Hvr

For sat31, if I see you in the hall and say I only need my bin emptied and give you the bin, then stand in the doorway while you enter the phone code. does that count as you having serviced the room?

Or would you simply ask for another room?

I've done this many times on multi-night stays and the housekeeper has always been very happy.

I don't tip housekeepers but do appreciate the tipping culture in the USA and understand why it is part of the wage system. Although I hate it, I do tip drivers, wait staff etc as appropriate.

Annalisa12

Why don't you tip overseas when they too need tips as part of their wage?

Jaimito Cartero

Why the need to overtip? Many countries have a service charge added to the bill.

erik123

It's origins are with Pullman rail car attendants (porters) in the 1900s. The only reason was to reduce payroll and thus increase profitability - not to improve service. It's still mostly like that.

pinniped

If tipping is not the custom, doesn't that imply that the labor demand curve has sorted itself out without the expectation of tips? Thus they *don't* need tips as part of their wage.

I avoid tipping in places where it is not the custom. Frankly, it's a seedy practice and it's not something I want to spread, like a disease. Second, I'd be concerned about unintended impacts on the local economy: if a disproportionate amount of locals are chasing jobs in the tourism industry because of the tips, what other industries are hurt because of it?

Low Roller

This can be seen in Cuba where some doctors prefer to work as bartenders in resorts because they make a lot more money with tips. Of course, Cuba isn't a typical economy...

Boraxo

After I read "Nickel & Dimed" I decided to start leaving tips, but I then I stopped. The reason is that I am generally dissatisfied with housekeeping services. They often fail to do simple things like removing old glasses and bottles, replacing soap and towels, etc. This makes me unhappy as I then have to waste time calling for basic service that should have been done and potentially waiting for someone to show up. However to be fair usually it is LCD low-skill employees in housekeeping, and you get what you pay for.

I normally provide tips (1) to reward good service (2) to incentivize good service (i.e. tip housekeeping so they will do a good job (3) because it is required (i.e. US restaurants with table service) (4) because I know the owner/server/etc. and don't want to be seen as a cheapskate.

None of those circumstances apply to hotels. In fact I often find I get worse service when I tip, which is counterintuitive but I think simply demonstrates that tips do not incentivize better room cleaning. YMMV.

CKA1

I tip in relationship with the local economy. I tip fairly, but not in a way where I'm a DYKWIA ugly Westerner. Tipping housekeeping is similar to tipping a porter, a guide, taxicab driver, etc. If done in careful proportion and within a good boundary, it's fine.

I worked in a hotel at one point in my life. It was in housekeeping. People treat those guys as if the whole staff was there to clean up vomit/blood/urine all over the bathroom floor and that we're begging for tips. I very rarely got tipped and when I did, it was only for over the top service. One time a non-English person needed help setting up his wifi. I did help him, arranged for somebody to come from the front desk and get him set up. Never tipped, even though I helped him on my lunch break.

I made 10 dollars an hour. Not a lot, not a small sum. If I make a mess in a hotel room, I compensate the cleaners. If I am tidy, staying in a 2* or less, and don't cause trouble, I typically tip less, if at all.