Tipping is an important part of US culture and you do well to know when to dip your hand into your pocket and when to keep your wallet firmly closed.
Knowing this can help you save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars each year and can also save your blushes when you fail to tip when you really should.
But what about TV guys?
If you’re having a new TV delivered, installed or have called out a technician for TV repair, you might be wondering what the etiquette is when it comes to tipping.
To put you in the frame, we’ve researched what the common custom is, how much you should tip if anything, how much these workers earn, and much more.
Keep reading to find out…
Do You Need to Tip a TV Installer, Repair, or Delivery Guy? The Short Answer
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to tipping this type of technician or workman. The same customs don’t apply like they do when you tip at a restaurant or for food delivery but we’ve covered below when you might want to tip.
TV Installer
You’re unlikely to raise any eyebrows if you don’t tip but if they do the work to a good standard, leave their workplace clean and tidy and do the job efficiently, then we normally provide a tip of about $5-10. We increase this if they’ve delivered and carried the TV in or are taking your old TV away;
TV Repairman
Again, you’re unlikely to ruffle any feather by not tipping them. There is no custom to do so. We might again offer $5-10 if they do a decent job, albeit some companies bar their employees from taking tips;
TV Delivery
It’s generally acceptable and quite common to tip delivery people in the US and we tend to do so, especially if it’s a large TV that weighs a lot and it’s being carried up our drive or to a distant part of our house. Again, $5-10 is appropriate but offer more if installation is included or they’re taking your old TV away.
How Much do TV Installer, Delivery, and Repair Guys Earn?
Another key factor for most people is to consider how much a worker earns.
If a worker is relying on tips to get by, we tend to tip more often.
But what about TV guys?
Well according to Indeed, the average TV delivery guy earns $20.72 per hour so about $42,000 a year based on a 40-hour work week.
An installer earns around $23 an hour so around $48,000 per year and TV repair technicians around $43,000 per year.
So they all earn around the same ballpark figure of around $40,000 – $50,000 per year.
Given that the average yearly US salary was $54,132 in 2022, TV guys earn quite a bit below that, albeit not ridiculously so.
We’ll leave it up to your good judgment as to whether that below-average salary means you tip or tip more.
We tend to give this some weight when deciding whether and how much to tip.
How Much Does TV Delivery, Repair, and Installation Cost?
Another key factor most people will consider is how much the service will cost in the first place.
If it’s going to cost you a king’s ransom, will you really want to tip if you don’t have to?
Perhaps not!
Well, the average cost of shipping a TV is around $100 but of course, many companies provide free delivery so you won’t have to pay (For example, Amazon Prime provides free delivery on most orders).
The average installation cost is between $158 – $360 and the average repair cost is between $100 – $300.
How Much Should You Tip a TV Installer, Repair or Delivery Guy?
The going rate in the US is about 15-20% of the total cost of the goods or services.
However, we wouldn’t generally recommend applying that in this scenario.
No one wants to pay 15-20% on the average cost of installation or repair which, as above, is about $250 and $200 respectively.
A better way of calculating a tip is just to pay a fixed sum and we think $5-10 is plenty. As above, increase this if the TV guy is doing more than one task (e.g. delivery and installation).
Other ways to tip could include:
- Verbal praise
- Leaving a Google review
- A thank you card
- Food and drink
- Writing to the employer to say thank you.
Any tip, monetary or otherwise, is likely to be well received.
When to Tip More, Tip Less, or Not At All?
There will be times when you might be feeling a little more generous than usual.
And also times when you simply feel obliged to tip or to tip more.
Here are some scenarios when you might want to dip that bit further in your wallet:
- If the TV guy has come out during unsocial hours
- If the TV guy has come out in bad weather such as snow
- If you’ve had a huge 88″ beast of a TV delivered or you’ve had the TV taken to some remote location in your house
- If it’s around the holidays
- If the workmanship has been excellent or surpassed your expectations
On the flip side, perhaps withhold a tip or tip less if:
- The TV guy is rude or unprofessional
- Your TV is damaged
- If the workmanship is poor
- If your property is left in a mess or the technician fails to tidy up after himself
- If the delivery is late or to the wrong address
Final Thoughts
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to tipping TV guys but we tend to offer them a little something, especially for a job well done or if it’s a heavy load that they’ve carried.
However, don’t feel obliged to tip and if you don’t want to part with your hard-earned cash, a simple non-monetary tip will likely be more than enough.
Remember that some TV guys are debarred from accepting tips as a matter of company policy as we found out when we looked at whether to tip Verizon technicians so don’t be offended if they refuse your offering.
