Tipping Maids on DVC

[kamgen]

It is true that housekeepers at WDW are not "classified" as a tipped position. But I am one who believes that the work they do is such an important service to members and guests and most really pour their heart into making sure everything is perfect. We tip them but in no way am I saying you have to.
I cannot comment on the regulations with tipping the housekeepers. Just know that if you choose to do it, they are eternally grateful!

 

[Dean]

It is true that housekeepers at WDW are not "classified" as a tipped position. But I am one who believes that the work they do is such an important service to members and guests and most really pour their heart into making sure everything is perfect. We tip them but in no way am I saying you have to.
I cannot comment on the regulations with tipping the housekeepers. Just know that if you choose to do it, they are eternally grateful!

Thanks for confirming that they are not in a tipped position. I knew that to be true but it seems many did not.

 

[quirty30]

I believe housekeepers make about the same base salary as bell service CM's. So why is the latter considered a tipped position and not the former? Like many others who have posted, I know I don't HAVE TO tip housekeeping staff, but I choose to. Not just at WDW, but anywhere I travel. It's something my parents taught me to do years ago. And most travel etiquette experts recommend it as well. With DVC, the only difference is that I don't tip as much as I do when I get daily maid service.

 

[Dean]

I believe housekeepers make about the same base salary as bell service CM's. So why is the latter considered a tipped position and not the former? Like many others who have posted, I know I don't HAVE TO tip housekeeping staff, but I choose to. Not just at WDW, but anywhere I travel. It's something my parents taught me to do years ago. And most travel etiquette experts recommend it as well. With DVC, the only difference is that I don't tip as much as I do when I get daily maid service.

There is no recommendation to tip for housekeeping at timeshares anywhere in the US that I am aware of. While the etiquette sites will recommend it for hotels, from the info I've gathered over the years, the expectation and salary related to tips at hotels is hit or miss. I saw a reference a few years ago that half of hotels expect it and half don't. The only timeshares I know of are outside the US and include daily housekeeping with a heck of a lot more than is done for T&T. I believe bell services are officially in a tipped position as are valet parking attendants. However, there are other CM who do just as much to make stays magical and are paid as low or lower than housekeeping. It makes no sense to single out one group for tipping and ignore the others. In addition, there are many more people we encounter in our daily lives that are paid comparatively and we don't tip them and many of them have a much less generous overall package than does Disney. In judging pay you must look at the overall package. I can't think of another situation in the US where anyone is recommending routine tipping of people who aren't paid as a tipped employee, if you can, please let me know.

 

[CMOORE185]

I believe houskeeping is one of the areas of DVC that has gotten worse over the years. I would only tip if they did an exceptional job, but they rarely even do a good job. They no longer seem to take pride in their work.

 

[erionm]

The starting salary for housekeeping at WDW is $8.35/hour: https://sjobs.brassring.com/1033/ASP/TG/cim_jobdetail.asp?partnerid=25348&siteid=5046&jobid=29169

Food & Beverage Servers start at $4.75/hour, plus gratuities/tips: https://sjobs.brassring.com/1033/ASP/TG/cim_jobdetail.asp?partnerid=25348&siteid=5046&jobid=27054

There are no Bell Services positions open in FL, but there is one in CA. There Bell Services starts at $8.00/hour: https://sjobs.brassring.com/1033/ASP/TG/cim_jobdetail.asp?partnerid=25348&siteid=5046&jobid=27556

 

[kneedeep]

I worked in housekeeping at WDW in DVC and have a certain perspective.

Can you tell us if housekeeping staff gets to keep the tips they do receive, or like another poster stated, do they have to "turn them in?"

 

[kamik86]

For those that say they tip for great service... how do you know when you tip? That is the big thing that bugs me for tipping for housekeeping. I don't know if I'll have the same housekeeper all the time and I don't know if they will be one of the ones that do a great job or one of the ones that ignore stuff until after they are gone.

I leave a small tip on full service days most of the time, but there are ones that I wish I tipped more and ones I wish I didn't tip at all when they couldn't be bothered to remove the bag that is obviously trash next to the trash bin for example.

 

[kamik86]

For those that say they tip for great service... how do you know when you tip? That is the big thing that bugs me for tipping for housekeeping. I don't know if I'll have the same housekeeper all the time and I don't know if they will be one of the ones that do a great job or one of the ones that ignore stuff until after they are gone.

I leave a small tip on full service days most of the time, but there are ones that I wish I tipped more and ones I wish I didn't tip at all when they couldn't be bothered to remove the bag that is obviously trash next to the trash bin for example.

 

[CMOORE185]

For those that say they tip for great service... how do you know when you tip? That is the big thing that bugs me for tipping for housekeeping. I don't know if I'll have the same housekeeper all the time and I don't know if they will be one of the ones that do a great job or one of the ones that ignore stuff until after they are gone.

I leave a small tip on full service days most of the time, but there are ones that I wish I tipped more and ones I wish I didn't tip at all when they couldn't be bothered to remove the bag that is obviously trash next to the trash bin for example.

You make a great point. Also we still don't know if they are allowed to keep their tips.

 

[Dano1182]

Maybe if they got tipped better there would be less compaints about the service?

I am sure they deal with some pretty nasty stuff sometimes .I am sure that on a day to day basis a Bartender or waiters makes alot more than they do.

 

[disneynutz]

Maybe if they got tipped better there would be less compaints about the service?

I am sure they deal with some pretty nasty stuff sometimes .I am sure that on a day to day basis a Bartender or waiters makes alot more than they do.

I don't agree on this one. They are paid a wage, by DVC Members who own contracts at the resort to do their job. The money comes out of our dues and not from Disney so when you tip, you are paying twice to get a clean room. People have been tipping since the resorts opened and the quality of housekeeping has been really poor so tipping doesn't help.

The new VP for the DVC says that this is a area that they are working on to improve and our dues were increased to pay for the improvement.

The job classification of being tipped versus non-tipped is between Disney and the employees Union and is spelled out in their current contract.

Bill

 

[CMOORE185]

Maybe if they got tipped better there would be less compaints about the service?

So you are going to tip someone in hopes of getting better service? That seems backwards to me. How about proving day in and day out you deserve the tip, than maybe you will get tipped better.

 

[Elise79]

We stayed in a one bed at OKW for 7 nights in Feb it was a cash stay this time rather than points so we had daily housekeeping.

When we checked in we had lovely towel animals on the bed however the housekeeper had failed to empty the trash under the kitchen sink

Came to put DD to bed and the sleeper sofa wasn't made up - this was the first time we had ever encounter the sleepers not having sheets on so with a tired 3 year old who had been up for over 18 hours (as we flew in from the UK) I am running round trying to find sheets.

We had the same house keeper all but one day and boy when she was of could we tell the difference it was like coming back to a different room. The bed had been made and put away, DD's toys and blanket arranged nicely on the chair etc. The other housekeeper had just been tucking the sheets in on the chair sleeper and leaving it out.

I felt really bad as I had stopped tipping the other housekeeper as I was doing most of her work (habit meant I was taking the trash with me on my out of a morning and towels were generally hung up to be reused) and then the good housekeeper missed out.

If one can do it I really don't understand why they all can't??

 

[Dean]

Maybe if they got tipped better there would be less compaints about the service?

I am sure they deal with some pretty nasty stuff sometimes .I am sure that on a day to day basis a Bartender or waiters makes alot more than they do.

Good luck with that approach.

 

[MSUmom]

I am still not sure what to do, although, I would really like to know if the housekeepers can keep the money or not. I didn't leave a tip the trash day because they came a day earlier than I thought they would. I think I will probably still leave a tip on the day we leave. Even at $8.49 wage, a little extra when I am spending what I do at Disney shouldn't break our bank.

 

[disneynutz]

The Friendship and Sassagoula boat drivers have a starting pay of $7.55, maybe we should be tipping them?

Bill

 

[Deb & Bill]

The Friendship and Sassagoula boat drivers have a starting pay of $7.55, maybe we should be tipping them?

Bill

I was wondering about the CM in the theme parks who have to clean all the toilets. Surely, they deserve a tip. Or the CMs who work the counters at the counter service dining who have to face hundreds of angry, hungry guests all day long.

 

[CMOORE185]

I tried to tip the Bartender at the Beach house at HHI resort, and he said Disney employees are not allowed to take tips. I also tried to tip the guide on a behind the scenes tour at Magic Kingdom who refused.

 

[Dean]

The Friendship and Sassagoula boat drivers have a starting pay of $7.55, maybe we should be tipping them?

Bill

As I've said several times lately on one site or the other, it makes no sense to tip one lower paid but non tipped position at Disney and not others. The boat captains are a particularly good example of another group that does just as much for those that use the service, maybe more, than does a housekeeper. The truth is we all interact with people every day that make the same or less, are better trained, do as good or better job and do more for us than does housekeeping (not to belittle their job either), just comparing. We would never think of tipping the cashier at walmart or the receptionist at a business.