Tipping furniture delivery people...

[BookstoreEscapee]

I just ordered my new big-girl bed! and it is being delivered tomorrow afternoon. I am wondering about tipping the delivery person/people. Specifically, should I and how much?

They will be delivering and setting up the bed, and removing my old mattress and box spring, and bringing the old frame down to the dumpster (the saleswoman told me they are not allowed to take the metal frame because it can damage the new merchandise they have on the truck, so they are only allowed to take the mattress/box spring). They charge $5 for each piece they take with them, but I don't think I can get away with putting an entire mattress set in the dumpster, especially on a weekend! I figure it's a small price to pay for not having to deal with getting rid of it myself. (Though my roommate gave me a good idea - a friend of hers said that I could donate them to an animal shelter for doggie beds, which I would totally do but I don't have a big enough vehicle to get them there, and I also don't have room to keep them here until I would be able to find a place to donate them.)

So, anyway, what do I tip? Any recent furniture buyers? Kusanagi?

On a related note, I went to the 1-800-Mattress store and the salesperson was really great. When I went to Sleepy's they were really pushy and trying to get me to buy right then and spend more than I was prepared to drop on the spur of the moment (especially as it was the first place I went and I didn't exactly know what I was looking for). I knew what my roomate had spent and they were trying to sell me on almost $500 more than she spent. Needless to say, I did not buy then. I was more prepared tonight. I wrote down what my roommate has, because she is very happy with her bed, and I would have just called and ordered the same thing except it is a little too firm for me. I told the woman at 1-800-Mattress what she had gotten, to give her an idea of my price range and what I was looking for, and she showed me the same bed with a cushion top, and then recommended another bed that was the same price, that had a memory foam layer instead of the regular cushion. Then she left me alone to lay around on them and see what I liked. Then I asked a few questions, and she showed me the sample pieces they have to show you what's actually in the bed, and then left me alone to do a little more testing. Then I decided on one and ordered it. I do not like being pressured to make such a large purchase, and I was very happy to give my business to the person who was helpful without being pushy. :) I'm even thinking of seeing if they have an email for comments and letting them know how much I liked her.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Well, never mind, cuz they've come and gone. I did a little google search, and gave them a $20 to split. I was going to run over to 7-11 and get a drink so I could break the 20 and give them each $10 (since all I had was 2 fives and twenties), but as I was about to pull out of my spot I saw their truck pull in to the lot. So I flagged them down, asked if they were looking for my apartment, and pointed them in the direction...then ran ahead to open the door and strip the sheets off my bed and move the night stand out of the way. I wasn't ready cuz they were early! The window was 12-4, and they came just after 11:30. They set up the bed and took away the old one in like 10 minutes.

So now I guess I have to go decide on a bedspread. I would have gone to get sheets and stuff last night after I ordered the bed but I didn't have my massive stack of coupons for Bed Bath & Beyond with me.


<dances> I have a big girl bed!!! :D

[Ree]

Sounds like a great bed. A friend of mine has a memory foam mattress and she loves it.

Congrats on the "big girl bed"! Hope you enjoy it.

[Crazeyal]

Yeah.. Tip the people who lug heavy furniture up stairs, around bends and through messy MESSY yards all day. They deserve it! (although there *IS* the factor of the not-so-small minority of workers who are drunk inbred scum... Lifting stuff does NOT mean breaking everything in the room!!!.. but thats another story!):angel:

[BookstoreEscapee]

Yeah, Ree, it's a regular innerspring mattress with a layer of memory foam at the top, but inside the covering. It's really comfy. The other one I was looking at had the extra cushion just sewn to the top (otherwise it was the the same bed as my roomie's); it was nice but I liked the other better.

So I spent the evening running around looking for bedding. I had a stack of Bed Bath & Beyond coupons but they didn't have a bedspread I liked. Then I looked in Target. Then I decided to spring for the one I really liked at Linens n Things (which I saw a few weeks ago), for which I also had a coupon. Then I went to my parents' house to get my mail and looked at the Sunday circulars from tomorrow's paper (yeah, we get all that crap on Saturday), and found another LnT coupon, so I decided to go back and get the matching bed skirt. Then I went back to Target and BB&B looking for sheets (cuz I wasn't spending 70 bucks for the matching sheets - besides, the matching sheets are the same ones my roommate has, and that's a little Single White Female for me), and found some really soft sheets just the right color blue for $40 after the 20% off. I liked them better than the ones at Target and they were only $5 more with the discount so I got 'em. (Besides, the ones at Target didn't say how deep they were and I wanted to make sure they would fit this foot-thick mattress.

All in all, I went to BB&B and LnT twice each, and Target 3 times tonight. And my parents' washing machine is leaking and it is now too late to go to the laundromat and wash all my lovely new bedding. :rolleyes:

Crazeyal - I wanted to tip them separately instead of making them split it later, but I didn't have a chance to get smaller bills...oh, well. I told the one guy it was for them to split and apologized that it was all I had. If they hadn't been so darn...punctual...I would have ;). And the only thing broken was the plastic snowflake that got knocked off the wreath on the door (it's more "winter" than "Christmas" so we decided to leave it up for a bit longer), which is easily fixed with a quick shot of the glue gun.

(And I do believe they took the bed frame with them, even though the girl at the store said they couldn't. I saw them heading toward the truck with it, and I didn't notice it in the dumpster, so technically I guess I owe them another 5 bucks. :D)

Now all I need is a ladder to get up on this thing...hehe..:p

[Becks]

I don't think I tipped the guys when they delivered my mattress and boxspring four years ago. :ashamed:

[BookstoreEscapee]

OMG!!! Pure Beech Jersey Knit Modal Blend sheets from Bed Bath & Beyond...it's like lying on your favorite t-shirt...but queen size! :D They're really light and soft, and as the the really soft sheets go at BB&B, they weren't too expensive, either. Some of the really nice-feeling ones were $80 or more for a set; plus a lot of them aren't sold as sets, either, so you're looking at 30 bucks for each sheet and another 30 for 2 pillow cases. No thank you! These were $49.99 for a queen set and I have enough BB&B coupons to last me until kingdom come (I even gave one to the woman behind me in line when she asked where I got them - that's how many my mom has collected; oh yeah, all the ones she gave me expired in 2006. Though the more mail we get at the new place, the more it looks like we'll have our own stash before long...;)) so I just might have to get another set. They seem to wrinkle a bit more than regular sheets but really, who's looking that closely at my sheets?**

I highly recommend. :)


**no one, unfortunately, but I digress...:blink:

edit: I noticed a small pull in the fitted sheet, but it's at the foot of the bed and I don't know that it's worth taking them back for that...I'm gonna wash them tomorrow so I'll take a closer look then...

[aniwahya]

Is it wrong of me that every time I read this thread title I think of Furniture Deliveryman Tipping as a new sport, ala Cow tipping? >.>

[Caveat Emptor]

You know, I never have tipped for furniture delivery. I follow the example of my parents, who are very courteous and taught me my manners, and I never recall them tipping for delivery. I am getting three new pieces of furniture next weekend, and they're charging $75 for delivery so I figured that was good enough already.

[draggar]

$20 / $10 each (IMO) is a fair tip for them since they're usually in and out in no time. When my sister-in-law moved, she gave us her daybed and the movers said that they could deliver it to our place, just add on the time (we live on they way anyway). I ended up giving my sister-in-law $20 for the time and the two guys $20 for the bed.

[BookstoreEscapee]

aahhhh....new bed....

this has been one very expensive weekend ... so much for my expense-tracking on my Discover card for the month. My last bill was $700 and there wasn't anything "big" on it, so I decided to start keeping track of what I was putting on it. I've been using it a lot for groceries and gas and everything else, but I pay it off at the end of the month. Plus there was Christmas stuff too...on the other hand I haven't been using up my cash quite so quickly, since I mostly use it for lunch at work and other small things.

I think while I'm at it I may as well spring for new pillows...the ones I like are $30 each so I was putting it off...

My bedspread (http://www.lnt.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2467815&cp=1331605.1331626.1331988&parentPage=family) which I love! I think the bedskirt will have to wait until I have help, though. I was looking at a different bed in a bag set with the same color scheme, and despite the fact that it comes with sheets and shams and the whole bit for a little less money, I didn't like the fabric as much.

Now my only other "big" purchase I need to make is bookshelves. Which I think I will have to recruit my dad's help because I want to get the 5-shelf unit (and probably 2 of 'em) and while the people at HD or Lowe's would help me get them in the car (assuming they fit in my car; I might need my mom's anyway), I don't see me lugging them up the stairs by myself. Or putting them together, for that matter.

Oh, and aniwahya, somehow I don't think the delivery guys would appreciate being "tipped" :lol:

[Jack T. Chance]

I just ordered my new big-girl bed! and it is being delivered tomorrow afternoon. I am wondering about tipping the delivery person/people. Specifically, should I and how much?Having worked in the home furnishings industry for a little over 6 years total, I can tell you only what I've been told at every store I've worked at in this industry: The delivery guys are paid pretty well for their work and are not supposed to expect a tip. I, as a salesperson, will inform you of this, and will also tell you that you, as a customer, are not required to tip. However... IF you decide that the guys did a really great job and you feel that they deserve a little something extra, well, that's between you and the delivery guys. ;)On a related note, I went to the 1-800-Mattress store and the salesperson was really great. When I went to Sleepy's they were really pushy and trying to get me to buy right then and spend more than I was prepared to drop on the spur of the moment (especially as it was the first place I went and I didn't exactly know what I was looking for). I knew what my roomate had spent and they were trying to sell me on almost $500 more than she spent. Needless to say, I did not buy then. I was more prepared tonight. I wrote down what my roommate has, because she is very happy with her bed, and I would have just called and ordered the same thing except it is a little too firm for me. I told the woman at 1-800-Mattress what she had gotten, to give her an idea of my price range and what I was looking for, and she showed me the same bed with a cushion top, and then recommended another bed that was the same price, that had a memory foam layer instead of the regular cushion. Then she left me alone to lay around on them and see what I liked. Then I asked a few questions, and she showed me the sample pieces they have to show you what's actually in the bed, and then left me alone to do a little more testing. Then I decided on one and ordered it. I do not like being pressured to make such a large purchase, and I was very happy to give my business to the person who was helpful without being pushy. :-) I'm even thinking of seeing if they have an email for comments and letting them know how much I liked her.I'm glad to hear that you had such a great experience at 1-800-Mattress, which, by the way, is a company that has the Better Business Bureau's highest rating, AAA! They're well known for treating their customers fairly, and for providing excellent customer service. :)

As for Sleepy's... well, let's just say that there's a reason even their OWN EMPLOYEES refer to them as "Sleazy's"! ;)Now all I need is a ladder to get up on this thing...hehe..:pYou should've had them give you a low-profile box spring instead of the regular one! That would've offset the added height from the extra thick padding! ;)They seem to wrinkle a bit more than regular sheets but really, who's looking that closely at my sheets?**

**no one, unfortunately, but I digress...:blink:Now that's just a shame right there. No one should have to break in their brand new mattress by themselves. :no:

--Dan (who sells mattresses for a living... and will, sadly, have to break in his next mattress by himself. :()

[BookstoreEscapee]

You should've had them give you a low-profile box spring instead of the regular one! That would've offset the added height from the extra thick padding!

I didn't even think of that. My mom mentioned it too, after I had already gotten it. I didn't really notice the height in the store. It's not really that high. If I was 5 feet tall I might have a problem. It just feels weird cuz I'm not used to it.

Now that's just a shame right there. No one should have to break in their brand new mattress by themselves. :no:

--Dan (who sells mattresses for a living... and will, sadly, have to break in his next mattress by himself. :()


:lol:

I'm sorry.

[Jack T. Chance]

I didn't even think of that. My mom mentioned it too, after I had already gotten it. I didn't really notice the height in the store. It's not really that high. If I was 5 feet tall I might have a problem. It just feels weird cuz I'm not used to it.Well, speaking only for myself, I usually mention the low-profile box to customers that are looking at pillowtops, and ask them which box spring height they think they'd like better. :):lol:

I'm sorry.Don't be. It's not your fault. :)

Myself, I blame the overly picky women in the DC area! ;)

[Caveat Emptor]

I got a new mattress a few weeks ago and just had a new entertainment center, dresser and nightstand delivered today (thank you Mom!! :D) The bed is heavenly. One of the deliverymen today was a tad eccentric, he asked if I was happy and said I should do a "happy dance" (then proceeded to jump up and down in a "demonstration" :confused: :rolleyes:) After they finished placing the e-center, he gave me one of those bows you see the Buddhist monks do with putting the hands together. :rolleyes::rolleyes:

[BookstoreEscapee]

Well, speaking only for myself, I usually mention the low-profile box to customers that are looking at pillowtops, and ask them which box spring height they think they'd like better. :)

Yeah, the sales girl didn't mention it, or I would have gone for the lower one, if I had known it was an option.

(And I keep calling her "girl" only because she said she was 24. Which I found out because she was shocked when I mentioned I was 32. ;))