Tipping the Mousekeeping

[dbriggsq]

If Disney considers mousekeeping a non-tipped position, then why does Disney leave a tip envelope in the room when you check in?
On the table in our room at AKL, along with the brochures etc, was a dollar-bill sized envelope, with the castle and tinkerbell on it and reading "walt disney world where dreams come true" at the bottom.
On the back flap there is a gold oval which says "guest name" and "room number" so you can fill in your name and room number.
The envelope is obviously designed for you to leave your tip in.

We always tip and our mousekeepers usually thank us if they see us in the room or leave a note thanking us if they don't see us.

If you are basing your tipping on the hourly rate then you should tip all cast members and all counter service restaurants where the staff earn a lower hourly rate. If Disney thinks housekeeper deserve more per hour than they pay them why don't they pay them that instead of asking the customers (who have already paid for the room cleaning in their rates) to pay them.

 

[mmexpress]

I work in automotive repair and make considerably mor than a housekeeper and I still get tips now and then, even though it is a non-tipping position.

I don't expect a tip by any means but some customers are just nice that way.
Needless to say the customers we get tips from get a little extra attention.
You may not think that's right but , oh well.

 

[maccagerl]

To the OP, I have been to many hotels and at those hotels there is always a ready made tip envelope for housekeeping, Disney is the exception as they do not want to make you feel you have to leave a tip.

But Disney DOES leave a ready made tip envelope in the room! There was one in our room at Port Orleans last year, and in our room at AKL this week!

 

[EnnEss]

No tip is required or expected for housekeeping. They are paid an hourly wage. Tipping has just gotten completely out of hand. Its time to bring it under control.

Let me read your past without ever having met you. You've never worked in the service industry, and you've never tried to raise a family on minimum wage. I didnt see the op ask anywhere if they should tip. Let people do what they want.

Everyone is aware you dont have to tip. This thread wasn't about that. If you dont want to, dont. If you feel you are so enlightened as to tell others what to do with their money and decide if someone else's pay is enough, please post your job description and pay and we can critique it as well. In the mean time I think 99.9% of the people on these boards are capable of deciding for themselves without be spoken to like a child who doesn't know about the big world.

 

[dbriggsq]

Let me read your past without ever having met you. You've never worked in the service industry, and you've never tried to raise a family on minimum wage. I didnt see the op ask anywhere if they should tip. Let people do what they want.

The poster may never have worked in the service industry but the fact is that housekeepers get more per hour than the cast members who work the attractions or man the tills in the shops or the counter service restaurants. Why do people feel the need to 'tip' housekeepers' and not these other employees.

 

[Mom2Nick]

My personal rule of thumb - anybody that is left upsupervised in a room with my toothbrush and other personal belongings will get a tip. Just gives me a slightly better chance of my things not having horrible things done with them when I am not looking

 

[mmexpress]

Why do people feel the need to 'tip' housekeepers' and not these other employees.

It's not that I feel I "need" to tip it's because I "want" to, big difference.

the thread was about tipping houskeeping not other positions.

 

[pooh2007]

I feel that it is just an act of kindness if you wish you leave a tip you should do so. We not only tipped our mousekeeper but my DH was in an ECV so we also occassionaly tipped the Disney Bus Drivers who were very helpful to my husband in getting him on and off of the bus, so no we don't just tip Mousekeepers, we tip those that go that extra step to make our trip magical.

 

[jmartinez1895]

I have always found our rooms to be very clean. but we always request the VIP cleaning for alergies. I think anyone willing to scub toilets for low pay should get a tip every now and then so they can get a coffee after work, or take the kids to the movies. After all do you think they took that job for the glamor or the need of funds?

 

[flynnmnstr]

We normally do $5 a day; there are typically 4 of us but we normally have a suite so there's a little more to do.

I get they they get paid just as much as someone working in retail but they are cleaning up after me and my family. Cleaning my shower, toilet, dirty towels and sheets-- I'm sorry that deserves a little extra "love" compared to ringing up my mickey mouse tshirts and putting them into a plastic bag.

 

[chimo2u]

Hmm...let's see.

7 days with 2 people=$14
7 days with 3 people=$21
7 days with 4 people=$28

People if you can't spare $14-28 bucks for someone who cleans up after you maybe a WDW vacation is out of range for you.

Yes they get paid an hourly wage starting pay rate is between $7.35-$9.35. But at 40 hours a week they might be bringing home $300 a week. Please don't try and tell mw they don't depend and hope for those tips.

I cannot see spending thousands of dollars an a trip and not leaving a few bucks for the person who cleans up after you .

JMHO

Tipping is a personal thing from the heart... At least that is what I thought "gratuity" meant... a gratuity is a gift. You are no more better a person if you tip than you are if you do not tip. I, too, think tips are getting out of hand because everywhere you go, someone expects it...From Tim Hortons person pouring your coffee to the juicebar attendant making your smoothie, to the hairdresser or the housekeeper.

I am sorry, this is just my opinion, but I save many months, sometimes years for my family to go on a vacation, and we deserve to go wherever we please, no matter if we tip or not. The person doing the job knew the salary before starting, just as we all know what we will make at our respective jobs. I work in a customer service industry, yet I do not expect tips everywhere I turn. I do my job well for all who I meet, regardless of circumstance. My husband serves our country and puts his life on the line daily here and abroad so we can enjoy our freedom.... yet he does not hold out for tips. I am so tired of hearing the argument "if you can't afford to tip, you don't deserve to eat out...or If you don't tip you should not be going to on a vacation... etc... etc..."

I also work hard, and we deserve to enjoy a restaurant meal out if we like once in a while, non dependent upon if we "tip" or not. I am not against tipping, I feel it has its time and place, but I am tired of everywhere I go people automatically thinking a tip is a given right, and if you do not do so, then you are a cheapstake. If I tip everywhere it was becoming "expected" of me then I would be so broke I would not even afford to run my household. I am aware that this subject is intensly personal and it will obviously bring up many different views and opinions. It is like stirring up a hornets nest as much as discussing politics or religious views. That's all I will say on the matter. In the end, we need to remember TIPS are a gift, determined by the giver.

 

[DISDANCEMOM]

While we haven't been that "wowed" by the service (no towel animals or anything special), our room has been clean, so we were happy leaving a tip. Our last trip was the exception - and we were tipping each day. All was fine until one morning during the middle of our trip. We put the do not disturb sign out (just for that morning). Well, after that they never cleaned the room. For days. We had to call down to the front desk to ask for our room to be cleaned and to ask for towels! I knew our room was being skipped because the tip envelope was left on the dresser.This was at a Deluxe, so we were disappointed with this. I'm sure our experience was just a fluke (hopefully). We will be returning to this same resort in the spring, and we will continue to tip, but now I think that tipping doesn't really make a difference with the level of service you will receive.

I have to say...we have never experienced this!!! We have a special needs dd and we were often back at the room for a quick nap when mousekeeping came around. A couple of times I forgot to put the sign on the door and I just would tell them that it was not a good time and they would ask what time we would be heading out and would come back then. The mousekeepers got to know my dd and they would make a big fuss over her and make cute towel animals and do cute things with her toys. I have never experienced anything but superb service from any Disney castmember regardless of their role.

 

[EnnEss]

The poster may never have worked in the service industry but the fact is that housekeepers get more per hour than the cast members who work the attractions or man the tills in the shops or the counter service restaurants. Why do people feel the need to 'tip' housekeepers' and not these other employees.

My point is, if the poster wants to make a thread imploring people to follow his wishes, do so. If he wants to jump in unasked in other threads pushing his thoughts on others, im going to ask for some information about him or herself and then critique them based on that as they feel entitled to do about others. If thats too close to home for them, I wouldn't be surprised, glass houses and all. On a similar note, don't judge........ ETC. This thread had nothing to do with your content or the person I was initially questioning. Im not shocked to see the person I questioned didn't respond with their job, wage and benefits, yet they have no problem questioning others and insisting they are effectively overpaid if tipped.

A person with such strong convictions should really have no problem at all naming the company they work for and listing their responsibilities and compensation with no fear of someone else applying for the same position at less pay or with more experience as they are obviously paid exactly what they deserve, if not less, unlike housekeepers at WDW which are clearly over paid.

If you dont want to tip, its fine. But I've never seen a post imploring people to tip, whereas Ive seen many saying dont tip without ever having seen those posters relate their circumstances. How odd. This post was about "when" to tip. Understand me, saying you don't like to tip or don't is fine. Saying others shouldnt tip because of x is ludicrous. It's no different from someone saying "you go to disney every year, maybe you should consider doing something else with your money". Be that giving it to charity, going elsewhere etc. My teeth are starting to show.

 

[dbriggsq]

My point is, if the poster wants to make a thread imploring people to follow his wishes, do so. If he wants to jump in unasked in other threads pushing his thoughts on others, im going to ask for some information about him or herself and then critique them based on that as they feel entitled to do about others. If thats too close to home for them, I wouldn't be surprised, glass houses and all. On a similar note, don't judge........ ETC. This thread had nothing to do with your content or the person I was initially questioning. Im not shocked to see the person I questioned didn't respond with their job, wage and benefits, yet they have no problem questioning others and insisting they are effectively overpaid if tipped.

A person with such strong convictions should really have no problem at all naming the company they work for and listing their responsibilities and compensation with no fear of someone else applying for the same position at less pay or with more experience as they are obviously paid exactly what they deserve, if not less, unlike housekeepers at WDW which are clearly over paid.

If you dont want to tip, its fine. But I've never seen a post imploring people to tip, whereas Ive seen many saying dont tip without ever having seen those posters relate their circumstances. How odd. This post was about "when" to tip. Understand me, saying you don't like to tip or don't is fine. Saying others shouldnt tip because of x is ludicrous. It's no different from someone saying "you go to disney every year, maybe you should consider doing something else with your money". Be that giving it to charity, going elsewhere etc. My teeth are starting to show.

I'm sorry if you feel I was jumping in on your conversation - I was just trying to point out that whether the poster working in the service industry or not didn't seem to be relevant. The OP asked how much people tipped and when - I think it's appropriate to point out that one option is not to tip at all because it is not classed or advertized as a 'tipped' position - pay rates are the same and even higher than some other cast members , in case someone who didn't realize this read the post and assumed that tipping is expected.

I don't think that if someone posts that they don't tip they should then have to qualify it with details of their own employment and pay - just as someone who says they do tip a certain amount doesn't need to do that.

As I said before the dangers of encouraging tipping are that the employer might then feel that they can decrease the hourly pay when they see that their employees are being highly remunerated by tips - also it could lead to different levels of service for people who tip and people who don't.

 

[JennSaint]

Ok I feel that cleaning rooms is probably a pretty crappy job to have. I sure wouldn't want to do it.
If we can afford to go to Disney we certainly can afford $4 per day to tip mousekeeping.

 

[goofy4prez]

. I am so tired of hearing the argument "if you can't afford to tip, you don't deserve to eat out...or If you don't tip you should not be going to on a vacation... etc... etc..."

First off let me say this. My hats off and a big thank you to your husband for laying his life on the line for freedom and for your sacrifice being a military wife. I served in the military and remember the sacrifice's my wife made during that time.

However, as for tipping. I'm not going to blast those who don't tip room service. However, if you go out to a restaurant and don't tip because you can't afford it then yes you should not eat there or perhaps go to a less expensive restaurant. If you still can't afford it then there is cs restaurants for you. Servers in most restaurants are paid way below minimum wage and if not tipped still have to report a percentage of tips. If you don't tip they pay to serve you. I'm sure you would not pay to perform your job.
Now if you receive horrible service that is different. I would let the manager know about the service and tell he/she because of this you are also not leaving a tip for the server.

 

[TiggerCat]

If you check my post on page 1 you will see a quote taken word for word out of the Walt Disney World "official vacation guide that lists customary tipping 'INCLUDING" housekeeping.

Where you got the dilusion that mousekeeping is a non-tipping position is beyond me.

So if it is written in the "Official Guide" it must be true? Sorry, not buying it. First off, tipping is an individual choice otherwise it would be automatically added onto the bill. Second, I have never found any trustworthy source that would agree with your assumption that this is a tipped positon. If you wish to tip, please do so. But don't expect everyone else to follow suit.


TC.

 

[ilovefh]

I personally do not tip housekeeping. It is not a tipped position per Disney. Housekeeping starts out at $8.00/hour. Not great by any means, but I agree with the PP who said that if housekeeping gets enough tips Disney will feel like they can lower their pay to below minimum wage like they do for servers and expect us to make up the difference. My big problem is that my ex boyfriend worked for Disney in custodial. They clean up vomit on a daily basis, they clean park bathrooms all day long and their starting pay is less than that of someone in housekeeping! In fact, I worked at CRT as a seater and the starting pay for that is higher than custodial. So why not tip each custodial member you see keeping the bathroom clean? I know I'd much rather clean a hotel room than bathrooms all day!

 

[Ilovemyprincesses]

If Disney didn't want you to tip mousekeeping there would be a sign in your room saying it is not necessary.

As far as mousekeeping making the same as store employees- store employees don't have to clean bathrooms that strangers have used. Believe me if you ever worked in a hotel you know some people leave their rooms filthy.

 

[ilovefh]

If Disney didn't want you to tip mousekeeping there would be a sign in your room saying it is not necessary.

As far as mousekeeping making the same as store employees- store employees don't have to clean bathrooms that strangers have used. Believe me if you ever worked in a hotel you know some people leave their rooms filthy.

No store employees don't, but custodial employees do and they make less money than housekeeping. Why doesn't everyone feel the need to tip them?