Please TIP, for goodness sake.

[SorcererHeidi]

Husband and I got an unexpected upgrade to Club level at Wilderness Lodge. It happened to be our Anniversary so we really were happy. The Cast Members at the club level concierge desk absolutely MADE our Anniversary so special. She made us Anniversary buttons for 2019 and 2020. The other cast member opened the game cabinet for us and suggested the Pirates of the Caribbean Battleship. We had so much fun playing that while we waited for our room to be ready. I tipped them $20 each at the end of our short stay. And $20 to housekeeping *too many Club Level dessert dishes. Lol
We also tipped our luggage handler. Bring some cash and tip!!! They work hard and deserve it.

@DreamIsaWish - What a lovely story, thanx for the smile! And - Happy Anniversary, may you enjoy many more magical adventures together!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Have someone pick up your trash? They work hard.

And it is standard practice to give them tips - unless they just use the machine to lift the can/never get out of the truck

 

[Farro]

This bugs the hell out of me and to me shows someone who is not looking at the whole picture.

Go to a butcher or grocery store with a butcher? They work hard.

Go to the ER ever? They work hard.

Go to McDonald's? They work hard.

Have someone pick up your trash? They work hard.

Had to call the police? They work hard.

Sorry but this whole working hard so they deserve a tip is absurd. I just listed off a bunch of people and heck your trash collector you probably have never even said thank you to.

Back to another person's comment why do some people get tips and others not? Well to me it comes down to two simple things.

1- the company is cheap and learned they can pay less and shift blame to customers if the employee doesn't make enough
2- the tipper originally was trying to curry favor by paying off a person to give them special treatment (aka slipping a $20 to the hostess) over time it became an expectation

aw, if you were here I'd give you a big hug and a couple bucks for your trouble.

I'm a tipper, you're a tipper, wouldn't you like to be a tipper too? Be a tipper, be a big tipper...

 

[serenitynow]

And it is standard practice to give them tips - unless they just use the machine to lift the can/never get out of the truck

Do you run out each week and tip them?

 

[Farro]

Do you run out each week and tip them?

We don't tip each week but at Christmas we run out (at some point) with gift-cards! Now I can't tell you if we have the same people the whole year, but someone's lucky in December!!!

 

[DrunkJam]

We don't tip each week but at Christmas we run out (at some point) with gift-cards! Now I can't tell you if we have the same people the whole year, but someone's lucky in December!!!

See, Christmas Box is a thing I understand. We give a small amount of money at Christmas to the bin men, the postman, anyone who provides a service at the house, window cleaners etc. I tip at the hairdressers, and at restaurants, and cab drivers. The rest is new to me.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Do you run out each week and tip them?

Not each week, just at Christmas for the year - along with mail carrier, UPS driver, etc

 

[SorcererHeidi]

Not each week, just at Christmas for the year - along with mail carrier, UPS driver, etc

Yep - here too. Chuckling here - I remember as a kid, a "Christmas gift, or tip" for a lot of "services" (especially the garbage men, for some reason!) was a bottle of some type of liquor. These days, behavior like that would probably have HR, or the PD, coming to your house!

I smiled the other day, when I got off the community minibus that provides transportation in the retirement community where I currently live. They will carry any bags I have to my front door, and if I use my Roallator instead of just my cane, they load/unload that. I give them a $5 tip every trip for those services. Plus grace them with my magnetic personalty and smile, of course!

 

[Punkrockbebop]

If they never used housekeeping, why would they tip? I do not understand the question...

When they leave, the housekeeper is cleaning the room after them. It’s common practice to tip at the very least at the end of the stay.

 

[Farro]

When they leave, the housekeeper is cleaning the room after them. It’s common practice to tip at the very least at the end of the stay.

Now that I would disagree with. If I'm not utilizing housekeeping services during my stay, I'm not going to leave a tip at end of stay just because they are going to clean the room for the next guest after I leave. That's just hotel room turnover.

 

[tidefan]

Maybe an easier question here is: Who do we not tip? Where does it stop?

I think that this is the frustrating part, especially for our European friends...

 

[sethschroeder]

And it is standard practice to give them tips - unless they just use the machine to lift the can/never get out of the truck

Never heard of anyone ever giving them a tip in my life.

Do you run out each week and tip them?

We don't tip each week but at Christmas we run out (at some point) with gift-cards! Now I can't tell you if we have the same people the whole year, but someone's lucky in December!!!

That is not a tip though in my mind. It's a Christmas gift which is completely different. Also are you giving them $2 per bin they picked up for the year? So probably $100-$200 for many people?

Not each week, just at Christmas for the year - along with mail carrier, UPS driver, etc

As I stated to the other person that is not my tip in my mind. That is a gift. You even stated at Christmas instead of at the end of the fiscal/calendar year.

Tipping and gift giving to those you deal with around Christmas are very different in my mind. It also is tiny in comparison as I looked it up and they can get a maximum gift of $20 supposedly around their Birthday or Christmas.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Maybe an easier question here is: Who do we not tip? Where does it stop?

I think that this is the frustrating part, especially for our European friends...

Obviously this thread is going a bit off on tangents and many of this won't impact people traveling here

I think the only sort of "must do" tipping is for a server at a sit-down restaurant as their base bay is below minimum wage as it is assumed tipping will get them up above that point. So at a minimum plan to tip table service ~20%

Other areas to consider are also around:
- food service - so food delivery if you get grubhub or something, or potentially at a coffee shop or something you can leave a tip. Other pretty much expected thing is for bartenders ($2/drink or so)
- transportation: so tip a cab driver or Uber/Lyft driver, valet parking

Beyond that I don't think anything else is "mandatory"/expected ... other optional things:
- cleaning services (so Mousekeeping if at Disney)
- baggage handling (bellhops, or the ME driver if they help with your bag

maybe I am missing a few things, but I think that is the key areas - basically if someone could alter the level of service they provide knowing a tip would come

 

[the_grinch]

do the math on a bill that is let pick around number $250 (very easy to get a food bill of $250 for family of 5 ) is $50 tip for what a hour of work .now we know a server has let just say 3 table odds are at lest 1 table will tip 20% so that is worst case best case all 3 tip 20% that is 150 an hour .

 

[the_grinch]

also would any one ever think of tipping $50 at you local restaurant where the bill is around $100 .just because Disney has way over price food we are getting hit 2 time .
1. for the food
2. for the tip how
is that right?
both places work just as hard for you .

 

[TheMaxRebo]

do the math on a bill that is let pick around number $250 (very easy to get a food bill of $250 for family of 5 ) is $50 tip for what a hour of work .now we know a server has let just say 3 table odds are at lest 1 table will tip 20% so that is worst case best case all 3 tip 20% that is 150 an hour .

just reading some other places on this topic, some adjustments to your numbers I would propose ... full turnover of tables seems to be closer to 2 hours, not one. Servers often have to be there either an hour before their shift to help prep or after to help clean up, so no tips on those times. And at least one place I read from a server who was at L'Cellier had to share the tips with the food runners and busers, so they don't get the full amount. Also, seems like from people sharing experiences, tips ranged from 0% to 20%.

Even being conservative, let's take 1.5 hours to turn the table and an average of 15% tip, and they keep 60% of the tips - that would be more like $15/hour per table ... so if you are constantly on 3 tables that would be like $45/hour - so potential to do pretty good, but I don't think they are making hundreds of dollars an hour

 

[mi*vida*loca]

also would any one ever think of tipping $50 at you local restaurant where the bill is around $100 .just because Disney has way over price food we are getting hit 2 time .
1. for the food
2. for the tip how
is that right?
both places work just as hard for you .

I don't tip 18-20% at WDW because the food is severely overpriced. I tip 15%. I give a flat $10-20 at a WDW buffet. I'm not going to over tip because Disney decided that a burger that I can get at home for $13 is $20 at Beaches and Cream. The waitress didn't work any harder than my waitress at home. I can't imagine tipping 20% at a WDW buffet for my family of four adults. That would be an almost $50 tip. $50 to clean up plates off of a table? Yeah not happening.

I do tip 20% or more at WDW signature restaurants since the prices are in line with nicer places where I live.

I tip housekeeping, bell services, ME driver IF they handle any bags, etc. But I believe the tipping culture is out of control.

Also, the average WDW waiter makes 62K a year with tips....I'm going to assume that includes credit card tips and not all (or any) cash tips. I'm going to say they make more than 62K on average.

 

[Heather07438]

I think the question has become "Why isn't everybody who makes under $62k/yr running out to get a server job?" There are openings. Could it be that most aren't making anywhere near that and the job just isn't as easy walking around with a smile carrying plates?

 

[KrzyKtty101]

Now that I would disagree with. If I'm not utilizing housekeeping services during my stay, I'm not going to leave a tip at end of stay just because they are going to clean the room for the next guest after I leave. That's just hotel room turnover.

That is what I was thinking. I mean I tip housekeeping, but mostly because of social expectations, and I use them to at least take our trash. However my family does reuse the towels, we make our own beds before we leave, and I tend to tidy up the Room cause I don't want housekeeping thinking I am a slob. By the time they come in all they have to do is take out the trash.

 

[jf256]

Is it $2 a drink even for non alcoholic drinks? We have only ever been on cruise ships and got the drinks package. In the uk we do not tip bar staff just want to make sure