Tipping etiquette help needed please

[daffidyll]

It’s been a long time since I’ve been there so can anyone update me on when to tip, how much to tip etc etc. especially for the following:

Super Shuttle driver, Taxi driver
Hotel room housekeeping, delivery service from restaurant or grocery delivery, room service, bellhop
DL character meal and other restaurants there
Also if anyone knows if tipping is different in Vegas as well
Anyone/anything else we should be tipping that I’m not thinking of and how much??????

Would appreciate any tips (HA HA pun intended) anyone can provide!

 

[EltonJohn]

I say tip the housekeepers $5 per night. Trust me~we do a TON of work, but rarely get tips

For Las Vegas tipping see this site:
http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/tipping.cfm

 

[bumbershoot]

supershuttle...they have a place online where you can pre-tip, and it automatically shows 18% as the amount.

cabs...I don't know. Couple bucks? Unless you have tons of bags AND they help with them.

I know that Safeway.com delivery people will REFUSE tips, and I think that vons would be the same since they are the same company. Don't know about albertsons.com delivery people.

Housekeeping...I might be on the cheap side with that, I don't know. It's actually the one place where I tip but hubby doesn't, even though hubby is the tip guru on everything else. But when we stayed at PP, the first day we only left $1 as we left for the day, but then they left some goodies (to make up for problems the night before, with no toiletries and dirty towels in the hamper when we checked in) so I left $2 the next day. I think I was at $3 the following day b/c DS had made a mess eating granola bars. But I think I might be on the cheap side with that (considering that I am tipping anything though, when i can't stand the theory of tipping, is pretty big, though, LOL).

Bellhops...general rule is $1 per bag. I don't like using bellhops.

Character and normal table-service meals...make sure your tip isn't included in the amount charged. Other than that, 20% is a number many people use, but even my tip-friendly hubby doesn't like using that unless it's spectacular service.

That said, I tipped far more than that on Friday, when the CM didn't include my beer on my tab and refused to put it on after I told her. So she got about half of the 6.50 the pint of beer would have cost (6.50 for a pint, LOL...last night I got a 6 pack of the same beer for 7.59), on top of what I was already tipping.

I know nothing about Vegas! But I watched my friends in Reno (another gambling town in Nevada) who were gambling and drinking, and the more they tipped (even when NOT gambling) the more "free" drinks they got...

 

[bumbershoot]

Looks like I AM on the cheaper side with housekeeping. Well, if I don't tip in our room they won't get anything b/c it's the one area where DH won't do it. And if I tried to throw $5 there (when we try as hard as we can to keep the room neat and clean...the granola was an exception) he'd have a tantrum!

 

[Freyja]

I´ve heard that many people tip housekeeping $1 per person, staying in the room. We´re 6 (2 adults and 4 kids) and we usually leave $5. If the room is a real mess when we check out (loads of trash etc.) we usually leave more.

I hardly ever use bellboys but the few times we have I´ve tipped them $1 per bag. Last time I used a bellboy was in NYC last summer and I tipped him $5 for 3 bags, but he was very nice and helpful and helped me get all 4 kids safe into the room (2 of them were in strollers and DH was parking the car).

In restaurants I tip 15% for average service and 20% for good service. Usually we get good service at Disney. If the service is exceptional we throw in some extra beyond the 20%, but no fixed %.

We did the same in Vegas. When was waiting for the Celine Dion show to arrive a waitress brought me a free coktail and since I didn´t have any small change I tipped her with $10. She came back with a free drink a short while later and wouldn´t accept tips for that. Told me to let her know if I needed anything

 

[EltonJohn]

Looks like I AM on the cheaper side with housekeeping. Well, if I don't tip in our room they won't get anything b/c it's the one area where DH won't do it. And if I tried to throw $5 there (when we try as hard as we can to keep the room neat and clean...the granola was an exception) he'd have a tantrum!

Or, simply put a DND sign on your door~that's what me and my hubby do. Those are my absolute favorite guests! One of my co-workers goes even further-she'll strip the room for the housekeep.

 

[fairycat]

Or, simply put a DND sign on your door~that's what me and my hubby do. Those are my absolute favorite guests! One of my co-workers goes even further-she'll strip the room for the housekeep.

We have no kids and I bring my own tolietries since I have skin problems, and almost always put up the DND sign. I must be the perfect guest hehe!

I won't lie the only reason we had mousekeeping in WDW was cause I wanted a towel animal hahaha!!!

 

[mindylovesmickey]

Holy Cow!! I must be a terrible hotel guest! I've never ever tipped a housekeeper, I didn't know we were supposed to?!? Where are the rules for this type of thing?

So, where are we supposed to leave a tip for them? I have to admit, housekeeping probably comes into our room and rolls their eyes . I look at a hotel like a few days of someone picking up after me instead of the other way around. I guess I might need to leave a little more than everyone else.

 

[BecBennett]

One thing that I always forget, being from Australia, is that sales tax isn't included on the price advertised - on a lot of things anyway.

So make sure that you don't go to the counter thinking that you've got the right money for something. Last time I was there I was constantly doing that and it was so embarrassing having to get out of line and find the person with my extra money...

 

[bumbershoot]

Holy Cow!! I must be a terrible hotel guest! I've never ever tipped a housekeeper, I didn't know we were supposed to?!? Where are the rules for this type of thing?

I don't know. But the biggest reason I don't enjoy tipping housekeeping is that I had my money stolen by housekeepers at a fancy hotel once. I was a beyond-broke student, staying there on my parents' dime in a proper suite (bedroom on either side of a sitting room) for my brother's wedding. I emptied out my pockets and purse in preparation for the wedding, and left a pile of my purse-junk on the table. There was change intermixed with papers and lipstick and whatever, and the gol dern housekeeper picked all my change out of the pile and took it, thinking it was a tip. Couldn't have been even $2 total, but s/he took it.

I'm fairly sure I actually had NOT tipped between then and September at Paradise Pier, because of that experience. And of course there was the infamous "left a pair of BRAND NEW athletic shoes in a room, called not a half hour later, and no one could find them" experience. I think I felt that I had given enough, universally, to housekeepers for those intervening years...

But the PP housekeeping people, even though they messed up pre-check-in (I think we were given a room where people had smoked, been caught, and kicked out the same day, from the condition of the room and the smell of smoke in a non-smoking hotel), passed muster because I left a tip out for them and they did NOT take it until I put a note under it that it was for them.

And tipping is all backwards, anyway. You come into a hopefully clean room, and you should tip the person that made it that way. Instead, you're tipping for service that hasn't been provided, and might not be provided, when it comes to housekeeping. Then on the last day, you're tipping for the service that the NEXT people are going to enjoy. I'd say that it's to make up for that first day where you walked into a clean room, but who knows if it's the same housekeeper?


I'm not going to put the do not disturb sign up. I want clean towels.


Good gracious I hate tipping! Even when I had jobs where we received tips I hated them! I've got to be the worst-tipping former-server/former-barmaid in the universe. I wish we could all be like the countries who pay people properly and leave it at that.

Now I'm all up in arms again.

One thing that I always forget, being from Australia, is that sales tax isn't included on the price advertised - on a lot of things anyway.

So make sure that you don't go to the counter thinking that you've got the right money for something. Last time I was there I was constantly doing that and it was so embarrassing having to get out of line and find the person with my extra money...

You can experience the reverse of that if you're used to sales tax and go buy things in Oregon. No sales tax there, and I am constantly estimating up, then am pleasantly surprised when there's none.

It must be hard for Oregonians to travel elsewhere!

 

[kiwitravel]

Tipping is really hard for us Kiwis too as we have almost no tipping in our country.

We didn't tip the housekeepers as we didn't know how, we left money out a couple of times but they didn't take it. We tipped the shuttle driver $1 per bag if they were helpful and unloaded the bags. Next time I will try and meet the house keeper mid stay and give her something "on account"

We tipped 10% at the restaurant if service and food was only average which unfortunately it was at all the places we tried.

 

[LindaOwl1]

I usually put $3 (there are 3 of us ) in an envelope marked "Mousekeeping" and leave it on the dresser or TV each morning on the way out. I make these all up ahead of time and leave them in the suitcase, so I don't have to look for singles in the AM. This was a tip I learned a couple years ago on the WDW threads.

 

[Harlie]

I used to be a hotel housekeeper and it was rare to get a tip, but it was so nice to get one. Now DH and I tip. If we are just staying one night we will usually tip 4-5 dollars. If it is more then a night we will leave about 20 dollars in checkout day, we also leave unopend pop and beer/alcohol and juice boxes. I know at our hotel unopened left drinks were used for our housekeeping Christmas wind up.

I have never come across restaurants adding a percentage to your bill to force you to tip. I am not sure if I like that. Lately in my city our employment rate is so high most serving jobs are being filled by punk 16 year olds with a who gives a crap attitude that give you really poor service. Last week we went to Joey's Only and we ordered our drinka dn got them 45 mins later and she dropped them off and didn't take our food order. We had to ask another waitress to do it and we did not get our food for over an hour. We were there for over three hours and not very happy. We still tipped but it would anger me to be forced to tip that bad of service, if you know what I mean.

I don't have a set rate for cab drivers I always tell them that they can keep the change.

 

[Harlie]

Or, simply put a DND sign on your door~that's what me and my hubby do. Those are my absolute favorite guests! One of my co-workers goes even further-she'll strip the room for the housekeep.

I do that too, strip the room before we go. Mainly because it is the best way to check if you have everything. When I was in housekeeping my fave guest were the ones that just wanted extra towels and or coffee and anyone on a non-smoking floor!

 

[Harlie]

Holy Cow!! I must be a terrible hotel guest! I've never ever tipped a housekeeper, I didn't know we were supposed to?!? Where are the rules for this type of thing?

So, where are we supposed to leave a tip for them? I have to admit, housekeeping probably comes into our room and rolls their eyes . I look at a hotel like a few days of someone picking up after me instead of the other way around. I guess I might need to leave a little more than everyone else.

Not a lot of people do know that hotel housekeepers should be tipped, so don't feel bad. As for how to leave a tip I just leave our tip as we leave the room for checkout. I don't leave daily tips I just increase the amount of tip for more days we stay in the room.

 

[mindylovesmickey]

Okay, but how does it work? Does housekeeping share all their tips, or does the person who happens to clean your room that day just get lucky?

 

[Lynzer Torte]

It must be hard for Oregonians to travel elsewhere!

It sure is! I can't stand paying sales tax!

 

[Brady's Mom]

Okay, but how does it work? Does housekeeping share all their tips, or does the person who happens to clean your room that day just get lucky?

We just usually tip at the end of our stay. So I have the same question. Should we be tipping every day? or is tipping at the end adequate?? I certainly appreciate good service and know that housekeepers don't always make the most money and can be treated very poorly by some people. Plus we have 4 kids so when we stay at a hotel we try to be conscientious about the mess they make.

 

[Snow Brite]

I have worked at hotels for many years now and would love to answer this question.

Housekeeping is a lovely place to leave a tip as these people work so hard doing a mostly anonymous and thankless job. The standard is $1 per person per night, a little more if you are messy. You can leave it daily, just leave the money on the pillow. Or you can add it up and leave it with the front desk at checkout in an envelope addressed to the Executive Housekeeper with your room number and dates of stay and she will make sure it is divided up among the housekeepers that cleaned your room during your stay. I like the later method as it is also a chance for the housekeepers to be recognized by their boss. Do not make your bed when you check out, but instead strip the bed and leave it in a pile on the floor with the dirty towels and your housekeeper will love you all the more.

Bellmen should be tipped about $1 per bag with a $5 minimum. A superior bellman will point out your emergency exits, open the drapes if they arent already and point out the features of your room along with bringing in all of your bags, placing them on the luggage racks and hanging up any hanging bags in the closet. It would be nice to recognize this effort with a little extra tip.

The concierge is also a place where people forget or do not know to tip. If you ask the concierge to make you a standard dinner reservations $1-$3 is fine. If you ask for a special favor $5+ should be standard. This is a tip, not a bribe, so it should be offered after the service is provided, not before. However if you are asking for a miracle, and they try to provide it and are unable to do so, a tip is still standard for their time and effort.

Shuttle or taxi drivers should get a couple dollars in my opinion unless they offer additional services than just getting you safely to your destination and unlaoding your bags to the curb. If they provide lively conversation, directions, suggestions and transfer your bags to the bellmen at the hotel so that you don't have to touch them, then more would be in order. 18% seems excessive to me for basically just doing their job of driving a van between the hotel and the airport and not getting in an accident.

Restaurant tips are an area of great controversy (buffet vs sit down vs self service) so I will leave that for someone else.

 

[daffidyll]

Thanks everyone! Lots of great info here! I always made our bed every day and basically did a tidy up of our room so the only thing housekeeping really needed to do was empty bins and leave fresh towels if we needed them. It never even occured to me to strip the bed on our check-out morning instead of making it....thanks for that! Will do it from now on. So now I'm confused a bit. If we put up the DND sign and don't need housekeepings service on some days do we still tip them for those days???

Back to the character meals.....how do you tell if the tip would have been included in the meal cost? We purchased the Minnie & Friends breakfast with our package and as far as I can see it doesn't say one way or the other (but then I'm too lazy to read all the fine print anyway). So, if most people have prepaid for the character meal do you still leave a tip??? Does it make a difference if it's buffet vs table service?