DVC Mousekeeping Gratuities??

[Dean]

Let me add, I cannot think of another job in the US where tipping enters into the equation but is not assumed in the final salary. My position is that a tip is not appropriate for a timeshare in the US where there is no daily maid service for simply doing the job one is hired for. However, I find at Disney that the maids often do something extra that makes one's stay magical and thus often do deserve a tip. My biggest problem with tipping is that illustrated in this thread. While there are opinions, there is no clear answer in many situations and I hate uncertainty in such areas. Also, as I noted earlier, I make every effort to make their job as easy as possible for the rooms we occupy.

 

[dismichael]

Thanks everyone for your input...
We too try to make our stay as easy as possible for everyone. There are six of us in our family, and though it is cramped, we try our hardest to make sure the room is respected. I wasn't sure if the mousekeepers were expecting a tip (i.e. like a waiter), or if our dues did, in fact pay for all possible expenses as far as that is concerned. Alot of times, we tend to judge the size of the tip on the quality of our stay. Many mousekeepers work hard (it seems) to make our stay magical. However, we have also had bad experiences with not enough things being replenished, trash not taken out on trash/towel day, etc. We usually just adjust the tip accordingly.

 

[kespo]

I actually think it is a bit strange that so many ask this question. Do we ask how much we should tip our waiter or hairdresser. No, but almost daily people ask how much to tip housekeeping. I think all tipping is very personal and you should do what you feel is best. Whether it is $10, $5, or nothing is up to each individual.[/QUOTE]

I agree!! It is up to the individual!!!!

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

We own Worldmark also. How many points do you own? How do you like it?
We live in Texas so most of the resorts are far away but we love skiing at Red River NM and the lift is right behind the resort.

10,000 point. We like it, but we are in California and are able to take advantage of weekend trips that require less planning.

I actually think it is a bit strange that so many ask this question. Do we ask how much we should tip our waiter or hairdresser. No, but almost daily people ask how much to tip housekeeping. I think all tipping is very personal and you should do what you feel is best. Whether it is $10, $5, or nothing is up to each individual.

I agree that its an individual preference, but I think its asked because staying in a hotel isn't a "regular" thing for most people. Honestly, I'd never heard of tipping housekeeping at ANY hotel until the Disboards.

 

[jodifla]

We tip on checkout day. I didn't use to tip housekeepers ...until I read a newspaper story where a reporter followed a housekeeper for a day!

 

[Dean]

I agree that its an individual preference, but I think its asked because staying in a hotel isn't a "regular" thing for most people. Honestly, I'd never heard of tipping housekeeping at ANY hotel until the Disboards.

I think it's asked so much because it's not even standard for hotels and certainly not for timeshares. It's not that it is standard and some just don't know about it.

 

[decklake]

Many people choose to tip housekeepers and I am one of them. Any one that has to clean toilets for me & family is worthy of a tip.

We have usually left $3-5 per day.

 

[jodifla]

I don't see a "slippery slope" problem. I tip housekeepers because I think there's no way they could pay them what they're worth....it's a hard, hard job.

And like a PP said, I like to think that when they get a $20 it inspires them to make sure the place is great for the next guest. So many of us complain about housekeeping...spreading pixie dust works both ways.

 

[sskem96]

I tip housekeeping at every hotel I stay at because I remember my dad leaving a tip in the room when I was a kid (usually a couple bucks under the ashtray. I guess that was more than a few years ago, huh? lol)

We've even stayed at some hotels that have a card or envelope saying who had cleaned the room prior to your arrival so you would actually be tipping that person instead of the one cleaning after you. In one of those hotels, the room wasn't particularly clean when we arrived (found a pair of socks under the bed, etc.), so I didn't want to tip the person who cleaned before us, but I did want to tip the person who cleaned up after us very well since it was for a b-day party and the floor ended up with lots of crushed Doritos on it! I took the money to the manager and explained the situation to make sure the right person received the tip. We left them $10. We normally leave $5/day. For DVC, we leave $10 on trash and towel day and $20 for full clean.

We do pick up after ourselves and don't leave them extra work or anything (well, except for that one time ), but regardless of how clean we feel like we're leaving the room, the still have to scrub and vacuum the entire room between guests, and that's a lot of work.

I also pack a container of lysol wipes in case we encounter a housekeeper who doesn't deserve a tip. One time we checked into a hotel in St. Louis and there was a smear of #2 on the toilet seat.

 

[dismichael]

The only thing I noticed sometimes in hotels (not necessarily disney) is that in rooms there are the cards with a little pocket for a tip... disney does, however, leave cards with the name of the housekeeper on it. I just assumed it was expected to tip, even though we do already pay dues.

 

[DebbieB]

I can't see a big tip for trash & towel. All they do is change out the towels and empty the garbage. Alot less than a regular hotel room if you have a studio or 1 bedroom. I usually leave $10 on departure for a 1 bedroom, that's when they have more work.

 

[tidefan]

We are supposed to tip housekeeping?

I waited tables for years and years through college and grad school. I appreciated the tips, I really did. However, I only made 2.09/hour as tips were figured into the salary of the position. I do not think that housekeeping makes below minimum wage. Now, I'm not against showing goodwill based on a good job if someone goes out of their way, but I do not think that it is "normal" to tip housekeeping.

I think what Dean might have been getting at is the example above I gave of Waiters/Waitresses. If tips become "normal" for housekeeping, what could happen is not what people expect. If your Federal Gov't decides that tips are an expected part of one's salary, then the minimum wage laws will go out the window as an employer is allowed to consider tips as part of normal income for positions that normally accept tips. I bet this is similar to room stewards on cruise ships. I can almost guarantee that they don't make minimum wage. Oh, and just to make things worse when I waited tables, we had to give an additional 2% of our sales into a "tip pool" that was given to the busboys, bartenders, and host staff, who also, did not make minimum wage...

In this way, tipped positions, such as wait staff, bartenders, etc., are really more like contract labor than employees. Is this what we want in housekeeping? I'm sure an employer would love that as they then wouldn't have to offer benefits.

Housekeeping is a somewhat different animal. We have an expectation that rooms are cleaned. Is there a "somewhat clean" that is usually acceptable? Not really. Most of us expect clean rooms. This is what housekeeping is hired for, to make sure that rooms are cleaned to a certain expectation.

Now after this rant, please don't think that I am against Housekeepers making more money if they do a great job. I think that we should want them to do a great job and that we should encourage Disney to hire the best possible, but I don't think that tips is the way to go. Let me explain...

As to what housekeeping makes, my answer to that is that they make what the market will bear. It is an unskilled labor position that has a very low entry level. That is why the payment for most housekeeping positions is so low. If it were difficult to find labor to fill the position, then it would pay more. Simple supply and demand. Also, logic dictates that as people become better/more experienced at the job, then demand for their services should get higher than those whose skills are less.

So, perhaps a better question for us DVC members should be, do we demand more out of our housekeepers than the industry average? If so, then we, as members should be willing to pay for it. However, I don't think that doing this via tips is really making a difference. If we really want to pay housekeeping more, then we should be willing to fund it in our annual dues, offer a higher wage, and then compete for the best housekeepers we can afford for our $$ that we are willing to spend. If we fund housekeepers at $1/hr higher than what, say, Marriott is paying them, I bet we have better housekeepers...

 

[dismichael]

I think I would rather leave an extra $10 on departure than see our annual dues go up lol

 

[happyann79]

I know most non tipped positions are not allowed to accept tips in Disney World. For example if you want to tip a hostess at a restaurant they are required to tell their manager and he or she determines what will happen to the money. I am pretty sure it works the same for housekeeping. So they may not even be able to accept the tips that you leave.

 

[Mtnman44]

Excellent, well-reasoned post. I detect a sound understanding of free market economics....

We are supposed to tip housekeeping?

I waited tables for years and years through college and grad school. I appreciated the tips, I really did. However, I only made 2.09/hour as tips were figured into the salary of the position. I do not think that housekeeping makes below minimum wage. Now, I'm not against showing goodwill based on a good job if someone goes out of their way, but I do not think that it is "normal" to tip housekeeping.

I think what Dean might have been getting at is the example above I gave of Waiters/Waitresses. If tips become "normal" for housekeeping, what could happen is not what people expect. If your Federal Gov't decides that tips are an expected part of one's salary, then the minimum wage laws will go out the window as an employer is allowed to consider tips as part of normal income for positions that normally accept tips. I bet this is similar to room stewards on cruise ships. I can almost guarantee that they don't make minimum wage. Oh, and just to make things worse when I waited tables, we had to give an additional 2% of our sales into a "tip pool" that was given to the busboys, bartenders, and host staff, who also, did not make minimum wage...

In this way, tipped positions, such as wait staff, bartenders, etc., are really more like contract labor than employees. Is this what we want in housekeeping? I'm sure an employer would love that as they then wouldn't have to offer benefits.

Housekeeping is a somewhat different animal. We have an expectation that rooms are cleaned. Is there a "somewhat clean" that is usually acceptable? Not really. Most of us expect clean rooms. This is what housekeeping is hired for, to make sure that rooms are cleaned to a certain expectation.

Now after this rant, please don't think that I am against Housekeepers making more money if they do a great job. I think that we should want them to do a great job and that we should encourage Disney to hire the best possible, but I don't think that tips is the way to go. Let me explain...

As to what housekeeping makes, my answer to that is that they make what the market will bear. It is an unskilled labor position that has a very low entry level. That is why the payment for most housekeeping positions is so low. If it were difficult to find labor to fill the position, then it would pay more. Simple supply and demand. Also, logic dictates that as people become better/more experienced at the job, then demand for their services should get higher than those whose skills are less.

So, perhaps a better question for us DVC members should be, do we demand more out of our housekeepers than the industry average? If so, then we, as members should be willing to pay for it. However, I don't think that doing this via tips is really making a difference. If we really want to pay housekeeping more, then we should be willing to fund it in our annual dues, offer a higher wage, and then compete for the best housekeepers we can afford for our $$ that we are willing to spend. If we fund housekeepers at $1/hr higher than what, say, Marriott is paying them, I bet we have better housekeepers...

 

[rentayenta]

Hi Everyone,
My family is always split on how much we should leave the mousekeeping when we go for our annual DVC trip. Some of us think that they only come in for 1-2 days per trip, so they should only be tipped $5-$10 for those days. There are 6 of us in the room, so we are unsure how much to tip per day, and if you only tip on the days they come in, or if you should throw in an extra $5 or something. Thanks!

We tip the days they clean- $10 each time.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Writing a note and tipping mousekeeping is MY way of saying Thank you for cleaning up after me. I believe life is all about a "Chain of Love."

Bobbi

 

[LIFERBABE]

I don't see a "slippery slope" problem. I tip housekeepers because I think there's no way they could pay them what they're worth....it's a hard, hard job.

And like a PP said, I like to think that when they get a $20 it inspires them to make sure the place is great for the next guest. So many of us complain about housekeeping...spreading pixie dust works both ways.

Having done the job for 2 weeks (Sheraton, all I could handle!) when I was fresh out of high school waiting on my college program to start, I tip.

There were days that I did not receive anything, but the days I received something, I was so grateful because that helped with bus fare etc. I did the math and at min. wage and 16 rooms a day, I was being paid $2 a room plus lunch. That was before taxes!! $2 to make up 2 beds, clean the bathroom, dust, vacuum. And college football weekend was aftermath!

We had a great mousekeeper at AKV CL last Christmas. AWESOME!! She was more magical than many of the CL castmembers. Went above and beyond everyday! I felt like she was part of the DVC family and would love to see her again so if my tips help her stay, I am happy to give it.

And I do agree with Tidefan that members should be willing to pay for better service in our dues. And I understand that Disney does offer many benefits, but after attending the Condo Meeting and members upset because the dues increased 3% and those costs being attributed to labor and benefits, it's easier said than done.

 

[Nparrotte]

Well said.

We are supposed to tip housekeeping?

I waited tables for years and years through college and grad school. I appreciated the tips, I really did. However, I only made 2.09/hour as tips were figured into the salary of the position. I do not think that housekeeping makes below minimum wage. Now, I'm not against showing goodwill based on a good job if someone goes out of their way, but I do not think that it is "normal" to tip housekeeping.

I think what Dean might have been getting at is the example above I gave of Waiters/Waitresses. If tips become "normal" for housekeeping, what could happen is not what people expect. If your Federal Gov't decides that tips are an expected part of one's salary, then the minimum wage laws will go out the window as an employer is allowed to consider tips as part of normal income for positions that normally accept tips. I bet this is similar to room stewards on cruise ships. I can almost guarantee that they don't make minimum wage. Oh, and just to make things worse when I waited tables, we had to give an additional 2% of our sales into a "tip pool" that was given to the busboys, bartenders, and host staff, who also, did not make minimum wage...

In this way, tipped positions, such as wait staff, bartenders, etc., are really more like contract labor than employees. Is this what we want in housekeeping? I'm sure an employer would love that as they then wouldn't have to offer benefits.

Housekeeping is a somewhat different animal. We have an expectation that rooms are cleaned. Is there a "somewhat clean" that is usually acceptable? Not really. Most of us expect clean rooms. This is what housekeeping is hired for, to make sure that rooms are cleaned to a certain expectation.

Now after this rant, please don't think that I am against Housekeepers making more money if they do a great job. I think that we should want them to do a great job and that we should encourage Disney to hire the best possible, but I don't think that tips is the way to go. Let me explain...

As to what housekeeping makes, my answer to that is that they make what the market will bear. It is an unskilled labor position that has a very low entry level. That is why the payment for most housekeeping positions is so low. If it were difficult to find labor to fill the position, then it would pay more. Simple supply and demand. Also, logic dictates that as people become better/more experienced at the job, then demand for their services should get higher than those whose skills are less.

So, perhaps a better question for us DVC members should be, do we demand more out of our housekeepers than the industry average? If so, then we, as members should be willing to pay for it. However, I don't think that doing this via tips is really making a difference. If we really want to pay housekeeping more, then we should be willing to fund it in our annual dues, offer a higher wage, and then compete for the best housekeepers we can afford for our $$ that we are willing to spend. If we fund housekeepers at $1/hr higher than what, say, Marriott is paying them, I bet we have better housekeepers...

 

[DVCconvert]

I choose to tip.
I'll generally tip on a basis of the size of the unit we're in. It's almost always either just me or the two of us. I don't generally tip for T&T service.