Tipping Mousekeeping

How do you tip "Mousekeeping"?

  • Every day

    Votes: 109 75.2%
  • At the end of your stay

    Votes: 36 24.8%

  • Total voters
    145
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RobidaFlats

Well-Known Member
housekeeping..along with tour guides, bell hops, etc etc etc have always been mainstream "should tip" positions. Always.

I suppose that depends on your definition of "always".

http://time.com/money/3394185/tipping-myths-realities-history/

According to this article, "As recently as 2011 [...] industry experts such as Michael Lynn of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration pointed to data suggesting that only 30% of hotel guests actually left tips for housekeepers."
 

bigrigross

Well-Known Member
Fine dining requires several different services for one table. The tip does not just go to your main server. That's one of the reasons why you should definitely tip more at fine dining.

Like I said above, housekeeping..along with tour guides, bell hops, etc etc etc have always been mainstream "should tip" positions. Always.
If they are bad at what they do, then show it in your tip for sure.


And that is where we disagree. If I see the words, tipping is encouraged, I will be more likely to tip. But minus the bell hop, I never tip those "mainstream" services. I tip the bell hop because he is helping me be lazy. The others are all doing their job. Now I will say this. I usually always put the do not disturb sign on the door for the length of the my stay unless it is longer than 3 nights. I dont like people being in my room which is partially why I do not tip the housemaids as they are there to clean up the room after I am gone. I also do not tip forced valet. If its voluntary I will, but I have noticed an increase in valet only parking at hotels since I started traveling for work more.

Also, what other services does fine dining include? I dont drink alcohol. The chefs are not getting a tip. The bus boy is not being paid on tips. So what other service is being tipped in a fine dining establishment? The waiters do less than an outback steakhouse waiter.
 
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21stamps

Well-Known Member
And that is where we disagree. If I see the words, tipping is encouraged, I will be more likely to tip. But minus the bell hop, I never tip those "mainstream" services. I tip the bell hop because he is helping me be lazy. The others are all doing their job. Now I will say this. I usually always put the do not disturb sign on the door for the length of the my stay unless it is longer than 3 nights. I dont like people being in my room which is partially why I do not tip the housemaids as they are there to clean up the room after I am gone. I also do not tip forced valet. If its voluntary I will, but I have noticed an increase in valet only parking at hotels since I started traveling for work more.

Also, what other services does fine dining include? I dont drink alcohol. The chefs are not getting a tip. The bus boy is not being paid on tips. So what other service is being tipped in a fine dining establishment? The waiters do less than an outback steakhouse waiter.

Of course there's buss boys/girls at fine dining restaurants.. has your server ever swept the crumbs?lol. They're above that ;)

Ok, so you don't use a sommelier...but your comment on what the actual wait staff does is way off base. They are trained to be fine dining, and they are very different than a server at Outback.

Here is what I was always taught-
Fine Dining- 25% tip.
Regular Dining- 20% tip
Bad server- 5-10%. Never outright skipping the tip.

Also, forced valet does not include the tip. Trust me, forced valet drives me nuts- but- you are still supposed to tip at least $2.

Again- Housekeeping has always been a tipping scenario.

It's not about agreeing or disagreeing. It's basic etiquette rules that have been in place for years and years...and have been generally practiced by most people (hopefully).
Choosing to ignore that convention is certainly your choice... but it isn't the norm, and I hope that people don't think that it is.

ETA- if you're interested.. here is some reading on the subject-
http://traveltips.usatoday.com/tip-hotel-cleaning-30612.html
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g191-s606/United-States:Tipping.And.Etiquette.html
 
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Laketravis

Well-Known Member
thurston howell.jpg
 

bigrigross

Well-Known Member
Of course there's buss boys/girls at fine dining restaurants.. has your server ever swept the crumbs?lol. They're above that ;)

Ok, so you don't use a sommelier...but your comment on what the actual wait staff does is way off base. They are trained to be fine dining, and they are very different than a server at Outback.

Here is what I was always taught-
Fine Dining- 25% tip.
Regular Dining- 20% tip
Bad server- 5-10%. Never outright skipping the tip.

Also, forced valet does not include the tip. Trust me, forced valet drives me nuts- but- you are still supposed to tip at least $2.

Again- Housekeeping has always been a tipping scenario.

It's not about agreeing or disagreeing. It's basic etiquette rules that have been in place for years and years...and have been generally practiced by most people (hopefully).
Choosing to ignore that convention is certainly your choice... but it isn't the norm, and I hope that people don't think that it is.

ETA- if you're interested.. here is some reading on the subject-
http://traveltips.usatoday.com/tip-hotel-cleaning-30612.html
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g191-s606/United-States:Tipping.And.Etiquette.html


Any fine dining I have ever been to, their has been no different in what the waiter does. Sure, they look a bit spiffier, but at the end of the day, they bring food, refill my drink, and deliver the bill. Maybe the fine dining restaurants in New York and LA are different, but any $100+ per person restaurant I have been to, I havent seen anything to warrant paying more.

I know forced Valet doesnt include the tip and I really do not care. Its forced valet. I am not tipping. I will only tip Valets if the parking is optional which I have done at multiple occasions.

It has nothing to do with etiquette. A tip is a way of saying thank you for the service you received. But now, people expect it, even if they do not earn it. If a tip was mandatory, it would be on the bill. Also, I will never ever tip a bad server. Never. They get a penny from me and I make sure they know it. A penny tells them they should do better. Not paying just makes them think you skipped out on the tip. If you expect a tip from your customers, you need to make sure you do a good job. Waiters should never expect a tip. Expecting a tip because thats the way the world works leads to disappointment and also entitlement which this country has taken up more of. You would be shocked how much you are in the minority on this. Including paying the hotel housekeeping. Most people do not.

You may have grown up in a different time, but now that time is over. I will not give for no reason and neither will most people.
 
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KrzyKtty

Well-Known Member
And that is where we disagree. If I see the words, tipping is encouraged, I will be more likely to tip. But minus the bell hop, I never tip those "mainstream" services. I tip the bell hop because he is helping me be lazy. The others are all doing their job. Now I will say this. I usually always put the do not disturb sign on the door for the length of the my stay unless it is longer than 3 nights. I dont like people being in my room which is partially why I do not tip the housemaids as they are there to clean up the room after I am gone. I also do not tip forced valet. If its voluntary I will, but I have noticed an increase in valet only parking at hotels since I started traveling for work more.

Also, what other services does fine dining include? I dont drink alcohol. The chefs are not getting a tip. The bus boy is not being paid on tips. So what other service is being tipped in a fine dining establishment? The waiters do less than an outback steakhouse waiter.
Restaurants around here must be very different. Most restaurants here do have servers split tips with bus boys/girls. Some restaurants even have servers split their tips with the chefs. Actually, there are a few restaurants here where the server is forced to pay the chef out of pocket if they did not get a tip, or large enough tip, from the table.

Not that I am saying one right thing or another, just noticed the difference.
 

BuddyThomas

Well-Known Member
Any fine dining I have ever been to, their has been no different in what the waiter does. Sure, they look a bit spiffier, but at the end of the day, they bring food, refill my drink, and deliver the bill. Maybe the fine dining restaurants in New York and LA are different, but any $100+ per person restaurant I have been to, I havent seen anything to warrant paying more.

I know forced Valet doesnt include the tip and I really do not care. Its forced valet. I am not tipping. I will only tip Valets if the parking is optional which I have done at multiple occasions.

It has nothing to do with etiquette. A tip is a way of saying thank you for the service you received. But now, people expect it, even if they do not earn it. If a tip was mandatory, it would be on the bill. Also, I will never ever tip a bad server. Never. They get a penny from me and I make sure they know it. A penny tells them they should do better. Not paying just makes them think you skipped out on the tip. If you expect a tip from your customers, you need to make sure you do a good job. Waiters should never expect a tip. Expecting a tip because thats the way the world works leads to disappointment and also entitlement which this country has taken up more of. You would be shocked how much you are in the minority on this. Including paying the hotel housekeeping. Most people do not.

You may have grown up in a different time, but now that time is over. I will not give for no reason and neither will most people.
You seem nice.
 

KrzyKtty

Well-Known Member
I actually understand some people's issue with tipping while on business travel. Not that it is fair one way or another, but many companies do not allow employees to request cost reimbursement for tips. When you have long stays like many of my guys do, the out of pocket cost can really start to add up. Meal tipping is at least baked into the daily per diem allowance, anything else is on their own dime; even if they are only traveling because we tell them to.
 

RobidaFlats

Well-Known Member
Some restaurants even have servers split their tips with the chefs. Actually, there are a few restaurants here where the server is forced to pay the chef out of pocket if they did not get a tip, or large enough tip, from the table.

This is actually against current FLSA rules. A tip pool cannot include cooks (or other customarily non-tipped positions). The National Restaurant Association is trying to get a case before the Supreme Court that could change that, but for now, the District courts are deferring to the current DOL rules.
 

bigrigross

Well-Known Member
Restaurants around here must be very different. Most restaurants here do have servers split tips with bus boys/girls. Some restaurants even have servers split their tips with the chefs. Actually, there are a few restaurants here where the server is forced to pay the chef out of pocket if they did not get a tip, or large enough tip, from the table.

Not that I am saying one right thing or another, just noticed the difference.


I have a buddy who works as a sous chef at an uspcale restaurant in our downtown area. I asked him about this and he said waiters only receive tips, unless a mixed drink is ordered and then the waiter must split the tips for that table with the person who made the drink which is fair. Bus boys and chefs do not receive tips and its like this for most of the industry in the midwest. Even when he worked in Chicago for training. I am just basing it off my view of the midwest where I live and mostly travel. Which is stated in an earlier post that I didnt know about LA or NY for fine dining.

Edit: I know these reads as defensive. I dont mean it to. I apologize if it comes across like that.
 

KrzyKtty

Well-Known Member
This is actually against current FLSA rules. A tip pool cannot include cooks (or other customarily non-tipped positions). The National Restaurant Association is trying to get a case before the Supreme Court that could change that, but for now, the District courts are deferring to the current DOL rules.
Well I will admit the last time I saw this happen in person was a couple of years ago. That being said, many around here still do shady stuff all the time. It isn't that uncommon to find out that some restaurant owner owes tens of thousands in back pay. :mad:
 

KrzyKtty

Well-Known Member
I have a buddy who works as a sous chef at an uspcale restaurant in our downtown area. I asked him about this and he said waiters only receive tips, unless a mixed drink is ordered and then the waiter must split the tips for that table with the person who made the drink which is fair. Bus boys and chefs do not receive tips and its like this for most of the industry in the midwest. Even when he worked in Chicago for training. I am just basing it off my view of the midwest where I live and mostly travel. Which is stated in an earlier post that I didnt know about LA or NY for fine dining.

Edit: I know these reads as defensive. I dont mean it to. I apologize if it comes across like that.
I figured. I live in the SE. I was just noting that I was surprised by the difference is all. :)
 

bigrigross

Well-Known Member
I figured. I live in the SE. I was just noting that I was surprised by the difference is all. :)

Yeah, I drive out to Richmond, VA several times a year for my job. Its crazy what happens when you go into different parts of the country how different things can be.

I know people think I am a horrible person by my recent post. I tip and I tip very well to wait staff and even the optional valets. I tip based on performance. I dont tip by percentage. I have tipped well past 100% before, even when out for work which came out of my pocket and not the companies. If people come to expect 18% and give substandard service, of course they are going to be angry when they get either a penny or a couple bucks.

Now, I have on one occasion seeked out a bus boy who I flagged down because our waiter only showed up once every 20 or 30 minutes. I made sure she watched as I gave him a 15 dollar tip for finding her for me and she got a penny at the end of the night.
 

KrzyKtty

Well-Known Member
Yeah, I drive out to Richmond, VA several times a year for my job. Its crazy what happens when you go into different parts of the country how different things can be.

I know people think I am a horrible person by my recent post. I tip and I tip very well to wait staff and even the optional valets. I tip based on performance. I dont tip by percentage. I have tipped well past 100% before, even when out for work which came out of my pocket and not the companies. If people come to expect 18% and give substandard service, of course they are going to be angry when they get either a penny or a couple bucks.

Now, I have on one occasion seeked out a bus boy who I flagged down because our waiter only showed up once every 20 or 30 minutes. I made sure she watched as I gave him a 15 dollar tip for finding her for me and she got a penny at the end of the night.
The mandatory fees bug the banana's out of my husband all the time. Right or not, the tip for the Pizza Delivery guys went down when their company starting charging a extra delivery fee on top of all of their other fees. I'm now the one that always answers the door instead. :D
 

bigrigross

Well-Known Member
The mandatory fees bug the banana's out of my husband all the time. Right or not, the tip for the Pizza Delivery guys went down when their company starting charging a extra delivery fee on top of all of their other fees. I'm now the one that always answers the door instead. :D


That is funny you say that as our delivery fee went from 1 dollar to almost 5 across the board. I live in a rural area and papa johns is the only one that delivered. I always tipped very well because they had to drive 12 minutes to get to my house. I always made sure it was worth it for them to get to my house first so my pizza wasnt the last on the list to be delivered. But, when they increased the delivery fee to 5 dollars (also same fee in city as well), I stopped getting it delivered and instead went and picked up pizza from a better place across town. I wasnt going to jip the pizza guy because the company raised the delivery fee. It seems those delivery fees are becoming more common place now.
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Any fine dining I have ever been to, their has been no different in what the waiter does. Sure, they look a bit spiffier, but at the end of the day, they bring food, refill my drink, and deliver the bill. Maybe the fine dining restaurants in New York and LA are different, but any $100+ per person restaurant I have been to, I havent seen anything to warrant paying more.

I know forced Valet doesnt include the tip and I really do not care. Its forced valet. I am not tipping. I will only tip Valets if the parking is optional which I have done at multiple occasions.

It has nothing to do with etiquette. A tip is a way of saying thank you for the service you received. But now, people expect it, even if they do not earn it. If a tip was mandatory, it would be on the bill. Also, I will never ever tip a bad server. Never. They get a penny from me and I make sure they know it. A penny tells them they should do better. Not paying just makes them think you skipped out on the tip. If you expect a tip from your customers, you need to make sure you do a good job. Waiters should never expect a tip. Expecting a tip because thats the way the world works leads to disappointment and also entitlement which this country has taken up more of. You would be shocked how much you are in the minority on this. Including paying the hotel housekeeping. Most people do not.

You may have grown up in a different time, but now that time is over. I will not give for no reason and neither will most people.

That time is not over. It's still generally practiced. People may choose to do differently, but no- manners and etiquette haven't disappeared. I have a just turned 7 year old. He knows that we tip certain people. He actually enjoys doing it. I don't think he'll stop when he becomes an adult.

IMO "entitlement" would be going somewhere or doing something where you plan on stiffing someone ahead of time. If you don't like forced valet.. which none of us do, take an Uber.
Of course these people expect tips. That's not entitlement. People don't become servers or valets bc tipping isn't part of it. They make the bulk of their money from the tips.

The articles that I posted are all recent. Not from a "different time".
 

RobidaFlats

Well-Known Member
You may have grown up in a different time, but now that time is over. I will not give for no reason and neither will most people.

Despite what one poster in this thread likes to repeat, tipping as "etiquette" has not existed since "always". Earlier in the thread I posted a link to a somewhat recent article describing that the majority of people did not tip housekeeping even a few years ago. If you want to go back even further (about a hundred years), tipping was even illegal in some states.

All this to say: The time that was described is not over because it never actually existed. However, for better or worse, it is becoming that way now and the historical reasons behind tipping (or not tipping) are being replaced.
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Despite what one poster in this thread likes to repeat, tipping as "etiquette" has not existed since "always". Earlier in the thread I posted a link to a somewhat recent article describing that the majority of people did not tip housekeeping even a few years ago. If you want to go back even further (about a hundred years), tipping was even illegal in some states.

All this to say: The time that was described is not over because it never actually existed. However, for better or worse, it is becoming that way now and the historical reasons behind tipping (or not tipping) are being replaced.

This article was actually kind of interesting.
http://time.com/money/3394185/tipping-myths-realities-history/

"In 2006, New York Timescolumnist Joe Sharkey admitted he, presumably like nearly all business travelers, generously tipped almost every hotel staffer he encountered but had been overlooking the maids, "perhaps because they were unseen, working in the room when the guest was gone.".....

..."Waiters haven't always gotten 20%, or even 15%. It makes sense that we tip more as time passes, just to keep up with inflation. That doesn't explain why we'd be expected to tip at an increasingly higher percentage, however, because as our restaurant bills have gone up, so have the gratuities. (If a fancy dinner in 1950 cost $50, a 15% tip would be $7.50; if a comparable fancy dinner in 2000 ran $100, the tip at a 15% rate would double too.)

Nonetheless, the standard percentage to tip waitstaff has risen over the decades. According to a PayScale study, the median tip is now 19.5%. In recent years, some waiters and restaurants have suggested that 25% or even 30% is the proper gratuity level, and that a 20% tip, once considered generous, is just average today. As recently as 2008, though, an Esquire tipping guide stated "15 percent for good service is still the norm" at American restaurants. An American Demographics study from 2001 found that three-quarters of Americans tipped an average of 17% on restaurant bills, while 22% tipped a flat amount no matter what the bill, and the gratuity left averaged $4.67. Meanwhile, in 1922, Emily Post wrote, "You will not get good service unless you tip generously," and "the rule is ten per cent."

Emily Post herself sorta hated tipping. In that 1922 guide, Post wrote, "Tipping is undoubtedly a bad system, but it happens to be in force, and that being the case, travelers have to pay their share of it—if they like the way made smooth and comfortable."

Tipping was once considered demeaning and anti-American. Slate, the New York Times, and Esquire are among the outlets that have published epic rants calling for the end to the "abomination" of tipping in the last year or so. No one made the case better than the Times' Pete Wells, who summed up of our current tipping system, "it is irrational, outdated, ineffective, confusing, prone to abuse and sometimes discriminatory. The people who take care of us in restaurants deserve a better system, and so do we."

Those who defend tipping, and/or those who just insist on always tipping generously tend to think of gratuities as the great equalizer: Tips are necessary because waitstaff and other workers aren't paid enough by their employers, and gratuities help provide them a living wage.

A century ago, however, anti-tipping groups felt they were being progressive by declaring war on the demeaning system because it implicitly created a servile class that depended on the generosity of richer, aristocratic customers—and was therefore anti-democratic and anti-American. The anti-tipping movementgained steam in the late 1890s and continued through the 1910s, when a half-dozen states tried (but ultimately failed) to make tipping illegal."
 
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