May make me seem like an *@# but...

[Kimkimba]

We have always tipped housekeeping on a daily basis everywhere we stay. Our standard right now for our family is $5/night, and we're fairly neat.

I tip them because I appreciate what they are doing for me and I want to let them know it. And if it brightens their day just for a second, I've shared some magic. You know, pass it forward.

I just budget these tips into the overall cost of the trip.

 

[swilphil]

I would NEVER tip for housekeeping on a daily basis. I almost always (as long as the service is good) leave a tip when I check out, but certainly not every day.

I used to only tip at the end of my visit, then I realized I wouldn't necessarily be getting the same housekeeper everyday. Even if you just tip a couple of dollars each day it is appreciated.

I tip because I hate to clean and can't imagine having to do that for 8 hours a day. Housekeepers may be paid minimum wage or above, but it still can't be a whole heck of a lot of money. I try to leave $1 a day for each person, but often leave a little more if we've made a bigger mess. I don't expect better service because I tip, but I have found that I often receive extra towels and toiletries.

 

[Dodie]

I agree with others that maybe this practice is specific to certain regions of the country (or used to be anyway). I had never heard of tipping the housekeeping staff until I read it here on the DIS.

I tip in restuarants and the bell staff and the valet. I just never knew anyone tipped the housekeeping staff.

Me too!

 

[LoveWDW]

I can't tell you the number of hotels I've stayed in that actually have envelopes in the rooms signed by housekeeping asking for tips. We have always tipped housekeeping whenever we've stayed at a hotel. (Unless there was a reason not to.)

Most or all hotels we stay in have an envelope that says something like It has been ****'s pleasure to serve you, if you would like to express your thanks to her please use this envelope.

 

[jjarman]

Well you leave a tip for a server at a restaurant don't you? Why shouldn't you leave a tip for the person that cleans your room? I think they work harder then a server at a restaurant does

When we tip the person cleaning a room, it is to say thank you for cleaning up after us.

For one thing your server in a restaurant does not make minimum wage. They depend on tips as part of their income. Housekeeping staff makes at least minimum wage.

 

[KevinFSU]

I pay, depending on resort, between $100 to $300 per night, don't tip, and I shouldn't complain about housekeeping if its not up to par??????? Please..............................


I'm not sure of some of the logic behind tipping housekeeping(appreciating what they do, work 8 hour days...etc.etc.). I can totally see it if they go above and beyond. Are you tipping your garbageman? Your mailman? Sending extra checks to the cable company, the phone company, the water company because you are getting what you paid for? I've got no problem if you are tipping... your choice. However, about the only legit reason I can see for doing so is that they go above and beyond or it makes you feel good.

 

[Davefrompgh]

I just posted this on the other thread regarding envelopes and pictures or stickers on them....I created a bunch of different cartoon Disney pictures which I downloaded..but I added a bunch of really cute sayings....There is a picture of a 101 dalmation standing, holding a big brown teddy bear in his mouth...and I printed below it....Mousekeeping, thanks for picking up after us...I did ones specific to Pop and then some for our stay at Poly.

I think a couple dollars each day, just to show appreciation of not cleaning the room myself, is nice. I think they will appreciate the sayings as well.

 

[fgms]

I don't tip housekeeping. They are getting an hourly wage or salary. To show appreciation I say thank you when I see them. We recently stayed at a Disney resort and needed to go back to the room. Mousekeeping was in there- they emptied the trash cans, picked up the towels from the bathroom and replaced them with new ones, and made the bed. That is no difficult to do and was not anything out of the ordinary nor did it take much time.

Everywhere you go now someone wants a tip for doing theirjob. Next thing you know the doctor's staff will want a tip, the dental hygienest, along with the teacher for teaching my child and the sales clerk at the department store. Everyone chooses their job and is aware of the pay that goes with it. If it is not sufficient then try something else. I am not trying to be cold, but we all have the chance to succeed in some way. It makes my day to hear someone tell me how much I am appreciated or what a great job I did. That should be all that is needed or expected.

 

[branv]

I appreciate housekeeping while I'm on my trip...but that's what I pay for in my hotel bill. I used to tip housekeeping always, but now won't do so unless I receive better then basic service or have left things a little cluttered. I stopped tipping on a regular and automatic basis when I realized how often I would tip, have left the room pretty tidy, but still come back to find: barely made bed (looked like things had just been tossed on), unvacuumed/undusted room, towels not restocked, soaps/shampoos not restocked (yes, happened at WDW as well). Now they're even reporting that more and more hotels don't wash sheets every day. That means less work for housekeeping as well. So basically, it just seemed like more and more, though housekeeping did the bare minimum, if even that, they were certain to pick up that tip. Then it clicked...these people made minimum + wage. It was not my job to supplement their income at this point unless they actually show they're doing their job or more.


I came from a family that struggled. I worked during high school, worked my way through college without any help. I've done those hard jobs, those tiring jobs, and never expected a tip. Course I was also strange in that I also gave it my best effort. That was why I was working my way through school, so I wouldn't have to DO that forever. Some of them may have tragedies in their own life that may make you want to help them, but it's pretty arrogant to assume that someone staying at that hotel is rolling in it and should share the wealth. What if THEIR child is sick and this is a charitable trip they didn't actually pay for? What if they scrimped and saved every dime for 10 years to make this trip, and it will be just as long before they can take another? What if they dealt with layoffs and job reductions, fighting to survive, and this is the first time in years they're finally on their feet enough to take a trip? Everyone has a story, don't assume you know the situation by looking at them.

I tip anyone who does not make minimum wage, or who has to spend their income towards their job: wait staff, cab drivers (some who have to rent their cabs from the company), hair stylists (plenty have to rent their chairs from the salon), valet, pizza delivery (pay for gas/car). Cruise staff...for sure, since they only make about $50/month, they really DO rely on their tips. I tip anyone who I can see is honestly trying to do the best job they can, or who go above and beyond. Then again, these days I'm delighted if a counter person bothers to smile at me. I think I would tip one just for managing to beat me to a "thank you!"

Everyone claims to tip b/c these people are doing ugly jobs they wouldn't like to do....on that note, I would think those poor guys you see doing road construction in 100 degree weather, who do make minimum wage doing hazardous work, now THEY are the ones who deserve to have someone pull over and hand them a tip.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

There's a huge difference between tipping 15-20% of the bill in the case of waiters and leaving a couple bux a day for the maid and maybe a couple of bux to the bellhop. Waiters were getting tipped long before their industry bribed Congress to get that sub-minimum wage through so that argument simply doesn't hold.

Seriously? So people shouldn't expect good housekeeping service if they don't tip someone to do a job that they are paid at least minimum wage to do?

That's just ridiculous!

They are not paid to do towel animals and arrange the kid's stuffed animals. The post says don't complain if you don't tip and they don't go above and beyond.

 

[Acklander]

I worked one year as a housekeeper at a hotel and I'd say about 20-25% of the rooms left a tip for me, so not everyone considered it the "norm". It's one of those things that I didn't expect, yet always appreciated. At the time the wages were min. wage so many times the tips made the difference between whether or not I ate that day. That being said, I've always tipped when traveling (even before there was a DIS boards or an internet to tell me so) and staying at a hotel, but have never tipped when staying at a vacation rental where they just came in an cleaned at the end of my stay.

 

[javaj]

I tip housekeeping at hotels because I like to tip anyone that cleans my bathrooms.

However, I do think tipping in general seems to be getting out of hand.

* Something I've been wondering about -- When I was growing up, I thought 10% was the going rate for servers at restaurants (does that show my age or were my parents cheap LOL). Since then, prices have gone up, and the percentage has gone up to 15 to 20%. I tip appropriately, but I just wonder why the increase in percentage when prices have gone up anyway. Anyone know why?

* Everyone else seems to expect tips -- the carpet cleaners let us know they accepted tips the other day. That one is new to me -- didn't we just pay them $200+ for the carpet cleaning? I'm confused!

 

[VSL]

They are not paid to do towel animals and arrange the kid's stuffed animals. The post says don't complain if you don't tip and they don't go above and beyond.

I wasn't commenting on that part of the post (in fact, I agree that little extras shouldn't really be expected unless you're leaving the tip). The poster said that unless we tip then we shouldn't complain if the housekeeping is 'lousy', and I was questioning THAT (as I think I would have every right to complain - to Disney directly, at least - if housekeeping weren't cleaning my room properly).

 

[tone.def]

* Something I've been wondering about -- When I was growing up, I thought 10% was the going rate for servers at restaurants (does that show my age or were my parents cheap LOL). Since then, prices have gone up, and the percentage has gone up to 15 to 20%. I tip appropriately, but I just wonder why the increase in percentage when prices have gone up anyway. Anyone know why?

In my experience as a bartender, when someone ordered food from the bar, I had to tip out the kitchen staff and every night I had to tip out the bar-back/bus boy - so there goes about 20% of my tips right there (about 10 and 10 each).

I know the waiters and waitresses not only had to tip out the kitchen staff and bar-back/bus-boy, but they also had to tip me (the bartender) out too. So here's the math - let's say for easy math sake, a waitress makes $100 in tips one night,

-10% bartender
-10% kitchen
-10% bus boy
--------------
$30

Leaves them with $70. I think that's why 15% has become the bare minimum norm lately, because really you're tipping about 3 or 4 people.

 

[tone.def]

I wasn't commenting on that part of the post (in fact, I agree that little extras shouldn't really be expected unless you're leaving the tip). The poster said that unless we tip then we shouldn't complain if the housekeeping is 'lousy', and I was questioning THAT (as I think I would have every right to complain - to Disney directly, at least - if housekeeping weren't cleaning my room properly).

Well, if you leave the room in scambles on a daily basis and you're not tipping the mousekeeper, they might be less inclined to want to do it well for you.
Think about Pavlov and his dogs...

 

[okapi]

I'm curious, how much do hairdressers make hourly in a salon? I know I tip them, but perhaps I need to rethink that?
I know that many bank tellers start out at minimum and no one tips them.

Funny about the Dunkin' Donuts, Coffee places like Starbucks and Panera's too. Do they make minimum?

Just found out that the skycap is supposed to get $2 per bag instead of $1, that was new to me.

I'd like to know why Disney doesn't list housekeeping. It might be partly because of the minimum wage laws (but that also means that whatever they get in tips they don't declare?) BUT, it is correct that you don't get the same housekeeper every day of your stay, that's why we tip daily, rather than on the last day.

On another thread I mentioned my DH and I are tip-aholics and are working very hard to reduce the amount we "throw away", ahem! I mean leave as tips. When I hear how many people don't tip, I used to be shocked, now I try to use it to rationalize why we should tip rationally. We ate dinner out the other night - tipped 30 percent for regular service. We ate lunch out yesterday, and both of us tipped 25 percent for regular service. We ate dinner out last night and we tipped 28 percent.
We need help, I'm trying to get to the 15-20 percent range. Has anyone else been an overtipper that has wisened up and can provide some pointers?

PS My DH has situations where he must eat out with co-workers for lunch. One in particular has NEVER tipped in 5 years and she runs that wait person to death about eveything. I suggested that they seat her at a different table, but...like someone pointed out, tipping is at the individual's discretion and I guess that no wait person on this earth meets her standards. Now if my DH and I could get that attitude....

 

[babytrees]

I
* Everyone else seems to expect tips -- the carpet cleaners let us know they accepted tips the other day. That one is new to me -- didn't we just pay them $200+ for the carpet cleaning? I'm confused!

As I stated before my hubby was a carpet cleaner and he never said he expected a tip...while working at your house if it's a good paying place they will share the "commision" of the job ( about 30%) there are some of his coworkers who would beg for tips but that is like any other service position...some do it for pay and do their best no matter if you tip them or not. It would tork me to no end that my husband would do his best(he was the one sent out for difficult people/jobs) working 12 hours on one house and get paid 20% or $100 whichever was greater and no tips...it's a hard job and just like housekeeping I keep in mind whether they have their hands out for that tip!!

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

I just want to throw in the Official word from Disney:

Tipping a Mousekeeper is not neccessary, or expected. They are a non-tipped position, and recieve an hourly wage. They may not solicit for a tip, however, if the guest wishes to tip them, they are allowed to keep it. It should also be noted that housekeepers may change on a daily basis, so if one wishes, they should tip daily, and not at the end of the stay. It should also be noted that when you do tip, you are pre-tipping.


The reason why Mousekeeping and Luggage Assistance are allowed to keep tips, and all other positions are NOT allowed to accept tips is because they have special clauses in thier union contracts that allow them to.

 

[safetymom]

DL has it written in the book provided in the resort rooms that housekeeping is a tipped position.

 

[Amyg]

I've always tipped maids, cab drivers, porters, waiters, etc. In Hawaii they even had tip cups for counter service people (which I don't usually tip).

A lot of people here tend to over tip, my dad tips $2 for a $1.50 coffee, he tends to tip like 25-30% no matter how the service is, more if he really liked the wait help.