Do you tip Mousekeeping?

[MyGoofy26]

My room cost is for the room and cleaning is part of that. I tip as a thank you from us. I figure if I can afford a $400/night room the extra $3/night will not break me and will make their low wages a little better.

As with the poster before you, and now this post. . . I always find it odd that there are some people so set against paying a tip supposedly because of the cost of their room. Let's face it, Disney's rooms are overpriced. . . if these hotels were in the middle of some other city, no way would most of us be able to justify spending as much as we do. But somehow we convince ourselves to pay more for these rooms and increase the bottom line of the company, but can't scrounge up a couple extra dollars (even the spare change that builds up in your pocket during the day can easily add up to a couple bucks!) to the person making sure you're not walking away with a fungus from the toilet seats, LOL. Just because you pay more doesn't mean the employees see more.

I don't know. . . I think understand the "it's not officially a tipped position, so I don't tip" argument a lot more than the "I already spent this much, I'm not spending another dollar" argument.

I tip. At any hotel. Actually the only time I haven't tipped is a hotel I stayed in on -Drive (after deciding last minute to extend our Orlando trip to go to a concert, LOL) and the housekeeper actually left envelopes with "tip please" scrawled on it. Rubbed me the wrong way that it was expected.

 

[beattyfamily]

Actually, only 59% tip, so that isn't really "most", it is only a bit more than half. It is a majority, but I wouldn't call it most. 27% don't and 14% answered "sometimes".

Whatever. I added the 59% with the 'sometimes' percentage. I'm still happy and it's great to see!

 

[MyGoofy26]

Actually, in Europe, there are quite a few public restrooms (often reststops) where there is an attendant in the bathroom and a tip is suggested. Those were some VERY clean restrooms!

Jill in KC

And they often hold the toilet paper hostage until you offer a tip, LOL!

 

[ZebraStripes]

For a short time in my life, I worked as a hotel housekeeper. I also worked doing laundry at a hotel (where tips were pooled). We were paid minimum wage. We were expected to clean at least 10 rooms, top to bottom every day. Most of the time, we were not tipped. I can't even begin to tell you the gross things I had to clean or things found under beds or toilets that were just plain eeeeww. If it was a more than one night stay, we were in there recleaning the bathroom, picking up sopping wet towels from the floor, remaking beds, emptying trash, cleaning ashtrays. I'm not saying everyone was like that, most people weren't. When I travel now, I leave at least $3 per night, extra if i happen to see the housekeeper going doing extra for me. When I negotiate contracts for group meetings, I always ask to have tips included in the fees we pay. I'm not the tidiest person when I travel. I've left sopping wet towels in the bathtub before. I never expected a tip from anyone, but if I got them, they were greatly appreciated. Its a hard job. A dirty job, Mike Rowe, where are you???? If you have any other questions on tipping, I found this chart on CNN

 

[NMW]

We are DVC, so we don't get housekeeping every day. We leave $10 in an envelope on our last day. The 1 and 2 bdr villas are big and it's a lot to clean.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I prob make the same amount of money as a house keeper and I am paying plenty to stay at disney so I am not tipping for cleaning the room when I will prob clean it any way.

I'm not flaming you, but I think you may be under a false impression.

I tried housekeeping once - for a day. It was the most disgusting job I've ever had. What's more, we didn't get ANY breaks - no lunch, no bathroom breaks, nothing. Since I was training, I had someone observing me all day. An experienced housekeeper could sneak a bathroom break, but that's about it. They too, were watched and carefully timed. I was not allowed to eat lunch, get water, or anything. I was appalled that was even legal. (Maybe Disney is better.) I was expected to work over eight hours straight until all the rooms were cleaned. All my retail and waitressing jobs gave me at least an informal lunch break, and most gave 15 minute breaks after six hours, plus permisson to use the restroom as needed. Plus, we got extras like discounts off the food, merchandise, and bonus raises for top performance.

As a housekeeper, regardless of what cleaning the guest did, we were still expected to do everything: remake the bed, vacuum, clean the shower and toilet, empty the nasty trash (bathrooms+ women customers Yuck! Plus the health hazzards!) So while it helps if there isn't trash thrown everywhere, it doesn't really make cleaning the room all that different, unless there is a huge mess. Personally, it sort of seemed silly to me that so many people DID make the beds - knowing that they had to be remade anyhow.

It was not my experience that everyone tipped, and it isn't required, but when I think about tipping, I remember what it's like to be on the other side. As a vacationer - a dollar is not much to shell out. As a tip though, a dollar means a 20-30% raise in pay, so it's very much appreciated. It doesn't make me your slave, but it does motivate me to work harder for you.

I also think that variety in tipping is important - I don't give a blanket amount if the service is marginal, but I do think a quality job deserves something. As long as there are people who don't tip, it makes those who do tip seem that much nicer.

 

[mking624]

I tried housekeeping once - for a day. It was the most disgusting job I've ever had. What's more, we didn't get ANY breaks - no lunch, no bathroom breaks, nothing. Since I was training, I had someone observing me all day. An experienced housekeeper could sneak a bathroom break, but that's about it. They too, were watched and carefully timed. I was not allowed to eat lunch, get water, or anything. I was appalled that was even legal. (Maybe Disney is better.) I was expected to work over eight hours straight until all the rooms were cleaned.

Actually it's not legal. You could have reported them for that. Every state has laws on breaks for so many hours worked...and not giving someone a break is illegal and a company audit violation.

Anyway off on my own thoughts...
I wonder how tipping comes into play every single time a news show does a special on hotel rooms and just how filthy they really are.

 

[daisyduck123]

We tip $5.00 per day & then leave $20.00 on our last day. Those Mousekeepers need that money more than my family does.

Frankly, I'm a little shocked at the poster that commented how they don't tip Mousekeeping at The Contemporary because they've already spent so much money on their room. Goodness!!

 

[Tiki Room Fan]

A few weeks ago a friend of mine forwarded a joke type email to me and it was called "Why you should always tip the housekeepers at hotels" and it was a video clip of a housekeeper scrubbing the toilet bowl with a toothbrush, then when she finishes and flushes the toilet, she puts drops the brush back in it's holder on the sink, turns out the light and shuts the door.

EWWWWWW!!!! I always tip, but if I didn't, I sure would now!! And I'd hide my toothbrush! LOL!

 

[kristielee]

OKay, please do not flame me either....but I gotta tell ya, I'm appalled that anyone who has priviledge of going on vacation (whether you spend $100 per night or $1000 per night, it's not like the housekeepers set the rates) can't cough up a measely couple of buck for housekeeping. Have you ever met and spoken with any of the staff? The majority are immigrants, most likely with minimal skills, just lucky enough to have a job and provide for their families. We live in the richest freakin' country in the world. We are the most spoiled, overindulged, overweight, impatient slobs in the universe. By the grace of God, my family and I have been fortunate enough to travel once a year or so. I would be embarassed not to tip a bellman, porter, valet, or housekeeper. I work in healthcare, nobody tips me and nor would I ever expect it. I will never forget the day a little pediatric pt of mine asked her mom if they could go to WDW (they'd seen a Disney DVD in the waiting area). The mom looked at this precious little sweetie and replied..."what did mommy tell you, sweetheart? If Mommy wins the lottery we'll go. I promise". I felt my heart sink. But THAT is reality. An awful lot of people can't afford the extras in life, like family vacations. So while I realize I may be going a little off topic, my point is that it is all about GRATITUDE. Something some many of us have forgotten. Why not skip that Dole Whip or those Mickey Ears and use those couple of bucks to make the day of someone less fortunate.

 

[Jalva22]

The discussion made me curious about what the etiquette people say on this topic. I did a very quick search (read: "not thorough"), but every site I called up said that tipping housekeeping is the proper thing to do. I looked at www.tipping.org and at hotels.about.com (you'll have to find the link inside these sites for yourself), and for what I thought would be a more independent opinion went to http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/tipping/

So, spin it however you'd like, but it looks to me like housekeeping is properly considered a tipped position. Besides, Samantha Brown tips housekeeping, and by gosh I want to be in her company!

 

[mking624]

I think we need to be careful about how "appalled" we are about people not tipping. We don't know the circumstances of the people on the vacation so we shouldn't just assume that they can even afford to tip. To give a really good example, a friend of ours went to WDW & US last July with his daughters and wife. With everything the way it was, you'd think they were fine financially. But they weren't The trip was a gift from the Make-A-Wish Foundation...one of their daughters had terminal brain cancer (she died last August). All their money went to her treatments and trying to save her life. Yes, a couple of bucks did mean the world to them. Did they tip housekeeping? I have no idea...it's not an appropriate question to ask them. And I know this is an extreme situation. But the reason why I'm saying it is because we don't always know the situation a family might be in, so it's not really our place to assume they can afford it and judge whether or not a person is doing the right thing by not tipping.

Also, attitude on BOTH sides of the coin can be poor. So far we've only looked at people who don't tip...but people who do tip can also have poor attitudes about tipping...i.e. doing so grudgingly or doing so with an attitude of pity. I wouldn't care how little I made, I would never want to be treated as a charity case. I can't say if anyone here ever does that...because I don't know any of your and your motivations (so I won't judge), but it's a good thing to remember so we keep ourselves guarded from that mental trap.

 

[kvogel11202]

But we stay YC conceirge level, pay more than the $400 / night listed in previous posts, and I feel it's worth it. I put $2 in envelopes before I even leave home, and leave one out each morning before we leave for wherever. Again this is my preference. We also tip the bell hop, and the valet. We don't tip the front desk, the conceirge desk, or the crew of the frienship boats, arbitrary, yes, but it's what we do!

 

[noodleknitter]

We tip because we were taught to tip, and because it is a nice thing to do. If my $2 (per person) is a gallon of milk for a single mom, or a bit of gas for a single, trying to make it on their own...it is my pleasure to help out.

It's a Karma thing.

 

[Gizmo1951]

I normally leave a tip unless the quality of service does not warrant it.
(such as leaving a bag of garbage in middle of the floor etc)
I also leave extra for service above the normal expected
(towel animals etc)
I feel tipping Mousekeeping as with anyone else shows appreciation of a job well done

 

[KirstenB]

I haven't read all the replies, so forgive me if I repeat another poster. We always tip. I honestly believe if I can't afford to tip, I can't afford to go. It's also a good karma/blessings thing. We feel blessed, so why not share the blessings?

 

[T. Lynn]

As with the poster before you, and now this post. . . I always find it odd that there are some people so set against paying a tip supposedly because of the cost of their room. Let's face it, Disney's rooms are overpriced. . . if these hotels were in the middle of some other city, no way would most of us be able to justify spending as much as we do.

Not to change the subject but I don't think they are that overpriced. Our motel in Wildwood NJ costs about $160 a night. For that price, I could stay at a disney moderate with a waterslide at the pool

 

[UtahMama]

glad my "how much do you tip..." thread inspired this poll!!!!! I believe we've raised awareness and changed some people's minds! Once you realize how DANG hard the maids work and how little they're paid and how much they appreciate the tips....

 

[MyGoofy26]

Not to change the subject but I don't think they are that overpriced. Our motel in Wildwood NJ costs about $160 a night. For that price, I could stay at a disney moderate with a waterslide at the pool

$160 for a motel?! That's more than we paid for a nice, clean hotel in the middle of Rome the weekend the Pope died!

 

[T. Lynn]

Yep, it's getting expensive down there.

We stayed at a couple cheaper ones the past 2 years (not much cheaper, only by about $25 or so). We decided to go back to our usual hotel since it's the only vacation we take except for Knoebels. The rooms are also a little bigger and there's no problems with parking so it's worth the extra money now.

Just wanted to make a note that disney is actually cheaper. I made that comment when they told me the price for this year. I told them I could get a moderate at disney and a pool with a slide.