tip the guy, so I asked him if I could buy him lunch of something. He was headed out for another install so I offered to buy him a pizza and he accepted. I called up a local place, paid with a credit card.
I figured since it was cold and windy outside and I didn't want to do the install myself, it was well worth the extra expense. Guy was top notch.
As for claude saying people don't tip. I assume he does most of his installs in Detroit area and I have heard that alot of area over there are notoriously tight with tips.
Unfortunately, I didn't have any cash when I went to tip the guy, so I asked him if I could buy him lunch of something. He was headed out for another install so I offered to buy him a pizza and he accepted. I called up a local place, paid with a credit card.
I figured since it was cold and windy outside and I didn't want to do the install myself, it was well worth the extra expense. Guy was top notch.
As for claude saying people don't tip. I assume he does most of his installs in Detroit area and I have heard that alot of area over there are notoriously tight with tips.
I got $40 and a job offer once. I took the money and refused the job offer, because the guy was a total prick. NFW I would work for a guy like that on purpose. He bitched me out for digging a 20 foot trench in a snowstorm (in louisiana) with a shovel and not a trencher. It wasn't even his house, it was his mothers, and I cleared it with her before he ever showed up. He drove up, jumped out of his truck and bit a chunk of my ass.
He said Radio Shack told him that we would use a trencher. He was whining that he was an electrician and would never treat his customers this way. The first thing I asked was if he had a trencher. Nope. Then, how would you run lines to light up my barn. He looked at the shovel and walked off. Ahole!
Jesus. I was the ONLY installer out of our shop to even show up for work that day (snowstorm in louisiana pretty much shuts everything down--but I did 3 single box primestars and a service call before the electricity went out. In some places, it was off for over 2 weeks!). He's lucky I didn't beat the piss out of him with the shovel. My wife was in the truck and her jaw was on the floor, as was his mother's.
Normally, I tell the customer "that's not necessarry." This guy, I just took his cash and declined the job offer. No amount of money would be enough for me to have to put up with that guy on a daily basis. I took his money and my wife to chili's, because they still had electricity. No sense in going home hungry when I ended up not having power when we got back.
I had another customer who got blowed off by the jerks out of winnfield 3 times before I got the work order. He was so delighted that I actually showed up that he took me and my wife to lunch which ended up being an interview. I just explained to the guy that I had just come off 3 years of running an office in the Marine Corps, and the part I liked most about the job I already had was the fact that I don't have to be cooped up in one spot all day.
He said Radio Shack told him that we would use a trencher. He was whining that he was an electrician and would never treat his customers this way. The first thing I asked was if he had a trencher. Nope. Then, how would you run lines to light up my barn. He looked at the shovel and walked off. Ahole!
Jesus. I was the ONLY installer out of our shop to even show up for work that day (snowstorm in louisiana pretty much shuts everything down--but I did 3 single box primestars and a service call before the electricity went out. In some places, it was off for over 2 weeks!). He's lucky I didn't beat the piss out of him with the shovel. My wife was in the truck and her jaw was on the floor, as was his mother's.
Normally, I tell the customer "that's not necessarry." This guy, I just took his cash and declined the job offer. No amount of money would be enough for me to have to put up with that guy on a daily basis. I took his money and my wife to chili's, because they still had electricity. No sense in going home hungry when I ended up not having power when we got back.
I had another customer who got blowed off by the jerks out of winnfield 3 times before I got the work order. He was so delighted that I actually showed up that he took me and my wife to lunch which ended up being an interview. I just explained to the guy that I had just come off 3 years of running an office in the Marine Corps, and the part I liked most about the job I already had was the fact that I don't have to be cooped up in one spot all day.
The most interesting atempt at a tip I ever had was a nice old Yugoslavian gentleman who gave me wine and other stuff and then did his best to not only set me up with his grand daughter but tried to convince me that she would be a good woman to marry when she came over wich going by the picture she was actually a traffic stopper in the nice way but I had to decline graciously and explain that I had a good woman already.
I get a tip probably once or twice a week. Norm is $10 or $20. One of my most memorable tips was for a very well off guy that runs a very big Winery in this area (wine is big business around here).
I was there to do a Wildblue install, and dish was sending dns out to do the dish mover. They had already rescheduled him 3 times, and he was asking me about switching to Directv. I had him call and cancel the work order with dish, called my retailer and had him setup a dish mover, and I came out the next day and did the D1000+ 622/622/625 mover.
And the guy was real easy to work for, he showed up, unlocked the door at about 8:30, then went back to work. The housekeeper showed up at about 11:00, and he came back at about 12 when i was finishing up. His very fine housekeeper made us all lunch, he gave me a few bottles of wine as a tip, and i got a few dates with the housekeeper out of it.... all in all, a good job
I was there to do a Wildblue install, and dish was sending dns out to do the dish mover. They had already rescheduled him 3 times, and he was asking me about switching to Directv. I had him call and cancel the work order with dish, called my retailer and had him setup a dish mover, and I came out the next day and did the D1000+ 622/622/625 mover.
And the guy was real easy to work for, he showed up, unlocked the door at about 8:30, then went back to work. The housekeeper showed up at about 11:00, and he came back at about 12 when i was finishing up. His very fine housekeeper made us all lunch, he gave me a few bottles of wine as a tip, and i got a few dates with the housekeeper out of it.... all in all, a good job
I've offer installers a cup of coffee/tea/water/soda - a non-alcoholic beverage of some kind and a fresh sandwich of somekind that I'll gladly make for them, but I've never thought to tip cash. Thanks for starting this thread. I'll give 'em some cash for a job well-done from now on (and still offer a beverage of somekind).
Nerver tip. Give the gift if time . . .
Instead the best thing you can do is give the gift of Time.
I always have all wires pre run so all he has to do is come and put the Dish up and put ends on the cables.
I also offer to un box all receivers and plug in the AV cables leaving the AC unplugged so the installer can come and inspect my work.
I also have the remote ready with batteries in and the Serial number and Access card number lable pealed off so he can call it in.
Saving them time allows them extra hours in the day to eat lunch and maybe get to an other install or get home early to see the wife and kids.
I also offer Cold Drinks and lunch if he has to work through the lunch hour due the problems with receivers (not his fault).
Key word is OFFER to unbox and drinks, some wont take you up on it.
I have done this for the last 3 installers (I moved and I switched between Dish and direct).
Instead the best thing you can do is give the gift of Time.
I always have all wires pre run so all he has to do is come and put the Dish up and put ends on the cables.
I also offer to un box all receivers and plug in the AV cables leaving the AC unplugged so the installer can come and inspect my work.
I also have the remote ready with batteries in and the Serial number and Access card number lable pealed off so he can call it in.
Saving them time allows them extra hours in the day to eat lunch and maybe get to an other install or get home early to see the wife and kids.
I also offer Cold Drinks and lunch if he has to work through the lunch hour due the problems with receivers (not his fault).
Key word is OFFER to unbox and drinks, some wont take you up on it.
I have done this for the last 3 installers (I moved and I switched between Dish and direct).
DTV customers generally tip more/better than Dish. Demographics have Dish in lower income homes. I have worked my ass off for people, to get a coke and a thanks. Some people.
Gee, so sorry us Dish folks are so frakking poor. Must suck for you... Sheesh...
