Leona

Why is there suddenly a moratorium on tipping housekeepers? This has always been common practice. I have never been presented with a tip envelope other than in a hair salon, but perhaps there is a need in budget-type properties.

Johanna1, your logic could also work as their having cleaned up from the previous guest on your behalf.

We always leave a tip at the end of our stay.

KathyK

In response to AnnaR, as the mother of former paperboys, I have to comment. The same people who will tip a pizza delivery person $2-3 a trip, will not tip the paperboy who shows up at their doorstep 365 days a year, in rain and snow, on Christmas morning... Paperboys make very little money for each paper delivered so in their cases I believe the tips are very well deserved. You've obviously never had a kid with a 365 day responsibility, making pennies on a paper.

AnnaR

Now I'm going to get slammed by all the moms of paperboys. I tip my paperboy well and appreciate his hard earned money, I have a son also, while he is not a paperboy OUR paperboy is his schoolmate and hockey team member, my daughter worked as a server, and my son-in-law delivered pizzas. Is it just me or does everyone get offended about everthing, sheeh. MY POINT was that there seems to be an over abundance of tipping jars and (for lack of better word)tippness everywhere.

mm

I like to, hic, tip one every once in a while.

mm

kcapuani

What about bathroom attendants in restaurants? Opinions on tipping? I personally find it so irritating. I can turn on the faucet and get my own paper towels, thank you. Whenever I walk into the ladies room and find an attendant sitting there, I feel embarassed and rush out when I'm through washing my hands - I never bring my purse with me to the bathroom.

Cerlaurie

I totally agree that tipping has gotten out of hand. I also do not like to tip the washroom attendant, the counter clerk at Starbucks, etc.

I know some people that don't travel very often and never knew that you should tip the maid. I was staying with a friend and had left some money on the pillow when we were leaving and she came out with my money because she thought I forgot it. She wasn't being cheap nor is she stupid she just didn't travel often at that time.

We are told we should tip the hairdresser & the shampoo girl, the waiter & the busboy and the list goes on. Do we really need to tip everyone?

ed

I won't tip bartenders.

My wife worked her through college working as a waitress, therefore she is sensitive to tipping and insists on leaving $2.00 on the pillow each morning.(She reasons that we won't have the same maid each day).

I have only recently begun tipping
barbers.

She is much more faithful about tipping bellboys,hairdressers etc. :-B

KathyK

AnnaR, I agree with you that tipping has gotten out of hand, but didn't think that paperboys, for the reasons stated, should be included in this debate. I'm glad that you tip yours, many people don't.

barTENder

As someone who has spent 25 years in the bar/food/hotel industry I fully understand people feeling that tipping has gone overboard. FYI in some bars/resturaunts waitresss split tips with the bus boys and in some hotels the maids may split tips with laundry, so its not necessary to tip everyone.

HOWEVER, tips means to insure prompt service.

If your pleased with the service you received or an employee went all out to make sure you and/or your group had a good time, or your cabbie got you to the airport on time when you were running late, you should show your appreciation. The people you tip certainly will remember it and will usually go even further to ensure your night out or stay is even more enjoyable. I always expected the best out of my employees as well as myself regardless of how well a person tipped. Sometimes people just dont have the extra money to do so and it's unrealistic to expect everyone to do tip. But if you can afford it and appreciate the effort someone put forth for you to have a great experience or a good time you could leave a little gratuity.

Next time you're out somewhere and you've had a really great time/meal or you stayed at a hotel that had a clean toilet and a nicely made bed, consider this, most people in the service industry such as a bartender, waitress, hotel maid service and yes even your paperboy are paid minimum wage or less... yes less, because if they make tips you can get by with paying them less than minimum as long as their tips bring them up to minimum wage.

So for essentially 5.15-5.50 an hour, someone scoured a bathroom free of toothpaste and human waste, removed sheets a stranger rooted around in and gave you fresh ones, vacuumed, dusted, emptied garbage and removed interesting personal items that you probably wouldnt leave lying around in your home. You cant get someone to come into your own house and do that kind of cleaning for that little bit of money.

Also for 5.50 an hour or less you had someone cook your meal or mix you a drink, bring it to your table, wipe up your mess when you were done, & do your dishes. Not to mention all the other little fun jobs, such as clean up vomit from the bathrooms, food from the floor and a variety of other little treats. All the while making sure YOUR happy and having a good time.

Why do we do it? Because we meet some of the best people in the world in the service industry, most of the time we have a great time and we enjoy doing the job. Why keep on doing it? For the same reasons and sometimes its all a person knows or the best they may be able to do. The people in the service industry are kids putting themselves through school, parents trying to put food on the table. They are hard workers doing a dirty job.

So if you enjoyed the service that you were provided tip them if you can afford it. It will encourage them to continue the good work. If you didnt enjoy it then dont tip them.. they'll get the point.

FainaAgain

Beleive it or not, once my tips were NOT taken! Probably left in some weird place Since then I always put a note with cash, so found those envelopes handy.

Suzie

Faina I have also had that experience. Kept trying to leave the money in a place the maid might pick it up. Finally I left a note. Now that's some honest staff!!!!

FainaAgain

Suzie, did we stay at the same hotel? To me it happened in Vancouver, BC.

Suzie

I can't remember where but it wasn't outside the US. Must have been somewhere in CA or HI.

a2dal

I too have been annoyed by the expectations for tips - I am happy to reward great service, but unfortunately everyone expects a tip even for horrible service. The kiss of death can be to sit at a table with more than 6 people - you get an 18% gratuity added to your bill, and there is no incentive to tend to your group for the average server (sure many will work for an even better tip, but plenty think 18% is not half bad and then just shuffle about). This was particularly bad in LA, where everyone seems to think they are above serving as they wait for their big break.

I would prefer that the employers pay the employees decent wages so that there isn't the guilt that they're not even making minimum wage without tips. Especially when the employer is a large company . . .

cynlouhoo

Sorry, couldn't resist. As a person who worked as a maid in various hotels for over 5 years, I have to say that a little tip goes a long way to boost morale.
I have worked as a chamber maid both in the USA and Canada, and I found the tips to be hard to come by here in Canada. Not sure if people assume Canadian maids are paid better.....that is certainly not the case. Obviously, it depends on the place...union or not, fancy or not, decent management or not, etc.
When I tip, I tend to leave a larger amount when I am staying at a nicer place. I do find that there is a noticible appreciation displayed towards tippers (thank you notes, extra pouches of coffee, etc), particulalry in the Canadian Hotels. Tips don't have to be big to be appreciated. Really, anywhere from $1-$5 per day is OK.
Prior to meeting me, my husband never thought to tip the maids. Now he sometimes reminds me to!

cynlouhoo

Me again. Just realized that the thread was not only in regard to tipping maids. So, after reading a couple posts about paperboys (carriers), I wanted to add that my son gets paid only about $3 a day for his hard work as a paper carrier. He lugs around heavy catalogues at various times for lame extra amounts ranging from 5 cents to 25 cents per catalogue. Kids certainly aren't getting rich off of the newspaper business, but no doubt it is a great first job.
Some people are generous with a Christmas tip, while others tip at various times throughout the year, but overall tipping is rare. Again, a small tip can really make a carrier's day. Particularly when you think of them going out at 6am, in any weather (harsh Canadian winters for example)to bring you your morning paper on time.

Travelermebe

When I was a kid a half a century ago, I was a paperboy. I can't tell you how much tips meant to me. Some people were great, they appreciated the service (I always left the paper on their porch or inside their storm door in the winter). Others were cheap and never tipped. It left a life long impression on me.

One of my daughters worked as a waitress during college to earn extra spending money. She ran into the same thing. Some people were very generous and appreciated good service and some people were cheap and couldn't have cared less.

I've run into a lot of the cheap kind of people. They always argue that they shouldn't have to tip. The employers should pay more. Well that is not how the system works in this country, or anywhere else for that matter. Most service people rely on tips for a reasonable amount of income. At the risk of getting trashed, its my opinion that the people who don't tip are simply cheap and not willing to pay for the service they get.

All of my life I have practiced what I learned when I was a kid. When someone, usually making minimum wage, or something close to it, provides good service to me, I tip them generously for the service. Doesn't matter if they are a waitress, bellman, maid, doorman, porter, or bartender. I personally know what it means to them, and I am happy to pay for the service they provide me. If an envelope in a room reminds someone of the service they are getting, then I think it is a great idea.

Geordie

In Europe, Asia & Australasia tipping is rarely done for any service as people are paid a living wage by their employer.

When visiting the US its always a daunting prospect not knowing who gets tips and who doesn't.

There was an advertisement by United Airlines in the UK that basically went along the lines a couple from the UK checked into a hotel and the guy who showed them to their room expected a tip, then the bell boy came with their luggage and expected a tip, then a chamber maid offering extra towels etc etc, and the final one was when they were checking out and the cashier asked them if they'd seen the magnificent sunset last night, which they said yes and as a result a charge was added to the bill. (The United punchline was that with our fares there are no extra charges, this was before the fuel surcharge!)

I also feel sorry for people like the cooks in the kitchen as for me they are the ones who are doing all the hard work and their wages are absolutely pitiful, its tends to be more a labour of love then a financially rewarding profession, also some of these commuter pilots are on a basic of $18,000 per year, I'll stop there about tipping pilots etc.

Geordie