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

[angelkisses]

I think tipping on a cruise is totally different. The cabin steward does alot more than just housekeeping. He or she cleans the room several times a day, replenishes your ice through out the day, gives a turn down service at night, and is basically there for you 24 hours a day. My understanding is that on some of the cruiselines the cabin stewards are working on tips alone.

I would be interested in seeing the list disney has of different positions that gratutities are expected. I would also be interested in knowing what the pay and benefits are for disney housekeeping.

Normally, I don't tip housekeeping alot unless I ask for something special such as extra towels, extra pillow, hair dryer, iron, etc. and then I tip very generously for their extra service. Sometimes I will leave a note asking for extra towels, soap, etc and then leave the tip money with the note.

 

[TammiMcMan]

True we would have appreciated any "Thank YOU" that came our way, but why do we feel it has to be money today?

I can't speak for everyone, but in my case, it's not a today thing. I'm 41 and have been travelling on my own since the age of 19. I tipped housekeeping back in the 1980's and I continue to do it.

Tipping is very personal though and I don't think there's a right or a wrong here. I might think it's ridiculous to tip at Dunkin Donuts, but I see many other people doing it. I would never tell them they are wrong, nor would I want them to look down at me because I choose not to. In some countries it's an insult to leave a tip. Just do what makes you happy.

 

[karma3939]

Sorry if someone has said this already, but my rule of thumb with tipping housekeeping has always been to be proportionate to the mess you made. Yes, it's true they get paid to make the beds, clean the bathroom, empty the trash, etc. But if you have been really messy (a couple of spring break hotel rooms of mine are coming to mind) then I believe it is only right to tip them for the extra work. If you are really neat and pick up after yourself, then I don't see why you need to leave a big tip, but if you are like me and don't feel like cleaning on my vacation, I always try to apologize for the extra work with a tip.

That all being said, I also don't think it's ever wrong to leave a tip, even if it's not expected. I like knowing that I may have really brightened someone's day.

 

[robinb]

I tip because I appreciate the personal work that Housekeeping does for me. They clean my toilet, change my dirty sheets, make my bed, pick up wet towels, etc, etc. My standard tip is $1 per person, per day which goes up or down depending on the service.

 

[Jennjon]

tipping is for saying 'thanks I appreciate the work you have done for me' . It should not matter if the person you are tipping is getting paid 2.00 an hour or 100. If you feel that the person has done something you appreciate and feel like tipping, then tip them. We always tip the housekeepers in hotels, we appreciate the work they do. We are on vacation and don't have to make the bed, don't have to clean the toilet and sink. If we choose to make our own bed that is our choice. But since we appreciate the work they do, we tip them.

HELLO!!! FINALLY someone with the right response!!! Tipping..... what is the meaning of it? Tipping like brentalex says is to say thanks, and show your appreciation! I work as a hairstylist, and no, i don't make under minimum wage! I get an hourly wage, commision, AND tips. I believe that I receive tips for "a job well done". People shouldn't expect tips, nore should they be expected to tip. I think if you feel that Mousekeeping is doing a great job THEN TIP THEM! No one knows if you do or don't. But like someone said earlier in a post. I will tip because I appreciate that "I" don't have to clean the room. I do enough at home.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

I am a believer that tipping is a pain in the wallet and causes headaches on both the part of the tipper and the tippee HOWEVER I tip my Mousekeeper cause it makes me feel good. I do the cleaning around here and it is hard enough to do for people you know and love and to do certain chores for strangers takes a special person.

Slightly Goofy

 

[cindybasket]

We've tipped mousekeeping but never on a daily basis - it is always on the day we check out of the resort. This time we tipped (not sure we should have though) even though we didn't get very good service. We have 6 in our family - DAILY I had to call after returning to the resort (even at 1 or 2am in the morning) to request that they send two more towels. It seems as though they would like us to re-use 2 of the 4 towels given to us. I don't do that at home and I won't do that while on vacation to help "save the environment" and cut down on wasted laundry soap. Beds weren't even made up one day (sheets and pillows on though) - just the spreads were folded and put into the play-n-pack crib. I should not have to ask for additional shampoo daily when the maid can clearly see that we've used the one from the day before - we've even left the empty bottle where it could be seen on the tub ledge too.

I know some will say to do it daily - but not me. If for some reason it is not the same person, oh-well. If everyone does their job properly it should all work out in the end and one should not have to feel that they need to "pre-pay" for quality service to be received which is exactly how I feel when you tip on a daily basis.

 

[babytrees]

I spent a summer cleaning rooms in Ft Walton Beach...yes I made a bit more than minimum wage but the couple, and I mean couple, times I received a tip it was greatly...GREATLY appreciated. I had a room I went into that not only I had to go home sick from just being in there but a couple of the maintenance men also were sent home sick it was that bad. No tip in that room. Because I have been on that end of the stick I know when I go into a hotel room whether someone has truly cleaned the room and who is just doing the bare minimum......bare minimum I don't tip....truly cleaned...tip because they put the time in and we can see it(we normally aren't in a room more than a night). My husband worked in the service industry(cleaning carpets) and was paid a daily wage.....depending on how hard they worked him it could work out to less than minimum wage. Often he didn't get tipped but those times he did he really appreciated it....he enjoyed getting the homemade jams, goodies just as much(sometimes more) than the cash because these people showed they appreciated his work.

All right I am now stepping down from my soap box and putting a flame retardant suit on.

But it is just my 2 cents

 

[mlwear]

I once worked at an upscale home furnishings store, and we often had to deliver some very heavy furniture, many times to a second or third floor unit. We didn't expect tips, but were very appreciative when we got them. It wasn't about a dollar amount, it was more about being appreciated, so if someone offered us a bottle of water on a hot day, it was just as good as money.

This happened to me yesterday. I had one piece of furniture delivered. It was a heavy piece and they had to go up my porch steps (4) then it was a straight shot to placement. It was very hot yesterday. 100 degrees with heat index at 110. I offered the guys water. They looked hot. They declined. On their way out there was a momentary pause, I knew they were wondering if they would get a tip. No, I didn't tip them. The furniture store charged me $80 to deliver one piece and I think their employer should be paying them fairly.
When my DH was Active Duty Army, we always gave a big tip when the movers packed and took our stuff off. It seemed to be common knowledge that if you didn't provide them w/ meals and a tip that your household goods would not be cared for!
I do tip housekeeping everywhere we stay. It may contradict my furniture delivery story, but I do feel like they probably need the extra money. Plus, I might be the only one to admit it, but I have found when I tip daily (I cannot speak for DW as I haven't yet stayed on site--just a few more days), I get better service. Usually extra soaps and towels. Sometimes I will leave a note requesting an extra coffee and have been left several. I also get a warm greeting from the housekeeper and I know I have done a little something to brighten her day. I really like that part.
I tip my hairdresser well and somehow I can always get an appt. with short notice .
Tip jars everywhere! I think the only time I have tipped at a Dunkin Donuts scenario, was at Cold Stone Creamery. They just put one in our town and my family went in and had no clue what the process was of ordering and adding topping. Felt like idiots. The girl was really nice and helped us through it with a friendly attitude, so I tossed my change in the tip jar.

 

[luvthatdisney]

Since we are 10 days out from our trip - I have been thinking about this issue as well. I am wondering if Disney does not let vendors in the parks take tips if they make them (mousekeepers) share them with all of the other mousekeepers? I guess you would have to have an honest mousekeeper to report that they received a tip, but what if they did? Just curious - has anyone ever inquired about this with Disney? I would hate to tip someone and then they dont get to keep all of it - I know in some restaurants the wait staff has to share their tips with bus boys and cooks.

I have also tipped in the past, but I do usually keep the room pretty clean myself - just cant stand clutter!! So it seems IMO that I should be tipping a housekeeping staff person if they went above and beyond their normal service (ie. towel animals, etc...). I guess I will take my envelopes and then decide when I get there what I will do based on the service I receive.

Tipping is so confusing!!!

 

[patsal]

I do tip, however, Disney does list this as a non-tipped position.

 

[wilma-bride]

Thought I would add something here.

I am from the UK and tipping is not something which we're great at here. Yes, if I have been to a restaurant, had a nice meal and got good service I will often leave a tip but then our waiters/waitresses are paid a lot better than those in the US.

But, before visiting Orlando I was also told that it was customary to tip Housekeepers (in general, not necessarily Mousekeeping) at least $1 a day. We left at least $1 each day for our housekeeper last year and at the end of the holiday almost $10.

However, I don't know if I am alone in this but I was very much given the impression that tipping is not so much to show appreciation of good service more a possible guarantee of good service.

For example, if you go to a restaurant and leave a good tip, if you visit that restaurant again and get the same waitress, you may be more likely to get a better service because she knows you are a good tipper?

Therefore, if you leave your Housekeeper/Mousekeeper a tip, are you not likely to get better service than someone who doesn't tip (such as arrangements of stuffed animals, towel animals etc.)

Just my thoughts on the subject.

 

[dizkidz2]

We have never tipped before and have got very good service from mousekeeping. Just never knew it was an issue.

This past Nov. we stayed at CSR and left notes for extra towels and pillows, on different days, and with these notes we left a $5 tip. On Thanksgiving we left a $10 tip with a note saying "Happy Thanksgiving". Room was cleaned the same with or without tips. Nothing extra.
Last Spring break we stayed at POR and tipped daily until we had to start calling and asking for coffee packets, plastic bags for ice bucket, shampoo or extra towels. We left notes for towels, with tips and no towels. (Yes our mousekeeper understood english).
We now tip if we feel it is warranted.

 

[KevinFSU]

Never tip. Why should someone be paid extra for doing their job? If someone has gone above and beyond, great. But I pay a pretty good amount for rooms at Disney, and I expect that to include making the beds, giving me clean towels, and cleaning the room. Housekeepers are paid for the job they do.

As others have said, jobs that are well known as having tips part of their compensation are tipped. (bartender, wait staff, etc.) I do tip the baggage handlers, but most times I carry in my own bags.

 

[pandamom]

We always tip housekeeping. I worked as a maid one summer during college (mid 80's in Daytona Beach, FL) and received tips from about 40% of the rooms I cleaned. I took the position at minimum wage knowing tips would supplement my income. I was never upset if someone didn't tip but was always extremely happy when someone did. Best tippers tended to be business travelers who hardly touched anything in the room.

 

[pjupton]

I bought some Mickey bars from one of the cart vendors at MK once and told the vendor to just keep the change. Well, imagine my surprise when she told me she wasn't allowed to accept tips and had to give me my change back.

Back in '98 when I was on the College Program, Disney very definitely enforced that we were NOT to accept tips. If it became a situation where the guest INSISTED that we take it after we turned them down several times and it was more polite to just accept and move on, we had to IMMEDIATELY call a manager and turn over the tip. Keeping it would have been an offense large enough to get me sent home. Some managers allowed CM's to keep the money, some collected and either added the tips to the register or used them for a staff pizza party or the like. No College Programmers were supposed to be in tipped positions - that wouldn't be fair since job assignments are pretty much luck of the draw.

 

[tone.def]

I simply tip on a daily basis because I find over a span of a week or so, my room has extra towels and soap and is done well.

If you don't tip, that's your choice, but don't come back and COMPLAIN that mousekeeping was lousy at the end of your trip and you didn't get a single towel animal.

Anyone not tip and get towel animals???

 

[VSL]

If you don't tip, that's your choice, but don't come back and COMPLAIN that mousekeeping was lousy at the end of your trip...

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!

 

[Tinkerbellz]

I have read all the entries here, and yes, I do tip mousekeeping, but only on days when I feel it is warranted. I do not indiscriminately tip. I have to save for quite some time to manage a disney vacation. Please post the link where I can find the list. I don't want to make a faux pas when tipping or not.

Thanks

 

[Jackie H.]

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.

But I do have a question:

If Disney lists this as a "non-tipping" position...and if other non-tipping positions are required to refuse a tip....then why can the mousekeepers keep theirs? Or do you think they really are not supposed to keep them and what Disney doesn't know want hurt them (or the mousekeepers ). I mean it seems plausible that they are not supposed to keep the tip, but since no one is in the room except them (as opposed to the kiosk person mentioned earlier where lots of folks would be around) they could keep the tip and no one would know. But, of course, maybe Disney doesn't care one way or the other.