Over the past few years, tipping regulations
and customs have undergone significant modification.
The three people that everyone knows to tip
are the waiters, stylists, and bartenders. Most people also know that tipping
bellhops, nail techs, and valets are customary.
However, tipping is becoming customary for
coffee, takeaway orders, and restaurants where you order at the counter.
In certain shops and boutiques, patrons who
receive assistance in selecting and fitting clothes are even required to pay
shop personnel.
However, who is the one employee in the
hospitality industry who constantly appears to get taken advantage of? domestic
workers.
Only around 30% of hotel customers tip
housekeepers, according to data gathered by The New York Times. I regret to
inform you that, until recently, I belonged to the 70% of people who did not
tip.
There are a few explanations for why so few
hotel patrons give their housekeepers gratuities. One is blatant ignorance, as
it is in my situation. Out of sight, out of mind thinking is another.
We seldom have face-to-face interactions with
our housekeepers, in contrast to valets and bellhops who speak with visitors
directly. When you're in a hurry to get out of there on time, it might be
simple to forget all of your hard work.
You're
Not Leaving Enough Money for Your Hotel Housekeeper
According to recent statistics, most of us
aren't giving our hotel housekeepers the appropriate gratuity.
A research published in The Vacationer states
that just 39% of consumers provide gratuities for housekeeping services, which
means that 61% of consumers do not. That is really horrible. And hear this:
it's possible that you were unaware of the expectation or the protocol around
it.
Let's be clear about that: in our nation,
where the majority of the hospitality business depends on tips, tipping is not
a gesture of goodwill or favoritism. Due to considerable organization, hotel
workers' average pay has increased recently.
However, Zip Recruiter reports that the
average wage for hotel housekeepers in November 2023 will be $15 per hour or
$32,092 per year.
Sadly, the distinction between a living
salary and poverty wages is tipping. Although housekeepers nationwide are
pressing their employers for increased compensation, the fight is far from
over.
Tipping is not only a customary practice in
the service sector, but it is also an essential component of our economy until
all workers in the nation are given a livable salary.
Remember to leave a separate tip for the
housekeepers in your room whenever you check out of a hotel, motel, resort, or
any other type of establishment that: A) accommodated you while you were
staying there; and B) has cleaning staff.
Don't just give the front desk a big tip;
that will go to a lot of other hotel employees, but probably not the
housekeepers.
After proving that you ought to tip your
cleaner, here are some guidelines to follow to ensure you are giving them the
proper amount.
Is
Tipping Hotel Housekeeping Appropriate?
In a nutshell, yes. Following this epiphany,
I began to consider cleaning staff in hotels across the South and beyond, and I
came to the conclusion that they are among the most dedicated workers in the
service sector.
In order to provide you with a spotless
bedroom and a bed that is ready to go every night, they do the selfless tasks
of washing down every surface in your bedroom, retucking your sheets, vacuuming
the room service crumbs, and folding the things you've thrown across the room.
I'm not sure anything is more worthy of appreciation than that.
How
Much Should You Give the Housekeeper at Your Hotel?
In a mid-range or business hotel, tips for
housekeeping should vary from $1 to $5 per night, according to the American
Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA).
Guests ought to tip a little bit more at
upscale hotels where personnel provides nightly turndown and daily cleaning
services.
If you have big suites or mansions with
numerous rooms that need to be cleaned, you should think about leaving between
$10 and $20 per night.
Generally speaking, you should tip more the
more mess there is. If your toddlers are determined to feed themselves, you
might want to consider adding $5 to the tab. If you're traveling with a furry
buddy, the same rules apply.
The circumstances of your stay will determine
how much you left as a token of appreciation for the housekeeper's assistance
at your hotel.
How much do you tip the housekeeping staff at
hotels? Is it OK to leave more than the suggested daily tipping range of $1 to
$5? Think about the following:
- How many people live there? Consider the extra cleaning the cleaner will
need to undertake if you are traveling with family or in a group. For instance,
there would be more rubbish to remove and more blankets and sheets to replace.
In addition to your regular tip, you might want to consider leaving an extra $1
per person.
- Room type: The size and amenities of your room will also determine how much
time the housekeeper spends cleaning; if you reserve a room with a kitchenette,
for example, housekeeping will be responsible for additional tasks like
emptying the trash can and replenishing dishes and kitchenware.
- Condition of your room: Although your housekeeper will appreciate that you
treat your room like your home, if you leave it messy from your vacation (for
example, empty pizza boxes on the floor, soda cups, or empty drink bottles
lying around), make sure to leave a gratuity for them.
- Unique demands. Let's say you requested an additional pair of luxurious
hotel slippers since you enjoy the smell of the shampoo so much. A thoughtful
tip expresses your gratitude.
- Communications with employees. Typically, housekeepers work their magic
when you're not in your room to avoid disturbing you. However, there are
instances when you might speak with each other face-to-face, such on a
lunchtime dash back to your room. A greater gratuity for cordial guest service
may be appropriate if you have a good conversation with housekeeping.
- Your spending plan: Your budget will ultimately determine how much you tip
hotel housekeeping. If at all possible, think about leaving a large gratuity as
a way of thanking housekeepers for their physically demanding work. A $1 to $2
daily tip combined with a handwritten letter of gratitude is a considerate
gesture if money is tight.
🔘 Read More: A comprehensive guide to tipping in Russia
When
is a better time to tip housekeeping?
If your dog soiled the carpet or your tinted
moisturizer exploded all over the bathroom, for example, or if the housekeeping
staff had to clean up an extra dirty room or turn it over more quickly, tip
more than $5 per day or handle any other extenuating circumstance, consider
leaving a larger tip.
By staying away from these things you should
never do in a hotel room, you may try your best to be a kind visitor.
When
to give the hotel maid a gratuity
While some visitors choose to leave a large
gratuity on the last day of their visit, it is best to give little gratuities
every day because daily room assignments may vary across hotel housekeepers.
A daily gratuity more precisely guarantees
that the person who services the room every day receives your appreciation.
On the
last day, do you leave housekeeping a tip?
There won't be the same housekeepers every
day because they frequently switch up their days and timetables. The
housekeepers who cleaned your room early in your stay won't get paid if you tip
at the end.
Alternatively, Grotts suggests leaving a tip
each day of your visit to guarantee that the money is sent toward the person or
individuals who really clean your room.
During
the holidays, do you leave cleaning tips higher?
It seems sense that you would be wondering
how much to tip housekeeping over the holidays as traveling during the holidays
causes more stress for everyone and work for those who clean hotel rooms.
According to Grotts, leaving a larger
gratuity during the busiest time of year is not necessary, but it is
considerate.
It never hurts to be a bit more giving, she
adds, if you can afford it. "Those in the service industry are not well
compensated, and tips are how they make ends meet."
When
tipping hotel housekeeping, is cash acceptable?
When it comes to tips, cash is still king,
according to Grotts. Place change for housekeeping in an envelope or with a
note attached. You can ask the hotel concierge to offer a tip to the cleaners
if you would rather not use cash.
One of the best indicators that a hotel has
excellent customer service is a friendly front desk, so they should be more
than happy to assist you in getting the money to the correct individuals.
How
much to provide the housekeeping staff at a cottage or rental
According to Grotts, the majority of holiday
rentals, such as timeshares, Airbnb, and VRBO, have predetermined pricing with
all fees included in the total cost, including housekeeping.
This implies that you don't need to leave a
bigger tip for the hosts or the cleaners. She does, however, add that leaving a
positive online review or sending a thank-you card is always welcomed if your
stay was excellent and the facility spotless.
How
often should I leave tips?
Housekeeping employees should receive daily
tips from you. Come together Here, a 300,000-tradesman labor union, which
includes hotel employees, is presently launching an initiative to encourage
hotel visitors to make daily requests for cleaning services.
Refusing services might result in less hours
worked and lower pay for housekeepers as well as difficulty cleaning rooms.
According to Steve Turk, the head of the
consulting business Turk Hospitality, "you might not get the same
housekeeper every day," therefore you should do it every day, he told
Thrillist.
Turk spent twenty years working in many
hotels, such as Mandarin Oriental, Nobu Hotels, Trump Hotels, Delano, and
Viceroy, before he became a consultant.
"Keep in mind that the gratuity covers
not only the cleaning you do while you are there, but also the housekeeping
services rendered both before and after your visit," Turk said.
Tipping daily employees and allowing
housekeeping workers access should be regular activities.
In
hotels, who else ought to receive a gratuity?
You could receive services beyond
housekeeping depending on where you are living.
Was the weeklong vacation meticulously
planned by the concierge, or was it simply a simple dinner reservation? Davis
believes that at the conclusion of your journey, a concierge ought to get a
gratuity of their own.
"At the end of your stay, a traditional
tip should be between $30 and $100, depending on the length of your stay,"
stated Davis. "If your concierge organized a memorable event and made your
trip unforgettable, a $500 tip is not unheard of."
Tipping is customary for service personnel
such as pool staff, bellhops, and valet attendants in hotels where you are
likely to come across them.
🔘 Read More: ten reasons why you need a digital tipping solution in 2023
If
cleaning doesn't come in the room, should I still tip them?
Given that cleaning never cleans your room,
you might be wondering if tipping them makes sense. The response is still yes,
which is not unexpected. This is due to a number of factors.
Many hotels cut back on housekeeping services
because of the epidemic, and they haven't resumed since. Some hotels may choose
to be more environmentally conscious by just providing daily housekeeping upon
request.
After you check out, housekeeping will still
need to clean your room if you stayed at one of these hotels. And if you’ve had
a visit longer than a day or two, the housekeeping crew will likely need to
spend extra time cleaning your accommodation.
Tipping may be a great method to show your
kindness even if you don't deal with the personnel.
In
summary
Don't worry if you usually don't have enough
money to appreciate the housekeeper's hard work.
For rapid, cashless tipping and tip tracking,
use our electronic tipping app for servers. The simplicity of a donation app
will help you.
With the help of this tipping app, you may
leave a tip over the phone in addition to paying with cash. The good news is
that Android or iPhone-powered mobile devices may utilize our tip calculator
application.