How Much Should You Tip a Handyman?
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Tipping, regardless of the industry, can be extremely stressful. You don’t want to insult the worker by tipping too much or too little. As a result, everyone wonders who they should tip, how much, and why?
Speaking theoretically and in reference to the social norms of the United States, you should tip any worker who provides an excellent service. Some situations demand tipping, such as when you eat at a restaurant, while other situations find tipping ludicrous, such as when you go to a doctor.
As a result, there’s no one right answer for how to tip, making the process of tipping even more difficult and stressful. Tipping a handyman can especially be a difficult situation since many of them are self-employed, which changes the protocol drastically.
To help you learn how to tip your handyman, we have created this helpful guide. In this guide, we offer key tips, ideas, and traditions when it comes to tipping your handyman. Read on to find out more.
Guide to Tipping Your Handyman
Tipping your handyman can be a tricky situation because there is no one go-to rule, such as when you tip at a restaurant. Tipping your handyman depends on multiple factors, such as who is doing the repairs and performance.
We have broken up how to tip your handyman based on two situations: when the handyman is the business owner and when the handyman is an employee of a repair business. Each situation will warrant different tipping protocols.
Tipping Your Handyman Is Never Expected or Necessary
Before elaborating on the protocols for each situation, it is important to note that tipping your handyman is never necessary or expected, such as when you eat at a restaurant. At the same time, it is not unheard of to tip your handyman. For this reason, you can tip your handyman if you want to, but it is not expected.
The main reason you will want to tip your handyman is if they exceed your expectations, save you money, or find a potentially costly break, allowing you to fix the problem before it becomes a money-drainer. Outside of being surprised or happy with the repair results and experience, you do not need to tip your handyman.
With that out of the way, let’s look at the two different scenarios when it comes to tipping your handyman.
How To Tip Your Handyman
1. When Your Handyman Is the Owner Of The Business
Many repair companies are local, family-run operations. As a result, there’s a very high chance that your handyman is the owner of the business. In most industries, including the repair industry, tipping the owner is often frowned upon since the owner is viewed as your equal. The thought process is that since they own their own business, they do not need to be tipped.
With that being said, you may find yourself completely pleased by the business owner’s performance, causing you to want to tip them, even though they are the owner. If this is the case, there are some alternatives to tipping that will mean much more to the owner than extra cash.
Here are some ways to show your gratitude to a business owner without using money:
- Write an outstanding review online
- Offer to act as a reference for future clients
- Refer the business to a friend
If you have a more personal relationship with the business owner, then you might want to opt for any of the above options or a more personal gift. You may want to consider a bottle of wine, a batch of cookies around the holidays, or tickets to a sporting event. Try to avoid giving a gift card, however, because that is too similar to cash.
If you’re looking for gift ideas, read our guide to 25 Gifts for the Handyman in Your Life.
Quick Tips for Tipping the Business Owner
- Tipping with cash is typically frowned upon
- Don’t tip with a gift card
- Leave a glowing review
- Offer to act as a reference
- Refer the business to a friend
2. When Your Handyman Is an Employee
If your handyman has done something completely remarkable, such as making an early catch on a potentially hazardous wire or allowing your child to “help” fix the problem, you might feel tipping as much as $50 is justified. However, $10 to $20 is a more accurate range for most handyman tipping purposes.
Do not tip below $10, though, because it is a little insulting. So, always try to tip $10 or more if you plan on tipping.
Additionally, it is always a great idea to leave a review, even if your handyman is an employee. Not only will this benefit the business in general, but it will also tell the business owner that that particular employee is a good and customer-oriented one.
Quick Tips for Tipping an Employee
- Don’t tip more than $50
- Don’t tip less than $10
- Leave a glowing review
Conclusion
Tipping your handyman is an excellent idea if they exceeded your expectations and offered great customer service. Although tipping your handyman is not expected, it will certainly be appreciated and leave both you and the handyman satisfied with the experience.
To recap, it is definitely a great idea to tip your handyman if they exceeded your expectations and you were overly satisfied with their service. Tradition typically advises against tipping a business owner, but there is no reason to not offer a gift, leave a glowing review, or refer the business to a friend if you are highly pleased by the repair. If your handyman is an employee, however, tip them as you feel justified, just don’t tip below $10.
Try to go with your intuition when deciding how or how much you want to tip your handyman. Generally speaking, your emotions will help guide you on the pesky terrain of navigating tipping your handyman.
In addition to tipping, always leave a glowing review. Though tipping is appreciated, a great review will help the business get more clients, which will mean more to the business, business owner, and employees in the long run.
Featured Image Credit: Freepik
