Leaving Ocean Pointe tomorrow, tip for housekeeping?

[BJRSanDiego]

My opinion appears to be contrary to many of the previous posters.

My background: parents were blue collar workers. My Dad was a cook and my Mom did housecleaning and was a nanny. I washed dishes to pay for my college tuition. So, I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. Even now, in retirement, I Don't have money to spend on frivolous things. I am a bargain shopper and look for sales and value. One lesson that my Dad gave me when I started taking my girlfriend to a nice restaurant (for things like a Prom) was to leave a generous tip. During his life, he was never able to afford a new car - - always bought used. But he told me that restaurant workers work hard and usually aren't paid very much. Yes, there are exceptions at really expensive places where the waiters make good money, but I wasn't able to afford them.

I think that the cleaning staff at many timeshares don't make very much $ and were financially hurt during the Covid TS shutdown. Some cleaning staff work for an outside service and are hourly. So, when their hours were cut or they were furloughed, their pay dropped. I'm just glad that they're back working. They work pretty hard for not a lot of money.

I normally tip $20 or 30 for a week (at the end of my stay) but during Covid have been leaving $40 or $50 for a week. We had a weekly cleaning earlier this week (2 week stay) and there were five people. So we gave them a $50. Also, my wife and I make a point of thanking the staff (when we see them) for keeping our unit so clean. Based on their smiles and heart-felt reaction, that praise is worth something to them. BTW, as a consequence of giving them a big tip when they started to clean, they really did a nice job and left me lots of coffee packets.

 

[dgf15215]

We always pick up and return any furniture we've moved to where we found it, get rid of the garbage and recycling, make sure the dishwasher is started with everything including soap trays from the bathrooms, that the refrigerator is emptied and then leave a $10 tip if it's a studio and $20 if a one-bedroom. I always also tip anyone who brings anything we may ask for to our door - always. Whether it's a timeshare or a hotel. I've been fortunate enough in life to be able to afford these luxuries, I believe I have an ethical and perhaps moral responsibility to at least tip the people cleaning up after me in the hopes that it helps them and their families enjoy life just a tad bit more than a mere "living wage."

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

I don't think tipping really has anything to do on whether the person leaving the tip can afford to leave a tip, but I do think it is all about the level of service and cleanliness of the unit at time of receipt or during the stay itself. Granted, the guest must have the financial means to leave a tip, but the focus should be the value of SERVICE. After all, isn't that what tipping is all about?


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[Fredflintstone]

I like to normally hand the housekeeper personally a tip so I can thank him or her personally. The tip ranges from 20 to 50 depending on the quality of the clean and the generosity of supplies. I look at it this way. Many are paid low for the hard work they do. And it can be a dirty job (although I’m clean, some are not). Plus, I really appreciate a suite that stays clean thanks to them.


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[vol_90]

I always tip $20 per week (or 1,000 Baht ) no matter what the circumstances. I feel for those in the service industry.

 

[Limace]

Sure, we play for cleaning and maintenance in our fees-we pay for it in a hotel room bill, too. I’m neither case does our cleaning staff probably get paid well. It doesn’t hurt me-and heck, there aren’t enough staff to go around for low wage jobs now so if a tio might incentivize someone to stay, worth it to me.


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[rickandcindy23]

Since every single place we see has help wanted signs in the windows, I think it's important to tip to keep people at their jobs. I agree that if management doesn't take care of the employees and pay them well, they should look for another job. But if tips are something counted upon, then I think we need to continue to tip.

I haven't gotten mid-week housekeeping services from Marriott forever. It's been years. But the units are clean both before my arrival and after I leave. So I am tipping for one or the other. I appreciate all they do. $10-20. We tip $20 in Hawaii. I may start tipping $50 for our Hono Koa weeks.

 

[Fasttr]

What about the person who sanitized your pool chair, or the landscaper who blows leaves off the walkway, I’m sure they are on the lower end of the pay scale. Are the tippers in the group tipping them as well, as seemingly we all want them to stay in their jobs also. Curious how you choose who to tip and who not to tip.

 

[SueDonJ]

What about the person who sanitized your pool chair, or the landscaper who blows leaves off the walkway, I’m sure they are on the lower end of the pay scale. Are the tippers in the group tipping them as well, as seemingly we all want them to stay in their jobs also. Curious how you choose who to tip and who not to tip.

I normally tip the staff who clean and service my unit and the onsite bar/grille. I don't tip the maintenance people who wander around with leaf-blowers, clean the grills or service the pools. I expect that their wage structures are different, that the Housekeepers/Wait Staff are subject to a pay schedule that takes into consideration the states' requirements that tips be assumed, and that the Maintenance Staff pay schedule is not subject to that same requirement. (If I'm wrong someone tell me so I can change my thinking.)

If I were staying at the resorts these days I'd tip the workers who are providing personal cleaning services like wiping down the pool chairs I'm using. I have no idea if those are temporary positions or if they're Housekeeping/Maintenance staff who are temporarily re-assigned, but I know the service they're providing is temporary so I may as well help them if they're just trying to put aside a few bucks for if/when they're let go.

 

[vol_90]

What about the person who sanitized your pool chair, or the landscaper who blows leaves off the walkway, I’m sure they are on the lower end of the pay scale. Are the tippers in the group tipping them as well, as seemingly we all want them to stay in their jobs also. Curious how you choose who to tip and who not to tip.

We haven't been tipping pool sanitizers or leaf blowers but always leave a tip in the room when checking out or during multi-week cleans. Just something we do and would not look down on others who don't. Our only concern is when leaving money (on the kitchen table with a brief thank you note) is that is the cleaning staff the 1st to inspect the checked out room? In Phuket we always hand the money to the staff (weekly) as there are normally 3 to 4 people servicing the room over a multi week stay. It's amazing the smiles and towel animals they make for us! A few $$'s to make others smile whether we see it or not is priceless.

 

[bazzap]

We haven't been tipping pool sanitizers or leaf blowers but always leave a tip in the room when checking out or during multi-week cleans. Just something we do and would not look down on others who don't. Our only concern is when leaving money (on the kitchen table with a brief thank you note) is that is the cleaning staff the 1st to inspect the checked out room? In Phuket we always hand the money to the staff (weekly) as there are normally 3 to 4 people servicing the room over a multi week stay. It's amazing the smiles and towel animals they make for us! A few $$'s to make others smile whether we see it or not is priceless.

We always leave the tip at the end of our stay.
Phuket, as you know, is rather different to other MVC resorts as they provide a fairly comprehensive daily service ( and always with a smile)

 

[Dean]

What about the person who sanitized your pool chair, or the landscaper who blows leaves off the walkway, I’m sure they are on the lower end of the pay scale. Are the tippers in the group tipping them as well, as seemingly we all want them to stay in their jobs also. Curious how you choose who to tip and who not to tip.

The point that there are others who provide service just as valuable and make around the same, often less, and who are essentially never tipped; is a vlid one. I con't to feel that often tipping for housekeeping is as much about people's internal guilt as a reasonable decision and nothing in this thread has suggested I should believe otherwise.

 

[NboroGirl]

I tip $10 per bedroom in our villas. Those cleaners work hard - it takes a lot to get a villa fully cleaned in the short turn-around time they have. And unless it doesn't look clean when we arrive, I always tip. I can't imagine not doing so. I tip the golf pro after a lesson; I tip the cart guys at the course; I tip at the restaurant; it only seems fair to tip for housekeeping too.

 

[SueDonJ]

The point that there are others who provide service just as valuable and make around the same, often less, and who are essentially never tipped; is a vlid one. I con't to feel that often tipping for housekeeping is as much about people's internal guilt as a reasonable decision and nothing in this thread has suggested I should believe otherwise.

I agree that the services can be just as valuable but the pay structures of the various service positions does take into account whether it's a typically-tipped position or not, so why wouldn't we?

I don't understand the comment about internal guilt. Before letting them know we're out of there we return all the furniture and all the stuff in the kitchen cabinets to its original place, strip all the beds and leave the pile of linens in the entryway, collect all the towels and leave them in one of the tubs, empty the fridge/freezer including the ice tray, wipe down or sweep/vacuum up any obvious mess, empty the trash into designated places and turn the dishwasher on. I certainly don't feel guilty about the condition of the unit we're leaving behind. But they still have quite a bit of work to do to leave it as it should be left for the next guests.

Or are you talking about the guilt that some claim we all should supposedly feel because we're not all out there everyday protesting that the pay structures are so unfair? Nope, that's not me either. I vote for people who say they'll work on it to change things, sure, but beyond that there's nothing more I can do. If ever that change happens, I'll happily stop tipping the service workers.

 

[Dean]

I agree that the services can be just as valuable but the pay structures of the various service positions does take into account whether it's a typically-tipped position or not, so why wouldn't we?

I don't understand the comment about internal guilt. Before letting them know we're out of there we return all the furniture and all the stuff in the kitchen cabinets to its original place, strip all the beds and leave the pile of linens in the entryway, collect all the towels and leave them in one of the tubs, empty the fridge/freezer including the ice tray, wipe down or sweep/vacuum up any obvious mess, empty the trash into designated places and turn the dishwasher on. I certainly don't feel guilty about the condition of the unit we're leaving behind. But they still have quite a bit of work to do to leave it as it should be left for the next guests.

Or are you talking about the guilt that some claim we all should supposedly feel because we're not all out there everyday protesting that the pay structures are so unfair? Nope, that's not me either. I vote for people who say they'll work on it to change things, sure, but beyond that there's nothing more I can do. If ever that change happens, I'll happily stop tipping the service workers.

That's just it, housekeeping for MVC is not a tipped position so it really isn't any different than many of the other staff around the ground and for many the pay structure is similar in terms of dollars as well. I know this type of thread can easily head down a rabbit hole but I'll simply explain that the guilt I'm talking about is individual and often subconscious. Like many such issues there's usually no way to tell for a given individual, it's the generalization I'm referring to.

We too do a lot to make it as easy as possible for them to turn the unit. If someone leaves a unit truly messy, they should pay a fee of some type whether it's in the form of a tip or charged by the resort.

 

[MabelP]

If we had a one bedroom for the week, we leave $10. A two bedroom, $20.

 

[rapmarks]

When I rent out my ownership I check the unit out before and after the guest. 1 out of 15 left a tip

 

[nycjimster]

I read a thread about tipping a while ago, and almost everybody agreed that tipping a small amount should be a norm. I have always left a tip, and am more generous as I get older and in a better financial situation. I am surprised that people are spending thousands on vacation and can not leave a small tip for the cleaner. Sorry, the argument that it is in the maintenance and they are not doing much sounds wrong. You can make someone day with a $20 tip (versus drinking another margarita at the bar). Maybe look at tipping as "pay it forward" versus I only tip for service.

 

[SandyO]

When we stay at regular hotels I always stop by the desk when checking out and ask who cleaned the room BEFORE we stayed. That's the person I want to reward if the room is neat and clean, not the one who picks up after us as we leave things very neat when we depart. I agree that housekeeping staff members probably do not get paid much although now most service jobs are demanding that $15-$20 per hour to work! I want the person who 'gifted' me with a spotless room to enjoy to have the reward.

 

[mchct]

When we stayed at our Marriott Phuket Beach Club timeshare, we'd usually be in our villa when housekeeping came by for daily housekeeping in the morning. There were usually 2-3 ladies in the housekeeping/maid crew and we'd hand each one a small tip each day and they were always very appreciative and nice. If we were gone, we'd leave two or three stacks of tip on the bed. We tipped daily because they usually changed crews or were off by the time your week was over.

No dishwashing machine at MPU, so you could leave your dishes, pots, pans etc. and they would wash, dry and put it all away for you. We try to keep things generally neat and tidy at hotels or timeshare and will gather the trash bags from the rooms and put them near the kitchen along with empty plastic or glass water bottles, put used towels to replace on the side of the tub, hang up the rest, kind of make the bed, etc. And I'd usually wash our dishes before they came. But housekeeping still worked hard and would put away the washed dishes from the dish rack drain. They cleaned, swept, vac'd, mopped, made beds, cleaned bathrooms, replaced towels, replenished coffee supplies, laundry detergent, provide extra water bottles, mosquito coils, etc. and asked if we wanted more water bottles or any other supplies. They would also make a new folded animal towel for us each day and my husband joked that they were starting a zoo for us!

We'd also leave our left over groceries of rice, noodles, soy sauce, oils, spices, condiments, and meats/fruits/eggs from freezer or refrig for housekeeping at the end of our stay by leaving a note for them. It doesn't seem like giving away your leftover groceries is much, but I remember our very first stay there years ago, on our last day and trying to decide if I should throw out the leftover groceries. Then our housekeeping crew arrived and I asked them if they wanted any or all of it and they were so happy when they saw all the stuff - I tend to overbuy because we'll take cooking classes in Bangkok and try to make the meals when we're in Phuket, so when we go shopping with our driver we'll buy all the ingredients from Tesco or the roadside produce stands. Groceries are pretty inexpensive and if someone can use our leftovers, that's great! They did ask me to write a note, so I always write a note and leave it on the counter next to the leftover bag of rice and other groceries and put a note on the refrigerator to remind housekeeping to take the stuff home if they want.

We also tip daily when staying at a hotel. But when we went to Hawaii this May, MKO didn't provide the midweek tidy (we didn't need it anyways) probably because of Covid protocols, so we just left a housekeeping tip on our last day of our week. At the hotels, we just left a tip on our last days when we left since we didn't have any housekeeping at all.

When the husband travels for work, he'll tidy up the room but leave a tip every morning on the bed for housekeeping and then usually goes downstairs or to the lounge for breakfast. At one trip a couple of years ago, he had to go back to the room to get something. He noticed that the tip was already gone from the bed but room wasn't cleaned/made up and he didn't see any of the housekeeping carts or staff in the hall. He asked at the front desk and they ran a room key report to see which employee entered. From the short time period, they found that a maintenance person was going into the rooms, to steal the housekeeping tips!

Anyways, housekeeping is a hard job so they deserve a tip! When we walk past rooms or villas with open doors that housekeeping has just entered, it's amazing how messy or trashed the rooms are and I can almost imagine how bad the kitchen, bedroom and baths are if the entry/living room looks that bad! Maybe that's why we try to be neat and considerate!

 

[Dean]

We always leave the tip at the end of our stay.
Phuket, as you know, is rather different to other MVC resorts as they provide a fairly comprehensive daily service ( and always with a smile)

I would think that such staff at resorts that provide daily service are actually in a tipped position. I know this is true for many resorts in MX.

I saw a study 3 or 4 years ago that polled hotels and asked whether housekeeping was a tipped position. Basically half said yes and half said no, IIRC it was 54% said so. So for hotels I've gotten to where I ask a FD manager.

 

[bazzap]

I would think that such staff at resorts that provide daily service are actually in a tipped position. I know this is true for many resorts in MX.

I saw a study 3 or 4 years ago that polled hotels and asked whether housekeeping was a tipped position. Basically half said yes and half said no, IIRC it was 54% said so. So for hotels I've gotten to where I ask a FD manager.

All staff at Phuket Beach Club receive a share of the resort “Service Charge”.
Since the impact of Covid though, the period of resort closure and subsequent very low occupancy levels has resulted in that “Service Charge” and therefore individual staff members share of it being slashed.
They have also had to face periods of cuts in pay and other benefits.
Thankfully, very few redundancies have been necessary, but they have all been having a very difficult time.
Many have had to take second jobs and/or spend time back at their family homes in mainland Thailand.

 

[Vacation1]

We always tip - usually $25. We have only stayed in a one or two bedroom. Couples who stay with us (when we have a two bedroom) often leave an additional $10 or $20. We like to do it. We believe that what goes around comes around....

 

[SueDonJ]

Branching off a little bit, I wonder how many people who don't leave tips for the cleaners think that it's perfectly acceptable to tip the front desk staff in order to get a better unit placement? I've seen that happen, know a couple people who actually admit to it. To me it's different because tipping the cleaning staff doesn't come with the expectation that you'll be treated any better or worse than any other owner, while the front desk payoff is effectively a bribe.

 

[Dean]

Branching off a little bit, I wonder how many people who don't leave tips for the cleaners think that it's perfectly acceptable to tip the front desk staff in order to get a better unit placement? I've seen that happen, know a couple people who actually admit to it. To me it's different because tipping the cleaning staff doesn't come with the expectation that you'll be treated any better or worse than any other owner, while the front desk payoff is effectively a bribe.

I've never done that and IMO, it's sleazy on both sides; same for a restaurant to get seated earlier, better, etc. I'd go so far as to say it's unethical. I know it's common in some circles and in some locations. It is a bribe and it is entitlement thinking. Hopefully donuts and cookies to say thanks is different, done that many times.