# Tipping & Gratuities



## nycmaui (Aug 25, 2009)

I'm not too crazy about the tipping at the resorts.  Check my recent post about my highs and lows at the Harborside.

What is the right about to tip?

Bellman - I think I tipped him $5 for bringing the bags.  We had 10 bags.

Small items - I think I gave $2 for every time someone came up with items such as towels or garbage bags, cribs and high chairs.

Housekeeping - I wound up giving $30 for our housekeeper for our 2BR lockoff.  I think that was generous especially since I try to leave the place the way I found it with clean dishes and stuff.

Concierge - Usually if we establish a relationship and they go out of their way to help us during our stay, we get a small gift for them around $20-30.

Now this is for Hawaii and Atlantis.  I wouldn't tip like this in Florida or Arizona, maybe I would leave half the amount for stateside.

Including the airport, cab ride and casino (not counting dining) I must have spent about $120 in tips alone.

Do you know if there are any established standards?


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## 1950bing (Aug 25, 2009)

$ 5 for 10 bags ?
 I would have loved to hear what he said after he shut the door !


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## geekette (Aug 25, 2009)

1950bing said:


> $ 5 for 10 bags ?
> I would have loved to hear what he said after he shut the door !



Yeah, that struck me as the only undertip in the bunch.

I'm secretly hoping to get tipped just for responding.


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## James1975NY (Aug 25, 2009)

nycmaui said:


> I'm not too crazy about the tipping at the resorts.  Check my recent post about my highs and lows at the Harborside.
> 
> What is the right about to tip?
> 
> ...



 - I tip Bellman $1 per bag that they handle. A minimum of what I think it would cost for their favorite beverage at a bar which is likely to be about $5.

 - $2 for towel/small item deliver is on par.

 - Tip the housekeeper? Not me.  I am like you. I don't leave the room looking like 8 college students were on spring break. If I did, I would personally hand-over a $100 bill to make sure that I was not charged for any broken items.

 - Concierge. Depends on the magic they create. I think you are good there.

 - Not a fan of tipping a cab driver. Unless of course, I am headed home from a wedding, reunion of sorts, or a special occasion and I was a bit obnoxious with the number of stops required.

 - Not familiar with any standards but I will say that there are many folks that do not tip and that is ok too. My point is that I do not believe there is an expectation outside of a Bellman type position or a server/bartender.


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## thomasro3 (Aug 25, 2009)

You guys seem to have it down. Courtesy of Emily post
http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/tipping/

I tend to tip generously for extraordinary service. The baseline gets set to coincide with the hotel level. I don't expect st Regis service at a Sheraton. But if I get it I try to reward the person.

When I was younger it depended on my budget


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## nycmaui (Aug 26, 2009)

ok, looks like i messed up on the bellhop. oops. i figured its the same amount of work wheeling two bags or ten.
i think i gave 5 to the captain when i dropped off the bags also.

boy these tips sure do add up.


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 26, 2009)

The housekeeping staff probably makes $8 an hour.  I believe in tipping generously.  They are marvelous at what they do, at most resorts, and they deserve a tip and a smile.  

My MIL tipped the maid also, on her side of our lockout at the Westin Princeville this year.  I had no idea until after checking out, so the tip was very generous this time.  I was so impressed with how clean the place was.  Then we went to Shearwater for the second week, and UGH, the difference was drastic.  No wonder Shearwater is Silver Crown.  It's pretty dirty and worn out.  Sure the linens are clean, but the carpets, drapes, high shelves, they are just gross.  

We tipped for the towel change/ unit straightening at the Westin, and the maid gave us a bunch more coffee as a result.  I was grateful that I didn't have to open our package of coffee that week.


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## Ironwood (Aug 26, 2009)

At the other end of the spectrum is 'forced' tipping, which I despise!  I am annoyed particularly when restaurants automatically add 15/20% gratuity to the bill because you have a party of more than 8 or some number like that!  I would much rather have control over the process so my tip reflects the service received.   Several years ago passing through the airport of a central american capital, my bag did not appear on the flight carosel.  I went to the lost and found, and much to my relief there it was in plain view on the front shelf.  I'm sure I made myself clear in halting spanish, but to no avail.  It then occured to me...get your wallet out!  It cost me $20, but he quickly understood that was my bag and I was off!  I am sure that most of you have similar stories to tell!


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## geekette (Aug 26, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> Then we went to Shearwater for the second week, and UGH, the difference was drastic.  No wonder Shearwater is Silver Crown.  It's pretty dirty and worn out.  Sure the linens are clean, but the carpets, drapes, high shelves, they are just gross.



No wonder it's Silver Crown?  Sounds more like a contender for Slimey Slough of the Year.


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## 1950bing (Aug 26, 2009)

I really dislike it when the waiter asks me if I want any of my change back from the bill I give him/her. SURE I want it back! I want to be in charge of the tip. You will get a tip but let me do the math and give it to you!:annoyed:


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 26, 2009)

geekette said:


> No wonder it's Silver Crown?  Sounds more like a contender for Slimey Slough of the Year.



The resort is full ocean view, on the North Shore of Kauai, Princeville.


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## geekette (Aug 26, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> The resort is full ocean view, on the North Shore of Kauai, Princeville.



even so, "dirty" should not be rewarded with a distinction.  Location is its own reward.


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## calgarygary (Aug 26, 2009)

I sometimes think that some of the missing items from a unit's inventory is to obtain a tip.  I'm pretty sure a previous guest did not sneak the ironing board out of the HRA unit we were in last year so it is plausible that it was removed for a potential tip.


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## gregb (Aug 26, 2009)

I tip for things that are done specifically for me, not for normal service.  So I tip porters when I have them take my bags.  That said, I also tip restaurant servers and taxi drivers, because it is how they get paid.  I have not in the past tipped the maids/cleaning crew.  My rational is that is part of the service that all rooms receive and is included in the cost of the room.  Now if I ask for something special, then I give a tip.

To that end, delivery of missing items is not, in my mind, extra service.  It is just finishing up the job they should have done when they cleaned the room before I arrived.  If something is missing, it means the maids/cleaning crew did not do a through job on the room.  I don't want to reward poor performance.

Greg


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## geekette (Aug 26, 2009)

calgarygary said:


> I sometimes think that some of the missing items from a unit's inventory is to obtain a tip.  I'm pretty sure a previous guest did not sneak the ironing board out of the HRA unit we were in last year so it is plausible that it was removed for a potential tip.



interesting.  I agree that it probably was not taken by the previous guest, but it could have been removed for legit purposes - damaged or to replace one damaged in another unit.  Maybe no units have them regularly, but they maintain a stock elsewhere for those asking for them?

It had not occurred to me to tip when staff brings something that was missing/part of normal services.  Special delivery, sure, tip for that.  Even on a cruise I only tip $1 for room service to bring pot of coffee (would tip more if there were more to the order).   But if I'm in the middle of cooking dinner and suddenly find no pot holders, I'm not feeling especially generous in the replacement of somethign that shoudl have been there.


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## Ken555 (Aug 26, 2009)

gregb said:


> To that end, delivery of missing items is not, in my mind, extra service.  It is just finishing up the job they should have done when they cleaned the room before I arrived.  If something is missing, it means the maids/cleaning crew did not do a through job on the room.  I don't want to reward poor performance.
> 
> Greg



I agree completely. Last time at Harborside my unit was missing a remote control. I called for it, they brought it to me, and I didn't tip. I was too tired to think of tipping at the time, but even if I did I'm fairly sure I wouldn't have done so. Tipping can be extreme at times, and I'm all for giving a bit extra for superior service, but otherwise not. 

The CNN link from earlier in this thread includes this quote:



> *Hotel housekeeper:*   $2 to $5* per night



This is for a regular hotel, not timeshare. I don't often tip the housekeeping staff when I stay at a regular hotel, since I agree it's an included service. 

On a related note, why do I read that some of you tip $20 or more for your timeshare cleaning yet only receive one day's worth of service? Yes, it's a larger space (typically), but I'm really quite curious. I've read on TUG in the past that people pay anywhere from $1-3 per day, yet the service isn't daily... I normally leave $10 or so for a regular stay (sometimes more if I felt they did a great job) for a 1bed or studio unit. Is that in line or do you think I should leave more, and if so, why?


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## James1975NY (Aug 26, 2009)

Ironwood said:


> At the other end of the spectrum is 'forced' tipping, which I despise!  I am annoyed particularly when restaurants automatically add 15/20% gratuity to the bill because you have a party of more than 8 or some number like that!  I would much rather have control over the process so my tip reflects the service received.   Several years ago passing through the airport of a central american capital, my bag did not appear on the flight carosel.  I went to the lost and found, and much to my relief there it was in plain view on the front shelf.  I'm sure I made myself clear in halting spanish, but to no avail.  It then occured to me...get your wallet out!  It cost me $20, but he quickly understood that was my bag and I was off!  I am sure that most of you have similar stories to tell!



Absolutely agree on this. To Insure Prompt Service (TIPS). What incentive does a server have to provide exemplory service when they know 15-20% is already added to the bill?


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## nycmaui (Aug 26, 2009)

Regarding tipping housecleaning.

I personally think that they do a lot more than someone like a bellhop who brings up the bags and are more deserving.  The $1/bag rule sounds reasonable but really does it require more work to wheel 20 bags as opposed to 2 bags when you have that trolley?

I really don't think you can compare cleaning a regular hotel room to cleaning a villa.  There's lots to clean in a villa.

They have to make sure that all the plates, utentils, cups, kitchen supplies are accounted.  They have to clean the range.  It must take them two or three hours to clean a room whereas it would only take 15 minutes to do a hotel room.

I think you guys are doing an injustice by not tipping the housekeeping staff.  If anything, the bellhops deserve less.

Yeah I agree about the missing items.  I was missing the crib and high chairs which were supposed to be there already.  I would rather not tip, but when the person comes and gives you that look like "hey where's my tip" what can you do but tip?


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## Ken555 (Aug 26, 2009)

nycmaui said:


> I think you guys are doing an injustice by not tipping the housekeeping staff.  If anything, the bellhops deserve less.



How much do you suggest?


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 26, 2009)

I think $20 is good for a 2 bed lockout.  The maid got double that in April, and I think that's fine, too.


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## Ken555 (Aug 26, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> I think $20 is good for a 2 bed lockout.  The maid got double that in April, and I think that's fine, too.



So $10 or so is about right for a 1 bed or studio?


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## catlady (Aug 26, 2009)

> I think $20 is good for a 2 bed lockout. The maid got double that in April, and I think that's fine, too.



Is that per night?

I'm interested in this thread as in the uk tipping isn't quite as extreme as in the us!  

We have just come back from St James Club in Antigua where we stayed for 2weeks in a 2 bed villa. We had daily maid service included, (tidy round, make beds take out the trash etc) with beds and towels changed every 3 days unless you asked for more frequent.

Should we have left something everday? We tipped at the end of the 2 weeks? What would you have left? We really weren't sure what to leave as this was our first timeshare stay!

Thanks


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## Stefa (Aug 26, 2009)

I always tip the cleaning staff every day because the same person may not perform the service each time.   I give less for a tidy and more for a check-out clean.


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 26, 2009)

catlady, not per night--per week  We also gave a mid-week $10 for towel change/ tidy.


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## Passepartout (Aug 26, 2009)

In hotels, I leave $1-2 per person per day. In TS, $5 for freshen-up, total $25or more for a week. I leave it early in the stay (To Insure Prompt Service). A buck or 2 for room service or if I've asked for extra towels etc. 

Baggage handing $1 a bag. Restaurants: 15% average service, more if attentive.

Jim Ricks


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## clsmit (Aug 28, 2009)

We usually tip the housekeepers quite a bit -- they make minimum wage and work really hard. So we usually tip $5-10 for our midweek tidy and up to $20 for our end of week. The $20 is when we know the place is extra sandy like in Cancun or Hawaii. When we were in Cancun I know my midweek tip was generous when the housekeeper made this for us, but the kids loved it!


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## 1950bing (Aug 29, 2009)

I never tip housekeeping @ timeshare places. They are getting paid, and maint. fees are way too high already. Just do the math and see how much your place hauls in.  # of rooms x fees x 51. They don't clean everyday and if I want clean sheets I have to go get them myself. Hey, I'm on vacation ! I don't do work when I'm off.


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 29, 2009)

1950bing said:


> I never tip housekeeping @ timeshare places. They are getting paid, and maint. fees are way too high already. Just do the math and see how much your place hauls in.  # of rooms x fees x 51. They don't clean everyday and if I want clean sheets I have to go get them myself. Hey, I'm on vacation ! I don't do work when I'm off.



You don't pay maintenance fees at the resort where you are staying.  I still remember that housekeepers make about $8 an hour, and being on a board, I know this is true.  They get benefits, sure, but they work a few days a week, for $8 an hour, and that is a horrible, terrible income.  If everyone left a tip of just $10 after a week, forget the tidy, it would make a huge difference in those housekeepers' lives.


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## Ken555 (Aug 29, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> You don't pay maintenance fees at the resort where you are staying.  I still remember that housekeepers make about $8 an hour, and being on a board, I know this is true.  They get benefits, sure, but they work a few days a week, for $8 an hour, and that is a horrible, terrible income.  If everyone left a tip of just $10 after a week, forget the tidy, it would make a huge difference in those housekeepers' lives.



I agree, and I personally leave a tip. However, your logic really demands that someone (on a Board) step up and pay a livable wage and not rely on the tips from guests. The industry permits this to continue (of course, it's simply supply & demand...) and until the entire industry changes I'm sure it will stay as it is.


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## 1950bing (Aug 29, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> You don't pay maintenance fees at the resort where you are staying.  at the  I still remember that housekeepers make about $8 an hour, and being on a board, I know this is true.  They get benefits, sure, but they work a few days a week, for $8 an hour, and that is a horrible, terrible income.  If everyone left a tip of just $10 after a week, forget the tidy, it would make a huge difference in those housekeepers' lives.



True but you paid them somewhere. I figure housekeeping is paid in advance regardless of where I am staying.


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 29, 2009)

1950bing said:


> True but you paid them somewhere. I figure housekeeping is paid in advance regardless of where I am staying.



Servers are paid about $2.25 per hour, and I suppose you think you shouldn't tip them?  You pay for excellent service; if the service is bad, you don't pay.  That's how I feel.


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 29, 2009)

Ken555 said:


> I agree, and I personally leave a tip. However, your logic really demands that someone (on a Board) step up and pay a livable wage and not rely on the tips from guests. The industry permits this to continue (of course, it's simply supply & demand...) and until the entire industry changes I'm sure it will stay as it is.



We pay $100 per unit, per week for housekeeping costs.  That's enough to pay, in my opinion.  I don't know the exact breakdown, but we pay benefits to the housekeepers, and that is very important.  We don't have illegals, either.  Smaller resorts have a small staff, and they have so much to do on check-in/ check-out days.  They cannot make a living for one day wages, and there is only a towel change and trash take out midweek.  

Tipping is just nice.


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## Kenrabs (Aug 30, 2009)

I use to be more liberal with tipping, but now I'm a little more conservative. 
Transfer service is usually around $5-$30 each way based on how friendly and informative the driver is, # of people and bags. Bellhops Like everyone I'm in the $5 to $10 range depending on how many bags. I don't tip for bringing items missing from the room. I will give a tip for the person who opens our safe when we've we messed up the combo. I use to tip the towel people by the pool, but have gotten away from that. I do tip the activities staff at my home Cancun resort and others if they are exceptional. If we get daily made service I tip about $3-$5 a day. If I only get a midweek I tip $15 for the week. If there is no free cleaning service I leave no tip. At our recent exchange to waikiki there was valet parking which we were charged $20 a day. It says tip not included, but if I'm paying that much to park don't expect me to tip on top of it. We love the staff at Casa Maya so we'll usually tip 25%-30% on our breakfast buffet and pool/beach tabs. I use to give individual tips to the buffett station cooks, but learned they do get a portion of the waiter tups so thats why we tip about 30% now. 
If I stay at resorts I own I will tend to tip more than I do on an exchange. If I feel a resort nickle and dimes you with extra fees I will tip less. In the end I tip what I can and usually base it on the quality of service instead of standard rates. If a bellhop is friendly and gives some helpful info I will give a few dollars more. If a maid does the few dishes I forgot and makes some towel figures I will tip more. I don't make much myself so I have to watch my vacation dollars. In the end tip what you can and base it on the service received.


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## bailey (Aug 30, 2009)

Ok, call me cheap or whatever, but tipping as a whole just bugs me.  I don't get tipped for doing my job.  I don't tip the nurse that does a great job in helping me,  a teacher who taught my son to read, the grocery clerk for doing such a great job of ringing up my groceries, etc.   So why are we tipping the hairdresser who is charging us $100 plus for her/his services, the bartender that spends 2 minutes making a drink?   Most of these people are just doing their job.  In that case, shouldn't we all be tipped for "doing our job"?   I like that idea!!


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## Keitht (Aug 30, 2009)

bailey said:


> Ok, call me cheap or whatever, but tipping as a whole just bugs me.  I don't get tipped for doing my job.  I don't tip the nurse that does a great job in helping me,  a teacher who taught my son to read, the grocery clerk for doing such a great job of ringing up my groceries, etc.   So why are we tipping the hairdresser who is charging us $100 plus for her/his services, the bartender that spends 2 minutes making a drink?   Most of these people are just doing their job.  In that case, shouldn't we all be tipped for "doing our job"?   I like that idea!!



My view entirely.  I hate the feeling of being expected to pay extra for what should be a normal part of the service.  We're not allowed behind the bar to pour our own drinks so why should we be expected to pay more than the advertised price to obtain them??  Tips should be reserved for exceptional service, not viewed as the norm irrespective of it.


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## pgrrider (Aug 30, 2009)

*1950bing.....does not tip at restaurants either..!!*



1950bing said:


> I never tip housekeeping @ timeshare places. They are getting paid, and maint. fees are way too high already. Just do the math and see how much your place hauls in.  # of rooms x fees x 51. They don't clean everyday and if I want clean sheets I have to go get them myself. Hey, I'm on vacation ! I don't do work when I'm off.




Doing "the math" has nothing to do with tipping for houskeeping services....!!!

Stay in a cheap, crappy timeshare......AND....you do have to change your own sheets!

At the Royal Resorts in Cancun,MX....all villas are cleaned everyday with the exception of Sundays.  Towels are changed as often as you want and the villas are cleaned from top to bottom, trash is removed, and some even clean your dirty dishes.....!!!!

If you are receiving  daily houscleaning services and are very happy with the job that is done FOR YOU.....tip accordingly.

We always have given the tip to the housekeeper on the first day we meet to assure good service during our stay.

IT HAS NEVER FAILED......!!


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## Keitht (Aug 30, 2009)

pgrrider said:


> Stay in a cheap, crappy timeshare......AND....you do have to change your own sheets!
> 
> If you are receiving  daily houscleaning services and are very happy with the job that is done FOR YOU.....tip accordingly.



You are missing the point.  The maintenance fee paid by the owner of the week, be it your own resort or an exchange visit, are there to cover the cost of running the place and that includes staff costs.  I have stayed at many timeshare resorts in both Europe and North America and never had to change my own sheets.  Some have had cleaners in daily, some every other day, some twice weekly.  It makes no difference to whether I tip or not - basically I don't tip.  The only exception to that has been in a small, non timeshare development, where the cleaner really did go 'The extra mile' with customer service.  She left flowers on the beds and arranged the towels like origami - different every day.  That wasn't part of the expected level of service so we did show our appreciation.


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## Ken555 (Aug 30, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> We pay $100 per unit, per week for housekeeping costs.  That's enough to pay, in my opinion.



How do you judge what's "enough"? Obviously, you don't think the staff receiving that amount can live on it, so is it truly "enough"? 



> Tipping is just nice.



I think you've now stated why you tip. But, I agree with others that it's a bit incongruous to tip for some service industries and not others. 

I haven't researched this topic in a long time, and just found a few interesting links, here are a couple:

Advanced Tipping (from 2001)



> It turned out that countries with the most extroverted and neurotic citizens (the United States leads in both categories) tipped the largest amounts and to the greatest number of professions.  "Extroverts are outgoing, dominating, social people -- and tipping is an incentive for the server to pay you attention.  Neurotics are prone to guilt and generalized anxiety -- maybe they tip more because of guilt over status differences between themselves and the server," Lynn says.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tip


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## 1950bing (Aug 30, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> Servers are paid about $2.25 per hour, and I suppose you think you shouldn't tip them?  You pay for excellent service; if the service is bad, you don't pay.  That's how I feel.



I always tip servers because that is how they make some bucks. What I don't do is pay hundreds ( along with hundreds of other people ) into a server pool from which they draw a wage. Housekeeping is covered via increasing maint.fees.


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## John Cummings (Aug 30, 2009)

Ken555 said:


> How much do you suggest?



We tip $3.00 /day for daily housekeeping whether it be a hotel or timeshare. We usually spend 50-60 nights a year in hotels. It has been years since we have stayed in a timeshare that didn't have daily housekeeping. My wife just leaves $3.00 on the bed each morning. Of course if they do a bad job then no tip for the day.


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## Htoo0 (Aug 30, 2009)

John Cummings said:


> We tip $3.00 /day for daily housekeeping whether it be a hotel or timeshare. We usually spend 50-60 nights a year in hotels. It has been years since we have stayed in a timeshare that didn't have daily housekeeping. My wife just leaves $3.00 on the bed each morning. Of course if they do a bad job then no tip for the day.



Just out of curiosity- how do you know when they are going to do a bad job that day if you leave the tip in the morning?     My home resort has/had daily service but not always the same maid each day which can be a problem.


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## John Cummings (Aug 31, 2009)

Htoo0 said:


> Just out of curiosity- how do you know when they are going to do a bad job that day if you leave the tip in the morning?     My home resort has/had daily service but not always the same maid each day which can be a problem.



To begin with, we always talk to the housekeepers as my wife always asks them for extra stuff. My wife asks them if they are going to do our room. The tip in the morning is based on the service from the prior day. If occasionally the wrong person gets it, so be it. After all, it is only $3.00. We think that the housekeepers probably deserve their tips more than anybody.


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## vacationdoc (Aug 31, 2009)

John Cummings said:


> We think that the housekeepers probably deserve their tips more than anybody.



I agree.  Many of the people who work in housekeeping are spending their earnings directly on their families and this is an easy way for me to make a small difference in a bad economy.


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## Keitht (Aug 31, 2009)

John Cummings said:


> To begin with, we always talk to the housekeepers as my wife always asks them for extra stuff......



Tipping in that situation is entirely different to tipping for doing the basics demanded of the job.  If you are asking staff to put in extra effort on your behalf then it's not unreasonable to tip.


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## gorevs9 (Aug 31, 2009)

Using RCI Points to book a partial week usually results in an extra cleaning fee which can run from $30-$60 on the average.  One would hope the cleaning staff gets at least some of that extra money, but I wouldn't hold my breath.


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## John Cummings (Aug 31, 2009)

Keitht said:


> Tipping in that situation is entirely different to tipping for doing the basics demanded of the job.  If you are asking staff to put in extra effort on your behalf then it's not unreasonable to tip.



That has nothing to do with tipping. We are not asking for them to do anymore other than hand us some extra  towels, etc. from their carts. The tip is for cleaning the room. I can't believe that so many people think nothing of spending $10 for a cocktail but balk at giving a small tip to the folks that clean their rooms.


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## Keitht (Aug 31, 2009)

John Cummings said:


> That has nothing to do with tipping. We are not asking for them to do anymore other than hand us some extra  towels, etc. from their carts. The tip is for cleaning the room. I can't believe that so many people think nothing of spending $10 for a cocktail but balk at giving a small tip to the folks that clean their rooms.



When you said your wife asks them 'for extra stuff' I assumed you meant additional 'consumables' not an extra towel off the trolley!  The subject of tipping does tend to polarise positions.  I don't expect to pay people extra just for doing their normal job - nobody tips me on a daily basis.  On the other hand if people go out of their way to help me then I will be appreciative, and show it.


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## geekette (Aug 31, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> Servers are paid about $2.25 per hour...



This is incorrect.  While it may be state to state, none of our tipped employees will make less than min wage because if their hourly wage + tips don't equate to more than min, the establishment must make up the difference.  So it is incorrect that they are only paid $2.25.

I would expect tipped employees to work harder for tips.  Since it is customary in the states to tip wait staff, I do.  Presumably bad service is not rewarded and those making only min wage will move on to careers better suited.


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## John Cummings (Aug 31, 2009)

Keitht said:


> ...I don't expect to pay people extra just for doing their normal job - nobody tips me on a daily basis.  On the other hand if people go out of their way to help me then I will be appreciative, and show it.



That is your perogative. However, what you are saying is that you would not tip food servers, bell-hops, or anybody as they are just doing their job.


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 31, 2009)

John Cummings said:


> That has nothing to do with tipping. We are not asking for them to do anymore other than hand us some extra  towels, etc. from their carts. The tip is for cleaning the room. I can't believe that so many people think nothing of spending $10 for a cocktail but balk at giving a small tip to the folks that clean their rooms.



I agree completely!  On the other hand, I never drink cocktails except at luaus, and maybe I feel my money is better spent at tipping those who must clean up after me for a living.  I couldn't walk away from a timeshare without tipping.  

My husband and daughter were just disgusted with the dirty carpet at a resort we visited recently, and I also thought it was extremely dirty because our feet were filthy after walking on it.  It didn't look dirty, but it sure was. 

I still gave the maid a great tip, because it wasn't her fault.


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 31, 2009)

geekette said:


> This is incorrect.  While it may be state to state, none of our tipped employees will make less than min wage because if their hourly wage + tips don't equate to more than min, the establishment must make up the difference.  So it is incorrect that they are only paid $2.25.
> 
> I would expect tipped employees to work harder for tips.  Since it is customary in the states to tip wait staff, I do.  Presumably bad service is not rewarded and those making only min wage will move on to careers better suited.



This wage is true in Colorado, and it was also true in Texas, Nebraska and Kansas, because my sister has owned restaurants in all four.  It's not incorrect for many states, obviously.   Maybe the wage is a little more now; I haven't checked with her in a year or so about the wages she pays to servers.  So my point is that even if the management has to pay them to minimum wage, just refusing to tip because you don't think it's necessary because they already make a wage, well it isn't right.  Tipping is how these people make a living.  

By the way, tips have gone down considerably with the downturn in the economy, so that server is making less than he/ she used to make.


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## geekette (Aug 31, 2009)

Here's my other problem with the ever-expanding "opportunities" to tip - many have stated in this thread some amount of concern for the well-being of those doing the housecleaning.  While that is nice and all, it has ZIP to do with my propensity to tip.  While one might think I am simply cold and callous, that's not the case - there is free will so that people can choose the jobs they want (in a normal economy).  It's really none of my concern as to whether the housekeeper is a widow with 7 tiny tots or a wealthy retiree that is actually doing the job on a volunteer basis.  Doesn't matter.  It's the service that counts, not the story of the individual performing it.  If that matters to some of you, that's fine by me, tip more.

I don't generally tip in a hotel unless I have asked for and received a special service.  I'm not likely to change my mind on that if I spot 7 housekeepers riding in together in the same tiny old rusty car.  

On a cruise, I tip the suggested amount without regard to the personal situation of the specific employee, and often tip an extra $20 to the cabin steward if they have gone above and beyond (usually) or have helped with something out of the ordinary.

Whether that steward is a struggling student or father of 5 is not my concern.  They chose the job. Only question for me is, are they doing it REALLY WELL??

I guess my point is that I do not consider the circumstances of the employee in deciding if/how much to tip.  My employer does not look at my personal circumstances in determining salary increases.  It would cross a line to do so.


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## John Cummings (Aug 31, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> I agree completely!  On the other hand, I never drink cocktails except at luaus, and maybe I feel my money is better spent at tipping those who must clean up after me for a living.  I couldn't walk away from a timeshare without tipping.
> 
> My husband and daughter were just disgusted with the dirty carpet at a resort we visited recently, and I also thought it was extremely dirty because our feet were filthy after walking on it.  It didn't look dirty, but it sure was.
> 
> I still gave the maid a great tip, because it wasn't her fault.



We never drink cocktails or any adult beverages for that matter. I was just using that as an example.


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## geekette (Aug 31, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> This wage is true in Colorado, and it was also true in Texas, Nebraska and Kansas, because my sister has owned restaurants in all four.  It's not incorrect for many states, obviously.   Maybe the wage is a little more now; I haven't checked with her in a year or so about the wages she pays to servers.  So my point is that even if the management has to pay them to minimum wage, just refusing to tip because you don't think it's necessary because they already make a wage, well it isn't right.  Tipping is how these people make a living.
> 
> By the way, tips have gone down considerably with the downturn in the economy, so that server is making less than he/ she used to make.



Seems I did find out at some point that it wasn't universal.  I also think that the starting wage has grown some, but don't know what it is.  I don't refuse to tip, I just don't buy the "they only make ..." argument and it doesn't enter into things for me.  I would agree that their hourly wage is very low.

It would not be surprising that tips are down - even with great service, I think people have to be a bit less generous.  With wage freezes and pay cuts (and the worst, Job Loss!), most people are getting by on less these days.  To be at the mercy of the tipping public would not be a great situation right now.  Not that being salaried management is cush right now, but, I am employed today, so, better off than many.


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## John Cummings (Aug 31, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> This wage is true in Colorado, and it was also true in Texas, Nebraska and Kansas, because my sister has owned restaurants in all four.  It's not incorrect for many states, obviously.   Maybe the wage is a little more now; I haven't checked with her in a year or so about the wages she pays to servers.  So my point is that even if the management has to pay them to minimum wage, just refusing to tip because you don't think it's necessary because they already make a wage, well it isn't right.  Tipping is how these people make a living.
> 
> By the way, tips have gone down considerably with the downturn in the economy, so that server is making less than he/ she used to make.



It is not true in California. We used to own a Mexican restaurant in San Jose, CA. In California, all workers, regardless if they receive tips, must be paid at least the minimum state wage of $8.00 /hour. Any tips they receive are in addition to that.


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## John Cummings (Aug 31, 2009)

geekette said:


> I guess my point is that I do not consider the circumstances of the employee in deciding if/how much to tip.  My employer does not look at my personal circumstances in determining salary increases.  It would cross a line to do so.



I do agree that the employees situation should have nothing to do with tipping. However, I definitely do believe in tipping the housekeepers.


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## 1950bing (Aug 31, 2009)

A " great tip " says everything was perfect. You enabled them to NOT clean the carpet, and the dirty carpet still goes on.
Sounds as if you just hand money out to everyone regardless of how well they do their job.
I would expect the carpets to be in great shape because of paid in advance maint. fees.


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## John Cummings (Aug 31, 2009)

1950bing said:


> A " great tip " says everything was perfect. You enabled them to NOT clean the carpet, and the dirty carpet still goes on.
> Sounds as if you just hand money out to everyone regardless of how well they do their job.
> I would expect the carpets to be in great shape because of paid in advance maint. fees.



I have to agree with you on this one. We stayed at the Royal Mayan in Cancun which is supposedly one of the better timeshares. Like other resorts in Mexico, it has daily housekeeping except for Sundays at the Royals. When we checked in the floor was filthy and the mirror was very dirty. We reported it and it took 3 tries by housekeeping to get the unit cleaned properly. It was such a disappointment, especially as we had been at the Grand Mayan the week before and the unit there was absolutely spotless everyday. Needless to say, there was no tip for housekeeping on that one.


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## OkUSooner (Aug 31, 2009)

*What about valet parking?*

We recently stayed at a hotel in Dallas with mandatory valet parking.  It cost $18.00 per day for the parking.  We gave the young man $3.00 each time he retrieved or parked our car.  Any advice on valet parking tips?

Thanks,
Julie


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## gregb (Aug 31, 2009)

Almost everyone agrees to tip wait persons in restaurants.  It is now part of their pay and has become the norm.  And tips for Bell Hops and Room Service are also almost universally expected/accepted.  And most people agree that special services, above that normal expected, deserve a tip.  

What interests me it the creeping inclusion of tips for other services.  It seems that every time we turn around, some other service specialty is asking for or expecting tips.  And the more we supplement their pay with tips, the more their employer is inclined to not pay them a fair wage.  I view this as essentially a way for companies to shift the cost of their employees onto their customers, without having to raise their rates.  Sort of like how the airlines now charge for bags, and car rental companies charge for license fees.  

So I chose to draw a line.  I will tip for extra services.  I will tip for services that have historically been dependent on tips to supplement wages (waiters/waitresses).  But I do not tip for normal, everyday services I have already paid for in the cost of the item I am purchasing, like a clean room in a hotel.

Greg


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 31, 2009)

John Cummings said:


> I have to agree with you on this one. We stayed at the Royal Mayan in Cancun which is supposedly one of the better timeshares. Like other resorts in Mexico, it has daily housekeeping except for Sundays at the Royals. When we checked in the floor was filthy and the mirror was very dirty. We reported it and it took 3 tries by housekeeping to get the unit cleaned properly. It was such a disappointment, especially as we had been at the Grand Mayan the week before and the unit there was absolutely spotless everyday. Needless to say, there was no tip for housekeeping on that one.



The carpet looked clean, but my uncle installs carpet and has told me many times that the backing and padding of even good carpet wears out and that starts filtering up through the carpet, filling a vacuum consistently with fine dirt.  I would say that carpet at the Carlsbad Grand Pacific Palisades was having that issue, because when my husband complained, the housekeeper came up and vacuumed very thoroughly, yet it still was dirty. 

Housekeepers are not in charge of steam cleaning carpets, at least not at any of our resorts where I am familiar.


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## geekette (Aug 31, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> Housekeepers are not in charge of steam cleaning carpets, at least not at any of our resorts where I am familiar.



Now you have me wondering - when do carpets get steam cleaned?  Once a year at their maint week?  Considering the time it takes to dry, there would have to be some assurance of no occupancy, plus moving all the stuff out.

I could see housekeeping having one of the portable hand=cleaners - Dirt Devil makes a small steam cleaner - we use ours for the cars, mostly, but also for small carpet spills.  But, then there's the problem of creating a CLEAN SPOT!


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## John Cummings (Aug 31, 2009)

OkUSooner said:


> We recently stayed at a hotel in Dallas with mandatory valet parking.  It cost $18.00 per day for the parking.  We gave the young man $3.00 each time he retrieved or parked our car.  Any advice on valet parking tips?
> 
> Thanks,
> Julie



Yes, we always tip valet parkers though $2.00 is typical unless they do something extra like load/unload all your baggage. The person you gave the tip to doesn't get any of the $18.00 parking fee.


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## John Cummings (Aug 31, 2009)

gregb said:


> Almost everyone agrees to tip wait persons in restaurants.  It is now part of their pay and has become the norm.  And tips for Bell Hops and Room Service are also almost universally expected/accepted.  And most people agree that special services, above that normal expected, deserve a tip.
> 
> What interests me it the creeping inclusion of tips for other services.  It seems that every time we turn around, some other service specialty is asking for or expecting tips.  And the more we supplement their pay with tips, the more their employer is inclined to not pay them a fair wage.  I view this as essentially a way for companies to shift the cost of their employees onto their customers, without having to raise their rates.  Sort of like how the airlines now charge for bags, and car rental companies charge for license fees.
> 
> ...



You live in California so why do you think a waiter deserves to be tipped anymore than a housekeeper? They both provide a service and under California law receive basically the same wage before tips. If the restaurants, hotels, etc. have to pay higher wages, then the prices will go up so the consumer still pays in the end. This happened at restaurants in California when they raised the state minimum wage. At least if part of their pay is in tips, the consumer has some choice as to what they receive based on service.


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## Kenrabs (Aug 31, 2009)

John Cummings said:


> That has nothing to do with tipping. We are not asking for them to do anymore other than hand us some extra  towels, etc. from their carts. The tip is for cleaning the room. I can't believe that so many people think nothing of spending $10 for a cocktail but balk at giving a small tip to the folks that clean their rooms.



I balk at the $10 cocktail. Usually I balk at paying for any cocktail LOL.


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## bilfbr245 (Aug 31, 2009)

Some of the messages on this thread make me wonder about whether I have had right idea in deciding when and when not to tip.  When I go to a restaurant, for example, I do not leave a tip for the cleaning crew.  I am sure that it is hard work to keep the dining room, and certainly the kitchen, in proper order. But I expect a certain level of cleanliness to begin with.  Otherwise I would stay away.  However, if I spill something and make a mess, and someone cleans it up, I do tip exta for that. And I tip for the meal service itself, because that is all making our experience more enjoyable.

With timeshares, I have expected a clean unit as part of the bargain.  But I tip for service provided for me and my guests.  If a midweek cleanup is friendly and thorough, I think a nice tip is appropriate.  In such a case, the cleaning staff is cleaning up after us, and making our stay more enjoyable.   If someone brings me something that I have requested, as opposed to something that should have been expected, I tip for that.  

But I do think that it unreasonable to expect me to keep track of who might be underpaid, and who requires a tip from me for a basic living wage.  Different resorts may pay based on different pay scales.  How am I to know?  Should I request a summary of pay practices to decide when I should tip?  And for all I know, it may have been the people who painted the unit who were underpaid, and not the cleaning crew after all. Do I tip people just because I see them, and guess that they might be paid inadequately?

Tipping for service is one thing.  Tipping to try to augment inadequate pay policies, especially when those pay policies are not disclosed, is another thing.  Besides, I am pretty sure that my own pay is inadequate. :annoyed:


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## gregb (Aug 31, 2009)

I tip wait persons because that has become the accepted norm for our society.  I don't tip for normal maid service because I consider that part of the fees I pay for the hotel.  If the maid does something special for me, that will get a tip.  But I think that if we don't draw some lines, soon everyone will be expecting a tip just for doing their job.  

Greg



John Cummings said:


> You live in California so why do you think a waiter deserves to be tipped anymore than a housekeeper? They both provide a service and under California law receive basically the same wage before tips. If the restaurants, hotels, etc. have to pay higher wages, then the prices will go up so the consumer still pays in the end. This happened at restaurants in California when they raised the state minimum wage. At least if part of their pay is in tips, the consumer has some choice as to what they receive based on service.


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## JEFF H (Sep 2, 2009)

We do not tip housekeeping at a Timeshare that does not have daily house keeping. Providing a clean room at Check-in is basic & expected and covered in maintenance fees. Resorts or hotels that have daily House keeping we leave a $3 a day tip. The maids are cleaning up after us daily and deserve a small token of appreciation.
Our luggage has wheels and we normally just take it to the room ourselfs.
If we do require assistance from Bell staff we tip $5 to wheel the luggage cart to our room. $10 if two carts are required.
Valet gets $2 to park and another $2 to retrive our car but we prefer to self park whenever possible.
15-20% to wait staff at resturants. I often question why a server deserves a bigger tip to bring a plate with a steak on it to a table than a plate with a burger.
Same amount of work and service involved in both cases.


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## John Cummings (Sep 2, 2009)

JEFF H said:


> We do not tip housekeeping at a Timeshare that does not have daily house keeping. Providing a clean room at Check-in is basic & expected and covered in maintenance fees. Resorts or hotels that have daily House keeping we leave a $3 a day tip. The maids are cleaning up after us daily and deserve a small token of appreciation.
> Our luggage has wheels and we normally just take it to the room ourselfs.
> If we do require assistance from Bell staff we tip $5 to wheel the luggage cart to our room. $10 if two carts are required.
> Valet gets $2 to park and another $2 to retrive our car but we prefer to self park whenever possible.
> ...



You pretty well do what we do except we always use valet parking.

I agree with your statement about the servers getting a bigger tip just because the meal costs more. Along that line, I question why the percentage to tip servers keeps going up. I remember when 10% was standard, then it went to 15% and now it is going higher. Their tips automatically increase as the price of restaurant meals increases so why the necessity to raise the percentage on top of that.


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## rapmarks (Sep 2, 2009)

Well I have to gripe.
We have events at our golf club - not a private club - and every event is the same thing, we pass a hat for poor jeff. 
Well my daughter was the restaurant manager and she says that because Jeff has been here so long, he makes $16 an hour when he does a party plus 18% tip. Is it really necessary to pass the hat to give him another couple of hundred dollars. 
Incidently, when she was food and beverage manager, her income dropped so drastically that she could not make ends meet. Being a bartender was much more lucrative.

And i also balk at the $10 cocktail.


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## donnaval (Sep 2, 2009)

We tip if we receive daily service or a mid-week cleaning.  But when we check in, we expect a clean and fully-equipped unit (gawd, it should be that way for the MFs we pay), and when we leave, we expect the unit will require minimal cleaning for the next guest, and we expect that our ever-increasing maintenance fees are paying for this necessary cleaning.  I see no reason to tip housekeeping for this weekly cleaning.  In our experience, the mid-week cleaning is disappearing.   We almost never see housekeeping when we're in a timeshare.  We have had to strip our beds and pile linens and towels according to various resorts' instructions.  When we encounter a maintenance problem (we almost always have to call because of disposals backing up into the sink)--as far as I'm concerned, that's a maintenance issue and the fellow who shows up to unclog my sink doesn't require a tip.  Likewise, if items are missing from the unit that should be there--I don't believe the person who brings them to us deserves a tip for providing an item that should have been provided.  On the other hand, if I cause a mess or a problem, then I do expect to tip for extra service.  I do not expect or feel compelled to tip for services that should be included in what I am paying.


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## UWSurfer (Sep 2, 2009)

I know that when I spent a few summers teaching surfing I quickly appreciated being tipped for the effort spent instructing folks.   The school I worked for did group lessons and privates.   Probably 10% of those in the group lessons would give a tip.  Maybe 60% of the private lesson students would give a tip and it went quite a ways to improve both my mood and felt more appreciated...let alone having a bit more spending money at the time.

As a result I usually tip whenever expected, barring poor service and make it a point not to use services that I don't want to tip for, like parking my own car & carrying my bags.


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## laurac260 (Sep 2, 2009)

I've always wondered why we tip a percentage of the total bill, rather than on service alone??  Personally, I think the waitress at Cracker Barrel works much harder than one at an expensive restaurant.  I've given as much as a 50% tip at cracker barrel before, if our kids were especially messy and demanding.  On those rare occasions where we go to an expensive restaurant, I may tip only 15%.    Schlepping 4 plates of food, fetching extra napkins, another drink, fork, spoon, because our toddler dropped his, more biscuits, more grape jelly because no one eats the strawberry, etc.,  in an obnoxiously noisy restaurant is WORK. Tucking in my napkin and pushing in my chair, notsomuch.


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## laurac260 (Sep 2, 2009)

In the state of Ohio at least, it is required that servers make minimum wage.  I did not say get PAID minimum wage, but MAKE minimum wage.  And servers are expected to keep a log of their tips for wage and tax purposes.  Now, if the tip is written in on the credit card receipt, then there is record.  If the server collects the tips in cash, there is no record, and there is nothing stopping the server from not reporting all their tips.  It is very easy to maintain two pockets while you are serving, the tips you are reporting, and the few extra bucks you stash in your "other" pocket.   If the servers income with tips does not equal minimum wage, the restaurant is responsible for meeting the difference.  Of course, I doubt a restaurant would keep a server on for very long if they weren't good enough to meet the minimum.  

Housekeepers on the other hand aren't paid in this way.  They are paid according to regular wage standards.  It's a hard job, I would say the hardest job in a hotel.  And tipping is not an expected "perk" of the job like it is in a restaurant.


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## laurac260 (Sep 2, 2009)

Have many of you found that bell service is starting to fade away (or be only during limited times) at some hotels where it was once expected?


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## alexadeparis (Sep 2, 2009)

I have seen that, too, and I think it might be because a) all kinds of people travel now compared to 25-30 years ago and b) the economy has overall travel volume down, and therefore the need for personnel has waned.

What I mean by all kinds of people traveling is that, back in the day, people that traveled had higher incomes and expected to have this kind of service because they were accustomed to it when traveling to the higher end hotels where this is the norm. 

In the current era of priceline, hotwire, etc coupled with the charge it mentality, people with lesser incomes are traveling and might not be used to allowing a bellhop to bring their bags to a room because they don't stay at higher end places typically. It's late so I might not be making much sense, but I hope the gist of my point came through.


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## Elan (Sep 2, 2009)

gregb said:


> I tip wait persons because that has become the accepted norm for our society.  I don't tip for normal maid service because I consider that part of the fees I pay for the hotel.  If the maid does something special for me, that will get a tip.  But I think that if we don't draw some lines, soon everyone will be expecting a tip just for doing their job.
> 
> Greg



  I agree with this.  There are lots of minimum wage jobs out there.  I don't tip the guy at the golf course every time I buy a bucket of range balls, and I know that he's making minimum wage.  If it's a norm in society -- wait staff, cabbies, valets, bellmen (although I can't recall the last time I let one of them handle our bags), etc., then I tip.  Otherwise, I don't.


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## John Cummings (Sep 3, 2009)

I am not going to lug all my bags just to save a $5.00 tip or park my own car to save a tip. When we travel, we like to be pampered and am willing to pay for it. That is part of the enjoyment of vacationing.

We used to frequently go to the Flamingo Hilton in Laughlin, NV several years ago. It never ceased to amaze me how many older people would self park and lug all their bags several hundred yards in 110 degree heat just to save a tip. I would see them panting in line almost passing out at the check-in.


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## Elan (Sep 3, 2009)

I've gotten my bags from my house to the car, from the car to the airport check-in and from the airport carousel to the rental car or taxi, and now I'm supposed to pay someone in a green monkey suit to stick them on a cart, wheel them across the lobby, into an elevator and down a hall?  Maybe when I'm too old and/or lazy to carry my own bags that'll seem like a good idea, but it sure doesn't make any sense right now.


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## Rose Pink (Sep 3, 2009)

John Cummings said:


> I am not going to lug all my bags just to save a $5.00 tip or park my own car to save a tip. *When we travel, we like to be pampered and am willing to pay for it. That is part of the enjoyment of vacationing.*
> 
> We used to frequently go to the Flamingo Hilton in Laughlin, NV several years ago. *It never ceased to amaze me how many older people would self park and lug all their bags several hundred yards in 110 degree heat just to save a tip*. I would see them panting in line almost passing out at the check-in.


 
I agree that there are some things we splurge on when we vacation.  However, other things we simply cannot afford.  We have to choose.  We cannot afford it all. Those old people may not be able to vacation at all if they have to tip everyone and their little dogs, too.  The budget, for most of us, simply does not go out the window when we vacation.

DH always tips a dollar to the breakfast chef at the Embassy Suites.  He never tips the maid.  I always tip the maid when I travel with him.  When I think of myself  having to do that kind of work, I appreciate them more.  Maybe that is a difference between a  man and woman in our case.  The chef spends relatively little time preparing my omelet.  The maid spends far more time cleaning up after me and DH.  I think she deserves a tip.


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## John Cummings (Sep 3, 2009)

Elan said:


> I've gotten my bags from my house to the car, from the car to the airport check-in and from the airport carousel to the rental car or taxi, and now I'm supposed to pay someone in a green monkey suit to stick them on a cart, wheel them across the lobby, into an elevator and down a hall?  Maybe when I'm too old and/or lazy to carry my own bags that'll seem like a good idea, but it sure doesn't make any sense right now.



To each their own.


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## UWSurfer (Sep 3, 2009)

Elan said:


> I've gotten my bags from my house to the car, from the car to the airport check-in and from the airport carousel to the rental car or taxi, and now I'm supposed to pay someone in a green monkey suit to stick them on a cart, wheel them across the lobby, into an elevator and down a hall?  Maybe when I'm too old and/or lazy to carry my own bags that'll seem like a good idea, but it sure doesn't make any sense right now.


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## John Cummings (Sep 3, 2009)

Rose Pink said:


> I agree that there are some things we splurge on when we vacation.  However, other things we simply cannot afford.  We have to choose.  We cannot afford it all. Those old people may not be able to vacation at all if they have to tip everyone and their little dogs, too.  The budget, for most of us, simply does not go out the window when we vacation.
> 
> DH always tips a dollar to the breakfast chef at the Embassy Suites.  He never tips the maid.  I always tip the maid when I travel with him.  When I think of myself  having to do that kind of work, I appreciate them more.  Maybe that is a difference between a  man and woman in our case.  The chef spends relatively little time preparing my omelet.  The maid spends far more time cleaning up after me and DH.  I think she deserves a tip.



Good Lord, we are not talking about spending a fortune. I don't care what other people do. If they tip or don't tip is their prerogative. Others have no problem stating their aversion to tipping. I am simply presenting an opposite view. Not everybody travels on the cheap.

These old people I mentioned were checking into a casino hotel where they will spend that $5.00 tip on a couple spins of the reels of a slot machine.


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## John Cummings (Sep 3, 2009)

Elan said:


> I've gotten my bags from my house to the car, from the car to the airport check-in and from the airport carousel to the rental car or taxi, and now I'm supposed to pay someone in a green monkey suit to stick them on a cart, wheel them across the lobby, into an elevator and down a hall?  Maybe when I'm too old and/or lazy to carry my own bags that'll seem like a good idea, but it sure doesn't make any sense right now.



It is not a matter of making sense or being lazy. I am just willing to pay for convenience and pampering. You obviously are not. There is no right or wrong to this. It is just a matter of personal preferences. We are not talking about a large amount of money.


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## Elan (Sep 3, 2009)

John Cummings said:


> It is not a matter of making sense or being lazy. I am just willing to pay for convenience and pampering. You obviously are not. There is no right or wrong to this. It is just a matter of personal preferences. We are not talking about a large amount of money.



  I have no problem with tipping where appropriate.  To me, bag service is just a non-essential designed to pull money out of my pocket as it's really not a convenience to me.  If it floats your boat, then by all means go for it! 

  IMHO, bag service is slightly ahead of the bathroom attendant handing me a hand towel in term of usefulness (and being worthy of a tip).

  Pampering, to me, would be if a 25 year old 36-24-36 blonde rubbed my back after I got the bags to the room.  Now _THAT_ I'd tip for!


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## laurac260 (Sep 4, 2009)

Elan said:


> I have no problem with tipping where appropriate.  To me, bag service is just a non-essential designed to pull money out of my pocket as it's really not a convenience to me.  If it floats your boat, then by all means go for it!
> 
> IMHO, bag service is slightly ahead of the bathroom attendant handing me a hand towel in term of usefulness (and being worthy of a tip).
> 
> Pampering, to me, would be if a 25 year old 36-24-36 blonde rubbed my back after I got the bags to the room.  Now _THAT_ I'd tip for!



There are times in life when i do not need baggage assistance, if I am traveling alone I have one bag, on wheels.  If I am travelling with little kids, I have enough to do, with little kids.

Now, bathroom attendants on other hand...I have NEVER been in such dire straits in a bathroom that I need someone to HAND me a towel!


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## AKFisher (Sep 4, 2009)

Rose Pink said:


> I agree that there are some things we splurge on when we vacation.  However, other things we simply cannot afford.  We have to choose.  We cannot afford it all. Those old people may not be able to vacation at all *if they have to tip everyone and their little dogs, too*.  The budget, for most of us, simply does not go out the window when we vacation.
> QUOTE]
> 
> :hysterical:  :rofl:  :hysterical:
> ...


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## Rose Pink (Sep 4, 2009)

laurac260 said:


> Now, bathroom attendants on other hand...I have NEVER been in such dire straits in a bathroom that I need someone to HAND me a towel!


 
They do more than that.  They keep the soap dispensers full, the toilet paper supplied, etc.  Having said that, I am glad most restrooms are "self-serve."  I think I have only run into two or three in the USA my entire life.  Europe was a different matter.  It seemed no matter where we went, restaurant or department store, there was an attendant or a dish to drop your money in.  I was happy to return to the USA, land of the free ... toilet.

I do realize it costs an establishment to provide public restroom services.  They are spendy to build (plumbing is not cheap) and it costs to maintain them and stock them with towels, tp and soap.  I usually try to buy something if I need to stop in for a potty break: gas at gas stations, a coke or something at the fast food places.


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## laurac260 (Sep 4, 2009)

Rose Pink said:


> They do more than that.  They keep the soap dispensers full, the toilet paper supplied, etc.  Having said that, I am glad most restrooms are "self-serve."  I think I have only run into two or three in the USA my entire life.  Europe was a different matter.  It seemed no matter where we went, restaurant or department store, there was an attendant or a dish to drop your money in.  I was happy to return to the USA, land of the free ... toilet.
> 
> I do realize it costs an establishment to provide public restroom services.  They are spendy to build (plumbing is not cheap) and it costs to maintain them and stock them with towels, tp and soap.  I usually try to buy something if I need to stop in for a potty break: gas at gas stations, a coke or something at the fast food places.



remember pay toilets?  My daughter thinks I am crazy whenever I mention it!


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## Twinkstarr (Sep 4, 2009)

Rose Pink said:


> They do more than that.  They keep the soap dispensers full, the toilet paper supplied, etc.  Having said that, I am glad most restrooms are "self-serve."  I think I have only run into two or three in the USA my entire life.  Europe was a different matter.  It seemed no matter where we went, restaurant or department store, there was an attendant or a dish to drop your money in.  I was happy to return to the USA, land of the free ... toilet.
> 
> I do realize it costs an establishment to provide public restroom services.  They are spendy to build (plumbing is not cheap) and it costs to maintain them and stock them with towels, tp and soap.  I usually try to buy something if I need to stop in for a potty break: gas at gas stations, a coke or something at the fast food places.




Yep, and if there wasn't an attendant there was a pay toliet. 

Rule in Europe, always make sure you have some coins when you go to the bathroom.


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## hvsteve1 (Dec 10, 2009)

Here's a problem with tipping housekeeping staff at timeshares. The place I stayed last week had a housekeeping staff that came in between occupants. When the unit across from us was vacated, I noticed five or six different cleaners in and out. Each seemed to have a job...vacuuming, mopping, making beds, etc. I left a tip, but wondered if it ever got past the first person in the door. I'm at a Marriott this week and seem to recall they use a hotel type service where a maid comes in and does the room. I believe my home resort hires an outside service to clean,so have no idea if they would be individual hosekeepers or a cleaning crew that might make a decent wage.

Until earlier this year, I worked for a major hotel company and travelled on an expense account. Our account forms provided for us to enter how much we tipped housekeeping staff at hotels. There it is from the horse's mouth, hotel housekeepers are among the jobs that are expected to be tipped. You don't *have to* tip anybody, and can always elect to be cheap, even if you had good service (can you tell I once worked for tips?). Don't assume these people make even minimum wage. Some states allow less than that if the job is expected to get tips. I tip $3 or $4 per night at a hotel but would leave more at a timeshare due to the size of the cleanup job. I would not leave a big tip, such as the $100 previously mentioned, unless there was daily service and, even then probably not that much.


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## Jbart74 (Dec 10, 2009)

Okay, I've just wasted 20 minutes reading through this whole thread from the start because I'm bored, so now I will submit my comments.

I'll start by saying that I worked two years during college as an evening bartender and received between $20 and $100/night in tips.

But that is not where I would like to start my story...

I worked a theater job (which turned into a career) from the age of 18 to 26.  the first year worked I was compensated by my employer with food, lodging, and an occasional beer on the company.  It was called an internship.  I think the second year I made $75/wk on top of the food and lodging. (this was around 1994)  The next three years I made a decent wage, i think about twice minimum wage up to three times min. wage by the time I left to get my college degree in 1998

I worked (and still do) in the theater business.  I was never tipped.

I graduated, after spending many thousands of dollars with a BFA in Theater Design and went back to my career where I have remained and built a business for myself and my family since 2001.  

I still have never been tipped.  Not once while working in a theater.  I make a bit more money now, but I do because of the college that cost me more money than I can even imagine.  Shouldn't I be tipped to help me pay off my college loans, to show how much my work is appreciated by theater patrons?  At 2000 paid seats per night, just a dollar from each patron would pay of my student loans in about 3 or 4 years.  I think I deserve it.  I sure worked hard enough.  I get great reviews from professional theater reviewers around the country and the world.

I still have never been tipped.

I worked hard, on my own dime, to get where I am and I have never been tipped once for it.

Yet, because my housekeeper, or bellhop, or -- yes -- even bartender, never decided to fill out the paperwork to get a student loan, I should tip them to make their life better while I'm still working to my life better AND paying off all of the student loans I needed to get my degree and begin a business?

Hmmm... something doesn't add up.

All that said, By the end of my Bartending gig I was consistently making $100+ per night after tips.  I guess if I was smart I would have stayed in that biz and save myself all of the trouble of working hard to get a degree and start a new business because that's about how much I've been making for the past two years...  

I do have a LOT more time to travel now though! :hysterical: 

And I still tip -- everybody!  STUPID


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## Talent312 (Dec 10, 2009)

hvsteve1 said:


> I left a tip, but wondered if it ever got past the first person in the door.



There are some resorts that at checkout, offer to add a tip for housekeeping onto the final bill... kind'a like what cruiselines do. That sound's sensible, but how does one know whether or not management skims some of that for themselves. I think that I'd rather risk the 1st person thru door taking it.


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## rapmarks (Dec 10, 2009)

okay, should you tip the maintenance staff at a timeshare when they help you?  
I couldn't connect to the internet  on our recent trip, they sent the maintenace man up.  He helped a lot.  
Now I was thinking of giving him a tip, and i went to the bedroom for my purse.  When I saw I only had one dollar, I recalled that they made me put security deposits in cash for the pool towels, the dvd rentals, etc, and I had gone wild that day and spent my remaining money.  (all twenty dollars of it)

Unfortunately, the internet connection went out again, and again, and i eventually gave up on it, and found out it was the whole resort.


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## hvsteve1 (Dec 10, 2009)

JBart74 sounds like me. I studied theater in Boston. A number of us in the school took jobs as theater ushers (hey, showbiz is showbiz). The government at the time listed ushers as a job catagory exempt from the minimum wage due to tipping. So, we were paid at about half the minimum wage and never saw a tip. I wouldn't blame customers as who would expect to tip an usher? I also worked a a busboy in a classy restaurant. I was also paid very little and got free food (before the IRS got fussy about that stuff). The reason I worked my butt off was the job had decent pay with tips. Customers who refused to tip the waitstaff were cheapskates. This business about how restaurants should pay their staff is nonsense. If you you don't feel tipping is proper, go to restaurants who automatically add a "service charge". Somebody has to pay the employees. A tip, at least, has an optional  amount based onhow well you were served.


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