Did I tip okay?

[mickeymaker2003]

Two ladies from Molly Maid just left my house. I had a gift certificate for a whole house clean and used it today (I've been saving it for months). I know people have posted about tipping for a whole visit price, but that was for a regular service--this will be a one-time thing. A two person crew was here for about 2 1/2 hours and I gave them each $10 cash as a thank you before they left. Was that okay?

 

[happygirl]

Two ladies from Molly Maid just left my house. I had a gift certificate for a whole house clean and used it today (I've been saving it for months). I know people have posted about tipping for a whole visit price, but that was for a regular service--this will be a one-time thing. A two person crew was here for about 2 1/2 hours and I gave them each $10 cash as a thank you before they left. Was that okay?

I really have no idea but it sounds kind of low to me.

 

[jmartinez1895]

i would say that any tip is a good amount because a tip is a gift not a requirment. I know taht many of them look forward to a tip as part of salary, but it should be based on what you can aford to give and the quailty of service received.

 

[mjkacmom]

I don't think you have to tip them, and I tip just about everyone! I used to have a cleaning lady, and the only tip she received was a double pay at christmas. I do tip people who deliver furniture, though.

 

[happymommy]

I have a cleaning lady, and she comes every week. So for her, I give two weeks' pay for Christmas.

I do not tip any furniture delivery people. I've never met anyone who would - they are paid well. I do offer a drink if it's hot out.

If it's a one time thing, I wouldn't even worry about tipping.

I just switched back to my "old" hairdresser, and honestly, gave nothing above a normal tip last week.

 

[marsha123]

i think that was more than enough.

 

[XYSRUS]

I say relax. It's over and done with. Tipping a one time service vs a regular cleaning person are 2 different things. Isn't having your home clean nice?

 

[kathie859]

I think tipping them was not really necessary under the circumstances--but it was awfully nice of you to do it.

 

[Justsyd2]

Tipping is usually 20% of the cost of the service, so what ever that is...that's the tip.

 

[LisaRN97]

I think your tip was appropriate. When we had someone clean our other home a few years back, we paid her exactly what she charged and then gave her double pay at Christmas..... it was her own business so she pocketed all the money.

And someone mentioned furniture delivery...we always tip them...

 

[pearlieq]

It was more than enough. It's not really necessary to tip in that situation, so I'm sure they were pleasantly surprised!

 

[karensi]

I think $10 each was just right.
They probably weren't counting on getting anything and it was a one time thing.

I'm sure they were very pleased.
I wouldn't worry about it

Karen

 

[secretpantssam]

That sounds like a good tip to me!

 

[terri01p]

Sounds good to me ! You didn't have to even do that so anything is a step up !

 

[MAH4546]

I don't get why people are saying one does not have to tip. Maids wages are adjusted lower because they get tips. You have to tip unless they did a poor job.

If the service you received "retails" for $100, you tipped appropriately. If it retails for $200, you tipped $20 too little, but if retails for $50, you tipped $10 too generous.

 

[Lucky4me]

Maid wages are not adjusted lower to account for tips like restaurant servers are.
They are making at least state minimum wage.

So I believe tipping in this case is a nice thing to do, but not expected.

 

[puffkin]

Sounds good to me! I don't think you were required to tip at all. I do not view house cleaners as a tipped position. You are paying for a service and they are providing the service for an agreed upon price!

I use a cleaning lady biweekly. I have had her for 3 years. She is self-employed and has about 20 houses total. Every year I leave her a small gift at Christmas (usually about $20 or so). This year it was some Tastefully Simple Mixes. I normally don't see her, but I bumped into her at the grocery store and she thanked me profusely. She said only one other customer even acknowledges her at Christmas time so she appreciates the thought. I would never tip a full weeks service...that just is way over the norm here. That would be more than I spend on most of my family members and DH! Only DS would get more than that!

PS- DS's preschool teacher also was very appreciative of her small gift. A parent on the PTO mentioned that only about 1/3 of the kids even acknowledge their teacher at Christmas. That's absurd!

 

[eeyorethegreat]

ETA : I just reread and it seems that you mean just at the holidays. When I read quickly through the first time I thought the posts were about every time one tipped! I was thinking wow what a lucky cleaning lady! LOL!

I have never had a cleaning lady or man for that matter and I don't expect I ever will but I am curious. For those of you who say you tip whatever the charge is for the cleaning does that mean if you have them come in on a regualar say weekly or bi weekly schedule and the price of cleaning is $50 (just pulling that number out of the air I have no idea what house cleaning costs as an average), every time they clean. So you r bill is the $50 then you tip $50 on top of that? So in the end you have paid a total including tip $100? In other words you tip 100% of the cost every time or is this just at the holidays?

 

[mjkacmom]

ETA : I just reread and it seems that you mean just at the holidays. When I read quickly through the first time I thought the posts were about every time one tipped! I was thinking wow what a lucky cleaning lady! LOL!

I have never had a cleaning lady or man for that matter and I don't expect I ever will but I am curious. For those of you who say you tip whatever the charge is for the cleaning does that mean if you have them come in on a regualar say weekly or bi weekly schedule and the price of cleaning is $50 (just pulling that number out of the air I have no idea what house cleaning costs as an average), every time they clean. So you r bill is the $50 then you tip $50 on top of that? So in the end you have paid a total including tip $100? In other words you tip 100% of the cost every time or is this just at the holidays?

Just the holidays! I cut and pasted this, but I'm guessing the $50 average here depends upon how much a weekly housekeeper costs - there is no such thing as a $50 cleaning here!

Average Holiday Tip Amounts
The table below reflects a summary of the average tips in Consumer Reports' survey of 1,800 people:

Apartment building caretaker - $25.00
Barber, hairdresser and/or manicurist - $16.00 - $20.00
Teachers and/or childcare providers - $20.00 - $40.00
Fitness trainer/Instructor - $25.00
Lawncare crew - $25.00
Housekeeper - $50.00
Mail carrier or newspaper delivery - $15.00 - $20.00
Trash collector - $20.00
School bus driver - $15.00


Read more at Suite101: Holiday Tipping Guide: Who to Tip, How Much to Tip and What Are Others Giving At Christmas http://personalbudgeting.suite101.com/article.cfm/holiday_tipping_primer#ixzz0aWpQ5dQh

 

[MMitchell29]

Just the holidays! I cut and pasted this, but I'm guessing the $50 average here depends upon how much a weekly housekeeper costs - there is no such thing as a $50 cleaning here!

Average Holiday Tip Amounts
The table below reflects a summary of the average tips in Consumer Reports' survey of 1,800 people:

Apartment building caretaker - $25.00
Barber, hairdresser and/or manicurist - $16.00 - $20.00
Teachers and/or childcare providers - $20.00 - $40.00
Fitness trainer/Instructor - $25.00
Lawncare crew - $25.00
Housekeeper - $50.00
Mail carrier or newspaper delivery - $15.00 - $20.00
Trash collector - $20.00
School bus driver - $15.00


Read more at Suite101: Holiday Tipping Guide: Who to Tip, How Much to Tip and What Are Others Giving At Christmas http://personalbudgeting.suite101.com/article.cfm/holiday_tipping_primer#ixzz0aWpQ5dQh

First let me just say that no one should feel obligated to tip no one just because it's Christmas. That is not the true meaning of Christmas. Secondly those figures seems unrealistic unless you're making 100,000 plus per year esp if you have kids. That's just my 2 cents