When I was just out of college I worked at a furniture store and the delivery personnel were not allowed to take tips. It was even something written into the contracts at the bottom.

I just had several appliances delivered in November and did not tip. If I am paying for delivery and extra for set up, then I do not see the need to tip.

Whether or not you're paying for the service has no bearing on what the delivery men are paid.

As far as I know, tips are neither mandatory nor expected. But if the guys are cordial, careful about not damaging or dirtying my home, and take away all packing materials (or at least honor my request to take it and not just leave it by my garbage cans) then I'll typically tip. Two guys would probably get $10 each.

I tipped the delivery guys... I don't remember how much, I think $10 each... but they delivered a fridge, DW, range and hood and did an excellent job. The appliance delivery was something I had been a little worried about for a while. I just didn't want them to do anything like drop the new range, or scratch the floor. Nothing bad at all happened and they were awesome.

I think that the public norms about appropriate tipping have become pretty darn fuzzy. There are many, many circumstances where I'm no longer sure what's expected (or whether expectations are reasonable). With that said, I tipped the guys who delivered and installed our range and hood on Monday. They arrived on time, were easy to deal with, and did a good job. They didn't seem to expect a tip, but I followed them out to the van on their way out and I forked over 2 twenties (one for each guy) -- it was lunchtime, give or take, and I said something about the tip covering lunch. They seemed pretty glad to have it.

It depends.
Never comes up in the case of a certain large dept. store because the prepaid driver/helper of the supposedly farmed out delivery service team usually show up unannounced on the wrong day at the wrong time and ignore any special handling requests.

In the case of someone who is obviously careful, self employed, and working for local businesses, I would be more willing "to help with the gas" given the escalating fuel costs all of them are facing.

If they do more that the agreement called for.

I paid for curbside delivery.

Guy brought up two stairs up on my side porch.

Halled away the pallet and extra trash.

Gave him $10.

Yup if they do something over and above, but these days everyone has their hand out. When I had my large screen TV delivered, they handed me a clipboard to sign for the delivery, the clipboard had a bunch of $20 bills under the clip. Nice try, guys.

I don't much care what's "expected". When I see ordinary -- which is to say typically careless, cursory, minimal -- effort expended so the job can be "finished" and they can move along to the next one, I don't tip. The service was arranged as part of the deal originally and that's what they have to do. They've done what they "have to" and I've already done what I "have to".

However, when I see obvious care and concern for a job done thoroughly, correctly, and carefully, I do tip and verbally express my notice of the difference I've seen compared with what I usually encounter. And I call their boss and tell them, too.

I would be pleased to do it every time. But, alas, the opportunity is too infrequent.

Generally, I don't tip appliance delivery people unless they do a noteworthy job above and beyond what is expected (which is kind of tough if it is a simple drop off of an appliance).

If they do something extra or clearly above and beyond, I'll tip. $10 is fine, maybe more if something fantastic.

Sometimes, I'll ask them to move something else large for which I will tip quite a bit... $20+ per person depending on how difficult it was.

ecranny, you have a good selection of views to read above. But implementation in the moment can be hard. Since you are from a place with different norms, remember this about tipping in general: you are in charge, it's not up to them to direct you about how to tip. It might be helpful to you if they helped you understand something, if you were a really fresh new immigrant. But not now, and not when you have your own ideas about tipping. I have 4 levels of tip: big, average, complaint, and none. I follow the same guidelines as the others have posted above. If I elect not to tip in any situation, then yes immediately following that decision they may react, and yes that reaction is one that I've already foreseen and I've chosen consciously not to show hurt by any try they make, or that anything can turn me to self doubt where I end up taking back the decision. I've seen lots of situations where "foreigners" get directed how to tip. Don't let that happen to you. Show you know your way around and they'll lean less on you, be nicer, and maybe deserve some support.

Depends.
If they just do exactly what you have already paid for them to do and nothing else then I usually tip nothing.

In the case of our last delivery which was our new Refrigerator they took our old fridge (huge big black monster of a fridge) up to the street so it was waiting for the people that bought it.
I tipped them $20 in that case.

I'm a fan of tipping. In fact, I tip each of the guys $10 when they arrive, before they've even done anything. Guess what: then they do a great job, are polite, clean up, etc. If I'm paying thousands, what's an extra .1% to ensure better service at the last minute, when it counts the most.

It's the same reason I tip the bartender $20 after my first beer. Then he always notices me at the crowded bar for the rest of the night.

I would like to tip, but for some reason it never works out right. When our new refrigerator was delivered I asked the nice deliverymen to please pull the old Frigidaire out from the wall and move it out into the driveway where my Nephew Maurice could clean it out for the Goodwill truck. When they were rolling it across the floor, my Chihuahua Midget came bursting out of his kennel and bit one of the deliverymen in the calf. He hollered and let go of the hand cart they were using and the old fridge fell on the taller mans foot! Both of them were hopping around the front room raising a fearsome racket and swearing about dear little Midget, who would not hurt a soul!

I looked in the medicine cabinet to see what first aid supplies might help but the best I could muster were a few old corn plasters and a box of epsom salts.

When the men recomposed themselves and had safely placed the old appliance in the drive, they set out to complete the install of our shiny new refrigerator. Of course, what with the age of the old Frigidaire, quite a bit of dust had accumulated underneath and behind where it used to sit. I asked both men to wait for a moment while I fetched my broom and mop, plus some wax to shine up the old linoleum back there. One never knows when one will have such an opportunity again!

What happened next is the subject of some dispute. I honestly do not know what got into me but when they asked me whether I wanted the icemaker hooked up they claimed I said "no!" At least this is how both of them recounted the story.

I remain unconvinced, but will say that Regis and Kelly were on at the time and I never miss that show if I can help it! That Regis! What a character!

So they were getting ready to leave after the intall and I went up to get a glass of water from the dispenser and none come out! "Oh Sir? Why isn't the water coming out of the spout?"

"You told us you didn't want the icemaker hooked up!"

"Well, I am sure I did no such thing! But even if I had, what bearing does the icemaker have on whether I may fill a water glass at the dispenser?"

They explained, somewhat impatiently, that the water supply for both the icemaker and the chilled water dispenser come from the same hose and that they had not hooked it up on my instructions!

I explained that this would never do and that even if I did not want any ice at the moment, there would certainly come a time later in the month when I would want some lemonade and then I would need it as I cannot take a glass of lemonade without a cube of ice or two.

So, somewhat resignedly, the gentlemen wriggled the new refrigerator away from the wall and proceeded to hook it up to my home's water supply. I must say they did not seem very happy about it, either.

When they finally finished and everything tested perfectly, including filling a tumbler with water, I asked Mandy, my niece who stays with me and drives me to my appointments to go fetch my change purse from the bedside table. I reached in and pulled out a shiny new quarter for each of the men to show my appreciation for their efforts. Well, would you believe that they looked at me as if I were crazy, and then called me a name! Swore at me, before storming out the door!

I wonder if it is against company policy at the appliance store for deliverymen to accept tips?

I gave a twenty to each of two men who moved a heavy Miele washing machine down a flight of stairs without damaging anything. The task was far more difficult and, for the one in front, dangerous than I had imagined it would be.