Three Things To Know About Tipping Your Tow Truck Driver
You experience a moment or two of panic when your car breaks down either on the side of the road or in a random parking lot, but you'll quickly begin to feel calmer once you've called a towing service and are told that a tow truck operator is on the way. As you sit in your vehicle and wait for the tow truck to arrive, you might once again experience a moment of anxiety as you wonder whether you should tip the driver for providing this helpful service. Any driver should take a few minutes to get acquainted with the tipping protocol for getting the help of a towing service. Here are three things for you to know.
Check If The Service Has A Tipping Policy
Many towing services will tell you that you shouldn't feel obligated to tip the driver but that you can tip if you wish to recognize exemplary service. Other companies will explicitly state that they use a no-tipping policy. The simplest way to know where you stand with the towing service that you've called is to simply ask about the company's tipping policy when you call the dispatcher to arrange your tow. Either way, you'll feel confident moving forward.
Keep This Guideline In Mind
If you decide that you'd like to tip as a way to express your thanks to the tow truck driver, you can plan to tip around $10. The best way to give the tip is to do so in cash once you've been towed to your desired destination. If you've called a towing service for help but the driver was able to perform a service that prevented you from having to be towed, it's also appropriate to tip. For example, you can plan to tip around $5 or slightly more to a tow truck driver who boosts your battery so that you aren't stranded.
Evaluate The Tipping Factors
The tipping guideline is simply a general idea of what's appropriate to tip, but you can feel comfortable tipping a little extra if you are especially pleased with the driver's care or degree of help. For example, if you find that the driver got to your location extremely quickly, you might wish to tip more. You can also tip a little more generously if the driver was quick to hook up your vehicle and get it off the side of the road or if he was exceedingly friendly to you.
Contact a local towing company, like Michael's Towing & Recovery Service or another location, for more information on appropriate tipping.