As tablet-based card payments have grown in popularity, one question has become more common: “Where am I really supposed to tip?”
Gone are the days when only restaurants and hairdressers asked you for tips. Now, you can find movers, fast-food workers, and even self-checkout machines asking for a gratuity.
But are you really supposed to tip at all of these places? And if so, how much? That’s what one woman is asking herself after placing an appliance order from Home Depot.
What Happened During This Home Depot Delivery?
In her video, TikTok user Chelsea Hoang (@chelsea_hoang) recounts a strange experience she had after ordering a range from Home Depot.
According to Hoang, she purchased a new range from Home Depot. As part of that purchase, she paid $100 for removal of the old range and delivery of the new one.
When the delivery people first arrived, Hoang says they were “really sweet,” removing the original range in less than two minutes.
However, things soon became a bit odd. One of the workers, she says, began complaining about minor problems, such as the incline of the driveway and the width of the area around the front door—neither of which, Hoang says, are a real problem.
From there, Hoang says that the worker began heavily implying that she should tip him.
“He starts getting into, ‘Yeah, the last person, you know…’ and he’s mentioning tipping him, and I’m like—I could tell that he’s telling me that he wants a tip,” Hoang says. “I immediately said… ‘I think I only have, like, $6 cash.’”
“It never even crossed my mind that I would need to tip these guys,” she adds. She then clarifies that she believed that her payment to Home Depot would cover their entire costs.
The Tipping Requests Continue
From here, the worker appeared to apply additional pressure on Hoang to tip. Eventually, Hoang handed over the $6 she had—which, it seems, was not enough to satisfy the worker’s request.
“He goes on to tell me, ‘Well, God’s been, just been blessing us all day. One lady was giving us snacks and drinks and stuff and you…,’” Hoang recalls. “I could tell that he was wanting those things from me. And in my head, I’m like, ‘Do you want my children’s snacks?’”
Hoang offered the delivery people some Dr Pepper, which they turned down. However, the conversation wasn’t over yet.
“Then he was like, ‘And then one lady Zelle’d us,’” Hoang says. This left her “flabbergasted.”
“My dude, I ain’t Zelle-ing you ish. I’m not Zelle-ing you,” she states.
The TikToker then accuses the delivery person of being manipulative and “guilt tripping people into giving you anything and everything that you can get your hands on.”
Finally, the delivery people made their way out—but before they did, they asked Hoang to fill out a survey while they were still standing in front of her.
“What was I supposed to do?” she asks. “I gave them freaking 5 stars across the board because he’s standing there watching me.”
In summary, she calls the entire situation “wild.”
Are You Supposed To Tip Home Depot Delivery People?
On their page about appliance delivery, Home Depot makes no mention of tipping. Additionally, many Home Depot workers say they’re not allowed to accept tips.
However, appliance delivery is usually subcontracted. This means that the workers do not have to follow the same rules as Home Depot—including rules around tipping.
So, should you tip your appliance delivery person?
The question doesn’t have a solid answer. Internet threads on the topic generally agree that tipping is not required. However, many note that delivery people often appreciate cold drinks or snacks, and that if you’d like to tip, your delivery person will gladly accept it.
As far as how much one should tip (if they do decide to offer gratuity), a few dollars is generally more than enough. Reddit threads suggest less than $10. One appliance delivery site says that, if you choose to tip, $5 to $20 per person is adequate. TODAY states “$10 to $20 per delivery person for a job well done.”
In short, the advice is incredibly varied—so the answer to how much you should tip is simply “Whatever you feel comfortable with.”
@chelsea_hoang Honestly, what just happened? #homedepot #tip #tips #wild #what
Commenters Say She Shouldn’t Tip
In the comments section of Hoang’s video, users generally agreed that tipping wasn’t necessary in this situation.
“I just had 2 appliances delivered to an apartment we were renovating for the next tenants. We ordered from PC Richards. The delivery guys did the same to me and we had already paid for the delivery service. It was a third party and these guys were rude and speaking another language to each other,” recalled a user. “I told them that I had no tip money or cash and he said ‘we have cash app,’ I said no, we paid for this service already. I literally couldn’t believe it.”
“That would make me so uncomfortable! If someone is in my home for a long period of time, I will offer you a bottle of water,” added another. “I’m not tipping you, especially with the prices we’re paying nowadays! I would definitely make a complaint.”
“I do hvac. my husband is a plumber. we carry gas furnaces and water heaters and boilers in and out every day. It’s our job. that’s what we are hired to do,” offered a third. “a tip is nice but never expected. Entitlement is out of control.”
BroBible reached out to Home Depot via email and Hoang via TikTok direct message and comment.