I tried to tip mousekeeping...

[Ember]

I just got back from an 8 day stay at Pop Century. After our first night, before heading out to the parks, I left $3.00 in an envelope marked "Mousekeeping, thanks for everything you do!"

I know $3.00 isn't a huge amount, but I had an envelope for each day and there were only two adults in the room and we're pretty neat. Anyway, we get back that night and there's the envelope, opened, with the money laid out on top. They obviously saw and opened the envelope, but didn't take it. Odd, I thought.

The next day, same thing. Opened envelope, money on top. After that I felt funny about leaving the rest of the envelopes and didn't tip at all.

Did I do something wrong? Is $3.00 a day an insulting tip?

 

[simonkodousek]

Thats odd... maybe your mousekeeper was just happy to have a clean room before he/she went in.

 

[amo]

If it was a tip you were able to give it should be appreciated...tips for housekeeping usually follow the rule of how expensive is the resort. But any tip is a gesture of kindness...it isn't as if you left a wet penny in a cup!

 

[Kae]

No that is not an insult. I find it kinda weird. Mabye someone else has an anwser to this one.

Kae

 

[safetymom]

There may have been a language barrier.

 

[Allison]

Maybe they don't read English and didn't realize it was for them? They might have opened the envelope before throwing it away to see if anything was in it and when they found money, left it there.

 

[ArielRae]

I have read and heard from many places that disney mousekeeping is not supposed to accept tips. Some mousekeeping take the tip cause who is to say you gave one. You may have got a good mousekeeper that know that they are not supposed to take it and left it out as to say no thank you.

 

[pepe of ohio]

I think with the service being a non tipped position and the exposees on TV and the hidden cameras catching maids not cleaning properly has made alot of service people gun shy. People need these jobs and doing something they agreed not to do pre-employment and getting caught and fired has made everyone think twice. I've chased down our maid last rip to give her a tip for outstanding service only to be told she was just doing her job and thanked me for offering but couldn't accept. That has made my conviction firm on not tipping non tipped positions, could get the person in trouble, its like trying to tip the front desk CM for the free or better up grade, a no-no.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Glad someone mentioned this. I had no idea it was an issue. I think for my trip in August, if mousekeeping doesn't take the money, I'll put it in an envelope at the end of our stay and leave it with the front desk, asking them to pass it along. This way no worries about stealing, and no hiding behind management's back. I believe if a job is well done, they deserve it.

 

[lovesdumbo]

I always leave the tip in an envelope on a pillow and I too left $3 for 2 people at Pop and it was always taken.

 

[marivaid]

I think we're the only ones who call it "Mousekeeping".

When we were at the Poly I left an enveloppe on our nightstand and it was still here when we came back from the parks, room had been cleaned also. We asked one of the maids and she told us they can not take anything from the room unless they know for certain that it's for them.

 

[pumba]

I remember one year at Port Orleans before it became French Quarter......we handed our housekeeper a twenty dollar bill for the four nights we were there....she actually thanked us and when we came back we had a note on our bed with a beautiful frame for photos ...it was Mickey Mouse and company.....she said that she appreciated that so much and wanted to thank us for keeping such a clean room...she said all she had to do in our room was smooth out the bedding (yah I make my bed) and then replaced our towels......she just surprised us....

 

[jcb]

Interesting discussion. Housekeeping is an houly paid position in the Disney collective bargaining agreement. Housekeeping is not considered a "tipped" job so the employees are paid an hourly rate with some incentives.

I suppose some employees may believe that if housekeeping becomes a tipped position they will receive a lower hourly rate (which is the traditional way to compensate tipped employees). That is just speculation on my part, however, and undercut by the fact that the Agreement will not be re-negotiated until 2010. What is also interesting is that the Agreement does not prohibit housekeeping from taking tips. I would be surprised to see a rule of that sort not set out in the Agreement.

I think the posters are likely correct about the concern being related to theft. Some housekeeping employee was probably fired or disciplined after getting into a dispute about taking a tip from a room and that tends to make other employees cautious.

 

[dmslush]

Our last few trips have been hit or miss with whether or not they take the money. We've even left it under the little name card that they leave and they have not taken it. I guess some of them are afraid that they might get in trouble.

 

[SUSIEQ]

I think with the service being a non tipped position and the exposees on TV and the hidden cameras catching maids not cleaning properly has made alot of service people gun shy. People need these jobs and doing something they agreed not to do pre-employment and getting caught and fired has made everyone think twice. I've chased down our maid last rip to give her a tip for outstanding service only to be told she was just doing her job and thanked me for offering but couldn't accept. That has made my conviction firm on not tipping non tipped positions, could get the person in trouble, its like trying to tip the front desk CM for the free or better up grade, a no-no.

Thank you, that's exactly the way I feel!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[tinawv]

I find it odd that they opened the envelope, but did not take the money. If they felt it didn't belong to them why would they open the envelope? A little strange.

 

[NikkiLovesWDW!]

We were at Pop last weekend. Left $2 in an envelope each morning and it was taken each day. We were pretty messy though so she deserved it. (Well, Dfi was pretty messy...)

I think we're the only ones who call it "Mousekeeping".

I know! Before leaving I was telling my friend that I still had to make my mousekeeping evelopes. She gave me the strangest look. I said, "What's that look for? Because I'm making envelopes or because I said "mousekeeping." Her answer, "Uh, both."

 

[mb1976]

We stayed at CBR last sept. and the tip was always taken. We just left the money in the open on a nightstand. Upon return to our rooms the kids toys were alway either looking out the window or sitting on the bed watching tv. There was one day I forgot to leave a tip. When we got back my DD dolls were face down in the pillows. Woops won't forget to leave a tip again!

 

[bicker]

Given that they're non-tipped employees, any amount you want to give is appropriate. However, they're technically not allowed to accept gratuities, so that may account for why they didn't take the envelope.

 

[tiger4me2]

I have always left my tip with a note saying thanks ! Never put it in a envelope or anything. Always got a note in return saying thank you. I remember one time I stayed at the Yacht Club Club level solo I asked that my bedroom to be left alone as I made my own bed & wasn't messy. Please just clean bathroom area & leave towels, some days I just ask them to leave enough towels for two days & they didn't have to clean the room. When I was checking out they were standing two doors down & they came up to me & hugged me saying thanks so much for saving them time in cleaning my room. They said when they did clean I left it so clean that they hardly had to do anything other than the bathroom area. Now when I go with DH he always want the room clean. He is such a pain at times