Why You Should Tip More Than You Do Now

[Teamster Jeff]

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For most of my life, I’m ashamed to admit, I didn’t leave a tip for the housekeeper in the hotels in which I stayed. My wife always did, but I somehow didn’t pay attention. Only recently did I wake up to just how little these folks earn and how exhausting their jobs typically are.

Any person who puts in an honest day’s work ought to be paid a living wage. The average pay for a housekeeper runs $7 to $9 an hour, according to Glassdoor.

That’s not a living wage. Even working 40 hours a week, the average housekeeper’s annual income falls below the federal poverty line of $23,850 for a family of four. The same is true for millions of retail and food service workers and others in a range of low-end jobs.
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Small gestures can make a cumulative big difference. Take an average housekeeper who earns $9 an hour before taxes. If 10 guests each left that housekeeper a $5 tip, her earnings (and it is usually a woman) would increase by more than 50 percent, or significantly above the poverty line for full-time work.
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http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/07/11/why-you-should-tip-more-than-you-do-now/

[Squinch]

1. Hear, hear! Though at the same time we should also vocally fight for that living wage.

[daleanime]

3. +1

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

2. I haven't been in a hotel in years, but I never realized

you did leave tips for housekeeping. Is there some standard for how you leave such a tip? Do you have to leave a note that it is for housekeeping? Do you just leave it on the bed, or a desk? Do you just leave it when you check out?

[Teamster Jeff]

5. I'm in a hotel 4 days every week

When I checkout I leave tips for housekeeping in my room on the desk with the TV channel changer on top of it so it is obvious that it was left behind intentionally as a tip.

[femmocrat]

6. Some hotels leave an envelope in the room for that purpose. nt.

[tech3149]

7. Like you, it's been years since I stayed in a hotel

As a rule I generally tipped about $5 a day. I found over the years that the more expensive and exclusive the diggs the worse that housekeeping was treated. In those situations, I tended to be more generous.

[Smarmie Doofus]

4. OK: Don't Tip. But don't leave your watch/cellphone/ glasses behind when you check-out.

n/t

[Lifelong Protester]

8. I always tip, at least something!

I'm always hoping others will, too.

[kickysnana]

9. Dear Teamster Jeff, yall have convinced me never to put myself in a tipping position

I am a senior on a very low fixed income. I just cannot afford to tip more than what is reasonable ie more than 15% for very good service. Since the rich folks don't tip and don't read this blog perhaps you are shooting off your foot here. Just sayin.

I have stopped patronizing sit down restaurants, using skycaps, etc BECAUSE of this ongoing campaign probably 10 years now.

I support adequate pay for work done. Tips can be lucrative but usually they are not. I hate that tax people and employers can count it as part of compensation when it is not monitored nor guaranteed. For that reason I used to be on the edge of not going to places where employees need tips to survive.

But this campaign, now several years old cinched it for me. No patronage. No tips. No guilt.

Is that what you want? I am not alone according to the seniors in my building. Nobody here is cheap, but they do use their money to make statements and we are. Do you hear us?

[Teamster Jeff]

10. I hear you Kickysnana nt

[Exultant Democracy]

11. We need to get rid the instituation of tipping and pay real wages.