How much do you tip Mousekeeping?

[dianeschlicht]

Like a few others on this thread we do not tip for housekeeping. First of all...it isn't considered a tipped position by Disney or most hotel chains. In fact, some places specifically ask that you NOT tip housekeeping because it encourages them to pick up money that might be just laying out by mistake. DH's employer asks them not to tip housekeeping at hotels as well.

Now, the above facts aside, I see little reason to tip DVC housekeeping. When I arrive I usually do a quick clean up of things that need a little tweaking, and when we leave, I take out all the garbage, strip the beds, load and run the dishwasher and make sure all the towels are left in tub. I clean out the fridge and empty the ice bin(OKW only). If it hasn't been done when I arrive in the room, I empty it then too so I know we have fresh cubes. Since I am doing that much housekeeping during my vacation, I figure the housekeepers can do the rest for their pay. If Disney thought it should be a tipped position, they would let people know that.

 

[Disney Doc]

We also do not tip for routine mousekeeping service. I have been tempted to offer them money to stop hovering at our door on checkout morning though...

 

[Hunclemarco]

Hi
I generally tip, and my wife and i generally tip an average of $5.00 per night. In the case of DVC, we'll probably leave 20 or so.
Perhaps Disney doesn't say one way or the other about tipping, but even at the rates housekeepping receives, i feel that everyone regardless of position should be getting more than minimum wage. I've had many "lower paid" jobs, and had appreciated when people took note of the work performed. I know there are those that may "take the easy way out" and not work to the full, but there are also those that do a great job. I'm probably nieve, but i feel i have to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Oh well, I know everyone has their own thoughts on the matter...no right, no wrong, this is just my personal thought.

 

[disneynutz]

We don't tip Mousekeeping.

Tip are for exceptional service, a reward for going above and beyond, or as Walt used to say "plussing it".

Too many Guests tip everybody all the time. It doesn't take long for the Cast Members to expect tips for everything they do. Some are so spoiled that I have seen them react negatively when you don't tip.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We don't tip Mousekeeping.

Tip are for exceptional service, a reward for going above and beyond, or as Walt used to say "plussing it".

Too many Guests tip everybody all the time. It doesn't take long for the Cast Members to expect tips for everything they do. Some are so spoiled that I have seen them react negatively when you don't tip.

Yep, you got that right!

 

[auntsue]

We always tip, $5 for T & T and $5-$10 upon checkout. There's usually just the two of us in a 1BR. I don't have a problem tipping mousekeeping. I find the majority of the housekeeping staff very pleasant and very hardworking, so I don't mind leaving them $10-$15 per trip in those cute mousekeeping envelopes. Luckily, we've never really encountered any of the housekeeping horror stories that I've read about here on the DIS.

 

[brekin67]

We have been lucky to always have towel animals. I thought that was standard. We leave $20 on our checkout day. I have always wondered if we should split it up throughout the week. One time there was a tip envelope in our room it said the tips were split up between the mousekeepers. I hope they do share it among themselves.

 

[Kathi OD]

Add us to the group that doesn't feel the need to tip housekeeping, either at WDW or any other hotel. We always leave our room as clean, if not cleaner than we found it. I guess it comes from years of having to clean my parents shore house between tenants.

 

[squirrlygirl]

We don't tip mousekeeping in general. It's not a tipped position. It would make much more sense to me to stop and tip the janitors that clean (well) the public restrooms at the parks.
Now, if someone went out of their way to do something magical for me, I would tip for that, but not for the bare minimim (and sometimes much less, ugh) service required by the employer.

 

[Mississippian]

I tipped $20 on our T&T day on our recent first trip 'home' in a studio. I should mention we're neat freaks on vacation, so there wasn't even much to do. My DH thought it was way too much, and it didn't even secure us a washcloth animal. So I am just curious what is customary?

Towel and Trash service takes five minutes, at most. So you are compensating the hotel maid at a rate of $240 an hour plus their regular wages and benefits. That seems a bit excessive to me.

For towel and trash service, you should tip nothing. For an end-of-stay or weekly cleaning you should tip according to the amount of work you are putting on them. No need to be extravagant. Your children and family have needs. Charity begins at home!

 

[WolfpackFan]

I don't tip housekeeping.

 

[gobofraggle]

The lock on our room door failed one time when we arrived back in a thunderstorm - housekeeping arrived at next room and they kindly let me use the phone in the living room of that 1-bedroom to call front desk while they cleaned it... Wow! I was shocked at how much work some people do leave for the housekeepers.... As well as an incredible amount of wasted food left behind everywhere, there was junk all over every surface. The kitchen waste bin was overflowing onto the floor... There was food on the floor. The fridge was still full of lots of stuff.

It was like a student's room after a party, when they've never lived away from home before.

I genuinely felt a bit sorry for the housekeeper having to face this - simply because she didn't seem surprised or shocked at all, she got right to it as though it was normal. Which made me wonder how typical it is.
-Ang

 

[dianeschlicht]

The lock on our room door failed one time when we arrived back in a thunderstorm - housekeeping arrived at next room and they kindly let me use the phone in the living room of that 1-bedroom to call front desk while they cleaned it... Wow! I was shocked at how much work some people do leave for the housekeepers.... As well as an incredible amount of wasted food left behind everywhere, there was junk all over every surface. The kitchen waste bin was overflowing onto the floor... There was food on the floor. The fridge was still full of lots of stuff.

It was like a student's room after a party, when they've never lived away from home before.

I genuinely felt a bit sorry for the housekeeper having to face this - simply because she didn't seem surprised or shocked at all, she got right to it as though it was normal. Which made me wonder how typical it is.

WOW! I can't imagine why people would do that when they know what it does to our dues!!! We always strip the beds, put all the towels in the tub, empty and take out the garbage, put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and throw out or otherwise dispose of all unused food etc. The only thing they have to come in and do is clean the surfaces and floors besides redoing the linens. Heck, I even empty the ice maker so the new residents have fresh ice!

 

[buckeyebill1995]

Towel and Trash service takes five minutes, at most. So you are compensating the hotel maid at a rate of $240 an hour plus their regular wages and benefits. That seems a bit excessive to me.

For towel and trash service, you should tip nothing. For an end-of-stay or weekly cleaning you should tip according to the amount of work you are putting on them. No need to be extravagant. Your children and family have needs. Charity begins at home!

Wow! I never thought of it like that before! Maybe I should get a job there...

The lock on our room door failed one time when we arrived back in a thunderstorm - housekeeping arrived at next room and they kindly let me use the phone in the living room of that 1-bedroom to call front desk while they cleaned it... Wow! I was shocked at how much work some people do leave for the housekeepers.... As well as an incredible amount of wasted food left behind everywhere, there was junk all over every surface. The kitchen waste bin was overflowing onto the floor... There was food on the floor. The fridge was still full of lots of stuff.

It was like a student's room after a party, when they've never lived away from home before.

I genuinely felt a bit sorry for the housekeeper having to face this - simply because she didn't seem surprised or shocked at all, she got right to it as though it was normal. Which made me wonder how typical it is.

...then again I'd have to put up with this. One time at Caribbean Beach we went to our room and it wasn't cleaned yet. There was food and trash everywhere, including on the beds and the floor, a lollipop stuck to the carpeting, coffee stains dripping down the bedposts, and I-don't-even-want-to-know-what brown goo on the bathroom tiles. It was the nastiest thing I'd ever seen. I wouldn't even let my DD sit down while I called housekeeping. I can't imagine leaving that for someone else to clean up!

 

[Mtnman44]

Agreed. I would just add that this is not limited to Disney. It is everywhere. Even the Boston Marriott with $400 per night rooms, the housekeeper left a little envelope so I could sumplement her income simply for doing her job. It is also not limited to hotels, tip requests and tip jars are showing up everywhere. Enough people must pay to keep it going but I really hate it. And I am NOT a cheapskate. My wife is constantly getting after me for tipping too much. She always tries to get the check at restaturants so she can do the tip.

Anyway, I feel that tipping at restaurants and such is OK, primarily because the servers make very low wages and the economics of eating out have just sort of evolved around the tipping practices and it is a built in cost. For almost everything else, tipping should not be an "expected" activity.

I always hate it when somebody justifies it with "They work hard" or "they deserve it" or "they are underpaid", etc etc. I call Bull on that. Who doesn't think they fit into one or all of those catagories? And what about the miriad of other workers that contribute to your vacation that you don't tip? Do they not work hard? Is the maintanence staff in the park really overpaid? Why not tip them as well? Admit it: you tip these traditionally non-tipped folks not to right some employer injustice but because it makes YOU feel better about yourself, more important, more in control, more VIPish, etc etc... Admit it.

That having been said, people can do whatever makes them happy with their money. The unfortunate side effect however, is overall poorer sevice for everyone. As already mentioned, employees have an expectation now and feel cheated when they don't get their bonus tip money. And this is not even for above and beyond service, this is just for doing their job, like giving you a scoop of ice cream!

We don't tip Mousekeeping.

Tip are for exceptional service, a reward for going above and beyond, or as Walt used to say "plussing it".

Too many Guests tip everybody all the time. It doesn't take long for the Cast Members to expect tips for everything they do. Some are so spoiled that I have seen them react negatively when you don't tip.

 

[JerJan]

Another "NON TIPPER" here...when I get to my room the first thing I do is put the "Do Not Disturb" sign on my door. I feel creepy letting other's in my room around my personal things. I clean up after myself, so it's not necessary anyway.