Mousekeeping

[Marijil]

Here is a weird one...checked out on December 29...POR...checkout time is 11
At 730 am we move all of our stuff to the car and plan was to hit Riverside Mill for bfast, hit gift shop, go back to room for final sweep and then go...
When we got back to room, food that was in fridge had been taken out and gone through, tip money on night table taken...and that was it...someone marking their territory, lol

 

[JohnD]

Here is a weird one...checked out on December 29...POR...checkout time is 11
At 730 am we move all of our stuff to the car and plan was to hit Riverside Mill for bfast, hit gift shop, go back to room for final sweep and then go...
When we got back to room, food that was in fridge had been taken out and gone through, tip money on night table taken...and that was it...someone marking their territory, lol

Same thing happened to me on check out day at POFQ. I packed everything and placed a tip on the credenza. I then went to breakfast at BOMA. When I returned, the tip was GONE and the room wasn't made up yet because they obviously saw that I had not yet checked out. I made a point of telling the front desk. I said it looked like the mousekeeper couldn't wait to get a-hold of my money. It sort of put a bad taste on what was otherwise a good trip.

 

[DRC68]

Next time, put out the "do not disturb" sign. We've never had that problem. I tried that on our RV once at FW, but our kids came home!

 

[DRC68]

Seriously, we've put the sign out and gone to a park for b-fast and returned just before checkout...no problem at all.

 

[JohnD]

Seriously, we've put the sign out and gone to a park for b-fast and returned just before checkout...no problem at all.

Understood but there is a sense of decorum. If mousekeeping sees money on the dressing table but luggage still in the room, they shouldn't be taking the money while at the same time not yet cleaning the room. Granted, it's a timing thing but it made me re-think the already-too-late tip. For now on, the tip is the VERY last thing I do before leaving.

 

[Polydweller]

The OP seems to suggest that all their luggage had been moved from the room at 7:30. From my hotelier background, without a do not disturb sign on the door, if it is your checkout day that implies you have left the room, ie checked out. No luggage is the best indicator that people have left.

Food being left in the refrigerator after checkout happens all the time and is not by itself an indicator that you haven't checked out. Hotels have to throw stuff out all the time, virtually every day. And leaving the tip out and on the desk just adds to the impression you've checked out.

As for 11:00 am checkout, that really only means that's the point the hotel can start charging you for late checkout. The hotel can start preparing the room once it appears it is empty. And remember, at places like Disney with people checking out at times as early as 5:00 am a room may be empty long before 11:00. Hotel staff do keep a lookout so they can get rooms reset as early as feasible. If it appears you have left the hotel can go in before 11:00.

To ensure housekeeping doesn't come in until you actually leave, put the do not disturb sign on the door and only take it off when you physically leave. That's what we do on every stay everywhere.

 

[wdwmagic]

Definitely use that Do Not Disturb sign.

 

[Gabe1]

Next time, put out the "do not disturb" sign. We've never had that problem. I tried that on our RV once at FW, but our kids came home!

I so agree. We put the do not disturb sign on the door if it is Disney or any where else we travel. Frankly with all the electronics we tote with us these days I put the sign on the door after housekeeping visits the room and leave it on most of the time and leave the TV on in many of the hotels we stay in.

I miss the old door hangers that had do not disturb on one side and room available for housekeeping. That had to make it easier for housekeeping.

 

[Marijil]

Just to be clear, I didn't care that she thought we had checked out....i just thought it was odd that she grabbed the food and cash and split....

 

[Polydweller]

Just to be clear, I didn't care that she thought we had checked out....i just thought it was odd that she grabbed the food and cash and split....

Still nothing odd there. Staff checks a room they believe has checked out. They'll see what has to be done, check the fridge, bathroom etc and then schedule the room reset. Fairly standard practice.

Taking the tip is for security (and it might go into shared pool for all we know). Since the food would be thrown out taking some isn't a big deal. If it's from checked out room it isn't stealing. It sounds like the room had the look of being checked out so no obvious intent there.

What you seem to have run into here is just a case of a room appearing checked out and staff mistakingly believing it now needed scheduling for reset. That's what's done. Enter the room, try to confirm the room is empty, check what has to be done, and enter the room in the system as needing reset. Seems to be just a misunderstanding based on what housekeeping could see and nothing underhanded.

Just put that do not disturb sign on the door.

 

[Marijil]

Again, didn't say anyone was stealing or underhanded...

 

[flynnibus]

Don't tip housekeeping.. problem solved

 

[JohnD]

Just to be clear, I didn't care that she thought we had checked out....i just thought it was odd that she grabbed the food and cash and split....

My thoughts exactly.

 

[JohnD]

Don't tip housekeeping.. problem solved

I know you're being flippant. That would never enter my thought process. I just agree with the OP about the apparent quick grab of the tip even when clearly seeing I had not yet checked out.

 

[luv]

I've had that happen on non-checkout day, too. I come back to the room and they haven't touched a thing, but the tip was picked up.

I'm not sure if people are stealing other people's tips or if the one who picked it up is worried that someone might come along and steal it...I just don't get why they pick up the tips before they come to clean the room.

???

 

[flynnibus]

I know you're being flippant. That would never enter my thought process

No, I'm dead serious. Don't tip hotel cleaning staff. Now if an individual did something above and beyond for me because I put them out or something.. then I'd tip that individual. But tipping because I'm staying in the hotel? No. Tipping before services are rendered? No. Tipping a department generically vs tipping the individual who served me? No

Pretty much everything about the way people tip 'mousekeeping' goes against how and why the principle behind tipping someone for service. And the idea that people keep tipping them only makes the problem worse as people become accustomed and then act like they can demand the tips. Housekeeping is something offered as part of the core rate for the room. I don't tip the electrician for ensuring the lights work in the room, and I don't tip the maid for doing her daily job.

 

[s&k'smom]

After reading the posts and seeing the differing opinions here is mine. I work at a hotel, not as nice as Disney and if the HK went in and then realized you hadn't left yet there are a couple things. She took the tip to avoid someone else taking it and the food she should not have touched until the room was completely empty. Or honestly she should not have touched anything until you were gone. If she had been working the room all week and a tip left everyday that yeah she should be able to take her tip. Housekeeping is the hardest job in a hotel, you cannot believe the things they see and have to clean up after. Again the hotel I work at is two star at best and when I said my level of humanity has dropped after working in a hotel it has. Housekeeping is a thankless, hard job and absolutely they should be tipped everyday, dollar a person. You may leave your room picked up but believe me they have picked up every type of bodily fluid imaginable. I guess I have a soft spot since I see how hard they work. Just my opinion.

 

[BuddyThomas]

No, I'm dead serious. Don't tip hotel cleaning staff. Now if an individual did something above and beyond for me because I put them out or something.. then I'd tip that individual. But tipping because I'm staying in the hotel? No. Tipping before services are rendered? No. Tipping a department generically vs tipping the individual who served me? No

Pretty much everything about the way people tip 'mousekeeping' goes against how and why the principle behind tipping someone for service. And the idea that people keep tipping them only makes the problem worse as people become accustomed and then act like they can demand the tips. Housekeeping is something offered as part of the core rate for the room. I don't tip the electrician for ensuring the lights work in the room, and I don't tip the maid for doing her daily job.

Uh-oh. Popcorn time.

 

[MMDVC]

I find it hard to believe housekeeping would steal from each other. Especially on Disney property. I once left the tip on top of the frig/snacks instead of by the shampoos. That person came in to restock and took the tip.
I always leave a tip because making the beds is back breaking chore just in my own household. I dread changing sheets.
I also just overheard the housekeepers on staff at DL Resort this holiday Xmas/NYE and they were worried about having hours next week.
Most people i know would NOT forget to tip their bartender but never remember housekeeping at a hotel... How difficult is it to make a drink versus cleaning the toilet?

 

[AndyS2992]

Being British I really don't understand the culture of tipping the US has If someone has given exceptional service beyond anything you would expect then ok fine but tipping people for doing their job is strange to me. Like people tipping the waiter but not the actual chefs? what the hell. Here in Britain we have minimum wage and such and everyone gets paid fairly and no one tips. Why do employers pay so low and expect workers to make their wages through tips? Its exploiting people for cheap labour and I don't agree with it.