How much do you Tip?

[Tluvs2talk]

I have never tipped housekeeping either. I don't think I should feel guilty because I don't. When I worked in retail for 8 years I personally picked outfits for individuals, carried the clothing to the dressing room. swapped out sizes, hung up everything tried on in dressing room and rung up the purchase. ( on ocassion I was asked to steam the clothing being purchased and carry it to the car.) All this service for a little over minimum wage. I NEVER received a tip nor expected one. We live in a society when employers don't want to pay their employees a fair wage and expect the consumer to take up the slack. Such as tipping hairdressers, waiter's or waitresses, bell hops, and bar tender's just to name a few. Yes I tip these individuals, but feel the employers should pay them not me. Now I am expected to tip housekepping for doing the job they are paid to do. I would rather leave a small gift and thankyou note...

 

[WDW2002]

Originally posted by raidermatt
Of course, its also the waitresses's job to bring my food, its the valet's job to bring my car, its the hair-cutter's job to cut my hair, its the taxi drivers job to drive his taxi, etc...

All this is true, and I do not feel I should have to tip any of them either. In California they are paid at least minimum wage. I, like many other who have worked for minimum wage, never recieved tips.

To me a tip is something you give for doing something extra, not for doing your job.

 

[Lewisc]

To me a tip is something you give for doing something extra, not for doing your job

Unfortunately this is not correct
In most parts of the country tipped positions are paid less than the minimum wage and at least for waiters the IRS imputes the estimated amount of tips and adds it their income. The waiter is literally paying money to the IRS for the privledge of serving cheap people who stiff them. You may not like the policy but you know the bellhop is paid with tips.

 

[raidermatt]

I don't like being told what I "should" do anymore than the next guy. But it sure isn't the server/housekeepers fault that things are set-up the way they are.

And yes, I've also worked in minimum wage non-tipped positions. I sure would have liked to get tips, but that's not housekeeping's fault.

Its true, there are some jobs where its just not traditional to tip, and others where it is. I'm not trying to justify why it is the way it is. I'm just saying that withholding a tip isn't going to change the fact that tips are a necessary part of some people's income.

 

[sudiequ]

My grandmother taught me all i know about tipping. Her theory was (it might be out of date) $1 per person/per nite/per bag whatever. Being wheelchaired in an airport would be either $5-$8 depending on her ride. I am more than happy to tip housekeeping, cleaning ones own bathroom can be disgusting, let alone someone elses....even if you are neat.

I simply can't understand why someone would tip a person carrying your bag to your room, but not someone who cleans your bathroom. You and God know where your bath towels have been (sorry for the visual people), but come on....you stay in a deluxe resort and can't spend another $5???? i don't get it.

Sue

 

[WDW2002]

Originally posted by Lewisc

the IRS imputes the estimated amount of tips and adds it their income. The waiter is literally paying money to the IRS for the privledge of serving cheap people who stiff them.

I am an accountant and I know FULL WELL that the servers and bartender in the tavern that I work for, get at least twice the 8% that is allocated to them as tips and not one of them claims this "extra" as income. So is it fair to us that get taxed on 100% of our wages to "supplement" their income with TAX FREE money? I think not.

An in california, the place I live do get paid full minimum wage of $6.25/hour.

 

[Tluvs2talk]

Thought I would add one more thing. I know that people who are in jobs that normally receive tips work hard for their money, but so do I. When we eat in a nice restaraunt, the tip I leave usually exceeds what I make hourly. My whole point is that employer's should be required to pay a fair wage, and not count on me to help pay their employee's mortgage. Yes, that is life. Yes, I still tip. I just want to know where the tipping is suppose to end? You tip the guy parking your car, then you tip the guy who brings your luggage to your room, Then you tip the guy who bring's your food. Now I am suppose to tip the person who cleans my room. Before long I will be expected to tip the person who checks me in. If you want to tip houskeeping , by all means do so. I think I will stick to a nice thank-you note and gift for houskeeping for now.

 

[boltjames]

raidermatt (and others): Have to chime in on this one.

For the waiter analogy: As a waiter in my youth I was paid far below minimum wage as the tips represented about 75% of my weekly salary. Patrons know that their tip is *salary* and not a nice little extra. Once upon a time in the booming Catskills of the 1950's the housekeepers were paid like waiters. Hotels would stiff them on base pay and they'd be satisfied on tips as most guests would stay 7 full nights and develop a kinship with their maids. Not any more. Why? The housekeepers work staggered hours and often develop no relationship with their patrons who come and go as they please on no set schedule.

For the bellhop analogy: These guys (like housekeepers) are paid more than minimum wage as tips are not substantial enough to warrant their employment. Their job is to simply deliver bags to rooms. If they carry the bags into the room, hang up some clothes, and make an effort I'll tip 'em $1 per bag. If not, I say "thanks" and that's that.

Housekeepers: They make a full salary to do their jobs. If I make a call and request something (extra towels usually) I'll tip a few bucks as it's above-and-beyond the day job. If I am super messy, I'll feel bad and leave a few bucks too. But for "normal" hotel room living there's no need to tip whatsoever. I don't tip a toll booth clerk for giving me change. I don't tip a gas station attendant for filling my tank. I don't tip my doctor for making me healthy. I don't tip housekeepers (or cute Mousekeepers for that matter) for doing their jobs.


BJ

 

[LKS]

There is an article about exactly this subject in National Geographic Traveler this month. They did a study (albeit in NYC) where they determined that guest surveys indicated that 15-25% of guests tip housekeeping, but when they actually had students clean the rooms, only 5% tipped. They go on to explain that housekeeping is not considered a "tipped" position and that even the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union does not consider housekeeping a tipped position when it negotiates collective bargaining agreements. They showed the average hourly wages of US hotel employees where bellhops get $5.75, bartenders $6.00, and housekeepers $6.92. Because bellhops get so many more tips, they end up making more per hour. (So Boltjames, those bellhops are considered a tipped position that can be paid below minimum wage) They said that at one hotel studied, housekeepers "appreciate tips, but do not expect them."

Anyway, the tipping of housekeepers is nice, but just extra, and not expected like the tipping of waiters, bartenders and bellhops.

Just an aside, I have had, during my lifetime, quite a few housekeepers make their own tips by selecting something of mine that they would like to have. Not at Disney, thank goodness!

 

[dumboroo]

We tip five dollars a day for a family of five. Our room was never very messy, we tried to keep our personal belongings out of the way of the housekeeper so he or she could have an easier time.

 

[HoosierFantasia]

Heck no!
As some other posters have said, if they go beyond their normal duties I would consider it. BUt just to do the job they get paid to do, I don't think so.
However, if I call and request a special item (crib, toothbrush, something I forgot) then I do tip.
It amazes me when people think that a gratuity is required. If I go to a restaraunt and get lousy service, they get a lousy tip. Occasionally the waiter will actually question me on the little or no tip. That is always a fun conversation as too they are never thrilled with the truth as to why such a little tip.

Has anyone ever tipped the bus drivers that transport you around the World? They even open the door for you and sometimes talk to you during the ride! Sorry just being a smarta**!

Bill

 

[Lewisc]

HoosierFantasia

Has anyone ever tipped the bus drivers....

You're not being a sm**** but making a good point. Some jobs (waiters, skycaps....) our tip isn't for extra service but the customer is literally paying the salary of the employee (and the IRS imputes our tips for tax purposes). Other positions (bus driver,desk clerk...) tips are given for exceptional service.

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by WDW2002


All this is true, and I do not feel I should have to tip any of them either. In California they are paid at least minimum wage. I, like many other who have worked for minimum wage, never recieved tips.

To me a tip is something you give for doing something extra, not for doing your job.

California and I believe Oregon have different mandated minimums for service industry wages than the Federal Law allows. But in most states, that is not the case. In FL I believe food servers are only paid about $2.50 per hour. They are taxed 8% of their guest checks as tip income wherether they get a tip or not. So if you stiff the server, they have actually lost money by serving you.

The way I look at it, anyone who has the money for a WDW vacation shouldn't begrudge a few bucks a day to a housekeeper, a 15-20% tip to a server, a buck or two to a bell hop, etc. You might not think that housekeepers do much, but it's a hard, backbreaking job. Most people who do this work do'nt do it because they enjoy it, they do it because they need the money, and it's the only/best job they can get. Most rooms that I've stayed in at WDW have been spotlessly clean, and are kept that way during my entire stay. Requests for extra toiletries are always met, adn the towel animals are an added bonus, especially when we get a duck

My housekeeper at the GF in January even touched the disgusting clothes that my husband had run the marathon in before I had a chance to launder them. They were hanging over the edge of the tub and Demaris (the housekeper) I think thought they were wet because they had been washed or rinsed out, and hung them over the clothesline instead of leaving them over the side of the tub where they were. Ugh. I don't even touch them after he runs in them, I pick them up with a plastic bag and dump them straight into the washer. Between the sweat and the rain/mud, they were just downright nasty!! I felt so terrible that she had touched them that I left a few extra dollars for that one!

Anne

 

[tripben]

I agree with Anne on the tipping, the mousekeepers even made a cute arrangement with our nasty sweaty sneakers we left laying all over the floor.

I have always received wonderful service from Disney from value to deluxe resorts. While on vacation we are slobs and I really appreciate being able to have someone pick up after me for a change and I will pay extra for that priviledge!

I may be eating peanut butter sandwiches for lunch for the rest of the month, but I don't begrudge leaving the tip money for any of the employees at Disney that made my vacation so wonderful.

If I ever had bad service at Disney or anywhere else I would tip or not tip appropriately, but up until now I have had only excellent service. I find myself comparing service at resturants from my town to the ones at Disney and so far there is no comparison.

I wouldn't think to judge someone negatively that did not tip, but personnaly I feel like a better person for having appreciated good service when I got it.

Sam

 

[ZuZugal]

I have another question to add. We usually tip $1 per person per night, BUT aren't there 2 different housekeepers? (At the deluxe resorts anyway.) One comes in the morning, and then another for turn down service which can also include other housekeeping duties for the day. When do you tip??? Morning or evening?

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by ZuZugal
I have another question to add. We usually tip $1 per person per night, BUT aren't there 2 different housekeepers? (At the deluxe resorts anyway.) One comes in the morning, and then another for turn down service which can also include other housekeeping duties for the day. When do you tip??? Morning or evening?

I tip both. $1-2 per person in the morning, and $1-2 total for turn down service.

Anne

 

[Gillian]

I am also going to agree with Anne on this one (wow ). I treat myself to extras when I go to Disney, and hopefully by leaving a tip, I am giving the housekeeper a little treat as well. It's not much, but I like giving it, just as I like leaving nice tips at a restaurant. Not being obligated adds to the feeling.

I know it is appreciated, because I have occasionally had the chance to give a housekeeping tip in person (not at Disney).

 

[Bob NC]

After questioning some friends, neighbors and relatives, I believe the results of a study someone mentioned earlier that about 5% of folks tip housekeeping. I would even believe that 5% may be a little high.

My former child care provider also works in the housekeeping department at the local Airport Marriott. She took the job knowing what she would make per hour, (Slightly above minimum wage). She had to decide whether or not to take the position..... there were things she liked, (hours), and disliked, (pay), about the job. She did not take tips into account when accepting the position, and it's a good thing because she got VERY few.

I tip when housekeeping goes above the call of duty, ie: The room is especially messy; I request something extra, etc.

This thread is discussing bartenders, waitresses, valets, when the original query was about Disney Housekeeper. 'Tipped" and "Non-tipped" positions can't be compared accurately in this way. Disney housekeeping is classified by Disney itself as a 'non-tipped' position.

It seems that a lot of posters are trying to make folks feel guilty by talking about not 'begrudging' housekeepers their tips; Mentioning how hard they work, etc...And I have yet to see one of these arguments that makes economic or logical sense. If you bring up the fact that they don't make much and work hard therefore they deserve a tip, well, logically wouldn't that person also be tipping the landscaper, or every other hard working, low wage earner they come in contact with during the day? Another common thing mentioned is that they are required to handle nasty, disgusting dirty clothes, towels and such. A lot of jobs, many low wage, have that exact same requirement. Ever hear of anyone tipping the minimum wage cleaner at the hospital?...I'm guessing they run acroos stuff cleaning hospital rooms that Disney housekeepers never run across.

Some people just feel it's 'right' to tip housekeeping, and nobody could argue with that. Sometimes though, they try to make others feel that it's 'expected', or you are in some way doing something 'wrong' by not tipping.

Tipping is neither expected or required, heck, I don't even think it's common.

 

[Ted and Holly]

Let me start out by saying that we tip usually $3 per day for the two of us for housekeeping.

Bob, I don't think that everyone that stated their case FOR tipping was trying to make those who stated their case AGAINST tipping feel guilty, or anything else. Ducklite was saying that they did not have anything against tipping. Obviously, those who posted why they do not tip DO have something against it.

This started as a post of how much. As with many posts that started this way, it ended up being a debate about why you should or shouldn't. I don't see anyone trying to make anyone else feel guilty for their beliefs and it should stay that way. And it should be this way FOR and AGAINST.

Ted

 

[Bob NC]

ok.....Just the amounts.....If I ask a housekeeper to get me some extra towels, I'll tip a couple of bucks.

If the room is messier than I feel it should be, I'll tip $5 or $7 for our family of 4.

If the housekeeper simply does her job, I generally do not tip.