Tipping (non-bridal)

[Autumnovember]

I had no idea tipping was expected in a hotel! But then, I have extremely limited experience in American hotels.

Glad I'm finding this out now, as I'm going on a business trip in a few weeks and now I know I need to make sure to have cash.

ETA: Are you supposed to tip cab drivers here?

Yeah mostly everyone I know tips the cab drivers. However, if they are rude to me or take me a longer way on purpose I won't tip them. This has happened more times than I count. I love how many cab drivers like to assume I don't know my way around the city.

 

[mayerling]

I've never heard of tipping in hotels for housekeeping, room service or anything else except restaurant service. That is just not done in the UK. It would be considered slightly insulting in some establishments, in fact.

I have a trip to the US coming up, and I'll be mostly staying with family with maybe one or two nights in a hotel - help me out here, who and how do I tip?

Thanks!

I know what you mean. I think I was probably considered rude and inconsiderate the first time I visited the US, since it never occurred me to tip anyone except waiters in restaurants.

 

[Astra]

I do not tip hotel maids and can't really understand why it would be expected. I pay the hotel to stay there, and I consider a clean room to be included in the price I have paid. The maids are paid to do their job by the hotel.

I'm not being flip here, but do you tip waiters? Because I pay the restaurant to eat there and expect to be served my food. The waitstaff should be paid by the restaurant. But sadly, it doesn't quite work that way.

Like I said, the hospitality industry (the way it works) does bug me. But tipping in certain professions in considered customary. You tip waiters. Bellstaff. Housekeepers. Etc.

I tip waiters if s/he is nice, has smile on her face, makes you feel welcome. But, I will not tip anyone who is rude or if I wait too long for service. And why should I? We all earn our money one way or the other, who says I NEED to leave my money to someone who didn't deserve it? Yes, $5 want kill me, but then again I'm not spending my time working my ass off so I could share that money with everyone who thinks I'm suppose to... no way.

Edit - I would tip hotel maid only if I ask him/her to do something extra for me.

 

[soocool]

Places I really refuse to tip: The rest room attendants at upscale hotels and restaurants. Tip someone for handing me a paper towel? They aren't wiping my a$$ for goodness sake!

DH had a question, do any of you tip the masseuse if he works for himself. I say yes and DH says no.

 

[LGK]

Well, I am also a clueless Ms. Pink I guess. I had no clue you were supposed to tip housekeeping, good lord. I don't stay at hotels in the US much at least, mostly in other countries.

I did tip the heck out of the housekeepers in Costa Rica recently though because they worked their butts off for us. My mom and I were sharing a suite and the housekeeping girls kept folding every. single. item. of my clothes- bras, swimsuits, you name it. They'd carefully fold everything every morning, and I didn't know enough spanish to tell them I was just going to make a mess of them shortly so don't bother.

And I lost a diamond earring in the room- fell right out of my ear- and they set it and the lost backing carefully on the bedside table so I'd see it. After that I left my Tahitian pearls sitting out rather than in the safe. And (since we were *right* on the beach) we kept trailing mass quantities of sand inside and having no broom to get it out- so they had to de-sand a *lot*. So we each left them $40 at the end of the five days because they were total sweethearts (we tried to have a conversation with not much Spanish on my part and even less English on theirs, and it was pretty hilarious, but they taught me the word for towels) and obviously incredibly trustworthy. And I made positive sure it was the same two girls who'd been cleaning every day who got it.

Growing up my mom cut my hair, or I did as soon as I was old enough. So I have had maybe four professional haircuts in my life. I know I had no idea to tip the stylists the first time I got my hair cut (I was probably 24 or 25- right before I got married anyway). Did the same thing with tattoos- had no idea you're supposed to tip a tattoo artist for the first one or two I got in my teens. What can I say, I grew up under a rock I guess!

Plus my mom is a horrible tipper- never tipped hairstylists or anyone when I was a kid, and mayyybe 5% at a restaurant. She's gotten better since she remarried some years ago, but I still usually sneak a couple extra $ on the table if we eat out together.

 

[Gypsy]

It's interesting to see how this topic has heated up. Sorry, I still don't tip housekeeping for a two night stay where I don't call them. They get wages for that. I was just on a business trip, could have expensed it, but I didn't. Maybe that makes me a horrible person but I was barely in the room. I used the shower, the toilet,the sink and the bed. They didn't change the sheets everyday or the towels, and I didn't let them clean while I was there. I left no mess except for the sheets, which they have to strip any way, and the towels, which they have to change anyway. At most they will have to wipe down the surfaces, clean a toilet, and change the sheets and towels. And they are getting paid for that.

I have left tips for housekeeping before, but that was if we stayed for a long time or if we tracked mud, sand or whatever in or spilled something.

 

[TooPatient]

What is "customary"/"traditional"/whatever if you order food from a place that does sit-down/buffet/take-out?

FI & I called and ordered food for pick-up last night after an exhausting day of work/school/kitchen-repair. We got there to pick the food up and I was given a receipt to sign that had a blank for a tip...
I had no clue what to do and pointed at it for FI's opinion. He said "10" and (having nothing but mush left in my head) I filled out a tip for $10. On a $50 dinner order that we took home.

So.... next time we do this I'd like to know what is normal.



As to tipping in general -- I agree that it has gotten WAY out of hand (18% already added to the bill + service fees + tip???). My family is made up of custodians, house keepers, waiters, and other hard-working/under-paid people (with few exceptions). Where does it stop? There are a lot of behind the scenes people who get lousy pay and no benefits but their job is to provide excellent/prompt/friendly service so that's what they do -- and many of them don't get tips.
What a question. Who to tip? How much? What if _____ ?

 

[Autumnovember]

What is "customary"/"traditional"/whatever if you order food from a place that does sit-down/buffet/take-out?

FI & I called and ordered food for pick-up last night after an exhausting day of work/school/kitchen-repair. We got there to pick the food up and I was given a receipt to sign that had a blank for a tip...
I had no clue what to do and pointed at it for FI's opinion. He said "10" and (having nothing but mush left in my head) I filled out a tip for $10. On a $50 dinner order that we took home.

So.... next time we do this I'd like to know what is normal.



As to tipping in general -- I agree that it has gotten WAY out of hand (18% already added to the bill + service fees + tip???). My family is made up of custodians, house keepers, waiters, and other hard-working/under-paid people (with few exceptions). Where does it stop? There are a lot of behind the scenes people who get lousy pay and no benefits but their job is to provide excellent/prompt/friendly service so that's what they do -- and many of them don't get tips.
What a question. Who to tip? How much? What if _____ ?

I notice a lot of receipts for take out have the blank there for tip. I don't tip for that and neither does fiance or really any of my friends or family but thats just us.

 

[Circe]

What is "customary"/"traditional"/whatever if you order food from a place that does sit-down/buffet/take-out?

FI & I called and ordered food for pick-up last night after an exhausting day of work/school/kitchen-repair. We got there to pick the food up and I was given a receipt to sign that had a blank for a tip...
I had no clue what to do and pointed at it for FI's opinion. He said "10" and (having nothing but mush left in my head) I filled out a tip for $10. On a $50 dinner order that we took home.

So.... next time we do this I'd like to know what is normal.



As to tipping in general -- I agree that it has gotten WAY out of hand (18% already added to the bill + service fees + tip???). My family is made up of custodians, house keepers, waiters, and other hard-working/under-paid people (with few exceptions). Where does it stop? There are a lot of behind the scenes people who get lousy pay and no benefits but their job is to provide excellent/prompt/friendly service so that's what they do -- and many of them don't get tips.
What a question. Who to tip? How much? What if _____ ?

I don't tip for pick-up unless we're talking exceptional service, like, say, they bring me some water and give me a seat while I'm waiting, and even then, it's usually less than what I generally tip, because there's less labor involved. For delivery, I tip 15% - I figure it's at least as hard to walk to my house with food then it it to walk it from the kitchen to the table ....

 

[steph72276]

We don't do takeout all that often, but when we do I tip at least a few dollars. A lot of places, waiters take turns being the take out person, so they are not earning tips as they normally would. I don't usually tip as much as if we sit down, but I give at least 10%.

 

[zoebartlett]

I think it's hard to know where to draw the line sometimes. I tip because I appreciate the work that service workers are doing for me, but I don't tip every single person. The guy behind the counter when I order a sandwich or get take-out? Nope. The woman cleaning our hotel room, even though I straighten up on a daily basis and before we check out? Yes, definitely.

I will never understand why waiters and waitresses don't make a "normal" wage. It seems ridiculous to pay them $2.37 (or whatever) and have them rely on tips to get by.

 

[zoebartlett]

I had no idea tipping was expected in a hotel! But then, I have extremely limited experience in American hotels.

Glad I'm finding this out now, as I'm going on a business trip in a few weeks and now I know I need to make sure to have cash.

ETA: Are you supposed to tip cab drivers here?

We don't take cabs often at all, but the few times we have, we've tipped the driver.

 

[zoebartlett]

What is "customary"/"traditional"/whatever if you order food from a place that does sit-down/buffet/take-out?

I don't tip when I get take out, as I mentioned above, and that's for sit down restaurants and order-from-the-counter types of places. Maybe I should but it never really crosses my mind.

I do tip if I get the buffet at a sit down restaurant, but not as much as if I was ordering off the menu.

 

[Sabine]

I think I wrote a thread a WHILE ago asking about tipping for take out, and the majority response was to tip at least something because it's often the bartender who takes the order and gets it ready and they are taking the time out of their normal duties, etc. I still feel weird about it so I do a standard $2 tip on a simple take out order from places like Olive Garden.

I'm mortified to admit that I've never thought to tip at hotels. I didn't know it was expected.

Is there a difference for this custom between "nice" hotels and "cheap" hotels? Since reading this thread, I do seem to recall going on a trip with school or with my grandparents and seeing the envelope to put the tip in.

The only hotels I've stayed in recently have been while in the midst of moving, so we've had our dog with us, so they've really not been the nicest places. I really don't think there was an envelope for the tip, but I suppose I could have missed it.

I'll definitely be tipping from now on though...don't love the 'expectation to' and feel if a person does a job that would require extra it should be part of their wages, but hey, if this worker relies on tips as part of their livelihood, I'm not going to stiff them because I disagree with the practice in general, I'd only stiff them if I didn't receive the service they were supposed to provide (and cleaning after we leave is still performing that service).

 

[Octavia]

Add me to the list of people who had no idea that tipping hotel housekeepers was expected. Once or twice, I've seen tip envelopes at B&Bs, but I have NEVER seen one at a regular, chain hotel. I'm not a really frequent traveler, but I've done enough that it would seem like I'd have seen tip envelopes somewhere if people really expected it...but I guess I'm just clueless. Where would you put a tip, assuming there isn't an envelope? I wouldn't be very happy if I left a few dollars out (not intended as a tip) and it wasn't there when I got back to the hotel room, so I'm assuming you wouldn't just stick it on the nightstand . Anyway, I will probably leave a little something when I'm on extended trips from now on, but the vast majority of my hotel stays are one night and I agree with those who think that basic services are included in the price of the room. Once or twice, the housekeeper has gone above and beyond, and I do feel a bit guilty that I didn't leave a tip on those occasions. I guess I'll know better next time.

 

[Guilty Pleasure]

I've already commented but would like to add that I didn't ever think tipping maids was expected either. I've always declined the "extra" services like bellhops and valet because I knew a tip was required. I've also never noticed a tip envelope. I have noticed service charges added to my hotel bills though.

 

[Autumnovember]

I hate all of this "expected" stuff. Everything is going to vary from person to person. What may be expected from one group of people may not be expected from another group of people. Neither is right or wrong. It's up to you as an individual to decide what you will and will not tip on. After reading this thread and seeing extremely interesting points, I'll probably think twice about tipping housekeeping when I'm at a hotel. Am I saying I'll definitely do it? Nope, and I don't feel like I should be "expected" to do it either just because some people think it is necessary.

 

[Loves Vintage]

I don't think it so much simply an expectation. It is a custom. If you look it up on any travel website, you will find that it is customary in the US to tip housekeeping in hotels or motels. It is not customary to do so in many other countries, so I can understand why someone like Astra, who I recall lives in Europe, would find the practice so foreign.

To each his own. I am rather surprised to learn that so many people do not tip housekeeping in the US. In my childhood, we took very few trips that involved hotel stays, but my mother, who was of modest means and certainly did not have a housekeeper of her own, ALWAYS left a tip for housekeeping. That's how I learned that it is customary to do so, and that is why I do today.

I'm all for flouting customs when it makes sense to do so, but here, I still just don't get it. $5 a night means nothing to me. I also stay in modestly priced hotels. I suspect some non-tippers here stay in luxury hotels, spend $200 and much higher a night, yet can't spare $5 for the maid. It seems really silly to me, but like I say, to each their own.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

double

 

[MichelleCarmen]

We put up the "do not disturb" sign and just request new towels or if I see the housekeeping cart, snag a few from there. We still leave about $5 the last morning.

When I grew up, it was on an island out here and a lot of friends cleaned bed and breakfast establishments. Mostly upper-class visiters came to our very high cost-of-living island and working in such places was just what we all did since there were NO fast food establisments or anything. One of my friends decided to work in a summer camp for a month so I filled in for her. Not once did I get a tip and can say I was disappointed. I'm fairly certain the owner of the place would scan the rooms before I came in and would scoop up any tips that had been left there. It was a weird job. The towels had to hang a certain way to appear inviting to the guest, etc.