Tipping Question

[toesmom]

We typically do leave tip at end of our stay, we don't get regular room cleaning with DVC membership, but after 7 days in the studio, it is a lot of work to clean the studio for next family.

 

[reddog21]

I only leave tips for things that are historically customary, for as long as I can remember tipping housekeeping was just that. Otherwise, I only tip restaurants if I sit and eat not takeout. That's pretty much it.

 

[spacepluto]

We leave $5-$10/day during our stay (usually it comes down to what cash we happen to have on hand), not only to acknowledge the hard work of the Mousekeeper, but to hopefully get our room serviced every day at a reasonable time! It's always so massively disappointing to be out from before rope drop to, say, 4pm, only to return to a room that hasn't been serviced yet. I'm not sure this strategy actually affects when our room is serviced, but it sure SEEMS to. We write a note with the cash and haven't yet not had it scooped up. We also do $20-$25 on our check-out day.

I'm still new-ish here so not to get off topic, but while I agree that tipping culture generally is out of control, and it's not the customer's responsibility to supplement underpaid workers, and that plenty of people do hard work and aren't tipped (etc., etc.), I can tell you that I worked for 2 eye-opening summers as a housekeeper in a busy national park lodge, and it is backbreaking and often absolutely disgusting work. Back then, I'd say only 10-15% of guests left a tip (we weren't allowed to take any cash from guests mid-stay, even if there was a note or an envelope, but we could keep obvious tips left in the room after they checked out). Before that job, it never occurred to me to tip housekeepers, but I have ever since.

So: From a former maid, please know that tips were always SO appreciated, even if it was just a dollar or two. And while you may be neat, the next 5 rooms over might each look like a frat house and a crime scene had a baby!

 

[Minnie1222]

I tip because I want to! This is a job that I could never do, so I really appreciate their work.

 

[_19disnA]

Have never seen the need to tip housekeeping at any hotel. At Disney we were generally at the park during the day and our room was already cleaned by the time we returned. Never interacted with anyone doing the cleaning. If you ask someone for extra towels/soap/etc., then seems it would be appropriate to tip.

Tipping some jobs is more a matter of preference habit vs what is 'expected'. Many fast food restaurants now have a 'tip' jar and the fact someone is asking for a tip doesn't mean it is required.

 

[bakerworld]

Tipping in general is becoming more and more of an issue. It seems like every single position or event has a tip option. When we were young we rarely tipped anyone except TS wait staff. From these forums we learned that we were really under performers in the Tipper category so we upped our game to include housekeeping and bell service. My mother was a housekeeper back in the 40's and she said her place of employment paid a wage based on housekeeping being a non-tipped position so she would never leave a tip unless there was a specific event causing extra work for the housekeeper. DH is a firm believer in tipping and he tips everyone - not just when we're on vacation. We have finally negotiated between us to leave $20 for a 4 or 5 night vacation stay when we're staying on DVC points or have the ability to refuse daily housekeeping.

On our last cruise the cabin steward actually complemented (?) us on how neatly we kept our cabin so he could vacuum, empty trash and complete turn down service within a short timeframe. We thought maybe he was trying to ascertain if we were going not leave him an additional tip, which we always do, so for us it was not an issue but had us wondering.

 

[Mle8308]

I do tip for housekeeping, about $5 to $10 a day depending on room type and number of people. We do make envelopes for each day that are labeled and leave them in a conspicuous place. But I can see why people may not. Bell Services IS a tipped position and if you use their services, even for just storing bags, you should tip. If just storing bags and not being delivered, maybe $1 per bag in and out. If they store and deliver to your room (or even just deliver), at least $2 per bag, a minimum of $5 - though I would do $10 if it were 2 bags and I had them delivered. Then again, I would probably just take the bags ourselves if it were only 2 and give the person who retrieved them $5. I do not tip when I go to a counter service restaurant and order at the counter, that is where I start to draw the line. I was at a local place where you order yourself off an iPad type device and then go to the counter to pick it up. They actually had a step for you to add a gratuity! Nope!

 

[fla4fun]

This might be a big faux pas but I have never tipped housekeeping at any hotel I've ever stayed at. Never even thought it was a thing until I started seeing posts like this on the boards. I do appreciate their work but since I hardly ever would interact with housekeeping staff in a general sense (we leave in the morning and come back to the room and never see housekeeping) I don't even know who the tip would even be going to. I feel like I'm a good tipper with valet, restaurants, baggage handlers etc. but I am interacting with these positions face to face and feels completely different to me than housekeeping. Would be curios if I'm the only one.

When I first moved to Orlando, I was interviewed for an office job at Disney. They said it could take a while to get an office position and offered me a position in housekeeping until one opened up. At that time, they told me housekeeping was not considered a tipped position. So I would never give anyone a hard time for not tipping if the housekeeper hasn’t had to deal with anything worse than typical cleaning.

I do tip housekeeping though. I worked for years in the hospitality industry (not in housekeeping, and sadly, not at Disney) and I know how hard they work. They do two jobs I hate to do at home, cleaning bathrooms and dealing with trash. I don’t mind giving a few dollars back to have a week or so where I don’t have to deal with that.

 

[ucf_knight]

You def are not the only one! I do not tip either... I personally think tipping is out of control. I am a teacher, should I be tipped for a childs education.. I mean I am providing a service. Teachers are not paid great.. isnt that another reason people tip?

So to answer your question no...I dont tip for services that are already included and expected.

My kids teachers get great gifts from us. If you’re teaching my kids to provide a better future for them you are getting something special on birthdays, holidays, teacher appreciation day etc. my wife is a school teacher (1st grade) and typically gets between $1,500-$2000 in gifts and gift cards throughout the year. Shes at a private school so I’m sure that makes a difference for her and the gifts though.

 

[CalSea12]

My kids teachers get great gifts from us. If you’re teaching my kids to provide a better future for them you are getting something special on birthdays, holidays, teacher appreciation day etc. my wife is a school teacher (1st grade) and typically gets between $1,500-$2000 in gifts and gift cards throughout the year. Shes at a private school so I’m sure that makes a difference for her and the gifts though.

Wow that must be amazing. Unfortunately I have never been so lucky. I dont teach to earn tips or gifts though. I think that is kind of my point. There are so many jobs that are not tipped and dont expect tips and provide the services they are paid to provide. I dont tip my bank teller, my doctor, the cashier at Kroger, etc.

 

[Isthisnormalatdisney]

I only leave tips for things that are historically customary, for as long as I can remember tipping housekeeping was just that. Otherwise, I only tip restaurants if I sit and eat not takeout. That's pretty much it.

I don’t think it was customary to tipping hotel housekeeping

 

[Isthisnormalatdisney]

We leave $5-$10/day during our stay (usually it comes down to what cash we happen to have on hand), not only to acknowledge the hard work of the Mousekeeper, but to hopefully get our room serviced every day at a reasonable time! It's always so massively disappointing to be out from before rope drop to, say, 4pm, only to return to a room that hasn't been serviced yet. I'm not sure this strategy actually affects when our room is serviced, but it sure SEEMS to. We write a note with the cash and haven't yet not had it scooped up. We also do $20-$25 on our check-out day.

I'm still new-ish here so not to get off topic, but while I agree that tipping culture generally is out of control, and it's not the customer's responsibility to supplement underpaid workers, and that plenty of people do hard work and aren't tipped (etc., etc.), I can tell you that I worked for 2 eye-opening summers as a housekeeper in a busy national park lodge, and it is backbreaking and often absolutely disgusting work. Back then, I'd say only 10-15% of guests left a tip (we weren't allowed to take any cash from guests mid-stay, even if there was a note or an envelope, but we could keep obvious tips left in the room after they checked out). Before that job, it never occurred to me to tip housekeepers, but I have ever since.

So: From a former maid, please know that tips were always SO appreciated, even if it was just a dollar or two. And while you may be neat, the next 5 rooms over might each look like a frat house and a crime scene had a baby!

No one is saying it isn’t tough work. Just no one wants to deal with another area to tip in. Just price the room accordingly instead of having topping invade another area of life

 

[Isthisnormalatdisney]

I do tip for housekeeping, about $5 to $10 a day depending on room type and number of people. We do make envelopes for each day that are labeled and leave them in a conspicuous place. But I can see why people may not. Bell Services IS a tipped position and if you use their services, even for just storing bags, you should tip. If just storing bags and not being delivered, maybe $1 per bag in and out. If they store and deliver to your room (or even just deliver), at least $2 per bag, a minimum of $5 - though I would do $10 if it were 2 bags and I had them delivered. Then again, I would probably just take the bags ourselves if it were only 2 and give the person who retrieved them $5. I do not tip when I go to a counter service restaurant and order at the counter, that is where I start to draw the line. I was at a local place where you order yourself off an iPad type device and then go to the counter to pick it up. They actually had a step for you to add a gratuity! Nope!

Some McDonald’s you order yourself on that giant screen and then boom tip option……

 

[Mouseforward]

I don’t think it was customary to tipping hotel housekeeping

Only since the 1700's, so just in the past 300 years.

It started as tipping your friends maids if you stayed at their house ( you will see this in old movies like Gossford Park) then it transitioned to hotels and then it died out in England , and is dying out in the states.

Now it is usually done when you have a single person doing your housekeeping for the stay like a cabin steward on a ship or the maid in an Inn or B&B. Then it is done at the end of the stay.

I don't tip for DVC as they don't clean daily ( only when you leave which is expected) and my room is left neat. Nor do I tip for single night stays at business hotels, but if I am staying longer $2-$5 is fine since it is not a tipped position.

 

[cruising spud]

I tip housekeeping for several reasons.

First, I can afford to leave a tip, so why not be nice?

Second, I enjoy a clean room. I want the housekeeper to like me well enough to take the time and clean my room.

A cute story-we did a family trip to Disney this past January. We had three rooms: my husband and myself in one room and our daughters and their families in the other rooms. I left a tip every day. My daughters did not. Guess who got towel animals every day and guess who did not?

 

[gottalovepluto]

I don’t think it was customary to tipping hotel housekeeping

On a number basis if customary means more than 50% you are correct. As I said earlier only a third of Americans are estimated to tip housekeeping.

However, as with all customs a broad brush in unwise. There are enough people who tip housekeeping in the US that it is not considered a faux pas. I even know some people that only tip under specific circumstances, hard to account for that sort of thing. I would argue the actual custom in the US for tipping housekeeping is not yes or no- it is personal preference. Unlike dining and bell services which we politely say it’s preference but in actuality it is yes.

 

[gottalovepluto]

A cute story-we did a family trip to Disney this past January. We had three rooms: my husband and myself in one room and our daughters and their families in the other rooms. I left a tip every day. My daughters did not. Guess who got towel animals every day and guess who did not?

There was someone recently on DIS who reported over an 8 day CSR stay not once did they get their floor swept- but they tipped each housekeeping day. Correlation does not imply causation.

 

[Lewisc]

Years ago Disney gave guests a folder with a resort map and assorted informational pamphlets. One of the FAQs discussed tipping; who and how much. Valet, bellhops, waiters and bar tenders were all listed. Housekeeping was NOT listed.

 

[spacepluto]

No one is saying it isn’t tough work. Just no one wants to deal with another area to tip in. Just price the room accordingly instead of having topping invade another area of life

Right, the consensus on this thread is that it's hard work. I'm trying to offer the perspective of someone who's been there.

Bottom line: Even if it's more common nowadays, most guests don't tip hotel housekeeping (and it's not a tipped position), so no one expect tips. In fact, it's super-easy not to, as you generally don't interact with cleaning staff. But it's a really sweet token of appreciation if you can and do. Always made my day.

(FWIW, at current Disney hotel room prices, I think they could already find a way to carve out a little more for these cast members. Wish they would!)

 

[Isthisnormalatdisney]

Only since the 1700's, so just in the past 300 years.

It started as tipping your friends maids if you stayed at their house ( you will see this in old movies like Gossford Park) then it transitioned to hotels and then it died out in England , and is dying out in the states.

Now it is usually done when you have a single person doing your housekeeping for the stay like a cabin steward on a ship or the maid in an Inn or B&B. Then it is done at the end of the stay.

I don't tip for DVC as they don't clean daily ( only when you leave which is expected) and my room is left neat. Nor do I tip for single night stays at business hotels, but if I am staying longer $2-$5 is fine since it is not a tipped position.

The cabin Stewards on a cruise are way different than a hotel housekeeper. What you are saying about history is also far from common knowledge.