Tipping maids while on a business trip (employees, highest, employer)

[Irishtom29]

My mother was a housekeeping boss in a hotel in the 1970s and tipping was common then. The maids work very hard for very little money and only a poor person shouldn't be expected to tip them.

[tiredtired]

Some guy is going to clean my rental car after I return it. Do I need to tip them as well?

If not, why not since he will be doing the same services to the rental car as the maid is doing to the hotel room?

[Tober138]

Originally Posted by tiredtired

That's called a job, and you get something called a paycheck when you work at a job.

Do you tip the person who cleans the toilets and washes the showers at your gym? Your office? What about the rest stop bathroom you use? What about if you use the bathroom at the airport? Do you need to tip the cleaner there?

So...you don't tip anyone? After all, bartenders are paid to pour drinks, waiters are paid to serve food, etc.

My office does tip the cleaning service who takes care of our office (usually at the end of every month). I tip my maid at home on top of what she charges. I tip waitstaff and bartenders at restaurants, the valets who park my car, and the bellmen who take my luggage to or from the room. If I'm in a club or a high-end restaurant with a bathroom attendant, I tip them as well.

I also get a "tip" at my job as well, if you consider an end of year bonus a "tip".

Originally Posted by tiredtired

We also have a thing called a minimum wage in this country

I am well aware of this. I worked my way through college and grad school delivering pizzas and waiting on tables while making minimum wage so I know what it is like to do those kinds of jobs and I know that they suck and involve hard work and I have no issue tipping for services.

Originally Posted by tiredtired

I agree if we leave a mess to tip, but if we don't leave a mess, don't ask for extras, and generally take care of the place, I'm not seeing the purpose in leaving a tip.

Some people are cheap. Their choice.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by tiredtired

Some guy is going to clean my rental car after I return it. Do I need to tip them as well?

If not, why not since he will be doing the same services to the rental car as the maid is doing to the hotel room?

Tipping hotel maids is customary but if you want to tip people who clean rental cars have a field day.

[txdemo]

Originally Posted by tiredtired

That's called a job, and you get something called a paycheck when you work at a job.

Do you tip the person who cleans the toilets and washes the showers at your gym? Your office? What about the rest stop bathroom you use? What about if you use the bathroom at the airport? Do you need to tip the cleaner there?

We also have a thing called a minimum wage in this country, and I guarantee you that hotel maids do not make less than many other non-tipped workes. Nor do they work any harder than fast food workers, bank tellers, etc, etc.

I agree if we leave a mess to tip, but if we don't leave a mess, don't ask for extras, and generally take care of the place, I'm not seeing the purpose in leaving a tip. It's not like people that work in other non-tipped professions get paid more.

I always tip because I know that anyone that's cleaning my toilet needs the money more than I do.

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by manderly6

I only do it at the end. And not nearly as much as some have posted.

I understood that the "rule" was $1 per person per day.

[jaypee]

I tip people who provided a personal service to me: carry my bags, clean my room, gave me extra towels, pour coffee in my cup, etc.
I don't tip people who does this service in a public area for everyone: clean public bathrooms, bus driver, etc.


Reservoir Dogs - Tips For The Tippers - YouTube

[carolinacool]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

Tipping hotel maids is customary but if you want to tip people who clean rental cars have a field day.

But he does have a good point. I feel like at some point, tipping for all kinds of things will become customary. His example of a bank teller is excellent. I think lots of people think bank tellers are decently paid because they have to look nice and professional. But many, many bank tellers only make minimum wage. I'm sure lots of service people earn higher base wages than they do without tips.

For what it's worth, I did wait tables my senior year of college for $2.13 plus tips, so I tend to side-eye anyone who makes minimum wage and beyond who cries, "But I need tips, too!" But I give them because it's expected. I don't do tip jars, though. Nope. LOL

[Tober138]

Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801

I understood that the "rule" was $1 per person per day.

I've never really hard any rules around tipping hotel maids, it seems to vary from person to person. $1 per day for one person sounds a bit low. Now for bellmen - $1 per bag is typically accepted as a standard.

[beera]

Originally Posted by Tober138

So...you don't tip anyone? After all, bartenders are paid to pour drinks, waiters are paid to serve food, etc.

But bartenders and waiters don't make min. wage like maids do. My hairdresser gets paid by the haircut, the girl who does my eyebrows, same thing.

I don't think it's being cheap for not doing something you never even knew to do! Seriously, the whole tipping the maid thing is news to me.

I agree, the maids job is to clean, now if they do something above and beyond for me, that's different, of course I'd feel a need to tip! But I'm the guest who cleans up after herself for the most part lol.

Though am I going to tip from now on? I'm not sure, to be honest probably not unless I'm at a hotel more than a few days or get particularly good service.