Tipping Tipping Tipping....the dreaded tipping thread. LOL ?????? Please

[SnowWitch]

I am a nurse in cardiac critical care and have a masters degree. But now that I have read the post stating the expected tips to service people that has been posted on this thread...I think I will quit and go make alot more money in the service industry and not have to...I don't know run codes for alot less money.

 

[asmit4]

I am a nurse in cardiac critical care and have a masters degree. But now that I ahve read the post stating the expecting tips to service people that have been posted on this thread...I think I will quit and go make alot more money in the service industry and not have to...I don't know run codes for alot less money.

I'm with you SnowWitch! WHY didn't anybody tell me that I could have skipped college (and the loans that go with it), been a bellman and doubled my salary?!

 

[maxiesmom]

3 to 5 would be correct for the room for two people if you have two adults and 5 kids it would not. Use common sense.
As for who determined the going rates, the industry mainly Those are guidelines. If you give a Skycap a buck a bag he will let you know it is not the expected amount in no short order.
Since we are talking TIPS and I use the word loosely, it is obviously not a cast in stone figure, like your taxes.
The point is that between 1 and 2 for a standard 30" suitcase more for heavier and 1 for a night case etc. has been what people who DO travel a LOT standardly pay, OR they pack in a way that lets them avoid the situation. One carry on for instance.
I just get the impression that many of the commenters don't travel THAT often or they would not have to ask the question.
The tipping thing is a combo of real info. and Flame potential. from the real info side there is what the norms are. and yes they vary SOME with the area and desitination.

So you are telling me that the maids and bellemen set their own tip rates? Wish I could decide I needed a raise, and then expect them to pay me that amount.

I'm waiting for you to post a link telling the rest of us that what you are posting as industry standard is industry standard. As I stated before, I followed a link to tip expectations, and that did not agree with what you are telling us.

I can't imagine someone telling me that what I want to tip them is not enough. That is a good way to get no tip at all. And a report to whatever company they work for on how rude their employees are.

 

[disneyfantotheend]

I found it slightly amusing where a pp said they don't know how you "get away with only tipping $1/bag". Last i knew tipping is basically optional. I would never not tip and usually tip well, unless service is below par, but to say you don't know how someone gets away with it is a little much. I am fairly sure that most employers would not stand for an employee basically telling a customer they have to tip more. Sadly many people do not tip at all, and I think that is what makes people in this type of busioness to get all heated about these topics. I am very sorry for that. But it doesn't mean you can tell me what I should and should not tip.

Anyway my standards are $1-$2/bag rounded to the nearest $5. So 1-2 bags would be $5, 3-5 bags would be $10. If I got great service that would go up. Shuttle from airport I usually tip $10/way and we have always been told not to tip the whole amount on the way to, because you often get a new driver for on the way back. Dining is 18% to 20%, exceptional service I will tip more. Mousekeeping $1/person/day is sufficient. If this was the income of these employees, I would absolutely not feel that to be sufficient, but it is a tip not an income.

 

[jamstew]

Hmmmm. I followed the link mgilmer provided, and it states $1-$2 a bag, more if it is heavy. It also states that maid service is $3-$5 per room, depending on how messy it is. So what great guru decided 5 years ago that $2 per person for the maids and $2 per bag was the going rate?

Here are a couple more good tipping links from another thread: http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/summer_tipping/ and http://tipcollection.com/wiki/index.php/Tipping_guidelines. I've read several and have found none that support the claimed "minimums" being discussed.

 

[joyerbides]

 

[cissy]

Can someone please tell me how many maids clean the room. I am not sure whether I need to leave enough tip to cover more than one person.

Also, if I understand the advice here, the maid should get $1 per person per day. So if there are 4 of us in the room, we should leave $4 per maid (if more than one) per day? That doesn't seem like much.

If I am supposed to tip the bellman $1-2 per bag (and let's say we have 6 bags total) than I am tipping him more than the maid? That doesn't seem right. He only loads them up on a cart and carries them about 5 feet. Why should he make more than the person CLEANING our room???

I had planned on leaving $10 per day for the maid. I usually give the sky cap $2 per bag, the bellman $1 per bag and 20% in a restaurant for good service. And I always tell a manager if I have an issue in a restaurant. If it is not the waiters fault, I still tip the 20%. If a food item gets deducted from the bill, I tip as if it is still there. I never penalize the wait staff for things out of their control.

 

[two*little*birds]

Someone posted that Disney adds in 18% when dining, is this also the norm when using the DDP? So that being said do I leave an extra tip when using the DDP? What does everyone else do?

Thanks.

 

[maxiesmom]

Can someone please tell me how many maids clean the room. I am not sure whether I need to leave enough tip to cover more than one person.

Also, if I understand the advice here, the maid should get $1 per person per day. So if there are 4 of us in the room, we should leave $4 per maid (if more than one) per day? That doesn't seem like much.

If I am supposed to tip the bellman $1-2 per bag (and let's say we have 6 bags total) than I am tipping him more than the maid? That doesn't seem right. He only loads them up on a cart and carries them about 5 feet. Why should he make more than the person CLEANING our room???

I had planned on leaving $10 per day for the maid. I usually give the sky cap $2 per bag, the bellman $1 per bag and 20% in a restaurant for good service. And I always tell a manager if I have an issue in a restaurant. If it is not the waiters fault, I still tip the 20%. If a food item gets deducted from the bill, I tip as if it is still there. I never penalize the wait staff for things out of their control.

I think there is only 1 maid per room. I tip $1 per person per day, so your $10sounds like a lot to me. All in all, you sound like a very good tipper.

 

[PhotobearSam]

I own a motel and Chalet business. My cleaning ladies have made a little over $300 in the entire summer. I have 24 rooms and we have been full on each day for over 45 days...People DON'T tip what you say here in this part of Canada.

When I go, I tip $5-$10 for airport porter for our luggage depending on how far he has to take our bags. We are only 2 people so 4 to 5 bags maximum.

I tip 10% at restaurants for plain service (No smile, no asking if we need anything else etc)

I tip 15% for average service

I tip 20-25% for really awesome service (I get a lot of that at WDW)

I also think that you tip what you can. Once the ladies here got $2.00 from a nice couple and appreciated that more than the $20 they got from a demanding person.

I always treat people who serve in a very nice way...I respect them and the job they do.

I think you slightly over tipped but you have to be comfortable with what YOU want to give.

As for the PERSON that gave MINIMUMS...Not, you must earn those tips...It's not a right, it's a choice for everyone. Your numbers are "What would be nice" not a minimum.

 

[amcjeep4life]

Two*little*birds, from what I understand:

The DDP for 2007 currently includes an 18% tip. You can tip more if you feel you had exceptional service, but you do not need to tip more if service was only OK, or adequate. In 2008, the tip is being removed from the DDP, which has angered quite a few people.

We are leaving in 19 days, and have made up envelopes for mousekeeping. There are 4 of us in the room, and each envelope has $6. We also made envelopes with $3 for turndown service. We will have 6 bags, so I have put away $10 bill as tip for the person who brings my luggage to my room after ME delivers it. We plan on checking our luggage at the reort to fly home. I plan on carrying about $20 in 5s and 1s for tips if we have exceptional service at the restaurants, and we are on DDP. I know it's not a lot, but it adds up. I also have never understood why the person who carries my luggage on a cart to my room is tipped significantly more than the person cleaning my room, and my tiolet! I'm sure it takes them a lot longer to clean than to move my luggage!

 

[Karnak]

On my solo trips I always have two suitcases and one cooler. Whenever someone moves these three items for me, I tip $5.00 to $7.00. (Once for moving the luggage from the trunk of the car to storage, once for delivering the luggage to my room after I've checked in, and the final time for picking up the three items from my room and placing it in my auto's trunk upon departing.)

In my room I leave $3.00 per day, each day, for housekeeping. Since I'm on a solo trip, and I'm generally neat, there's never a mess to clean up.

At sit down table service restaurants I always tip about 20% of the total bill, unless there has been terrible service. (The only time I can remember that happeing at WDW was at the Sci-Fi, at the Studios. I left no tip whatsoever in that case.) And, at a bar, I usually tip about one buck per beer served.

That works for me.

Enjoy.

 

[Robert P]

Not to hijack the thread, but on the subject of tipping...

If the valet calls a cab for you do you tip the valet? (Because I didn't.)

Opinions?

Yes. Only once have I not:
I got a 'jerk' of a valet at BW one night, who was too busy talking to his friend to address us standing there waiting for him. Finally, once he was through with his story telling and turned to address us, I told him we need a cab to X, and he went and made a phone call or such, then was right back talking to his friend. Never told us it was done, or where to stand, or anything. The tip I had in my hand already, went right back in my pocket.

 

[cissy]

Thanks, AMCjeep4life, for confirming my feelings on tipping the bellman more than the maid!! CRAZY!

I can't justify tipping a huge amount of money for carrying my bags a few feet then skimping on the MAID! No way. And I bet the bellhops get tipped more often than the maid, too. Most people expect to pay the bellhop but assume the maid service is part of the room deal. It is a lot easier to ignore the maid as you will most likely never see her face to face than to ignore the bellhop standing there waiting.

SO... I go forth with 10.00 in an envelope for each night we are there. I want a clean room and hopefully some towel animals for the kids!!

 

[dreamergirl78]

I totally agree what people are saying that tips are earned! I totally believe it is based on the level of service I receive. And the end result it, it is up to me what I tip. My idea of excellent service will differ form someone else's. But from what I have seen everywhere else, most of us seem to be right on track with our tipping. For the person posting about minimums, I think you should restate that to your ideal tip. Not a minimum. Sorry, but it seems your numbers are totally skewed!!

 

[disneyfantotheend]

Ok, you all have convinced me. I didn't really think about it before, but you are right, I way undertip the mousekeeping. I am going to raise my tip for this trip for her/him. I always clean up after myself and my family, so they really don't have much to do, but I never thought about the toilets. They deserve more than a $1/person/day for that alone.

 

[cissy]

 

[AdamsPrincess]

Okay, I could write a huge response to this thread, but I'll keep it simple. I'm posting this under my fiancee's username but I just had to voice my opinion. I am a bellman and my fiancee is a cocktail server at a five diamond resort so I feel very qualified to respond. $2 per bag for a typically sized bag is the MINIMUM! If your bag is extremely heavy $5 per bag is MINIMUM! If you are having food or beverage service and the service was good a 20% tip is the MINIMUM! Again these are minimums expected for basic service, if you should get above average service you should give an above average tip. $1 per bag to a bellman or a 10% tip for your waitress is an insult. As for you Canron thank GOD for karma, I can only believe that you get the service you pay for. I'm sure you expect to be paid for doing your job and so do we. Trust me, anybody who works for a resort is not getting rich. We depend on tips to make the bulk of our pay. So if you want a genuine smile and friendly hello from your service workers be sure to show how much you appreciate our hard work. Thank you's are nice but they don't pay the bills.

You have got to be kidding me with your all MINIMUMS, I do not have to be told how much to tip and being told how much I should tip is tacky. If you are expecting your tips to pay the bills, maybe you should get into a different line of work where you don't have to depend on other people so much. I found your comments very rude.

Tips should never be expected...they are earned and comparing them to your mechanic fixing your car is not the same thing, that is a charge, now since when do you start charging people for helping them move their bags? That is what you get a paycheck for.

 

[edk35]

Someone posted that Disney adds in 18% when dining, is this also the norm when using the DDP? So that being said do I leave an extra tip when using the DDP? What does everyone else do?

Thanks.

We used the DDE card with some friends at Cape Mays for breakfast buffet and although we got separate checks...they included the 18% on both of our checks...we didn't tip anymore than that.

 

[cinderbear]

You have got to be kidding me with your all MINIMUMS, I do not have to be told how much to tip and being told how much I should tip is tacky. If you are expecting your tips to pay the bills, maybe you should get into a different line of work where you don't have to depend on other people so much. I found your comments very rude.

Tips should never be expected...they are earned and comparing them to your mechanic fixing your car is not the same thing, that is a charge, now since when do you start charging people for helping them move their bags? That is what you get a paycheck for.

I never understood the "if you don't like it find another career" argument. If service providers are not paid a livable wage and we all go onto some other career who will serve your dinner, carry your luggage, cut your hair, drive your taxi, etc. Remember you "have to depend on other people" to provide these services for you. So is it not fair that we expect an appropiate tip from you in return to pay our bills. If it helps you to think of the tip as a charge for the service, just like a mechanic, than that's fine. Think of it as our charge. Think of us as independant contractors if you must. Most service workers don't even make minimum wage because the employment laws state that if it is resonably "expected" that the employee will be compensated the majority of their pay from tips then a company does not have to pay them the minimum wage. So the paycheck we get doesn't really cover anything. Every one of the 15 bellman on staff at my resort have college degrees so please don't offend me by telling me to get an education. Now having said that I make a resonable living wage where I work thanks to the generosity of most of our guest. No, I don't make 83k a year because the truth is there are some people who stiff us or who haven't updated their tipping schedule for the last 15 years. Like all of you we deal with the increased gas prices, astronomical housing prices, and general inflation. $1 per bag may have been the norm back when, but trust me it is not any longer. Inflation hits EVERY area of the economy including the service sector. My original post was meant to educate not to incite. The numbers I used are real they are not my ideal or fairy tale numbers as one poster suggested. If you don't believe me ask your bellman what the norm is, or better yet become a service worker for a month and see if you don't change your opinion. I find it strange that the people most adamant about not tipping or not tipping the proper amount most likely have never worked in the service industry. This is my last post concerning this topic. I know some of you understand where I'm coming from and I also know some of you will just never get it or don't want to get it.