Tipping housekeeping.
Jan 8, 2012, 4:24 pm
#76
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Yaatri: I don't know how they got away with it at US$60 per day (meals and incidentals) for London.
$60 is very low for London - I use US State Dep't for international benchmark - they now allow twice that.
Sylvia
$60 is very low for London - I use US State Dep't for international benchmark - they now allow twice that.
Sylvia
1. A reasonable tip is about 5% of the room charges. $5/night is fine in a $100/night hotel. If you are in a $400/night room, $20/night seems reasonable.
2. What your employer pays you as compensation and reimburses you is between you & your employer. Particularly those reimbursed on a Federal government rate, the "I" in "M,I&E) is for "Incidentals" such as tips. If your supervisor won't approve an expense voucher which complies with the rates for the locale (under your contract if you are a contractor), report it to the Inspector General for your agency (or the agency which let the contract).
3. It's plain cheap not to leave a tip. One can argue that it would be a better system if hotels paid their cleaners more, raised their rates and tips weren't necessary (kind of like the European system for restaurants where "service" is added and a tip is very small and only for extraordinary service). But, argument or not, it's not the way it is.
2. What your employer pays you as compensation and reimburses you is between you & your employer. Particularly those reimbursed on a Federal government rate, the "I" in "M,I&E) is for "Incidentals" such as tips. If your supervisor won't approve an expense voucher which complies with the rates for the locale (under your contract if you are a contractor), report it to the Inspector General for your agency (or the agency which let the contract).
3. It's plain cheap not to leave a tip. One can argue that it would be a better system if hotels paid their cleaners more, raised their rates and tips weren't necessary (kind of like the European system for restaurants where "service" is added and a tip is very small and only for extraordinary service). But, argument or not, it's not the way it is.
Let's do some maths---no-- arithmetic here. The ---180 pounds. The tip would be $15 per night for doing their job. Out of $60 per day, one is expected to starve and tip house-keeping, come home and report an unethical employer to Inspector General and lose one's job.
Last edited by Yaatri; Jan 8, 2012 at 4:31 pm
Jan 8, 2012, 5:06 pm
#77
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If I'm at a hotel for a week or longer, particularly if it's a high-end property, I'll leave $10 on the desk my first day out for the housekeeping. I always receive exceptionally prompt service, extra toiletries and water bottles without having to ask, and the room completely spotless. The maid is required to tidy the room; I don't expect my coffee maker to be cleaned, laundry to be folded, and so on.
A small tip at the beginning of these stays is just good business for me on my end.
Jan 8, 2012, 5:47 pm
#78
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Who says the contractor isn't using Federal rates? More than likely the contractor is and is paying below that to the employees and pocketing (tax free) the difference. That's why reporting the employer/Federal contractor to the contracting agency's Inspector General is important.
Jan 8, 2012, 7:43 pm
#79
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I know. it's not known what the contractor billed the Federal Govt. I suspected that too. I considered reporting them. But it's a separate issue from tipping. The two are linked by an employer lining its pocket by not paying its employees. If housekeeping staff is underpaid, they should be paid better. Tipping is not the solution. Employers do pay gratuity to their employees in many parts of the world. Gratuity is not just for low paying jobs. A doctor, an engineer, a professor, all are paid gratuity.
Jan 8, 2012, 7:48 pm
#80
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Being Canadian can't be a defence, surely.
Jan 8, 2012, 8:01 pm
#81
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Giving a tip is a choice. You choose to tip. You are not obligated to tip.
I have no idea what housekeeping is paid. I doubt that it's minimum wage. Even if it is it's little justification for a tip. Car rental agent is paid about the same amount. Gas station cashiers, Seven Eleven emplyoees and many others are paid about minimum wage.
If their employer feels housekeeping deserve to be paid more, they should pay more. Why force them to depend on tips?
Jan 8, 2012, 8:02 pm
#82
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Not particularly relevant to housekeeping though. The majority of guests do not tip. Tips are therefore not expected. No-one is taking a hit. You simply cannot begin to compare this with, for example, restaurant servers - a completely different category. Don't start with your "this is how we do things in the USA". You can speak for yourself on this one, but you're not in charge of speaking for the rest of us.
Jan 8, 2012, 8:04 pm
#83
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Not particularly relevant to housekeeping though. The majority of guests do not tip. Tips are therefore not expected. No-one is taking a hit. You simply cannot begin to compare this with, for example, restaurant servers - a completely different category. Don't start with your "this is how we do things in the USA". You can speak for yourself on this one, but you're not in charge of speaking for the rest of us.
But the tips actually means something to chambermaids, because they don't expect tips usually..
Jan 8, 2012, 8:25 pm
#84
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On a seperate note - I just object to people trying to tell the rest of us how to behave and then criticize and name-call if we don't behave like them.
Jan 8, 2012, 8:27 pm
#85
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Typically, I like to be generous against the grain. Tipping the housekeeping staff is money well spent.. and I notice a deep sense of appreciation from the staff.
Jan 8, 2012, 8:33 pm
#86
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BTW I would show you a deep sense of appreciation, and even dedicate a smiley to you if you would be generous to me.
Last edited by Yaatri; Jan 8, 2012 at 8:46 pm
Jan 8, 2012, 8:48 pm
#87
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I give because I want to.. others don't have to follow my lead, and I don't expect anyone to follow what I do, just because I tip the chambermaids..
Contrary, I would hope for the opposite, as I like to do the unconventional.. that's my style..
Jan 8, 2012, 11:27 pm
#88
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Not sure why you've mentioned $100 bills.. I certainly don't do that..
I give because I want to.. others don't have to follow my lead, and I don't expect anyone to follow what I do, just because I tip the chambermaids..
Contrary, I would hope for the opposite, as I like to do the unconventional.. that's my style..
I give because I want to.. others don't have to follow my lead, and I don't expect anyone to follow what I do, just because I tip the chambermaids..
Contrary, I would hope for the opposite, as I like to do the unconventional.. that's my style..
Jan 9, 2012, 10:31 pm
#89
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It may not be a public reason..
Its a personal reason I give to myself for tipping.. which I should have given more clarity to..
Aug 28, 2015, 8:33 pm
#90
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Sorry for resurrecting this old thread, but since there was already one I didn't want to create a new one.
I realize in recent experiences of staying in hotels in the US (NYC, San Francisco, Chicago) that housekeeping didn't replenish one item of my amenity suite (usually, shower gel). This happened daily for my usually week-long stays.
Is housekeeping expecting me to 'notice' that I've run out of the item, only to trigger a call to replenish, and 'expect' a tip when they deliver the item? Usually, when I do so I find that instead of just bringing me a bottle, they bring a couple of bottles.
Is this a way that housekeeping can solicit tips more directly? (I'm genuinely interested to find out and not trying to be cynical here...)
I realize in recent experiences of staying in hotels in the US (NYC, San Francisco, Chicago) that housekeeping didn't replenish one item of my amenity suite (usually, shower gel). This happened daily for my usually week-long stays.
Is housekeeping expecting me to 'notice' that I've run out of the item, only to trigger a call to replenish, and 'expect' a tip when they deliver the item? Usually, when I do so I find that instead of just bringing me a bottle, they bring a couple of bottles.
Is this a way that housekeeping can solicit tips more directly? (I'm genuinely interested to find out and not trying to be cynical here...)