"Mousekeeping"

[disneycrazed139]

Does anyone else think that this term is a little patronizing?

 

[Goofyposter]

personally...I do not. In fact....I always leave envelops for the normal room cleaning....and for the turn-down people....and I have always talked/meet with them....all....bar none....have always found my "mousekeeping envelops" to be cute....and much appreciated! .....It's been my experience that anyone with any time with the company in these capacities...have come to appreciate the term!

 

[Bob NC]

Originally posted by disneycrazed139
Does anyone else think that this term is a little patronizing?

Patronizing?....How exactly could that be patronizing?

 

[disneycrazed139]

Okay, this explanation might be a little long....


When I first saw it, I thought it was cute and funny. Obviously, it caught on. I mean it's so great ..."Mousekeeping" instead of "housekeeping." Very, very cute. Then I thought what it might be like to be a housekeeper and be called a mousekeeper. I don't know how to explain it.

I think the envelopes for tips are cute and everything. I guess there is no harm in it. I even printed some out. Yet, trying to put myself in an employee's point of view, especially a person that cleans for a living, it seem that by labeling the person a "mousekeeper" one is doing just that--labeling them, and, of course, this housekeeper is a person first and foremost--not a mousekeeper. But since we are all vacationing, everything is magical and Disney and mouse-oriented, so by not paying attention to that, we are being patronizing--basically, because we can use whatever label we like (cute or not), being in the customer position.

Housekeeping is really hard work, and I think that it's especially important that anyone in a service position like that is looked at as a whole human being. It's not that the word is necessarily bad or anything--the whole thing just seems a little condescending. A long time ago when I was in college I used to clean. I think if I was a housekeeper, I wouldn't like it. That is just me. Guess you'd have to do a mousekeeper survey to know for sure!

 

[Cris]

they actually call it "showkeeping".

 

[monte]

I'm a Housekeeping Manager and I showed my staff the envelopes and they thought it was cute and liked the play on words. If you think about it, they aren't "housekeepers", but "hotelkeepers". I guess it's all a matter of opinion, but I don't think that the mousekeepers have a problem with it.

 

[disneycrazed139]

Monte, that's good to know. Thanks. It also makes me feel better about it.

 

[miko]

If Disney can call their Engineers Imagineers why can't house keeping be called mousekeeping? It is not uncommon for organizations to call their specialized staff by a name that might disginguish them from the rest of the industry, such as using Cast Members for park staff. I think using the mousekeeping term doesn't matter to the housekeeping staff as long as they can make a fair living at doing it.

 

[off2disney]

Cute "mousekeeping" envelopes....or plain white ones...I think it's the green inside that they appreciate.

Implying that the term "mousekeepers" is condesending.....well, they are taking care of us, aren't they? Does that make us mouses (mice)?

Doesn't bother me. Will I be "quiet as a mouse" after this? Probably not.