Tipping washing machine delivery driver(s)

[alma.freya]

Amazon are delivering a washing machine today, including placing the machine in a specific room and unpacking (but without connection).

What is the expectation regarding tipping the delivery driver(s)?

[pappnase]

It's their job, and they are paid for it, so if you don't tip that's fair enough.

On the other hand it's a shit job and they are not paid well, so if they are polite and friendly, then giving them some money each for a beer after work is going to be appreciated.

Normally I have given workmen who do this kind of thing 5 or 10 Euro each if they did a reasonable job, but I'm probably never going to see particular delivery people again, so I've never felt bad about not giving a tip when I didn't feel like it.

[Fraufruit]

I usually give about € 10 each for such things. I had a mattress delivered last week.

[Krieg]

We just received a new fridge last week, delivery was free but "installation" was 119 EUR which of course I didn't pay. I am not a friend of the tipping culture and I hate that it is lately expanding to other jobs outside of food and beverages, but the fridge was a double door one and they took the old one with them and it was not an easy task. So I tipped them 10 EUR and after they left I thought it was a bit on the little side.

P.S., The problem later was that the "installation" included as well the unpackaging, which doesn't sound like a big task, but the fridge was covered with Styrofoam, a few pieces of wood and all wrapped in plastic. The problem was that the fridge was on top of a single piece of Styrofoam so it was not an easy task to remove that single piece and we were just me and my young teenager son. In retrospect I should have offered the guys 20 bucks for unpacking it.

[Fietsrad]

If they park illegally, leave the engine running etc, do not give them anything!

You might be justified to refuse the delivery even, and inform the Ordnungsamt.

[Fraufruit]

If they park illegally, leave the engine running etc, do not give them anything!

You might be justified to refuse the delivery even, and inform the Ordnungsamt.

Why would he want to refuse delivery? I'm assuming he ordered the washing machine because he wants/needs it?

[Krieg]

If they park illegally, leave the engine running etc, do not give them anything!

You might be justified to refuse the delivery even, and inform the Ordnungsamt.

They should deliver washing machines by (non electric) bicycles.

[Fietsrad]

Delivery drivers routinely ignore the law. For example completely blocking the footway when there is plenty of space to park on the road, or leaving the engine running, oftentimes several offences at once.

Would it be worth refusing delivery? Does the employer care about offences? Probably not.
..
A good thing to do in theory would be to report them so they are fined, a minus instead of a plus.

[Krieg]

Maybe they often park in double line because they want to be as close to your door as possible since they are carrying things that are extremely heavy. Just an idea.

[Franklan]

It's their job, and they are paid for it, so if you don't tip that's fair enough.

On the other hand it's a shit job and they are not paid well, so if they are polite and friendly, then giving them some money each for a beer after work is going to be appreciated.

Normally I have given workmen who do this kind of thing 5 or 10 Euro each if they did a reasonable job, but I'm probably never going to see particular delivery people again, so I've never felt bad about not giving a tip when I didn't feel like it.

Recently, I ordered 5 crates of beer on Amazon fresh to be delivered to my appartment (I am 55, and I don't have a car, appartment is "Erster Stock", no lift/elevator).

Heartbreaking to see the delivery driver being a lady even older, grafting like a logging horse.

The world ain't fair, and 5 bucks less in my pocket doesn't hurt me, but helps her to make ends meet.

[Fraufruit]

I gave our drink delivery guy a fiver the other day and he put his hand on his heart and lit up like a Christmas tree.

Made my day.

[Keleth]

I tip if I think the person deserves it.
I hope we don´t get into the culture of tips being expected.
Why should we tip delivery drivers just because DHL, Amazon etc pays shitty wages.
When was the last time anyone tipped a server in McDonalds, bank worker etc etc.
When you tip your waitress what about the dishwasher, cleaner etc?

[Fraufruit]

Why should we tip delivery drivers just because DHL, Amazon etc pays shitty wages.

Because we're nice and like helping out others.

When you tip your waitress what about the dishwasher, cleaner etc?

Back when I worked in gastronomy, all tips were collected and shared between all staff. Not sure how they do it now.

[Emkay]

I echo most other replies….we usually tip 10€ per delivery/installation person. We were recently quoted 350€ plus mwst to clear our gutters. 3 stories high. Great chap came over, asked for only 25€ as he was slim enough to get out of the roof Velux windows. We gave him 50€. We were very grateful for his instant help. We usually gave our regular DHL delivery person 30€ Christmas money. Sadly, in the last 2 years, there isn’t a regular delivery person.

[Fietsrad]

Maybe they often park in double line because they want to be as close to your door as possible since they are carrying things that are extremely heavy. Just an idea.

If they park on the road and slow down motor traffic: no problem!

I recently helped a blind person walk to the shops. They should be able to rely on finding no motor vehicles on footways. Parked or moving.

[LukeSkywalker]

I tip if I think the person deserves it.
I hope we don´t get into the culture of tips being expected.
Why should we tip delivery drivers just because DHL, Amazon etc pays shitty wages.
When was the last time anyone tipped a server in McDonalds, bank worker etc etc.
When you tip your waitress what about the dishwasher, cleaner etc?

In my local Edeka the butcher has a Kaffeekasse for tipping, but why would I tip a butcher?

Ten years ago, I ordered a sleeping sofa and two guys delivered it to my apartment on 3rd floor without lift. They also took the old one with them. I gave €10 tip each. It turned out the sleeping sofa was 160 kilos! Now, I would probably tip some more for similar.

[alma.freya]

I gave the man and woman who delivered and unpacked the washing machine 10 € each. They didn't appear to expect it and were very grateful.

[snowingagain]

I am confused about DHL It seems to be more difficult to divert a packet than it used to be. So, you would get a tracking notification, and one of the options was to divert it to a local DHL place, say, if you were not going to be home. But this option is disappearing. If you click on the I info thing, it says it is not available but that you can register with them to allow"Dauerhaft" so all parcels to be delivered to designated DHL place. Fair enough. But it does not work. Set up account at local DHL Filiale. But it only works for parcels that are actually addressed as going there. Anything else goes to pissed off unknown neighbours

Anyone know why this is happening? It used to be so great. And, Lordy, DHL are making Hermes look good.

[Franklan]

Anyone know why this is happening? It used to be so great. [..]

It depends on who delivers:

Is the item so small that it fits into an envelope and the post man can bring it (The yellow dressed guy/gal on a bicycle)?

Or is it so bulky that a driver and the DHL truck needs to come to your place?

It is my experience that - for "small" things - the delivery duty is handed over to the classic mail guy ("ten o'clock postman, bring me a letter")... And they do not give you the "alternative day, alternative address, alternative univers" option...

My situation:
I have had deliveries (packets) that I could successfully reroute to the next DHL station (125m away from my apartment), and I had deliveries (for example, a large envelope) that I could *not* reroute but had to pick it up at a "Postfiliale" in a 2km walking distance...

The question is: Is the "last mile" the DHL lorry guy or is it the "post man"/"mail man"...

[Fraufruit]

Snowing, maybe your neighbors aren't pissed off when they accept a package or is it that obvious? We take a lot of packages for neighbors unless we will be out in the evening. They have a habit of ringing our doorbell at a non-Christian hour in the morning. Also, don't take them if we are traveling next day.

When my doorbell rings and we're not expecting anything, I choose to ignore it sometimes when I just can't be arsed.

When I order things, it usually says what day they will be delivered and it is pretty accurate. Could you order accordingly when you'll be home? I wish my neighbors would.