Tipping TS Housekeeping

[CO skier]

I tipped a bigtime Jeopardy winner...a NYC bartender I didnt recocognize since he had shaved his beard. But I always tip bartenders and waitstaff...so I can feel good about tipping the dude and it makes for a good story. Dang but I cant recall his name...he was very popular because he made wacky gestures that threw Trebeck off guard at first.

But back on topic...I feel good about tipping somebody that has to clean toilets and make beds at rapid pace. Yes housekeeping is often clocked by supervisors...I have seen this and since then really appreciate these workers even more.

How do you know, with absolute certainty that your tips make it into the hands of the housekeepers? (I just really want to know).

 

[Passepartout]

How do you know, with absolute certainty that your tips make it into the hands of the housekeepers? (I just really want to know).

The only way to know with certainty is to place the tip into their hands. I like to think that at the very least that they pool their tips, but in the end it's up to them. I would think that if tips are supposed to be pooled, and one person was found to be skimming them, that person's co-workers would make it very hard to continue in that employment.

 

[MULTIZ321]

I tipped a bigtime Jeopardy winner...a NYC bartender I didnt recocognize since he had shaved his beard. But I always tip bartenders and waitstaff...so I can feel good about tipping the dude and it makes for a good story. Dang but I cant recall his name...he was very popular because he made wacky gestures that threw Trebeck off guard at first.

But back on topic...I feel good about tipping somebody that has to clean toilets and make beds at rapid pace. Yes housekeeping is often clocked by supervisors...I have seen this and since then really appreciate these workers even more.

Hi Carol,

I think it was Austin Rogers

Best Regards

Richard

 

[Steve Fatula]

Thanks to this thread, I was reminded of and able to tip housekeeping in the Canaries. Put it right in her hands on checkout day. Thanks for bringing this up.

 

[artringwald]

Hi Carol,

I think it was Austin Rogers

Best Regards

Richard

Didn't see Austin on the show, but from this article, it sounds like he's quite the character:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/austin-rogers-jeopardy-life-changed_us_5a8da36be4b00a30a251bbc8

 

[WinniWoman]

The only way to know with certainty is to place the tip into their hands. I like to think that at the very least that they pool their tips, but in the end it's up to them. I would think that if tips are supposed to be pooled, and one person was found to be skimming them, that person's co-workers would make it very hard to continue in that employment.

But then you have the issue of the fact that the staff is often times different during the course of the week. And- you also are probably out when they come in to change your linens and so on.

 

[Carol C]

Hi Carol,

I think it was Austin Rogers

Best Regards

Richard

Yep that's his name. I remember now... I told him he looked like that guy on Jeopardy Austin Powers and he cracked up. He works at a bar in Hells Kitchen and there was a Yanks game on so it was noisy in there. It was this past October and I was in that part of town to eat at my fave Turkish hole in the wall. I love NY but dont have time to stay for a full week in a timeshare. Hmmm maybe I should start a thread to find out folks' fave bargain priced NYC hotels...and now to figure out where best to post it!

 

[Passepartout]

But then you have the issue of the fact that the staff is often times different during the course of the week. And- you also are probably out when they come in to change your linens and so on.

Mary Ann, if you're looking for justification for not tipping service people (the one I tip might not be the one who served me), go ahead. Stiff them. It happens all the time. Maybe it balances out for those who leave a tip and the 'wrong' worker gets it. But my experience has been that people who work for tips ALWAYS tip other tip-paid workers. ALWAYS.

 

[WinniWoman]

Mary Ann, if you're looking for justification for not tipping service people (the one I tip might not be the one who served me), go ahead. Stiff them. It happens all the time. Maybe it balances out for those who leave a tip and the 'wrong' worker gets it. But my experience has been that people who work for tips ALWAYS tip other tip-paid workers. ALWAYS.

OMG! I always tip at our NH timeshare. I am not looking for justification not to tip! I am just stating that when I do, I always feel like I am not sure it is going to the ones who did the job.

Here comes snarky Jim again....SMH.....

 

[DannyTS]

All this is fine and dandy - more power to y'all - but I'd be curious if the two of you would answer my previous (sort of) question. Having just come from the grocery store, do you tip the cashier, the cart pusher, the counter clerk at the deli? Where does the idea of tipping begin / end? Each of the individuals I just mentioned are also providing you a service aren't they?

Edit: FWIW, let me say that I am asking these questions inquisitively, not from the standpoint that there is a right / wrong here....

the cashier does not have to handle my dirty socks lol.

We usually tip 1-3 dollars per day depending on the country. The way i see it, if I can tip 18$ on a $100 restaurant bill for someone just to bring me the food, I can also pay a couple of bucks for someone who may do 20 minutes of intense and yucky physical work. I think i also noticed an extra care when i tipped.

 

[Mister Sir]

I always leave a tip and a Thank You note when we check out of our timeshare. $50 for the week for each two-bedroom unit(we typically have 3 or 4 for our large family).

 

[jwayne]

Okay, the curmudgeon is checking in now.

I've never left a tip for housekeeping as essentially I didn't (and do not) see the need. I mean where does this end - should one tip for every service one receives? I just came from the grocery store - do I tip the cashier? The bagger? The guy pulling carts in from the lot? At the resort, do I tip the check in staff? Activites staff?

IMO, it is up to the establishment to pay the wages it needs to attract and retain suitable talent. The establishment's performance (which includes all of its employees / associates) influences whether or not I am likely to return again in the future. In a hotel or timeshare, I'm already paying a considerable amount of money to be there, the resort (or hotel) needs to pay its employees / associate suitable wages.

This article looks like a covert effort to transfer more costs from the resort / hotel to the consumer.
Pass.

Employers are allowed to estimate tips and use estimate as if it is part of their wages to get around minimum wage laws. To add "insult to injury" they sometimes put the estimated "wages" on their W-2's. In certain situations the housekeeper may have to pay income tax on tips the employer said you gave but did not

 

[gatorray]

I tipped a bigtime Jeopardy winner...a NYC bartender I didnt recocognize since he had shaved his beard. But I always tip bartenders and waitstaff...so I can feel good about tipping the dude and it makes for a good story. Dang but I cant recall his name...he was very popular because he made wacky gestures that threw Trebeck off guard at first.

But back on topic...I feel good about tipping somebody that has to clean toilets and make beds at rapid pace. Yes housekeeping is often clocked by supervisors...I have seen this and since then really appreciate these workers even more.

You were referring to none other than Austin Rogers the eccentric Jeopardy winner. An amazing guy and very entertaining. I suspect the Jeopardy ratings went sky high during his tenure. More recently it was Josh the network engineer. His quirky hand movements included some tiger paw movements. An awesome fund of knowledge and great entertainment for us older minimal TV watchers.

 

[MLR]

We always tip when staying at a hotel or timeshare OR eating out.

IF the unit is nice and clean I tip $20 for the week and leave it with a nice note of thanks. I have left notes in Spanish in Mexico - I just type my note into one of those translator apps. :0)

IF I end up having to go to the store and buy cleaning supplies and clean the bathroom, kitchen, etc. myself due to negligent cleaning practices (and yes, I have done this more than once - especially whirlpool tubs) I do not tip. Sorry. I also let the mgmt. know before we leave. Thankfully, this has happened rarely. I usually do not ask them to clean again. Figure if they can't get it right the first time . . . . .

We prefer NOT to have a midweek clean up - we keep things tidy as we go along. So, I just leave the tip and note as we leave.

My mom worked in the service industry and my motto is - 'if you can't tip - don't eat out and if you can't tip cleaners - stay home' She worked HARD for her tips. Perhaps that changed my perspective.

But in the end - we all do what we 'want to do' - in every thing we do.

 

[clifffaith]

Employers are allowed to estimate tips and use estimate as if it is part of their wages to get around minimum wage laws. To add "insult to injury" they sometimes put the estimated "wages" on their W-2's. In certain situations the housekeeper may have to pay income tax on tips the employer said you gave but did not

I've never heard of this in any industry beyond food service.

 

[dahntahn]

After a Hyatt Coconut Plantation owner's meeting, we spoke to the housekeeping supervisor who had been present. Like many on this thread, we want to tip but since the housekeepers who come daily to empty trash and bring fresh towels, or do a full cleaning on Wednesdays, are several different people, we were not sure how to do this fairly. He said that the staff share tips and that our best way to tip is to put what we want to leave (for us, $ 20 per week) in an envelope and give it to the front desk with his name on it and it will be placed in the common pot. So that's what we do.
It has been interesting to read about many owners' tip or no tip philosophy. We do not judge others decisions, but both having grown up experiencing low paying physically demanding jobs at some time in our teens and twenties and now having the income allowing us to spend some winter weeks relaxing in Florida, we wish to give a bit back to thank those doing that sort of work. For us, it seems the right thing to do.

 

[Cxt333]

This is a good discussion. I think the only person I tip all the time is the porter that brings up our luggage. Usually $10 for a full cart. I tip once in awhile for the person that brings up extra toilet paper, paper towels, laundry soap etc. but the problem with that is we usually start with only a roll or two of each. Hard to get through the week with 4 girls with me in a two bedroom.
I ask to stock me up once but they only bring up what they say is allowed.
As far as the maid, that I of course never see until check out morning. I hate to say I never tip.
That’s what housekeeping credits are for.....we also never leave a mess. All garage is taken out, towels in one spot, dishes in dishwasher etc. I have a hard time tipping housekeeping when I never see them for any service except for walking into a clean room.
I’ve tipped out many times the girl that gives me my “ update” gift money. she gets 10$ To buy lunch. Tipped the check in guy when needed for a extra parking pass $20 for a week.
But housekeeping no. Sorry

 

[TXTortoise]

$5-10 for valet parking? Each time
$10-20 for luggage drop to room and again for pick-up when leaving or changing rooms at second week.

Hard not to tip at least $20 at time of mid-week refresh or end of week.

Amounts might vary a bit between Mexico and Hawaii resorts.

 

[rpoyourow]

Okay, the curmudgeon is checking in now.

I've never left a tip for housekeeping as essentially I didn't (and do not) see the need. I mean where does this end - should one tip for every service one receives? I just came from the grocery store - do I tip the cashier? The bagger? The guy pulling carts in from the lot? At the resort, do I tip the check in staff? Activites staff?

IMO, it is up to the establishment to pay the wages it needs to attract and retain suitable talent. The establishment's performance (which includes all of its employees / associates) influences whether or not I am likely to return again in the future. In a hotel or timeshare, I'm already paying a considerable amount of money to be there, the resort (or hotel) needs to pay its employees / associate suitable wages.

This article looks like a covert effort to transfer more costs from the resort / hotel to the consumer.
Pass.

Curmudgeon:
Yes, it's true. But your for the sake of your "principles," you wind up punishing the worker who likely has no power to demand/receive a higher wage. Your perspective will have no effect on management, and you won't change the world one whit. Put yourself in the service workers' shoes, understand the alternatives they face, and your attitude will change. You'll find yourself becoming more compassionate, get better service, and make yourself a more welcome guest. Re-enter the world where the people actually live. All to the good.

 

[BocaBoy]

In the US, most grocery store workers are well paid, many of the stores starting them at $20+ per hour.

Starting pay at $20/hour plus in a grocery store? That is over $40,000 per year. You need to check your facts.

 

[iqmavin]

What is the appropriate amount of tip to leave for TS housekeepers? Unlike hotels they only clean once a week, with a midweek refresh, however they can have a big job to clean up after a family with a kitchen and two bedrooms.

In hotels it is $1 - $5/day depending on the services. I thought it was a good idea to pay them daily if you have daily cleaning get better service and to recognize that not everyone cleans the same room.

http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-tips/travel-etiquette/how-much-to-tip-hotel-housekeeping

Very interesting conversation. In our experience we "tip" based on the level of service we get. In some of our TS locations it's daily service, others it's mid-week. One thing we try to do when we check in is get to know who's responsible for taking care of us. We also try, when possible to tip the person directly rather than just leaving it on the counter. A tip of $20 is probably adequate. In our recent trip to Maui we spoke with people in a variety of service jobs. We were told The living wage on Maui is about 36,000, with many people working for the minimum wage, which was 12.50. Many work multiple jobs.

Here's something to consider. If like most tuggers you got your timeshare at a steep discount why not spread some of what you saved around to the help.

 

[VacationForever]

Starting pay at $20/hour plus in a grocery store? That is over $40,000 per year. You need to check your facts.

It was the case when I lived in California. Safeway and Costco were listed as the ones paying around that.

 

[tfgeren]

I tip in Cabo at the Tesoro resort because I have the same housekeeper every day who cleans thoroughly. I leave $3 daily. The housekeeper is always truly appreciative.

I do not tip at the Wyndham properties. Why? Because there is no housekeeping service until I check out. No midweek refresh, no nothing. I wash my own dishes, take out all my trash at the end of the stay, don't use any of their cheap shampoos or washes, straighten things out as much as possible and so forth. There are resort fees I have to pay on top of my monthly maintenance fees and being on a fixed income is kind of tough.

When I leave a Wyndham facility, the housekeeper replaces the towels, changes the linen and might vacuum.

I leave unused soda and usable food with a note to "help yourself". Whether they do or not, I don't know.

I have quite a sour taste in my mouth over the Wyndham hard sell tactics and that might be influencing my thoughts on Wyndham, but I see no reason for tipping for the housekeeping service they provide.

Oh, one other thing, off subject but just an FYI, one of the concierges at the Bali Hai that I dealt with about 3 weeks ago passed me on to another person when I tried to book a helicopter flight because I wouldn't attend their "resort update". She told me she gets paid commission for getting people to attend the "update" and since I wasn't going to attend it, she couldn't help me.

 

[Anthony Schmid]

The first person in the room that sees the money will get it. It could be the maintenance person or house keeping or the last person in your group that is leaving the room

 

[skimeup]

I have found that many timeshares leave an envelope for community tipping at the end of a stay and I leave about $20. I figure that no matter how much I straighten up after leaving, a thorough housecleaning includes full bathroom cleaning, vacuuming, etc, in addition to beds and towels. If I am not sure whether there is daily service, like at The Manhattan Club, I leave a tip under the pillow or beside the bed with a note saying Thank You to the maid. If the tip disappears, I know that someone comes in daily.

I often have been thanked for those daily or mid-week tips and I also ask for (and get) extra coffees, towels, popcorn, etc - depending on what sorts of services the ts or hotel offers. I figure if I have to tip $2 - $3 per suitcase with a porter or a few dollars for someone to get me a taxi, I should tip the hardest working people - the housekeepers. Of course, I grew up poor and worked scuzzy jobs so I have a sense of what that tip means to workers. And the thank you's I've received from housekeepers especially make me feel I am doing the right thing.