Tipping for Housekeeping

[cherrynegra]

I was wondering if anyone else tipped for maid services and what you tipped, as well as did they clean your room. I actually stayed at the Boardwalk, and was under the belief that our room would be cleaned (beds made for example) once for the week we were there. On the day it was supposed to happen, I left a tip on the dresser with the note "For Housekeeping. Thank you." I got back to the room later that day and the beds were not made and the room didn't look particularly clean. Oh.....and the tip was gone. However, housekeeping did leave fresh towels. Huh?? Is this normal service now? I've stayed at many a hotel and always tip housekeeping every day that I know they clean the rooms. Anybody else have the same experience??

 

[TIGGER-FAN]

I have stayed at the budget, moderate, and deluxe resorts on my many trips to the world and have always had great service from the mousekeepers. We always leave $5.00 a day tip for them. Many have expressed disapointment in not having scenes set up in the room and the following might be a possible explination. During slow times at the world when there are a lot of open rooms the mousekeepers have more time to spend in the rooms so they can give the niceties like setting up you stuffed animals or making towel animals. However, during times of maximum capacity (i.e. holidays) they have a lot more rooms to clean and can not spend much time other than to get the room clean. I for one think they do a great job.

 

[DisneyDugger]

Originally posted by turkey leg boy
You might want to translate into Hatian Creole as well.

The spanish we can accommodate.

Again, I don't anticipate any housecoming problems and am sure that we will receive first class service from the get go. The majority of Disney employees understand the hospitality industry and what the #1 rule is - please the customer!

 

[UncleJeet]

Cheap People....Bah!

I hate the mentality that some people have of "it's their job, why should I pay them more?!" Cleaning up your filth is not an honor. These folks perform a job that makes your stay more enjoyable for the simple fact that coming 'home' to a clean room, often with a fun scene set up in it, is nice.

Just because someone doesn't speak english doesn't mean that he or she is not educated. What a load of rubbish that idea is. Chances are you won't find many degreed professionals cleaning hotel rooms, but to say that automatically makes them stupid - especially if they don't speak much english - is just arrogant and condescending.

People love to operate under the notion that someone performing a menial, necessary task are beneath them. Those in the service industry are there to serve, not just because it's their job, but because that's their role in life. Somehow folks like housekeepers and garbage men and the kid serving hamburgers are infinitely less important to the continuing operation of the world than some 'professional' who spends his or her days making pie charts to represent how many cans of sugar water the company he works for sold last year. Stop fooling yourselves, people - the jobs most vital to the world are the very jobs you look down your nose at.

So what can we do about this? We can leave them a measley few bucks on the nightstand as a personal expression of gratitude for picking up your soiled towels and replacing your dirty sheets and cleaning up after any other messes you've made in your room. Yes, they get a paycheck and no, tipping is not mandatory. But I seriously doubt that anyone ever got rich by cleaning hotel rooms anywhere. Most people working menial jobs need every bit of money they can get, not so they can go on a vacation and feel above everyone serving them - but just to get by in the world, day by day.

I tip at least $5 a day, even when I'm staying for extended periods of time. Having been married at the wedding pavillion at the beginning of last October and staying at the AKL for all but a few days of the month, that $5 a day minimum added up to a good chunk of change. But every day that I left a tip, I also left dirty towels and unmade beds and general messes in the room. We also had one of the sweetest and most appreciative, caring ladies I've ever met as our primary housekeeper. She almost always had something neat set up in the room for us, and the beds were tightly made, and nothing was left cluttered or unclean. Our last night in the hotel, there was a message on our phone. She went to another room and called ours to leave a voicemail where she expressed how much she enjoyed having us as guests and that she hoped we would come back again in the next few years, maybe with some children! (Not ready for that yet, but one day....)

The cynic would say she was just pumping for a big tip from us the next morning, as a cap to the whole trip. That she was buttering us up for a nice big, fat reward. Except that at the end of the message, she said she wouldn't see us in the morning (we usually saw her in the hallway) since it was her day off.

There are always people that just do the bare minimum for their job and squeek by with not a care or concern for, or any pride in, the work they do. But there are also others that take a deep pride in the work they do, in spite of their job being so very "beneath" so very many self-important people.

Bottom line - if you don't tip, you're just cheap. If you try and justify not tipping with a bunch of self-aggrandizing rhetoric that does nothing more than inflate your ego at the expense of another's pride, you're just a pathetic person.

 

[Raven66]

UncleJeet.............very well said. :sohappy:


When I worked as retail clerk, some people would come in and treat us badly because of what we did for living. I always said that those people should work a day in retail to see what it's like having to deal with people like them. I, personally could never be a housekeeper because it is hard work. The last time we went to WDW we purchased a package. I thought tips were included and I don't know if they were or not. This time even though we can't make up for our last trip, we will being leaving tips this time. They deserve it and I just feel horrible that we didn't look into it better. Our room was always nice and neat when we returned.


Just because a note mentions money doesn't mean that a non-english speaking person can read it. If someone left me a note in Spanish or any language besides english, I would have no idea what it said.


I think some people are just working themselves up over the housekeeping issue and need to relax. Everyone has an off day and just because they work in a resort at WDW doesn't make them any different. Try to not go there with the attidude that they aren't going to do a good job.

 

[DisneyDugger]

Re: Cheap People....Bah!

Originally posted by UncleJeet
Bottom line - if you don't tip, you're just cheap.

Here here!! Agreed... sort of...
A job well done deserves acknowledgement and a tip.
But not everybody tips and I wouldn't neccessarily label them as "cheap". They may have their reasons. But I do think that if you can afford a trip to Disney then you can afford to put aside a few bucks for the housekeeping who make your trip a memorable experience.

I just wish my clients would learn this whole tipping thing! (oh oh - I may have just left myself open for a smart remark :animwink: )

cheers

 

[kellydisney]

Agreed with Uncle Jeet. My friend worked in "mousekeeping" when we did the WDW college program and he had to deal with the most insane, disgusting messes on a day to day business. Used condoms on the floor, puke on the rug, you name it. And although we from the Disney forums who are Disney lovers tip, doesn't mean that Joe Schmo from Arkansas understands the concept. You'd be amazed at how FEW people tip the housekeepers and this is from a first hand account. So keep things in perspective and don't be so damn cheap!

 

[cherrynegra]

Well, since I started this thread I have to say I usually tip $5 per person in the room. I completely agree with Jeet and I can't tell you how my friend staying with me stubbornly refused to believe that tipping the housekeepers was an appropriate thing to do. She firmly believed that they get paid to do that and why should I tip them more?? Nobody tips her at her job!! I reminded her that she had benefits up the ying yang and had a job where she didn't have to deal with other people's messes all over the place, and she was well paid. And she thought I was the insane one??

 

[TURKEY]

I didn't see anyone say that just because they don't speak English means they are stupid. It's a fact that a majority of the housekeepers speak languages other than English, Spanish and Hatian Creole being the two most popular.

Don't forget the tips for Bell Services and Luggage Assistance.

 

[Hawk]

I can see all sides of this topic, but as an English bloke, tipping is not a normal occurance for us, (lets put this into perspective) in 2000, we (2 adults, 2 kids) made our first trip to Florida, we stayed in Port Orleans FQ, for 3 weeks, at a cost of over £6,000, (then was $8900) this is WITHOUT meals, spending etc, so the way i see it, having paid all that money to stay in the 'magic', (to be perfectly honest, it wasn't worth all that money), i dont see i should have to spend even more in tips, as far as i'm concerned, Disney charge a lot of money for the privilage of staying on site, service charges should be included. Tipping may be an accepted part of American life, but it isn't to us, and adds to an already expensive trip.
Dave

 

[vanryan]

I have always heard that Europeans take longer vacations than Americans. Wow! 3 weeks at Disney! Did you make a trip report for that? I would love to read it.

 

[kal1484]

TIP THEM! My friend works in housekeeping, and they work really really hard. Most the time she doesn't get a tip, oh, and she does speak english :lol:

 

[johnvree]

I missed the reply that said all housekeepers are stupid. But if it's there, it doesn't even deserve a response. Unfortunately, people who think like that are not going to be changed by a post on a Disney board. :brick:

Plus, we should all keep something in mind, Disney's housekeepers are actually a lot smarter than many of us. We spend thousands of dollars just to spend a week or so in the World. Housekeepers figured out a way to spend five days a week there, and they get paid for it.

As for tipping, I tip everyone. I parked cars when I was in college. I know what it is like to work for tips. Interestingly, though, the first time I went to the World without my parents, my wife and I stayed at the Poly. We didn't tip simply because we didn't realize we should. Neither of us had been big travelers (since we had been in college) and we just didn't know. Now we know and we usually leave $5 a day.

 

[wdwforus]

Originally posted by TIGGER-FAN
I have stayed at the budget, moderate, and deluxe resorts on my many trips to the world and have always had great service from the mousekeepers. We always leave $5.00 a day tip for them. Many have expressed disapointment in not having scenes set up in the room and the following might be a possible explination. During slow times at the world when there are a lot of open rooms the mousekeepers have more time to spend in the rooms so they can give the niceties like setting up you stuffed animals or making towel animals. However, during times of maximum capacity (i.e. holidays) they have a lot more rooms to clean and can not spend much time other than to get the room clean. I for one think they do a great job.

When we went during April school vacation week we tipped $5 a day and the kids got towel animals. Their toothbrushes were stuffed in to them and they were sitting on the sink counter. It only takes a couple of minutes to do this and the kids loved it. They didnt do it everyday but that extra effort mattered. They are now sitting on our mantel at home and are a very important part of our "Disney Memories". I never saw anything like this when we were going as a family 20 years ago and stayed on property.

 

[wdwforus]

Originally posted by johnvree
I missed the reply that said all housekeepers are stupid. But if it's there, it doesn't even deserve a response. Unfortunately, people who think like that are not going to be changed by a post on a Disney board. :brick:

Plus, we should all keep something in mind, Disney's housekeepers are actually a lot smarter than many of us. We spend thousands of dollars just to spend a week or so in the World. Housekeepers figured out a way to spend five days a week there, and they get paid for it.

As for tipping, I tip everyone. I parked cars when I was in college. I know what it is like to work for tips. Interestingly, though, the first time I went to the World without my parents, my wife and I stayed at the Poly. We didn't tip simply because we didn't realize we should. Neither of us had been big travelers (since we had been in college) and we just didn't know. Now we know and we usually leave $5 a day.

This reminds me that I never remember as a kid my Dad leaving any tips but I am sure he probably did. He has never been one to be cheap, but would speak up if service was bad. I personally have always left tips for service even if it wasnt up to par. I think someone would notice a small tip more than no tip at all. To me it kind of says that I acknowledged your presence but your effort was marginal. I never leave bad tips though if the service was good( say like at a resturaunt) but the food wasnt. Some might not agree with me but thats my philsophy. We live in a society controlled by service.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Okay dumb question:
Are you supposed to keep the towel animals? I've always assumed no, just wanted to check.

 

[Hawk]

With regard to my previous post, i would hardly say that after spending the best part of $9000, if i didn't leave a tip, why should i be considered cheap?, if people have to rely on tips to earn a living, then it's the employer who is cheap, not the person spending that sort of money.
in case anyone is wondering.......
Yes i did leave a tip each day, and no we never had any animal shapes or anything else arranged awaiting our return to the room, which is a shame, as it sounds quite a fun thing to return to.

 

[TURKEY]

Originally posted by wdwprincess03
TIP THEM! My friend works in housekeeping, and they work really really hard. Most the time she doesn't get a tip, oh, and she does speak english :lol:

I heard she stinks at her job. Or was it the job that stinks? :lol:

 

[djmatthews]

Originally posted by Hawk
I can see all sides of this topic, but as an English bloke, tipping is not a normal occurance for us, (lets put this into perspective) in 2000, we (2 adults, 2 kids) made our first trip to Florida, we stayed in Port Orleans FQ, for 3 weeks, at a cost of over £6,000, (then was $8900) this is WITHOUT meals, spending etc, so the way i see it, having paid all that money to stay in the 'magic', (to be perfectly honest, it wasn't worth all that money), i dont see i should have to spend even more in tips, as far as i'm concerned, Disney charge a lot of money for the privilage of staying on site, service charges should be included. Tipping may be an accepted part of American life, but it isn't to us, and adds to an already expensive trip.
Dave

I have to agree with Hawk on this occassion, up until reading a similar thread on this board I would have never have thought nor heard of tipping housekeeping. In the UK we are not a tipping nation, but (correct me if I'm wrong) our minimum wage is higher which can make a differnence. In restaurants we don't tip as much, if at all. Tipping can add a lot to a holiday, especially, if you are going for a long period of time.

 

[Hawk]

Originally posted by vanryan
I have always heard that Europeans take longer vacations than Americans. Wow! 3 weeks at Disney! Did you make a trip report for that? I would love to read it.

I would love to get a report together, but 3 weeks worth of report would probably bore the pants off everybody, plus i'm not too sure that there would be enough space available on here to log it all :lol:

 

[Pippa]

Also being a Brit i rarely tip at home but always do in the USA, a case of "when in Rome". I am very thankful for the mousekeeping service, its lovely to return to a tidy/clean room.

And yes I have kept the towel animals left in my room, they were left there in 2000 at the CBR.