ABT is a well now electronics and furniture retailer founded in 1936 and employs some 1,650 people.
With a gross turnover of $12 billion, it is one of the largest electronics and furniture retailers in the country.
If you’re having electronics or furniture delivered by them then you may be wondering whether you should be dipping into your pocket to provide a tip.
This post takes a closer look at what the etiquette is for tipping an ABT driver, how much you should tip (if anything), and other useful information like an ABT delivery driver’s salary and the cost of delivery.
Hopefully this research will help you determine whether you should be tipping and how much.
Let’s take a closer look…
Should You Tip an ABT Delivery Driver?
While you shouldn’t feel obliged to tip the driver, it is normally customary to tip delivery drivers (especially heavy goods deliveries) and we’d recommend somewhere in the region of $5-$20 and splitting this between two if a driver and an assistant have turned up.
How Much Does an ABT Delivery Driver Make?
We appreciate that how much you tip someone (if anything) is often determined by the type of work they do and well they are remunerated.
For some jobs like coffee shop workers and grocery delivery drivers, you may feel it’s worth tipping as they earn very little, in other professions such as AC installers they earn a respectable salary to begin with so you may feel less inclined.
However, most of the time delivery drivers should be tipped as we discovered when we looked at whether to tip Raymour and Flanigan furniture delivery.
We’ve taken a look at ABT drivers’ salary and benefits package and discovered the following:
As you can see, their hourly rate starts at $23 but this will rise based on experience.
According to Indeed, the average hourly rate in the USA is $29.81 so $23 is slightly below that, although we acknowledge $23 is just a minimum rate and we suspect most drivers earn a lot more than that and closer to, if not more, than the $29.81 average.
This is supported by the fact that ABT advertises a 12-month salary of $55,000+ which is above the average yearly US salary of $53,490.
On that basis, you may feel an ABT driver’s salary is not crying out to be supplemented by tips unless they are new on the job.
How Much Does ABT Delivery Cost?
We headed over to ABT’s website to take a look at their shipping rates and we found that most (if not all) items come with free shipping – this is similar to what we found when looking at whether to tip Costco delivery. That included everything from executive home office desks (that probably weigh a ton), right down to smartwatches.
On that basis, you will have saved some money on shipping costs which may mean you can be a little bit more generous with a tip.
However, you should note that if you select the installation service that ABT offers, then this will cost anything from $19 right up to $1800 depending on the item being installed.
You can check the installation price list for the prices of installation of specific items.
How Much Should You Tip ABT Delivery?
It is customary to tip 10-20% of the goods or services in the USA but given delivery is free then we’d propose somewhere in the region of $5 – $20.
We wouldn’t recommend tipping anything less than $5.
Delivery work can be hard manual work, especially if the driver is handling a heavy delivery for you such as a TV or washing machine.
You may wish to provide a little more if you have selected the installation services.
Are ABT Drivers Allowed to Accept Tips?
Our research indicates that some ABT drivers have refused to take tips, while others have accepted them so it will likely be a matter of asking your driver whether they are willing to take a tip. Don’t be offended if they refuse.
When You Should and Shouldn’t Tip
It’s important to remember that ABT drivers won’t necessarily be expecting a tip so you’re unlikely to be looked on unfavorably for not dipping your hand into your pocket.
However, there will certainly be times when you might feel it is good conscience to offer a tip, especially if:
- The driver has gone above and beyond – for example if they’ve carried the item into an upstairs room or around to the backyard
- The driver has been courteous, professional, and polite
- The driver has come out in bad weather such as snow or heavy rain
- The workmanship is of excellent quality (if you pay for installation)
- It’s Christmas, Thanksgiving, or another public holiday
On the flip side, you may feel like withholding a tip if:
- The driver has been rude or unprofessional
- The delivery was late
- The delivery was to the wrong address
- The items are damaged or not as expected
- The workmanship is slow, untidy, or poor (if you pay for installation)
Summary
ABT drivers generally receive a good salary and benefits package according to our research so a tip isn’t really required to supplement their income like it is in others professions.
However, delivery work can be arduous, especially if you’re having delivered bulky electronic or furniture items such as a fridge or bed.
On that basis, you may feel it is in good conscience to offer a tip, especially if the delivery driver has been professional and has done his/her job well.
After all, shipping is free on most items delivered by ABT so you’ll have saved some cash there already.
If you do feel like tipping, then we suggest 5-20$ is suitable and adequate, albeit you may wish to increase that amount if you’ve ordered the white-glove service where installation is provided (at a cost).
There will clearly be times when a tip is not warranted and we’ve covered some of those examples above. Given most ABT drivers won’t be expecting a tip, it’s unlikely you’ll be looked upon negatively for not offering one in any event.
So in summary, a tip isn’t necessarily required but you still may feel it’s warranted if you’re feeling generous.
