Am I the Only One Who Doesn't Tip Housekeeping?

[DisneyMomx7]

We always tip. We're a family of 5 and we tip $5 per day. Last July we had the same housekeeper all week and she was really nice. She didn't know how to make towel animals but she arranged the kids stuffed animals so cute they couldn't wait to come back to the room to see what she had done. The last day we left her $20.

 

[Drizzo67]

We tipped a small amount each day because our two children were messy. The last day we left a $25.00 tip, along with a lot of garbage to be removed. Tipping is a personal thing. Each person feels differently about it. When my DH and I were there alone we only left a small tip at the end. After the kids joined the trips the messes got bigger and so did the tips.

 

[dbogen]

The funny thing is, the first time we took the kids to WDW I didn't know I was to tip, and everyday we would come back to items arranged in the window. The kids couldn't wait to see what they did. On the following 2 trips we tipped and didn't get anything.(not that we were looking for it, but figured a few $ may get a stuffed animal on the bed reading a book). It just seems that the maid service isn't as magical as it once was. To the OP I have mixed feelings for tipping, if there is a big mess or I ask for extra towels or soap then yes. I keep the room fairly clean and make the beds before I leave so there are times I don't tip.

Deanna

 

[Hippychickali]

Tipping is a personal thing. Each person feels differently about it.

I completely agree!! I think that's what we have to remember. We shouldn't make value judgements on other people about tipping.

Ali

 

[tinkerbee]

Personally I don't tip and here is why. I don't let mousekeeping in my room while I am there. I don't trust people going into my room when I'm not there. (I know not everyone is a crook but.....ya never know) We leave the sign on the door and they leave us towels every day. We call down to the front desk to get new sheets(if we are there longer than a week) and then we take the sheets and towels to one of the mousekeepers while they are making their rounds.

 

[sandiegosusie]

I never tip housekeeping unless I ask for something special...I asked my inlaws who travel extensively throughout the year. They said they have never heard of it either. Maybe I will check with Emily Post...

 

[ChisJo]

$3 an hour? That's illegal in Canada. The lowest minimum wage in any provine is $6.10. I completely understand what you are saying and I keep that in mind and that's why I tip the people I do and fairly decently. However, at the end of the day, I think we need to remember that tipping is, in fact, optional.

Ali

FYI - I live in Alberta, and the minimum wage is $5.90. Alberta is the lowest min. wage in Canada, and the 3rd most expensive province to live in. Our premier is incredibly reluctant to increase the min. wage because of the business owners not wanting that.
That being said, I work in a restaurant, sometimes for 9 hours with no break, on my feet and running around. You bet I depend on my tips. I work incredibly hard and I sometimes get home and cannot walk down my stairs because my feet hurt so badly. I also lay down and my back is so sore that I cannot get to sleep unless I have a heating pad on my back to relax it. I have been doing this for some time, and I am going to school to get out of it.
As for the subject at hand, I personally have tipped the housekeepers, but then there are times when I haven't. The last hotel I stayed at in Orlando, they did a horrible job...I refused to tip them. I didn't tip when I stayed in WDW either because at the time, I didn't know that I should have. I guess, for me, it just depends on the hotel I am staying at and if they are doing a good job....afterall, I work incredibly hard for my tips, and maybe I just expect others to do it too.
Jo

 

[Sandyincanada]

Alberta is the lowest min. wage in Canada, and the 3rd most expensive province to live in.

Seriously, Jo? Do you still get away with no sales tax? I always thought AB was close to MB cost of living wise unlike say, BC or the territories. Used to be when we visited there but that was a few years back now, things change.

As for tipping, yep, we always do at any hotel unless the service was bad.

 

[ChisJo]

Alberta is the lowest min. wage in Canada, and the 3rd most expensive province to live in.

Seriously, Jo? Do you still get away with no sales tax? I always thought AB was close to MB cost of living wise unlike say, BC or the territories. Used to be when we visited there but that was a few years back now, things change.

As for tipping, yep, we always do at any hotel unless the service was bad.

We still have no PST, but we get killed with car insurance, energy costs, and among other things, tuition. My University tuition, for example, for next year, for 4 classes all year (total 25 credits) is $5500, not including the $1000 worth of books that I have to buy. And, it goes up around $75 a class each year. I can't even imagine what tuition is going to like when our children go.
Also, our premier wants to go to Private health care and is slowly taking away our health care facilities and coverage. I still have to pay $200 every 3 months for coverage that I am not utilizing. The services that I do use are no longer covered, and I find that I am going less and less to those places because I just cannot afford to go (remember, full time student).

 

[Sandyincanada]

Tuition is getting really out of hand. Its around the same price here, depending on the courses. We don't have to pay medical but we do pay 7% PST on everything. Our car insurance isn't too bad, I pay 1300.00 for my car for a year with full merit discounts. Hydro and Gas are around 100.00 ea monthly on budget.

I'm just glad our housing is still somewhat reasonable. A friend in VIctoria just sold a house for 280,000.00 that would have sold here for around 100,000.00...quite a difference, sheeeesh.

 

[Poohbear123]

for each day I am there. The first night I am there, the next day I do NOT tip, as I don't need anything. Then, on the 3rd day, I will tip, if its the last day of the trip, than I tip. Last time I spent 4 nights and tipped 2 of those days, that was it!

 

[HenDuck]

For housekeeping, we tip $1 per person, per day. We try to leave a tip each day. We've always budgeted that in. It's just what I was brought up to do.

We tip the porters at the airport $3-5 per bag, especially now with the security hullaballoo. Our tipping "paid off" big when we checked in at LAX in April. The porter took us off to the side and got our boarding passes for us. The reservations gal came out to meet us to explain a potential delay. The porter then took us to a short line for the x-ray machine, while others waited in a loooong line.

For what it's worth, if we don't get good service, we don't tip - either at restaurants, hotels, anywhere. I also make it known to management (in writing) when we receive outstanding and/or subpar service.

Long story short - tipping - we do it. Sometimes it pays off.

 

[ScarletIndigo]

This is really interesting! The last time I posted frequently on the DIS was back in September of 2003 when the Debate Board was still around, and tipping was ALWAYS a hot topic for discussion! The more things change, the more they stay the same!

Personally, I never heard of tipping housekeeping before reading the DIS. I think growing up in a really frugal, lower-middle class family taught me to always count my change and keep my costs to a minimum. That being said, whenever I travel I make *sure* to keep my hotel room neat and tidy so housekeeping has an easy job of it. When I have kids someday, I'm sure that won't be so easy, so if there's a big mess to clean up or lots of towels to be replaced, I'll probably feel differently about tipping. But if you're a fairly neat person who doesn't ask too much of the hotel's housekeeping staff, I don't think a tip should be required. Just my two cents!

 

[crazy4dizney]

O.K thats a very personal subject.I always tip mouse keeping $1 per day per person because,my experience has always been great!Animals or not.Waitstaff 15-20% of totally bill.If service is so bad ,then dont tip...I feel like I have to address the person who said;waiters try to get out of paying taxes.Most restarant owners dont care what they report because they dont have to pay as much in SS,workers comp ect...The are only hurting them selfs when the time comes to show income for any sort of loans.(house,car ect..)As for cash tips ,sometimes the house takes 5% of tips left on credit cards because they pay a service fee for credit transactions.Oh well I say lets keep the economy going and spread the love!

 

[disneychrista]

I feel like I have to address the person who said;waiters try to get out of paying taxes.Most restarant owners dont care what they report because they dont have to pay as much in SS,workers comp ect...The are only hurting them selfs when the time comes to show income for any sort of loans.(house,car ect..)As for cash tips ,sometimes the house takes 5% of tips left on credit cards because they pay a service fee for credit transactions.

I would have to gather that since it is illegeal to charge a customer a surcharge for using a credit card that it is also illegeal to make a server pay a percentage also. Of course I do not know this to be a fact and I am only guessing but I can't see how it could be legeal.

As the accountant/payroll for a tavern I have tried and tried again to try to get our employees to report tips, they always refuse. We have gone out of our way to these people but all they do is complain when it comes tax time that they owe hundreds of dollars in taxes (of course on the 8% only)

I agree that they are hurting themselves in the long run.

 

[tink2dw]

If you check your Disney Resort bills Gratuities are already added on where ever they possible can. Whether or not I got good service or bad. Why would I tip over "their Gratuity". The inflated costs of everything in Orlando allows locals to may a living wage!! As an example because Dd was in high school, we could only go to WDW at Spring Break. Not only were WDW's rates at their Highest possible cost[no discounts anywhere] Even offsite, every business had inflated its prices, It costs our family of 3, $10. to eat at McDonalds here in oregon, in florida it cost $30. for exactly the same order.

They aren't hurting!!

 

[safetymom]

I guess you haven't talked to a lot of people that work in the Orlando area. Many are working at low wage service jobs. Yes they have a job but they aren't well off.

 

[Limmer]

Do you really believe that if McDonald's is making an extra $20 that the staff is receiving it? They make the same minimum wage that the staff at your hometown McDonald's makes. Same with housekeeping. By the way, you can always ask for an automatic gratuity to be taken off your bill if you have poor service. I would just ask for the manager.

 

[jmclester]

No tipping from me either. Please don't flame me but I have a real problem (not saying that I don't) tipping a pool bartender that takes 5 seconds to draw a pre-mixed drink or a beer from a tap. Why not just raise the price of the drink and give a buck or so to the tender? What's up with that? For some of you world travelers, is our society over the top with tipping or is this a global thing?

 

[phamton]

By the way the term tips does not mean something extra it is an acronym for
To
Insure
Prompt or Proper
Service

Not really.

Dear Word Detective: I read in an advertising newsletter that "tip" is supposed to be an acronym for "to insure promptness." First of all, I'm wary of anything claiming to be an acronym. Secondly, I believe that the correct phrase would be "to ensure promptness" unless one was taking out an insurance policy on promptness. Finally, it seems to me that a tip does not "ensure" promptness -- rather, it rewards promptness. Any thoughts? -- Steve Close, via the internet.


You're absolutely right, of course, to be skeptical about the "acronymic" origins proposed for many words. As I've noted before, acronyms were very rare in English before World War II, so any term that can be shown to have existed before about 1940 is very unlikely to have started life as an acronym.

And you're also largely correct in drawing a distinction between "ensure," which generally means "make certain or guarantee" that something will happen, and "insure," which usually means to obtain or issue an insurance policy on something or someone. Personally, I also happen to enjoy the distinction between those two words. But I'm afraid that you and I are members of a vanishing minority, and that, at least in the U.S., "insure" is increasingly accepted in place of "ensure" in the "make certain" sense. Oh well. Can't argue with vox populi, I suppose.

Now, as to "tip," those bozos are not even close. "Tip" doesn't stand for anything. It probably comes from the lingo of thieves in the 1600's, where "to tip" meant to give or lend a small amount of money or goods. Back then, "tipping" also meant "touching lightly," as in tapping someone on the shoulder to get their attention, or possibly "touching" them with a request for a small amount of money.

More debunkings of this myth here:
http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19990317
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-tip1.htm

Tip

The popular explanation of the origin of tip, meaning a gratuity, is that it is an acronym meaning "to insure promptness." This is incorrect.

Tip is underworld cant meaning to pass on, to hand to, especially to pass on a small sum of money. It dates to at least 1610. The verb meaning to give a gratuity dates to about a century later, and the noun dates to at least 1755. And as we've seen many times in these pages, there are no pre-20th century acronymic word origins.
http://www.wordorigins.org/wordort.htm#tip