Moving to Singapore? Ask our regular expats in Singapore questions on relocation and their experience here. Ask about banking, employment pass, insurance, visa, work permit, citizenship or immigration issues.
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Brooklynjenn
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by Brooklynjenn » Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:32 pm
Tomorrow we move into our apartment. At home, movers definitely expected a tip, sometimes an outrageous amount. Is it expected here? If so, how much?
Way over-tipped at the hair salon yesterday according to the archives. My agent is local, he says no tips for anyone. Need some guidance with the movers. Thank you!
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generalsu
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by generalsu » Fri, 14 Oct 2011 5:25 am
Brooklynjenn wrote:Tomorrow we move into our apartment. At home, movers definitely expected a tip, sometimes an outrageous amount. Is it expected here? If so, how much?
Way over-tipped at the hair salon yesterday according to the archives. My agent is local, he says no tips for anyone. Need some guidance with the movers. Thank you!
Tipping is not customary here in Asia. The years I have been living in SG, I haven't tip anyone and that's including the cab driver, waiters and waitresses, guards, landlords and landladies, my employer, my roommates, this forum users and anyone else that I have come across. They are all fine with it and no one gets angry with me for not tipping. I know the situation in America is you gotta tip tip tip or they kill ya! Thank God not here in SG and the services are still top notch.
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x9200
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by x9200 » Fri, 14 Oct 2011 7:54 am
Brooklynjenn wrote:Tomorrow we move into our apartment. At home, movers definitely expected a tip, sometimes an outrageous amount. Is it expected here? If so, how much?
Way over-tipped at the hair salon yesterday according to the archives. My agent is local, he says no tips for anyone. Need some guidance with the movers. Thank you!
Tipping habits in Singapore are very reasonable. You tip only for quality service if you are really convinced someone deserves it. That's why probably tipping is here rather infrequent. You may tip your movers as appreciation if they do not damage anything. It will be the quality service I mentioned above.
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Saint
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by Saint » Fri, 14 Oct 2011 8:42 am
Brooklynjenn wrote:Tomorrow we move into our apartment. At home, movers definitely expected a tip, sometimes an outrageous amount. Is it expected here? If so, how much?
Way over-tipped at the hair salon yesterday according to the archives. My agent is local, he says no tips for anyone. Need some guidance with the movers. Thank you!
I've always tipped the movers here, S$50 is probably the right amount and a few cans of drinks ready for them. Most of these guys come in daily from Malaysia looking for casual work and are paid poorly so an extra S$10 is well appreciated.
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Brooklynjenn
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by Brooklynjenn » Fri, 14 Oct 2011 9:50 am
That all sounds perfectly reasonable, thanks! I once had a driver in the states yell at me for tipping $60 for three and a half hours work moving a one bedroom apartment. I had done all the packing myself, it was just loading and unloading the van. I had also provided lunch and drinks. I was a college student, I had no idea and it seemed like a lot of money to me. It makes it easier to know what is espected. Thanks for your help!
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BillyB
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by BillyB » Fri, 14 Oct 2011 11:08 am
Saint wrote:Brooklynjenn wrote:Tomorrow we move into our apartment. At home, movers definitely expected a tip, sometimes an outrageous amount. Is it expected here? If so, how much?
Way over-tipped at the hair salon yesterday according to the archives. My agent is local, he says no tips for anyone. Need some guidance with the movers. Thank you!
I've always tipped the movers here, S$50 is probably the right amount and a few cans of drinks ready for them. Most of these guys come in daily from Malaysia looking for casual work and are paid poorly so an extra S$10 is well appreciated.
+1
$50-100 dollars for half day or full day of moving, respectively, is fair game. Probably more if they don't take the legs off your chippendale table when taking it through the door.....
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gravida
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by gravida » Fri, 14 Oct 2011 11:04 pm
Goodness, should I really tip guys for: scratching parquet floors both in the old and new place; breaking expensive vase (not an accident, negligence); scratching at least three different pieces of furniture; partially breaking my child's exersaucer and staining it with some oily substance (where did they put it? It was covered with protective foil); throwing boxes signed with huge bold text "fragile" printed on a red paper, so the content broke and so on? Tip for a service like that, which we were charged over $1.5k?
No, IMHO, it is enough we did not asked them to cover up for the damages (as one guy in particular was messing up and all of them will have to pay from their pockets apparently, according to the company rules).
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cbavasi
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by cbavasi » Sat, 15 Oct 2011 12:43 am
We've moved 3x in Singapore - I've always tipped the movers - but always on the 2nd day of the move and I tip the foreman in the presence of the other men so it's split.
We've never had any issues with our moves. (Have also lived in NYC 10 years and have had stuff held on the truck during one inter-city move until I agreed to pay more so am a hardened "movee").
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gravida
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by gravida » Sat, 15 Oct 2011 6:56 am
cbavasi wrote: have had stuff held on the truck during one inter-city move until I agreed to pay more so am a hardened "movee").
Please, do not tell me you have tipped them too

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BillyB
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by BillyB » Sat, 15 Oct 2011 8:29 am
gravida wrote:Goodness, should I really tip guys for: scratching parquet floors both in the old and new place; breaking expensive vase (not an accident, negligence); scratching at least three different pieces of furniture; partially breaking my child's exersaucer and staining it with some oily substance (where did they put it? It was covered with protective foil); throwing boxes signed with huge bold text "fragile" printed on a red paper, so the content broke and so on? Tip for a service like that, which we were charged over $1.5k?
No, IMHO, it is enough we did not asked them to cover up for the damages (as one guy in particular was messing up and all of them will have to pay from their pockets apparently, according to the company rules).
Common sense would suggest that you aint gonna tip if you get bad service for anything, and moving should be no different.
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cbavasi
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by cbavasi » Sat, 15 Oct 2011 12:37 pm
gravida wrote:cbavasi wrote: have had stuff held on the truck during one inter-city move until I agreed to pay more so am a hardened "movee").
Please, do not tell me you have tipped them too

Unfortunately I was living in such a bad neighborhood I probably did!

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moversrhs
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by moversrhs » Sat, 20 Oct 2018 1:09 am
Depending on their service. If you find it good, a small tipping is appreciate
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sundaymorningstaple
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by sundaymorningstaple » Sat, 20 Oct 2018 9:56 pm
tic...toc...tic...toc...
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers
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Movers with storage
Replies: 1
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Hi everyone, could I get a recommendation on movers who also provide storage services? There will be roughly a 1 month gap between our currenr lease...
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Exped moving services. 5 stars on 79 reviews, open 24 hours, and offers storage services in addition to moving services. I’m not sure about the price...
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Last post by Lisafuller
Mon, 29 Mar 2021 12:36 pm
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How to pick movers ?
Replies: 7
First post
Hi all !
I am new to Singapore and been here for about a year now and the landlord decided to move in so I am relocating..
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Last post by Therese White
Tue, 10 May 2022 8:28 pm
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House movers
Replies: 1
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Anyone has a good local mover to recommend? Reasonable rates, polite and efficient. Thanks
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Family friend moved into a new condo recently and we helped with parts of the move. Shalom movers was really great.
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Last post by Lisafuller
Tue, 26 Jul 2022 4:12 am
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Recommendations for movers back to the US
Replies: 19
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Well, time really flew by, and I'm hitting the 2 year limit of my stay in Singapore soon.
I'm prepping for the move back to the States in Aug, and...
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The question is whether or not will settle in Miami or up north, where it's a lot colder. If we decide to return to Florida, we'll try getting a...
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Last post by Lisafuller
Fri, 27 Jan 2023 1:50 am
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