Maid Service at Unreasonably Early Hour?

[freediverdude]

Well I have a question, especially for the maids or people who have been maids before, because I do want to work out the best way to make myself and the maid happy. I am someone who usually stays up until around midnight, then sleeps until about 8 or 9, and then gets ready and is out of the room between 10 and 11. And I know part of that time is time that the maid would like to be in the room. So I'm wondering what the best thing to do is. About half of the rooms I've had at WDW (and I've had quite a few) were missing the DND sign, so I cannot put that out sometimes. Old Key West housekeeping actually would not bring me the sign, although they didn't bother me anymore after requesting it. Any suggestions on what would be the best as far as the maid is concerned? Maybe I should just call up when I check in and request no service except trash and towels and Mickey soaps left on the door or something. I could probably accept that.

 

[Disney Ella]

When we were at AKL, one morning we decided to go down to Mara and bring the food back to eat on the balcony. I put the do not disturb sign on the door when we left, but when we got back 10 minutes later, the maid was in the room and the do not disturb sign was still on the doorknob. The maid didn't get a tip that day because I wasn't expecting anyone to come with the DND sign and hadn't set any money out yet.

 

[grinningghost]

They always wake me up anyway when they're coming down the hallways early in the AM. I'm a light sleeper. So by the time they knock on my door, I'm usually semi-awake enough to tell them to come back later.

The one thing I DO wish Disney would do, is ask their mousekeeping staff to tone down the conversation between each other when it's that early. Hey, if I'm going to eavesdrop on someone else's gossip, I would at least ask that it be in English so I could understand them.

 

[Disney Princess 6]

"Hey, if I'm going to eavesdrop on someone else's gossip, I would at least ask that it be in English so I could understand them."

Ouch!!! That's biting...

 

[NMAmy]

We're early birds so I've never had a problem with a hotel in the morning. But, we're also early to bed folks so I had a problem with the turn down service at the Dolphin last March. We'd be all tucked into bed and you'd hear a quick knock and then the card would slide in and try to open the door. I hadn't thought about putting the DND sign out. After that, I sure remembered. Scared the bejeebers out of me.

 

[vhoffman]

One of the above replies about how a cleaning lady just let herself in when she knew guests were sleeping and proceeded to clean up the bathroom brings another funny story. I told that story to dh and he told me of a similar incident when he was in a hotel by himself. This was several years ago, and not at Disney. Apparently the cleaning lady had just let herself in at 7 am, despite the DND sign, and proceeded to clean the bathroom. DH didn't know anyone was in the bathroom (it was L shaped) , woke up, and proceeded to use the toilet. Imagine everyone's surprise when he realized he had an audience! The cleaning lady actually had the nerve to tell him how rude he was. What was he suypposed to do, knock on his own bathroom door when he had every reason to believe he was alone? He didn't "cut it off in the middle", but proceeded with his "business". The cleaning lady ran out. He didn't have any such problem the remainder of his stay!

 

[CaipiraBob]

Mental note for next trip: Disconnect the (explicative deleted) phone even with the DND sign on the door.

LOL! I never thought I'd be planning strategies to fend off "Maidzilla" on my next visit.

Pretty sad commentary that it has come to that actually.

People who stay at a "top notch" resort tend to stick around and enjoy the resorts. It'd be nice if the housekeeping staff could either be expanded or simply accommodate the guests who stay there. If anyone has been on a cruise before, they know how well kept their cabins are. I've hardly ever had an issue with service there. On several occasions, we'd step out of the cabins for only 20 minutes or so to return to a spotlessly clean cabin.

Why can't Disney get this straight on a consistent basis?

Good service is quite a large issue here. It's not a "simple misunderstanding" between friends when there is a total failure to provide basics.

Now I don't pay "rack rate", but it's still well over $400 a night to stay at a deluxe resort at Disney. This is really an issue a guest should NOT be compelled to deal with.

At any rate, since we know Disney does scan these boards, at least we know they'll be more aware of the problem.

 

[mjmcca]

Well i can tell you that even the cheapest of the Disney hotels have someone from mouskeeping on call in the evening at least. On my last trip things were hectic. I had to take care of some personal things in addition to doing the parks. My little girl was sick one of the days that i had to do non park things. I had to leave her at the resort with my husbands cousin and go with my son to some stuff. When i came back to the room around 8 or 9 i found out that she had gotten sick on the linens. I called houskeeping and 2 CM came to the room and changed all of the linen even the bedspread.

this was at POP i doubt i could have this service at a comparable offsite hotel ( meaning one of the cheaper ones)

 

[vhoffman]

Just how does one disconnect the phone? If I take the receiver off the hook, it emits a loud, continous beep. Also, I request a handicapped room. I've never had this happen at Disney, but at some other hotels, if I attempt to disconnect the phone and don't answer the door they assume I've died in there. I actually had the management all but bust down the door at one hotel--I'd managed to disconnect the phone (the plug would come out of the jack, but you can't do that at many hotels, I think because they're afraid you'll steal the phone), I put the DND sign on, and bolted the door. Somehow they knew the phone was "off the hook" and management was pounding on my door at 3 am. When I asked what the H#### they were doing trying to break down my door at 3 am, they said they noticed the phone was not in service and since I'm "handicapped" (I have arthritis) they assumed I was in some sort of medical distress. Handicapped people aren't at death's door! Well, I got that bill written off for disturbing me in the middle of the night. But some hotel phones can't be disconnected. If you ask that incoming calls be held, that applies only to outside calls. Management can call all they want to see if you want maid service at 7 am, or if you're dead at 3 am.
What's a guest to do?

 

[Sleepy]

And it certainly doesn't take 30 minutes to clean a room--I've seen cleaning crews tackle a room in 10 minutes.

You are absolutely right. It doesn't take 30 minutes to clean a room when there is more than one person doing it. However, in my case, I worked alone and in order to pass inspection by management (yes, each room inspected), everything had to be clean top to bottom.....including streaks on the mirrors (and back then all sheets were changed everyday). Each maid had a block of rooms. She cleaned only those rooms. Obviously, over the years management in some hotels have found a flaw in that procedure as it seems you have witnessed cleaning crews.

 

[Sherrynny]

I don't know of any hotels that have "teams" cleaning each room. Sometimes one person will strip a room, but another has to make the beds, clean the bathroom, and vacuum. If you don't think that it takes 20 minutes to do a room, time yourself and have someone else inspect the room. Believe that's what the executive housekeepers and managers do, I know, I was one of the managers. Also, don't call the front desk for your housekeeping needs, that's what the housekeeping button is for on your phone.

 

[CaipiraBob]

Just how does one disconnect the phone?

It's got to be a standard jack. I really was making a "mental note" and I'll let you know when I get back.

I was reviewing my last trip report, though, and I had noted that the maid had called us when we were sleeping in our room with the DND sign up as well as trying to get into the room on one occasion. We let our young children sleep in the afternoon following a full morning and long evening. Keeps them from "meltdown moments" from getting too tired.

Got mad about it all over again...

 

[floridaminnie]

At our last stay at WLV the maid came in twenty minutes after we had checked in. SHe hadn't finished cleaning our room yet. She never did finish cleaning it. We had a short visit so we didn't have room service again until check-out day. She came that morning at 8 am and knocked every half hour. Didn't matter that I had sleep in my eyes and was in my mickey pjs. We didn't leave until 11. grrr....

 

[vhoffman]

Don't take that kind of treatment. Do like I do--call the front desk, demand to speak to the manager, explain that you are not interested in maid service before you wake up and tell them that if you are interrupted once more with the DnD sign on your door you will refuse to pay for that day. That usually gets their attention!

 

[Hippychickali]

We were at the Grand Californian at Disneyland. We ALWAYS put out the DND and dead bolt the door. Around 2am the fire alarms went off and they evacuated the entire building. Somehow in the evacuation or DND was lost... no big deal right. Well, we were so tired that when we were allowed back into the hotel we forgot to put the Dead bolt on... I woke up about 8:30am and heard noise in the bathroom, when I went to investigate it was in fact the housekeeper cleaning the bathroom. I was like um... Hi there, we are still here in the room (we sleep with the TV on so one would think she would notcie that). And her reply was I know that I was just cleaning the bathroom, I will be back for the bed later... It took all of my will power not to bust out laughing because she thought this was ok. I was very polite and said no that's ok. You don't need to come back.

OMG, I am rolling on the floor. I know that somtimes people on message boards say roflmao just as an expression to indicate that they find something really funny but I am literally rolling on the floor and my *** is completely off. I can't believe that! That's the stuff sitcoms are made of. I wonder if she even bothered to knock first.

Ali

 

[Hippychickali]

Just how does one disconnect the phone? . . . But some hotel phones can't be disconnected.

I know what you mean about not being able to unplug them from the wall but I'm pretty sure you can unplug the cord from the phone itself. I'm not sure how to stop them from thinking you have died, however. That's another problem for another day.

Ali

 

[wildcatwmn]

At our last stay at WLV the maid came in twenty minutes after we had checked in. SHe hadn't finished cleaning our room yet. She never did finish cleaning it. We had a short visit so we didn't have room service again until check-out day. She came that morning at 8 am and knocked every half hour. Didn't matter that I had sleep in my eyes and was in my mickey pjs. We didn't leave until 11. grrr....

At least you had your PJs on...I have run for the door, half asleep, for the maid knock, on more than one occasion, and fortunately, never opened it...

 

[sjdisneywedding]

I think overall Disney does a pretty good job w housekeeping. Theres even been a few times when I could swear they were watching our room waiting for us to leave.

I know sometimes they still come in with the DND sign on, but you have to realize they probably get plenty of complaints where they dont clean a room because the sign was on only to have that guest call later and complain that they forgot to take the sign off and housekeeping should of at least knocked on the door.

So its a fine line, you dont want them there too early, but you also dont want them there too late in the afternoon when you come back for a break. Probelm is someone has to be on the those ends.

 

[totalia]

I work in a hotel...

1. Use the bolt on the hotel door to keep anyone out if you don't want them to enter.

2. If you would like to sleep later than 8 am, put out the Do Not Disturb sign.

3. If someone knocks on your door, regardless of the time, get up and answer it because it could be important.

Its very simple. Follow those little rules and you will have nothing to worry about.

 

[Molly Meow]

DH and I had a little "Maidzilla" experience of our own a couple of months ago, at a beautiful Best Western in Monterey.

Our room was facing the ocean, and we got up at the crack of dawn to watch the sky brighten. We came back into the room and laid back down, pretty much relaxing and possibly going back to sleep. We had planned to stay until 11 am (checkout) enjoying the room and the view. We have a very low income so we don't get to do nice things like this often.

We're sitting there, awake, when all of a sudden someone starts trying to open the door. We'd forgotten the Do Not Disturb sign and to bolt the door. Our fault. We remedied this, and went back to relaxing. About 5 minutes later, it happens again. No knock, nothing. The sign is out this time. The woman tries forcing the door open. Goes away, and comes back again and does it.

We get po'd, pack up our stuff (after attempting to phone the front desk) and high-tail it out of the room, about 3 hours before we planned to leave.

We get to the front desk to check out, and I request the manager. Very nice man. He comes out and I tell him what happens. He radios this woman who then claims that she practically banged the door down before she tried to get in. That was a bold-faced lie. We were awake. There wasn't even a quiet tap at the door.

This nice manager waived the entire charge for the room. I can't tell you how happy this made me.

Luckily, this is the only place we've ever had a problem with the maid service. I really do hate having to put out the Do Not Disturb sign, though. It lets people know that there is someone in the room.