Are you really suppose to tip mousekeeping staff?

[OurDogCisco]

I love reading the tips and advice on these boards but I have been reading a lot about tipping mousekeeping staff! Just wanted to find out is that really necessary. We are staying at the Poly so, I was just curious. I feel, we are already paying premium for the room so, why do we need to tip? I never tipped when we stay in a regular hotel. Are people tipping to get better service like animals or because ??? I am just unclear why people are tipping. Hope I am not coming off as cheap but I am really unclear about the tipping.

Thanks!:confused:

[SamanthaL]

I always tip at any hotel I stay at. It is proper etiquette, but I just figure anyone who offers me good service while I am on vacation,(bell service/valet service/room service/housekeeping) deserves some recognition. I can afford to stay at the deluxe properties, therefore I can spare a few bucks a day to show my appreciation for making my vacation more relaxing.
Let's face it, who dreams of cleaning up after strangers all day long 40 hours a week for somewhere around minimum wage? I know it's not my dream come true.:rolleyes:

[SamanthaL]

P.S. Housekeeping staff doesn't benefit because you paid more to stay at the Poly. I would bet all the mousekeepers make the same at all the WDW resorts. Just something to think about.;)

[WDW2000]

I was wondering about the tipping ettiqette also. How much do you tip? Is it nightly or just at the end of the trip. I have never tipped Housekeeping before, but mainly because I don't know the procedure to do it. Do you give it to the housekeeping staff directly or just leave it in an envelope. I have also heard that Cast Members aren's allowed to accept tips at Disney, but it sounds like hotel staff are excluded from this policy.

[Howdoyoudo]

I tip daily-$4.00, $1.00 per person in the room. If it is only 2 of us, I tip $3.00....$2.00 just doesn't seem like enough.

[SamanthaL]

Housekeepers at WDW do accept tips as does valet, room service and bell service. My advice is tip at the rate you feel comfortable. I usually tip $3 a day for room- $6 a day for a villa. I do it daily and leave it in the room in an envelope.
If service is bad and a call to housekeeping doesn't clear it up, the tipping stops, just like poor service at at restaraunt. By, poor I mean beds left unmade, towels not cleaned up. This has happened but was a mistake and wasn't repeated. Hope this helped.:D

[OurDogCisco]

Helpful tips! Thanks for the advice. Why do you tip before the service? Like in your case where the service was bad but you had already tipped and you can't take it back? I kinda like the way tipping is done on cruises where it is done at the end of the cruise. Can you tip at the end and give to housekeeping to give to the appropriate person?

Thanks!

[skiwee1]

Maybe it depends on where you were raised but I've always thought you tip housekeeping at any hotel. I remember when I was little, many, many, years ago, and my parents leaving a tip in the Days Inn at WDW. That was in 1978! LOL! We always leave a tip no matter what type of hotel we are staying at. The staff doesn't make any more just because you are paying more for the room. I tip $5 a day and that is for two adults and a toddler. If there are 4 or more to a room then I tip $2 a person per day. HTH!:)

[4crusinransiers]

Love these tipping posts........................ We have always tipped housekeeping, minimum $ 1.50 a day per person. More for great service. For our family of 4 we leave $6.00 a day, per day and more if service is good .:tongue:

[fortwilderness]

I always try to leave a small tip - if I remember :D - each day. I actually left $10 the day we left the Polynesian because we left the room in an absolute wreck. We left the ironing board out, food wrappers on the table, towels on the floor ect. We were in a panic trying to hurry because we were on our way to Port Canaveral to get on the cruise and didn't take the time to tidy up and felt really guilty. I know it is their job to clean the room but that mess was beyond their call of duty in my opinion :)

[cassie]

If you read the brochure you get at at check-in, housekeeping is not a tippable position. I talked with a CM at the CBR pool bar and he said the housekeepers make $15 an hour, not min. pay.

I have always tipped $1 a person a day, but I noticed the housekeepers at CBR didn't take the tip. I've left tips at ASMO and POR and the tips were taken every day.

Now I'm confused too:confused:

[BrianD]

I've never tipped mousekeeping before but I starting think about it and thought, why should they not be tipped? They provide more service than anyone else on staff that we encounter. And after reading about all the folks here who tip mousekeeping, I decided I'm going to start tipping on our next trip.

[PamOKW]

This article from USA Today was recently posted by Lew over on the Vacation Club Board. I thought it was very helpful

USA Today Travel Tipping Hints (http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20020621/4213596s.htm)

Here's the section on maids.

Q: And what about those maids? Are we really supposed to leave something?

A: Absolutely! Rule of thumb is $1 to $5 per day. At a hotel where maid service is minimal, a dollar will suffice. At high-end hotels with maid service twice a day and chocolates on your pillow, use the high end of the scale. The more service you receive, the greater tip you should leave.

[jctwizzer]

IMHO it's pretty well established, and spelled out in the brochures given out at WDW resorts, that tipping is appropriate for those positions paid less than minimum wage, ie. valets, servers, bell staff, etc. Since the WDW housekeeping staff is not in this category, tipping is discretionary, not mandatory.:rolleyes:

[Patrick IL.]

Tipping is an individual decision. I always leave a daily tip for housekeeping, since often you do not have the same mousekeeper for the whole length of your stay. Again, bottem line, its a personal choice whatever you decide.:D

[OurDogCisco]

Interesting..... hmmmm.... not sure if I should still tip. I guess, the reason I am having trouble with this is because they don't leave envelopes out for you to put the money in. Almost like they need a tipping bowl ;).... My dh are debating this issue as well because he thinks we should tip where I don't. Do you mark the envelope for them to take? Where do you put the money? On the bed? On the dresser? How does the staff know it is for them and not left out by accident by the guest? Still confused...

:confused:

[fortwilderness]

I usually leave it on the bathroom sink folded so it will stand up. I have yet to have a housekeeper not take their tip :D

[WDW2002]

ahh....the 'ol tipping debate.
No your not suppose to tip mousekeeping, lots of people do it but Disney does not expect you to.
IMO a tip is for going above and beyound doing your "job" and for the maid, cleaning up and making the bed is their job.
If they go beyound that and do something special then go ahead and leave a tip. But other then that NO, I wouldn't.

[ukcatfan]

I think tipping is a personal choice, but here is my inside track:

As a former accounting employee of a four star hotel in Louisville, KY, I will let you know how things were around there. The housekeeping staff were not considered tip positions. They were also not required to report any tips to the IRS. Compared to the other tipped positions that made around $2.50/hr, the housekeepers made out like bandits. The housekeepers made around $12-15/hr. The tipped positions would have to make twice as many tips as the housekeepers to make equal pay as them. This was a very sore spot for the regular tipped position employees. They did not mind them making tips, they minded the around $10/hr pay difference and the non-reported tips. While I personally did not care b/c I was in a totally different type position, I can say that the housekeepers made more than me and I was the Assistant Controller(#2 in Accounting).

[montessori]

Wow! I am shocked. I am a big tipper, I really appreciate good service and usually over tip. I always thought that housekeeping staff made low hourly wages. Is it really true that they make $10 - $15 per hour??

I THINK that most people tip housekeeping because they think they make such low wages. I'm not sure I will change my tipping practices now that I know they make pretty good money, but I might! http://www.wdwinfo.com/sites/family/eek.gif

We always leave our room quite clean too. http://www.wdwinfo.com/sites/family/ffflower2.gif
Does anyone know for a fact how much the 'mousekeepers" make per hour?

Thanks and Happy 4th of July!

Mary Ann in sunny South Florida ?? today is our 20th day of rain, in a row!

[cinmell]

We always tip housekeeping at WDW and anywhere else we go. Before we leave for WDW, I put $3 dollars in evelopes, one for each night of our stay and label them Housekeeping. I leave one on the pillow each morning before we leave our room. If the service is exceptional, I will add $1 or $2 to the envelope.

[dcgrumpy]

I usually leave the money either underneath the little card with their name on it, or on top of the pillow.

[polyfan]

Sorry, but I am over the tipping issue. Unless they are going above the normal everyday housekeeping services there is no need for a tip. It has nothing to do with etiquette. they are doing a job that they are getting paid for just like everyone else. It is above minimum wage. It seems to me that some want to be so generous as a way of making a "I have money" statement.

[tnkrbell]

We usually tip 2.00 a day (for me,hubby and DD) I figure if they are having to clean up for us they deserve something! :D

[RobinMarie]

I attended a conference at the Wyndham in May. The opening piece was, "Management Disney Style" or something like that. It was the best presentation at the coference and done by a top person from the Disney Institute.

He explained the entire hire process and we saw the same video a person would see prior to the application process. I noticed that there was a very very small difference between mousekeeping staff and food and beverage staff. I want to say something like 6.70/hr and 6.80/hr but I can't remember.

I do remember thinking how I tip the mousekeeping but never the people at the counter service.

I tip the mousekeeping staff when they do a good job. When the room is neat, rugs are vacuumed and bathrooms done - my stay is that much better. I would prefer to tip for good service, and have the mousekeeping staff immediately rewarded, than have to complain to supervisors who will handle the situation. It's all part of the system.

Whatever your preference, it is exactly that - a preference.

[corvair]

We just got back. There were 4 of us.. I took envelopes along and put the tip in there and wrote thanyk you on them.. I put the card on top and laid it on the table... MOusekeeping cleaned our rooms nice... we had no extra like a read about... no towel animals or that kind of stuff... I left 4 dollars most days... if I would of got the extra stuff,,, I would of left more.... corvair

[A1A1]

I have been pondering this question for a while. I do not tip mousekeeping. I have felt that the regular bedmaking, tub cleaning, towel change is part of what I pay for the room. The amount of regular service that comes with the room is reflected in the cost per night of the room. If I ask for something in addition to regular upkeep of the room, like calling housekeeping to request extra towel delivery, or extra pillows and blankets, or turndown service when they don't normally do turndown, I will tip the attendant that comes to the door. The problem with all this tipping, is that the people that work at night doing turndown or running the extras to rooms of people who are at the park would probably not get tips. How on Earth can I be expected to tip every person that comes in contact with me at WDW? Should I tip the maintenance worker who came to fix the leaky sink? Afterall, he was just doing his job, too. ( Sorry, Slight sarcasm)

I do not leave the room in disarray, in fact, I usually clean the room myself, in order that the housekeeping staff will just have to do their customary cleaning.

As I said, I expect that WDW is paying their staff a wage that keeps housekeeping positions filled, and that the cost of normal room upkeep has been included when I pay the bill at the end of my stay.

Also, for DVC, the mousekeepers only come in and clean at the end of your stay. They change the towels on the fifth day, I believe. So essentially, you are not getting daily mousekeeping. You mousekeep yourself.

I do generously tip those people like valet, restaurant, bellman, extra request from housekeeping, room service, that make below minimum wage, and the majority of their income, the part they rely on when taking the position, is below or at minimum wage. I have thought that if I were a housekeeper, I would never expect to be tipped as part of my wages. As a restaurant server, which I have been in college, I expected to be tipped, because that was the biggest part of the wage. Wages were adjusted down to account for the tip portion of the overall wage.

Nothing against those that tip, good for you, but I don't feel it is necessary on a regular basis. Also, I wonder how you know that the person you tip, especially when you tip extra for the towel animals the day before, is actually the person that cleaned the day before? It seems that the tips don't encourage better service in mousekeeping like it does in tipped-professions like restaurant service. I'm surprised at the number of people who tip and end up going an entire trip without a single towel animal. I think if I got those, I would tip a buck or two, but I would wonder if the person that took the tip was the towel artist.

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by OurDogCisco
I love reading the tips and advice on these boards but I have been reading a lot about tipping mousekeeping staff! Just wanted to find out is that really necessary. We are staying at the Poly so, I was just curious. I feel, we are already paying premium for the room so, why do we need to tip? I never tipped when we stay in a regular hotel. Are people tipping to get better service like animals or because ??? I am just unclear why people are tipping. Hope I am not coming off as cheap but I am really unclear about the tipping.

Thanks!:confused:

Hi OurDogCisco,

I believe that the housekeeping staff at WDW is not considered a tipped position but we tip $1 per person per night no matter what resort we stay and no matter where we travel.

Tipping is always optional even when you are dealing with tipped postions. Example the valets. We tip $2 each way when we valet but tipping is a personal choice.

Tipping will not automaticlly get you anything extra. Sometimes we get towel animals sometimes not. It depends on who is cleaning your room that day. The same person does not clean your room everyday. That is why we tip per day not at the end of our stay.

I hope this helps you out. Hope you have a great trip.

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by WDW2000
I was wondering about the tipping ettiqette also. How much do you tip? Is it nightly or just at the end of the trip. I have never tipped Housekeeping before, but mainly because I don't know the procedure to do it. Do you give it to the housekeeping staff directly or just leave it in an envelope. I have also heard that Cast Members aren's allowed to accept tips at Disney, but it sounds like hotel staff are excluded from this policy.

We tip $1 per person per night. We but the money in an envelope and right housekeeping on it and usually put it right infront of the TV. Seems to work fine no matter what resort we stay at. Disney or non-Disney.

As far as Cast Members not being allowed to accept tips goes I believe that refers to CMs in the parks and things like that. But, CMs in positions that are traditional tip positons do expect to be tipped. Example, Bell Services, Valet, Wait Staff. Technically I do not believe housekeeping is a tipped position at WDW but this varies from hotel chain to hotel chain so we tip no matter where we are staying.

Hope this helps you out and hope you have a great trip.

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by OurDogCisco
Helpful tips! Thanks for the advice. Why do you tip before the service? Like in your case where the service was bad but you had already tipped and you can't take it back? I kinda like the way tipping is done on cruises where it is done at the end of the cruise. Can you tip at the end and give to housekeeping to give to the appropriate person?

Thanks!

We tip before because it is not the same person taking care of your room everyday like on a cruise. We tip a little each day $1 per person per day. We have never had an issue with housekeeping at WDW.

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by cassie
If you read the brochure you get at at check-in, housekeeping is not a tippable position. I talked with a CM at the CBR pool bar and he said the housekeepers make $15 an hour, not min. pay.

I have always tipped $1 a person a day, but I noticed the housekeepers at CBR didn't take the tip. I've left tips at ASMO and POR and the tips were taken every day.

Now I'm confused too:confused:

$15 an hour for a housekeeping position? That seems a little over the top. That is $31,200 a year based on a 40hrs work week. I thought that the cost of living and wages paid were a lot less in Florida? I thought that housekeepers no matter where were paid $7 to $9 a hour at the most.


$31,200 in Florida is equal to someone making $41K here in Mass and I doubt anyone is paying there housekeeping staff $19 an hour.

Anyone how works in the Hotel industrdy know for sure?

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by OurDogCisco
Interesting..... hmmmm.... not sure if I should still tip. I guess, the reason I am having trouble with this is because they don't leave envelopes out for you to put the money in. Almost like they need a tipping bowl ;).... My dh are debating this issue as well because he thinks we should tip where I don't. Do you mark the envelope for them to take? Where do you put the money? On the bed? On the dresser? How does the staff know it is for them and not left out by accident by the guest? Still confused...

:confused:

We use the envelopes that are in the desk drawer in the hotel room. We write housekeeping on the envelope and leave it in front of the TV. It has always been taken.

[callahanjulie10]

I am sure that I will get some FLAMING responses for my views but I also had read before I went to WDW that you were supposed to tip the housekeepers. I had never heard of this before and I live in a resort town in Florida and worked for resort management company who had housekeepers to clean the condos that we rented. Our housekeepers, unlike servers, make really good money. In the early 90's our housekeepers were paid $35 for a 1 bedroom, 1 bath/ $50 for a 2/2, and $75 for a 3/2 condo. The one bedroom took about 2 hours to clean and each additional bedroom/bath took an extra 30 minutes. Not bad in my opinion.

Anyway- when we checked into POR I was given a couple of info sheets and on one of the sheets it addressed this topic

"Our guests frequently ask us what the custom is for tipping. At WDW resort, it is customary to tip the following positions for EXCEPTIONAL service: bartender, bell services, coctail server, food and beverage server, and valet parker."

No housekeeping listed. I did tip $3 on the first day because I requested an ironing board and iron and coffee maker. I was given no extra anything like towel animals, etc.
I guess I tipped because I just wanted to see for myself. I will not tip anymore to get a clean room. This is required for a hotel not considered exceptional service.
You can do what you feel is proper but I will not be tipping for mousekeeping.

[SamanthaL]

loriencke- I do not tip housekeepers because i am making an "I have money statement". Quite on the contrary. I do it because providing a service to the public can be a tough job. I should know I waitressed for 6 years and put myself through nursing school.:confused:
Do it if you want, or don't. It's up to you. We have posters saying housekeeping makes under $7 up to $15 an hour. Quite a difference I would say.

[WDW2002]

Personally I do not care what a mousekeeper makes per hour (do they care what I make an hour??). Mousekeeping is not a tiped position.

[Trekker]

I always love this topic, there are as many different opinion as there are posters.

Just a thought - If tipping is based upon the hourly wage of the person performing the service, we had better start tipping all the people who keep the parks clean, or serve us a soda, or prepare our lunch at counter service, or collect tickets at the gate, or..... None of these positions are paid a very large salary - but all are paid above minimum wage because they are not tipping positions.

[Luv2Roam]

I too have always tipped a few dollars a day wherever I stay. I think that is just a thankless, yet important job.
I HOPE to get a little better service by doing so. And usually I do. POR in May was the only exception to this I recall.

Just as an after thought -- try going into any (even half decent) restaurant in Chicago and go to the bathroom without a buck in your hand! Now THAT is ridiculous. $1 to hand me a towel and stand there and annoy me!:rolleyes:
Even HRC in Tijuana jumped on this bandwagon!:p

[kidzmom3]

Luv2Roam-what would happen if you did not tip them in the bathroom? I am just wondering because this has never happened to me. I think that I have gone to fancy resteraunts but never had an attendent in the bathroom.

If they make $15 an hour they make more than me and I would be hard pressed to tip. There are many thankless jobs out there, were you clean up for others. Housekeeping in the hospital I work for, for example. And believe me they clean up MUCH worse messes than any hotel room. I know they make about 8-10 an hour so ... I guess this isn't really coming to a major point, but people do choose a job, weather or not it is "thankless"

[Tesabat]

I always tip IF the room is done to my standards - but, that's my choice. My mother always did so - now I do so. And, I do that anywhere - not just at WDW. I don't tip because I expect towel animals or any special treatment.

In my area, housekeeping is a low paid position - between $6 - $7. I'd be surprised if WDW paid $15 per hour for housekeeping. That seems really high to me.

Tipping is really a personal choice, period. If you don't usually tip housekeeping, never heard of tipping housekeeping, don't believe in tipping housekeeping, well, then, don't. It's as simple as that. If you have a good housekeeper, then you will most likely receive the exact same service as the person next door who happens to tip. If your parents always tipped growing up, and you've always tipped on any vacation you've ever taken, then, by all means, do so at WDW.

IMHO, there's no right or wrong here, just different people making different choices.

[polyfan]

SamanthaL- those that are in the position of housekeeping have chosen to be in that position, and I am sure are well aware of what their hourly wage is going to be. If soemone has the desire to make more money then I suggest they find another occupation. Everyone chooses their own. Do you get tips for the "extra care" that you give as a nurse? Housekeeping is a standard service, and that is why people choose to stay at a hotel/motel/resort. If I wasn't looking for this service, I would not being spending the money to stay there. I could stay in a rental, and do my own.

[eeyore0062]

Wow, $15 per hour, huh... that is as much as some RN's make. I don't think that is an accurate figure... perhaps $15 per day?

At any rate, we do tip our Mousekeepers every day, because they have different days off, and we don't want the mousekeeper who only serviced our room once, on that last day to get the entire tip.

[Kimkimba]

Tipping is always an individual decision. Based on service, if I'm not pleased, the tip will reflect that. I've always tipped housekeeping. And I generally tip in advance - this may get generate a little heat. I feel that if I leave a tip in advance, my housekeeper will not bother with any of my stuff (I'm in the family that my dh locks our toothbrushes in the safe). I don't leave out any valuables, but I don't want any of our belongings disturbed. This might sound horrible, but we've seen investigative type TV shows where the maid washes the toilet with the people's toothbrush. Now, 99.9% of housekeeping would never dream of doing this - we just don't take the chance on that .1%. We've never had a problem with housekeeping. Generally I leave between $3 and $5 a day and expect nothing more than a generally clean room.

[WhispyPixie]

Yes.....my vote is yes.....afterall they too are part of the magic!

[callahanjulie10]

If the $15 per hour remark was for me- I worked for a realty company that rents CONDOS not hotel rooms. We had contract housekeepers that used our laundry facilities, bedding and towels, our vans, and cleaning supplies. In the early 90's we paid 1/1 rooms $35, 2/2 $50 and 3/2 $75. These workers were required to pay their own taxes- we sent them tax forms- maybe 1099s. But these are for CONDOS- apts.

Anyway- I am sure the housekeepers make basically the same same the reservations staff, the staff that takes the $$ in the food courts, etc.


As for the $7 hour jobs- many make this and less bu working at McDonalds, Wal-Mart, grocery stores, etc. I have never tipped these people either. Tipping can get out of hand.

Florida residents pay no state income tax, tax on food, etc. I know that in my resort town- when tourist season arrives I shop for groceries and gas in town- not on the beach. The prices are there for the tourists. Tourists also pay a pretty hefty bed tax to stay at our hotels.

[eeyore0062]

When I worked at a resort in Va Beach as a housekeeper when I was in college, we made a flat minimum wage, and we worked for a reputable hotel chain. The work was hard, sometimes disgusting, and believe me... the folks who stayed there were NOT generous, either. Needless to say, that job didn't last long! I admire and respect anyone who can do that job, and do it well, and I will tip accordingly!

As for where to leave the tip... make Mousekeeping envelopes and leave them on the dresser, bedside table or vanity in the bathroom. That way there is no question that the money is meant for them. When we just left the bills by themselves, they weren't taken.

We tip after service, but everyday, instead of at the end. We do it just as we would in a restaurant. Of course, that is just our way, there are many ways of doing it!

[LucyStorm]

whew! I don't tip housekeeping, because I feel that their service is included in the price of the room. For the price that I am paying for the room, I shouldn't have to leave extra.

[polyfan]

I agree 110%!!!!! That's why we are paying $300-$400 sometimes a night.

[beattyfamily]

We've always tipped housekeeping no matter where we stay. I always thought it was a given, even though, of course, it's a personal choice based on how well they took care of you. Most hotels I've stayed at even have special tip envelopes to leave the tip in.

We tip at WDW but used to leave it at the end of our trip till we read posts here about tipping daily in case your mousekeeper changes. We also printed out the special mousekeeping envelopes that a nice poster here provided with Mickey or Minnie or Goofy etc... on them.

I feel that it doesn't really matter what they make and, IMHO, it's always been a tipped position just as a waitress is tipped. If I go to a fancy, expensive restaurant, I don't think that I don't have to tip because it was SO expensive to eat there! I still tip accordingly based on service and the total of the bill.

I used to tip $1. a day till I read some posts here. Now we tip $1 per person per day.

Disney Cruise Line gives guidelines for tipping the mousekeeper in your cabin. For the cruises, you tip at the end, though. If I'm going to tip a mousekeeper on a cruise, then I'm definitely going to tip a mousekeeper at my resort as well.

To each his own though. I am surprised though that so many people NEVER have tipped housekeeping at ANY hotel ever. It's quite interesting to see the differences!

PS....I DO NOT TIP TO MAKE A "I have money statement"!!! I tip because I appreciate the service and IMHO it's a thankless, sometimes gross job just like waitressing. I find that comment insulting.

[polyfan]

Unfortunately, some are unclear that waitresses do not make mimimum wage and therefore tipping is a good portion of their pay, however housekeeping is a paid position of at least minimum wage if not more. Once again, they have chosen this occupation. Is anyone tipping the custodians at schools or places of business? No, I don't think so because it is their job. If one wants to tip unnecessarily then go ahead, but at the same time realize that there is no actual justification for it, unless they have gone above their describe and expected job duties. Be certain though that just because one is tipping a housekeeper doesn't not mean that they are going to get anything more than anyone else. It will be the same service.

[beattyfamily]

IMHO,

I don't expect anything from housekeeping other than what's in their job description.

Maybe you are not replying to my post, but it just seemed that may to me.

I also realize that 'some' waitresses make minimum wage but so do many housekeepers. I actually don't believe that WDW housekeepers make $15 hour. I'd need someone to varify that before I'd believe it.

Just because they chose their job doesn't mean they don't deserve a tip. Waitresses chose their job as well.

I am using the waitress job as another example of a tipped position only to drive home a point.

I tip because I've always thought you should and like I said before, other hotels even leave a special envelope for you to tip at the end of your stay. "custodians at schools or places of business" don't have special tip envelopes that I know of and neither does the trash man so no, I don't tip them.

For me, it's always been a given that waitresses, housekeepers, bellhops, valets, etc.. ARE tipped position regardless of what they make unless I get a bulletin telling me "please don't tip because our employees make a lot of money!" I guess I'm learning something new today about mousekeepers, but I don't think it's gonna stop me from tipping them anyway.

However, on a similar subject, I don't always tip delivery guys. I don't tip if I get flowers delivered, but I do tip if I get a pizza delivered. It's a matter of preference. I'd rather tip the mousekeeper than the guy to takes my luggage out of my car and puts it on one of those carts to tell you the truth but it's proper etiquette to do so, so I do.

It's a matter of "to each his own" but I just feel that those who do tip mousekeeping are being attacked by those who choose not to with comments like the one that says we tip for the "I have money statement"!!!

I don't even think there's anything to argue about really. If you are used to tipping housekeeping your whole life and feel it's proper than do so. If you think that's crazy and you've never heard of such a thing, then don't. No need to make the opposing person's opinion seem wrong.

Like I said, this thread is kind of interesting because there are such opposing views on the subject.

Anyone know for sure what mousekeeping makes anyway???

[DeeP]

I do and have always tipped the housekeepers at any hotel I have ever stayed at including WDW.

Now in regards to the housekeepers wages at WDW. I am a Compensation Analyst, so I do job pricing and market analysis all day long. We get a large majority of our information regarding market wages from surveys that represent the whole US and I can tell you without a doubt housekeepers in hotels in FL DO NOT make $15.00 an hour--cut it in half and then you will have an accurate figure. As for the poster that said a condo rental co pays the housekeepers $35.00 for a 2 br that takes 2 hours to clean, if the housekeeper cleans 3 condos a day, allowing time for lunch and breaks that would only come out to $13.00 a hour and does this condo rental co give their housekeepers health ins, life insurance, vacation time, sick days, personal days, 401 K, pension plan etc? These are all things that need to be calculated in the true compensation for a job. If they do supply all the bennies and pay their housekeepers $15.00 an hour they are way, way out of line with the market average for this position, especially for FL which pays substantially less for all jobs not just housekeepers.

As far as saying this is the job the housekeeper chose, we have over 500 housekeepers at my place of employment which happens to be a major hospital in the Northeast and very few of our housekeepers chose this job, this was the only job they are qualified for. This is hard, dirty work, it is not easy and it is not a very profitable job. Get real folks, would you like to have to clean other people's toilets???? I don't even like to clean my own toilet let alone stranger's toilets or their bathroom sinks with their spittle in it. Yuck!

Tip housekeeping or not it is your choice but do not try to fool yourself into thinking housekeepers are making big bucks, because they don't. Housekeeping might not be considered a tip position in WDW but everywhere else in the US it is. I see market wages paid everyday including those paid in FL and housekeepers are not a high paid position by any means.

[cassie]

Wow...I'm the one who said mousekeeping makes $15 an hr. I was only repeating what I was told by a bartender at CBR. We were discussing the tip positions and I mentioned the statement in the brochure I received at check-in. Thanks to callahan julie for first posting it...

"Our guests frequently ask us what the custom is for tipping. At WDW resort, it is customary to tip the following positions for EXCEPTIONAL service: bartender, bell services, cocktail server, food and beverage server, and valet parker."

Housekeeping was not there and I asked him (the bartender) about it. I left a tip for three days running and it was never picked up. That's when he said how much an hour they make. Maybe he was a little :rolleyes: off. I don't know. But apparently it is an over the minium wage and therefore not considered tippable. I agree staying at WDW we are paying a great amount for our rooms, and I always tipped before, but now I will think twice about it.

[WDW2002]

Originally posted by DeeP
does this condo rental co give their housekeepers health ins, life insurance, vacation time, sick days, personal days, 401 K, pension plan etc?
I am not sure but most jobs I know do not give people all things things.

[DeeP]

Maybe the CBR bartender meant they make $15.00 an hour after their tips are figured in, because there is no way they make $15.00 an hour as a flat rate. I would say this bartender is not a little off he was way off if he was saying the housekeepers make $15.00 an hour as a flat rate.

[polyfan]

I think the ONLY one that really knows how much they make an hour is the person themself. I think everyone is giving their own opinion. I do think we all agree that it is at least minimum wage, and they are not dependent on tips as other occupations.

[DeeP]

WDW2002,
There are many, many jobs in the job market, especially for jobs that pay a higher rate, that do not offer any type of benefits at all. This is why the employees get paid the higher rate. At my place of employment we have RNs that are not offered any type of bennies at all and they make almost $15.00 more per hour than a RN that has health benefits, vacation days, etc. but they must work weekends and holidays. This is a huge cost saver to companies who do not have to pay shift differential to employees to work weekends and holidays and they also do not have to cover families for costly health insurance, the employee for vacation days, sick days,etc., nor does the company have to pay into a pension plan, match a 401 K. The savings are very great and many companies are offering these jobs at a higher rate of pay but without any benefits at all. People that are covered under their spouse for health benefits and those that are working a second job and do not need the vacation, sick time etc but want the higher per hour rate of pay arre typically the ones we see that want these jobs. Bottom line........there are many jobs that offer no benefits at all but do pay a higher rate.

[DeeP]

Wdw2002,
I just re read you post and I am surprised to see you say that most jobs you hear of "do not" offer these benefits! I am very surprised because that is the most common benefit package for full time jobs with most most major employers in the US.

loriencke.
Believe me, I am not giving my opinion, these are the facts. I also do compensation consulting work for a Health Care facility my employer manages in FL and these are true figures for a housekeepers market wages. I was just in FL in May for business relating to market wages and the figures I said were actually a little high for FL. :rolleyes:

[polyfan]

L:ike I said, I would not taken anyone's OPINION or what they think they know as fact, except for a worker themself.

[DeeP]

It is not my opinion, as I said before it is the truth..................... but..............whatever. If you don't want to tip the housekeepers or any other service person at WDW or any other hotel that is your option.

[polyfan]

I don't think it is an issue of who is tipping or who is not tipping. OPINIONS are just that. It is no different than saying nurses make $50,000.00 ayear. That might be in one area of the country or even state or county and not in another. Sorry, to see that you feel you are so factual.

[polyfan]

I don't think it is an issue of who is tipping or who is not tipping. That is not the intention of the boards.OPINIONS are just that. It is no different than saying nurses make $50,000.00 ayear. That might be in one area of the country or even state or county and not in another. Just like any other job. Sorry, to see that you feel you are so factual.

[WDW2002]

Originally posted by DeeP
Wdw2002,
I just re read you post and I am surprised to see you say that most jobs you hear of "do not" offer these benefits!
I said do not offer ALL of those, and yes, I haven't seen many jobs that have such an extensive benefits package. Most I have seen offer vacation and sick or personal time and health benefits but very few offer life insurance and pension plans, some may offer a 401 K but that is usually only if the employee also put money in.

[PamOKW]

It is not an uncommon practice to tip housekeeping -- hence the travel article that suggests the amount to tip. As you can see on these boards, many people always tip housekeeping when they travel.

If for whatever reason you choose not to tip that's fine. You need not offer a justification. In an expensive restaurant, waitstaff is tipped much more for similar work (sometimes easier than what waitstaff in a diner encounter). In an expensive hotel, many more people are on the tipping list than at Motel 6 and are much more highly compensated than the staff at Motel 6. You can rest assured that Disney housekeeping staff is not living in luxury. Their wages may have increased slightly over the past few years because it was just about impossible for Disney to fill the jobs.

[polyfan]

Just a thought- @ $4 per room a day for cleaning 20 rooms=$80 divide by 8 hours=$10 an hour, add a minimum of $5.00 an hour salary to that and you have $15 an hour. And to think in a years time we have housekeepers making more than policemen and firefighters. Now that's a shame.

[A1A1]

For those that *do* tip:

Many people say they tip every day for the day's cleaning.
Someone posted that the housekeeper changes each day. It seems that you may be tipping that day's housekeeper for the previous day's housekeeping. Does that bother you that one day may have deemed a bigger tip, but may have been picked up not by the person who actually did the work at all, but someone new? What do you do in this instance?

[polyfan]

I like the tipping at the end, like we do on cruises. In actuality the person doing the room the day you check out is doing the most work. That's the day when the room is more thoroughly cleaned and bedding is changed. I have noticed in recent years that bedding is changed less and less. Most recent not at all during our stay. I am sure it was done when we left.

[A1A1]

I am laughing thinking of a post I read on the DVC board about a guest who always leaves all their extra food for the housekeeper, kind of, it seemed to me, as a "gift" of sorts or a tip. I laughed my head off thinking of the housekeeper bringing home someone's half-eaten loaf of bread or whatever. That's just disgusting. Not in a million years would I ever take left-over food from a hotel room of a stranger. The poster was very proud to have given all their old food to the housekeeper because he or she hated to throw out all the extra food. Do you think that is a great tip or gift? The housekeeper is probably cursing up one end of the hall and down the other about having to cart all that old food to the dumpster.

Wow! What a tip that is.

It seems it would be better for the housekeepers if guests would make every effort to keep the rooms neat and tidy, and basically clean. Many people leave the rooms like a tornado went through. Those are the people that need to pay extra for the service. Like I said before, I clean the room before we leave, making sure there is nothing on the tables, no trash of any kind, dirty towels in the tub, sink rinsed out, and all sink areas tidy. Besides the bed being in need of a sheet change, it pretty much looks like nobody was there. I bet the housekeepers would appreciate a little consideration rather than a couple of dollars for their "thankless" job, as many people have called it.

[polyfan]

Great advice. We also do not require much more than replacing towels, emptying trash can and ensuring that necessary toiletries are stocked. I, myself, would rather not have anyone moving my stuff around and sorting thorugh things we have left around. We put the towels in the bathtub, put trash in the trash can, and pull up the bedspread. Like I said before, we have noticed that sheets don't get changed until the entire visit is over, and some days vacuuming is not done. That really does not leave much work.

[PamOKW]

a guest who always leaves all their extra food for the housekeeper

The housekeepers toss anything that's left. Would you eat any food from a stranger in this day and age? They wouldn't and I was told by a maid quite awhile back that they are instructed to toss everything. (She couldn't even take the unopened food we were sorry to have to throw out.) They may not argue with the guest about it but it certainly isn't a "tip".

The maids know that sometimes they get the tip in the room they cleaned, sometimes it goes to someone else. In the end, it all evens out for them.

@ $4 per room a day for cleaning 20 rooms=$80 divide by 8 hours=$10 an hour

Judging by the answers people give on these boards every time the subject comes up, it's more likely they are getting $1 per room on about half the rooms they clean. I have no idea if 20 rooms would be an accurate number. At that rate, they would be getting $10 per day. Not $80. That's $1.25 and hour.

Why is it a shame that a maid is paid a living wage? Comparing different professions always gets sticky. Everyone deserves a fair wage. Police and firefighters in my area may be making $40,000 base but if they do overtime and side jobs they consistently come up as the highest paid employees -- some making as much $150,000-$200,00. I don't think many maids are achieving that on tips.

[WDW2002]

Why do so many people "care" what the maids are making or not. I know I haven't once thought about the maids wages were.

[polyfan]

I doubt any policeman or firefighter is making that much money. The base here is $25,000. My brother is a detective in a state tht does pay well, I assure you he is not making $100,000. This is the real world.

As for a $1 a day, you have not been reading clearly. It is a $1 per person per day that everyone has been stating.


As for caring about what a maid makes, I certainly don't. They chose the job. That's their life. Not mine. Although, I would have to say I would hope nonone would think a maid can be compared to someone who fights for lives. That would be weird logic.

[beattyfamily]

You are the one who brought up Firefighters and Policemen as a comparision not anyone else...

Someone will have to get friendly with a mousekeeper on their next vacation and get the real scoop and put this issue to rest! Find out from the horses mouth what they make base and then in tips. I'll bet the base isn't much at all.

It's highly unlikely that they are making "$4 per room a day for cleaning 20 rooms=$80 divide by 8 hours=$10 an hour, add a minimum of $5.00 an hour salary to that and you have $15 an hour" because $4 a room a day is NOT the average as you can easily tell from this thread. A few said $1. a person a day; others said a $1. a day or $2. a day total and also MANY said they don't tip at all!

[wdisneelvr]

I remember a thread long ago about Mousekeeping that the WDW housekeeping staff are not supposed to accept tips. Only after 3 times if the tip has been offered would they accept it and then all of the WDW housekeeping tips are pooled and sent to a charitable foundation of their choice.

[polyfan]

I think that is the appropriate response. I bet not too many of them say no to the tip. If it was meant to be a tippped position then it would be.

I think some should do some thinking and research into what goes on in the real world. Sorry to see so many are clueless.

The comparison was in the salary . Hopefuly you would like someone to save your life more than clean up after you.???

I think this issue will never be resolved, it is based on opinions.

[polyfan]

Maybe every occupation should have a tip bowl/envelope. I know several that would probably deserve it.

[beattyfamily]

loriencke,

There you go again being a bit insulting to those that DO tip calling some of us "clueless".

I haven't been insulting to those that decide not to tip. I haven't said your clueless because at most hotel chains, they expect a tip and it IS customary to tip housekeeping. I haven't said that those who don't tip are cheap etc...for not tipping and I NEVER would. We're having a debate; a difference of opinion, that's all. No need to attack or insult.

Why can't it just be a matter of opinion, as you said, and leave the insults out?? I'd like to know.

Hopefuly you would like someone to save your life more than clean up after you.???

Of course the answer is yes! I don't get your question.

[Trekker]

This thread has long ago left the original topic and has turned into a debate - it is closed!