Tipping Fatigue

[Milton]

Worth reading: "Hotels' tip the housekeeper campaign draws ire from a public suffering tipping fatigue".

I have difficulty understanding the hotel's position:

Global hotelier Marriott Hotels and American journalist/activist Maria Shriver were criticized this week for their new The Envelope Please campaign. It encourages guests to leave a tip for the staff who clean their room during and after a hotel stay, but comes amidst a recent wave of advocacy for a no-tipping service environment, claiming service staff should not have to rely on extra, discretionary funds from a client….

For its part, Marriott International said it wants this to be a conversation about appreciating staff, especially during International Housekeeping Week, which began Sunday. “This initiative is an opportunity for customers to voluntarily show their gratitude to the housekeepers that clean their rooms — this tipping program is not intended to be a substitute for competitive wages,” reads a statement provided to the National Post. “Room attendants at Marriott hotels are paid salaries that are above minimum wage and receive benefits and training.”

Given its acknowledgement that the room rates it charges are already sufficient to allow Marriott to pay its staff decent wages - which is as it should be - there is no reason why customers should be encouraged to supplement with tips. If a multinational corporation truly wants its employees to feel appreciated, let it pay bonuses, host staff parties, etc., at its own expense.

Tipping is an antiquated custom that has expanded into a widespread scam.

P.S. to Maria Shriver: you don't need to worry about the "room attendants" being treated differently from "the other front of house employees" ... I don't tip the latter either.

 

[Lucantes]

Tipping is an antiquated custom that has expanded into a widespread scam.

I tip if I want to, not because someone says I must.
I tip for service above and beyond the normal expectations of service that I am already paying for, not the norm (i.e. they must provide something above and beyond (sometimes this is just actually being pleasant or nice when dealing with me as a customer, the choice is mine to decide)).
I also tip, normally right up front, if I want the service provider to remember me and provide a higher level of service than the expected norm (has always worked out good for me whenever I am trying to get drinks in a crowded/busy scenario!).
I expect that a hotel is going to provide a high level of maid service in my room, why would I need to tip for that (unless I made a significant mess, above and beyond what would be expected as the norm, in which case I might give something extra directly to the maid staff)?

 

[Milton]

unless I made a significant mess, above and beyond what would be expected as the norm, in which case I might give something extra directly to the maid staff

Good example of one of the few situations where a tip would be appropriate.

 

[gcgang]

Most people in a service position don't make a lot of money.
I feel that giving these people a little extra cash helps them out without affecting my standard of living.
I don't do it cuz it is expected. I do it cuz it makes me feel good.



Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[Lucantes]

I don't do it cuz it is expected. I do it cuz it makes me feel good.

I have no issue with this because it is your choice to do so (I also happen to think that making yourself feel better is a great reason to do almost anything).
I do not think that I should have to tip because someone doesn't get paid a reasonable wage however.

 

[prudent_one]

In my experience, leaving a buck or two each day has ensured a spotless room, and often some extra toiletries and/or bottled water. Perhaps we shouldn't need to do that, but the benefits outweigh the cost IMHO. It's worth it to me to not come back to a hastily cleaned room.

 

[mpeirce]

In a perfect world tipping would not be necessary. I like places than have a no tip policy.

But until we get there, I try to leave a generous tip. For two reasons:

(1) I recall appreciating generous tips when I got them back in my restaurant job days back in high school.

(2) I'm not hurting for funds, so unless the service is bad, I try be generous as a tipper. A few extra dollars probably means more to the recipient than it means to me.

I especially like to leave a good tip in a cheaper restaurant. The waitress who serves me a $15 meal works almost as hard (or harder) than the one who serves me a $50 meal. So she get a bigger percentage tip.

 

[braumeister]

In a perfect world tipping would not be necessary. I like places than have a no tip policy.

But until we get there, I try to leave a generous tip. For two reasons:

(1) I recall appreciating generous tips when I got them back in my restaurant job days back in high school.

(2) I'm not hurting for funds, so unless the service is bad, I try be generous as a tipper. A few extra dollars probably means more to the recipient than it means to me.

I especially like to leave a good tip in a cheaper restaurant. The waitress who serves me a $15 meal works almost as hard (or harder) than the one who serves me a $50 meal. So she get a bigger percentage tip.

+1
This is the way I look at it too.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Marriott should raise its rates to pay its staff whatever amount it thinks guests should tip. Ridiculous that a corporation is encouraging its clients to directly subsidize its employees and making it an ad campaign that is supposed to make us feel good about that nice Marriott company, looking out for its underpaid staff?

(Not against tipping per se--We always leave $5 per night in hotels (just did it two nights ago) and usually overtip in general when it's the way businesses--restaurants, cabbies, etc.--are run.)

 

[aim-high]

After a recent tour the tour guide said, "I'm not soliciting, but want to let you know we are allowed to receive tips." There went any tip we were going to give. It was an okay tour, but nothing spectacular. The cost of it was enough.

That said, I overtip significantly when eating out. Can't help it, my mother was a waitress.

 

[H2ODude]

Marriott should raise its rates to pay its staff whatever amount it thinks guests should tip. Ridiculous that a corporation is encouraging its clients to directly subsidize its employees and making it an ad campaign that is supposed to make us feel good about that nice Marriott company, looking out for its underpaid staff?

(Not against tipping per se--We always leave $5 per night in hotels (just did it two nights ago) and usually overtip in general when it's the way businesses--restaurants, cabbies, etc.--are run.)

My sentiments exactly: when I saw that it was the chain promoting tips for their low wage workers I was WTF? The proliferation of tip jars is highly annoying; that and the "do you want to add ___ to your grocery bill to support____?" We tend to be generous tippers in restaurants and cabs and will throw change in the jars, but still find it just annoying. We leave tips in foreign hotel rooms, esp 3rd world, but never thought about it in US. Now I see Marriott wants us to do that to keep their costs lower and yet maintain some sense of fair pay to their housekeepers? Argh!

 

[Amethyst]

You're right - those jars are turning up everywhere. I just paid $500 for a pair of bifocals (supposedly a 30% discount...for uncomplicated, totally non-fancy glasses). I noticed a tip jar, containing a couple of $1 bills (probably seed money) next to the cash register. My immediate thought: "You just fleeced me for $500, and you want me to help pay your employees, too?"

Amethyst

The proliferation of tip jars is highly annoying; QUOTE]

 

[mystang52]

I've always admired hotel maids, and have always left generous tips. I admire them because it is hard work; Lord knows I couldn't do it. I almost always stay at Marriott when I travel.
At my last stay, a maid was pushing her cart to the next room and simply said "Good Morning, Sir" to me. It was said in a very obsequious tone. This woman was 5 foot at most, thin, and I swear she was 70 years old if she was a day. I'm thankful I don't have to do that hard work, and at that age, so have no problem (philosophical or otherwise) tipping them.

 

[Jack_Pine]

In a perfect world tipping would not be necessary. I like places than have a no tip policy.

But until we get there, I try to leave a generous tip. For two reasons:

(1) I recall appreciating generous tips when I got them back in my restaurant job days back in high school.

(2) I'm not hurting for funds, so unless the service is bad, I try be generous as a tipper. A few extra dollars probably means more to the recipient than it means to me.

I especially like to leave a good tip in a cheaper restaurant. The waitress who serves me a $15 meal works almost as hard (or harder) than the one who serves me a $50 meal. So she get a bigger percentage tip.

Agree with this.

 

[ERD50]

Marriott should raise its rates to pay its staff whatever amount it thinks guests should tip. ...

Right, just pay them, don't ask me to pay for a room and then try to determine a 'fair' wage for your employees. That's the responsibility of the employer.


I don't get it - most of my hotel stays are one night. I expect a clean room and I'm paying for it. I also expect hot water, the lock to work, and proper heating/cooling. So should I tip the HVAC guy, the locksmith, the water heater technician?

If the maids are paid low wages, that is an issue between the hotel and the worker. I'm in that hotel on a w/e get-away, I'm not there to do performance reviews and salary adjustments. I've never seen a hotel owner offer to help me with the performance reviews and salary adjustment meetings that I was responsible for in my career - so why should I do theirs for them?

-ERD50

 

[haha]

The woman who straightened my pension room in Medellin in 1969 told me she was 42 (she looked 62) and had been working there since she was 15, with not one day of vacation.

You can bet I gave her a tip.

Ha

 

[jerome len]

Marriott runs a group of hotels that charge maximum for the room and service they provide. Their restaurants are expensive for the food you get, there is nothing that they give you that you don't pay for.

If I stay at a bed & breakfast or a hotel that gives you exceptional service, ie: turn down and mints on the bed, warm towels when requested, etc, then I'll leave a tip. No way would I do this at a Marriott Hotel......I pay high dollar for everything and expect them to pay their workers, not increase profits because they shifted compensation to the customer via the tip routine. In fact, Marriott's comments sort of make me want to stay elsewhere.....if I can.

 

[Milton]

Ridiculous that a corporation is encouraging its clients to directly subsidize its employees and making it an ad campaign that is supposed to make us feel good about that nice Marriott company, looking out for its underpaid staff?

Agreed. It's a huge multinational, let it pay its own way.

Marriott should raise its rates to pay its staff whatever amount it thinks guests should tip.

No need. According to this link, Marriott's 2013 annual report indicated net income of $626 million (up from $575 million in 2012) and a 5% increase in revenue per available room in North America. It earns enough from its guests to pay whatever wages it deems reasonable. And according to Marriott (see original post), it already does so … which is what I don't get, it is trying to have things both ways: allegedly paying good wages and benefits, but for no clear reason suggesting that guests voluntarily chip in more.

(Not against tipping per se--We … usually overtip in general when it's the way businesses--restaurants, cabbies, etc.--are run.)

Your choice. Personally I don't like supporting an underground economic model.

I expect a clean room and I'm paying for it. I also expect hot water, the lock to work, and proper heating/cooling. So should I tip the HVAC guy, the locksmith, the water heater technician?

If the maids are paid low wages, that is an issue between the hotel and the worker. I'm in that hotel on a w/e get-away, I'm not there to do performance reviews and salary adjustments.

Exactly!

 

[Rickt]

Interesting comments regarding tipping!

I operate a hotel and have been in this business 20 years now. Believe me , I have seen all kinds of employees and guests over the years. We do not allow tipping jars anywhere in our hotel and take great pride in providing excellent service at all times.

A few years back I hire a new breakfast attendant who brought a LARGE tip jar and kept it on the breakfast counter. When I saw that jar I was very upset and asked her to remove it immediately which she did very reluctantly. She was not a guest-centric employee and needless to say that she did not last very long.

We pay our employees a decent wage and treat them well. We are blessed to have several long term employees who do an excellent job without any expectations of tips. Many guests do tip housekeepers and breakfast attendants and these employees appreciate the extra cash but at no point will they have a hand out for tips.

Housekeepers have the toughest job of all the employees in a hotel. Hotel industry recognizes housekeepers' hard work by celebrating "International Housekeeping Week" during 2nd week of September every year. Some hotels recognize housekeepers with awards, gifts, cash bonus, dinners etc. We treat our housekeepers to a dinner at a restaurant of their choice and a gift card from walmart.

Each time we stay at a hotel, we always leave a tip because we appreciate all the hard work that the housekeepers do in keeping hotels rooms clean. Thanks

 

[Meadbh]

Right, just pay them, don't ask me to pay for a room and then try to determine a 'fair' wage for your employees. That's the responsibility of the employer.


I don't get it - most of my hotel stays are one night. I expect a clean room and I'm paying for it. I also expect hot water, the lock to work, and proper heating/cooling. So should I tip the HVAC guy, the locksmith, the water heater technician?

If the maids are paid low wages, that is an issue between the hotel and the worker. I'm in that hotel on a w/e get-away, I'm not there to do performance reviews and salary adjustments. I've never seen a hotel owner offer to help me with the performance reviews and salary adjustment meetings that I was responsible for in my career - so why should I do theirs for them?

-ERD50

Exactly +2!

 

[FIREd]

I honestly did not know that I was expected to leave a tip when staying at a national hotel chain!

 

[Car-Guy]

I honestly did not know that I was expected to leave a tip when staying at a national hotel chain!

It's news to me too... I do tip at restaurants "based on service levels" and I tip my barber, but that's about it.

 

[Amethyst]

"Expected" by whom? If someone can cite an etiquette or business manual that says it's customary to leave room tips no matter whether it's a private hotel or a motel chain, then I would consider that fairly authoritative.

On the other hand, a profit-making company that contrives a new tipping "rule" in service of its own bottom line, and publicizes it in an attempt to guilt-trip customers, is too hypocritical to take seriously.

Amethyst

I honestly did not know that I was expected to leave a tip when staying at a national hotel chain!

 

[nash031]

Count me in the camp that would tip for extraordinary service. However, I am not going to pay up front in hopes of it. If everyone tips the service staff, exceptional service will regress to the mean.

It's interesting the differing state laws regarding service employees who make their primary earnings off tips. In Indiana, where I worked as a server and bartender, I was paid something like $2.13/hour + tips (and tip share if bartending). Here in California, I believe servers are paid minimum wage ($9.00/hr) + tips. It doesn't affect how much I tip now that I'm living here, but maybe it should? After all, as the customer, I'm already paying that wage through the inflated price of the meal.

Anyone have thoughts on this? Perhaps instead of tipping my standard 15% even for below average service (I'll leave less for poor service), I should leave 10% on average in CA?

 

[Milton]

If everyone tips the service staff, exceptional service will regress to the mean.

Quite right.