Mousekeeping Tips?

[kristenrice]

I am trying to finalize how much cash to bring with me for our trip in 6 weeks. I know I'll need some cash for tipping. I have a handle on the tips for food servers, taxi drivers and luggage handlers...but how much do you tip mousekeeping? We are staying in a studio for 6 nights so we only have a trash and towel service. What is an acceptable amount? I was thinking no more than $5. Does this sound about right? Heck, do people even tip mousekeepers for T&T service? Also, when do you leave it for them? We arrive Saturday and depart Friday so would our T&T day be Tuesday?

FWIW, almost all of our other onsite expenses will be covered by Gift Cards and Disney Visa Rewards. I don't want to bring a lot of cash with me. I am hoping to get by using only plastic.

 

[disneynutz]

We don't tip Mousekeepers. Tipping is for exceptional service. Collecting the trash and leaving some towels doesn't qualify as exceptional service.

The act of tipping is really out of wack anyway. Most people in tipped positions have been so spoiled due to excessive tipping, they expect a tip no mater what level of service is given. Some tipped employees, like their employers, count their expected tips as part of their salary.

To me that is just wrong.

 

[Blahnde]

Some tipped employees, like their employers, count their expected tips as part of their salary.

I want to be clear that I completely agree with your overall assessment regarding service and tipping. When we stay in regular hotels with traditional housekeeping service, we leave $2-5 per day; when we stay at DVC Resorts for 8+ days we leave the same on the full service days, but do not tip on trash and towel service days.

However, the basis of the above issue comes from labor and tax code rules. It is not the fault of employees, but the federal and state goverment labor and tax codes that allow/require employers to include employee tips as an intregal part of some workers' pay. I will not speak for Florida, but in California employers (including Disney!) are actually allowed to anticipate the tips their employes will recieve and then pay them BELOW regular minimum wage hourly based upon this tip estimate making up the difference. It is not the worker's fault that their employers use this rule to their advantage; it is, however, their fault if they do not really "earn" those tips. Additionally, larger employers (like Disney!) are actually required to report a percentage (9% minimum, I believe) of the business' revenue as taxable tips to employees. Regardless of whether employees actually earn this amount in tips, it is included in their taxable income.

It is a flawed system; I do my best to reward good service and not reward bad service, but until the system is changed, I do not blame workers for it.

Blahnde

 

[bicker]

However, Disney's housekeepers are non-tipped personnel. The housekeepers in Disney's hotels get paid about the same as the custodians who clean up poo in the hot and sticky theme park bathrooms. (I think the housekeepers actually got the better side of that deal!)

 

[kristenrice]

Thanks for the info. I, too, try to reward good service. I think the tips get shared at some restaurants between the servers, bussers, bartenders, etc, and I always try to leave a little extra because my kids tend to leave a mess. I clean up as much as I can, but I usually don't have a mop or broom with me to get the floor . My opinion was that there is not really a lot that the mousekeepers do for a T&T, especially in a studio, so I really didn't think a tip was warranted. I read here about people tipping mousekeepers and I didn't want to jilt someone. If I feel a tip is warranted after the T&T day, how would I go about leaving the tip? Just put it in an envelope on the table when we check out?

 

[jekjones1558]

If you should decide to tip, here is a link to special envelopes you can print to take along:
http://www.themouseforless.com/downloads/trip/mousekeeping.shtml
Tipping has been discussed many times on this board. It is obviously optional. I totally respect the reasons stated above for not tipping. I tip for T & T (only $5 or $10) and for full cleaning and checkout ($15 - $30), depending on size of unit. Why? Because I would be willing to bet that tipped positions (like bell services) make considerably more than mousekeeping and mousekeeping is more important to me and, in my mind, less attractive work. I have yet to see a male mousekeeper and I have my personal theories about why this is the case. I try to personally greet our mousekeeper to give HER the tip and thank HER for HER work. I like to think that it might brighten someone's day to be acknowledged for work that is decidedly unglamorous.
I will say that on one visit (out of maybe 25?) since we joined DVC, we had an unsatisfactory mousekeeper. Besides reporting the issues, I certainly did NOT tip.
Have a great trip!

 

[AnnaS]

I also tip a few dollars accordingly (size of room/# of people) for T&T and full cleaning -

I always try to look for my housekeeper to say hello and exchange a few words. I just like to do it and it makes it more personal since they are going into my private/personal space - not sure if that made any sense