Joanne Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 On another board a year or so ago, I was amazed at how many moms didn't know that waitstaff were not paid the minimum wage for hourly rate. The person who started the thread was upset at peers' expectation that she tip between 15% and 20%. Her frustration is that they "get the same money to work as everyone else" and "why should she tip them". Her perspective on the issue changed many pages later. ;) I started working as a waitress around 11 or 12. Hourly pay was $2.01. I've read it hasn't changed much! We "had to" claim 8% of our tickets on taxes (I didn't do taxes at 11, however). I waited tables through college. I emerged an advocate of the tip included system but I don't see that changing here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 We always tip in the 20% range if the service was good, and I also base my tips on how long I was there, how much I asked for, etc. I thought everyone knew that wait staff did not get minimum wage. Most waiters and waitresses I know make really good money off of their tips. I never saw it as a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alenee Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 I'm confused by your question... My understanding is that wait-staff do make minimum wage plus tips. Are you saying something different? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in the Kootenays Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 I was stunned when I learned this. In Canada they get minimum wage plus tips. Nickel and Dimed: Getting by in America (or something close to that) was such an eyeopener for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 I found out about it over 20 years ago. I still tip for service though. I remember when my brother was a server in high school. He was great at what he did and made a pile every week. I probably base my tipping on how he worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 I worked last year as a server. Not only do you not get minimum wage (I believe it was $3 and something/hour), in most places you have to pay a percentage of the ticket (it was 3% in the place I worked at) back to the house. As a server, it's possible to lose money on a table if they stiff you. It happens. That's why big parties get charged automatic 18% grat. It makes sure that the server gets their 15% and the house gets it's 3%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 My understanding is that wait-staff do make minimum wage plus tips. Are you saying something different? When I was a waitress, I made $2.13/ hour. My hubby thinks that is still the going hourly rate here. Of course, with tips, it was a bit more than that, of course, but....There are some places that pay more but they are the exception, not the rule. We tip VERY well. Minimal service would get 15%. Normal would get 20-25% and we are willing to go up from there. Depending on the type of restaurant and our order, even up to 100% though that is very rare except when my hubby goes for just coffee. I would say we regularly do about 30% and for excellent service, up to 50%. We obviously don't go out to sit down restaurants often though. But as waitstaff in the past (when we first got together), we know how it is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 I'm confused by your question... My understanding is that wait-staff do make minimum wage plus tips. Are you saying something different? Servers do NOT earn minimum wage. I think it differs by state, but in Florida it was less than 1/2 minimum wage. Servers live off of tips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah CB Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 I was stunned when I learned this. In Canada they get minimum wage plus tips. Nickel and Dimed: Getting by in America (or something close to that) was such an eyeopener for me. Yep - I was a waitress for a few years and always got at least minimum wage plus tips. My sister works in an upscale restaurant and gets a little more than minimum wage as well as her tips. I can't believe it's legal in the US to pay someone less than minimum wage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 For more info - http://waiterrant.net/ this guy was on Oprah last week promoting his new book of the same title. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 I"m pretty sure it varies by states. But it's the reason i'm always tipping for us AND my in-laws when we go out. Their tips are embarrassing - and they are high maintenance diners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alenee Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 Servers do NOT earn minimum wage. I think it differs by state, but in Florida it was less than 1/2 minimum wage. Servers live off of tips. IME we made minimum wage plus tips. How is it legal for the restaurant NOT to pay the minimum wage??? My experience is from working in CA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jugglin'5 Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 Yep, being a waitress makes one a good tipper for life. In my experience, a lot of times the tables with blue collar workers and beer would tip way more than the suits and wine/martinis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 How is it legal for the restaurant NOT to pay the minimum wage??? My assumption is that it is guessed that one would make at least min wage assuming they got one decent table per hour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alenee Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 My assumption is that it is guessed that one would make at least min wage assuming they got one decent table per hour. I guess I can answer the poll now. I think it's ridiculous that a restaurant is not bound to pay the minimum wage/hr like every other occupation. Just because it's expected now to tip your wait-staff should not exempt the restaurant from paying the minimum hourly wage. I'm flabbergasted! Is this why we are expected to tip? When I was a server min. wage was $4.25/hr. All wait-staff made this if not more, plus tips. Most servers rarely got a 15% tip even for outstanding service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deidre in GA Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 I grew up in the industry. I didn't realize people didn't know this. so did i. waiting tables is how my mom paid for my private school education (along with my dad who worked two jobs) and snack bars and table service were my summer jobs 9th grade through college. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jubilee Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 I thought it was minimum wage and tips. I did not know that it varies from state to state. My grandmother has and still is a server. I would count her tips when she would come home every night. She instilled in me at a very young age that if you plan on going out a meal that you take care of those that take care of you. She is also big on tipping her bus-ers because they help her to keep her station in order. Dh and I tip 15% minimum for basic service with stinky attitude and go up from there. We are rarely disappointed with the service we receive, dining with or without the children. Very interesting post! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmamainva Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 I knew this because my parents owned and ran their own family restaurant for years. It's not easy work either! My husband worked as a bartender to support himself during the four years he was in college. He earned $2 an hour plus tips. The tips were what he survived on...not the wage. For both of those reasons, we tip VERY well! For good service, we tip at least 20%...if not more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennifersLost Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 I'm also amazed at how many people don't realize that HOTEL MAIDS/HOUSEKEEPERS don't make minimum wage, either. Think of the work they have to do.....and how many people "stiff" them. Yikes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tibbyl Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 We tip at least 15% - 20% regardless of quality of service. I'm not going to punish other team members because one may have been an a**. We tip on the total bill after sales tax; here we have 9.25% sales tax. And if dining cheaply, we leave at least $1 per diner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmamainva Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 I'm also amazed at how many people don't realize that HOTEL MAIDS/HOUSEKEEPERS don't make minimum wage, either. Think of the work they have to do.....and how many people "stiff" them. Yikes! Yes!!!!! We ALWAYS leave money in hotel rooms to tip the maid service!! Some hotels have started leaving envelopes with a "I'm Terry and I'm your maid. Thank you for staying with us." or something like that in order to let folks know that you should leave a tip for the cleaning staff. Btw...*I* didn't know this until I married my hubby and he left money in the hotel room for the maids and I asked him why (silly me was starting to pick it up as we were walking out the door, thinking he left it behind accidentally!) :blushing: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cin Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 Here's a link about how waiters and other tipped employees get paid. http://www.dol.gov/wb/faq26.htm In addition, it is NOT unheard of for them to get $0 paychecks. Apparently the taxes taken out of their paycheck is based on their measely pay PLUS the assumption that they will get a certain amount of tips. I've heard this from several people. People seriously dont realize that we dont make minimum wage. If possible, you should tip at very least 15 percent. The 2.13 i make an hour all gets taxed and i get zero dollar paychecks. Then you have to claim 15 percent of your sales, so if people dont tip at least 15 percent you end up paying to wait on people, not making money.. i think waitstaff should make minumum wage. Bartenders usually make around 10 dollars an hour and generally make more tips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NY Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 I'm also amazed at how many people don't realize that HOTEL MAIDS/HOUSEKEEPERS don't make minimum wage, either. Think of the work they have to do.....and how many people "stiff" them. Yikes! This must vary by state. I had a job as a housekeeper in a hotel while I was in high school. That job paid quite a bit above minimum wage. Tips were very rare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMom Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 Yes!!!!! We ALWAYS leave money in hotel rooms to tip the maid service!! Some hotels have started leaving envelopes with a "I'm Terry and I'm your maid. Thank you for staying with us." or something like that in order to let folks know that you should leave a tip for the cleaning staff. Do you leave a tip for each day if you're staying multiple nights? If you just leave a tip at the end of your stay, then isn't the maid who cleans the room at the end getting the tip for the maids who cleaned on in between days? I haven't noticed the same person cleaning my room on different days. We travel a lot and I wasn't aware of the "tip the maid" rule until recently. We do tip the valet, bellman and concierge. I've found that not many people know you "should" tip the concierge, too. Seriously, who can afford to go anywhere anymore when you have to tip everyone you lay eyes on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmamainva Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 Do you leave a tip for each day if you're staying multiple nights? If you just leave a tip at the end of your stay, then isn't the maid who cleans the room at the end getting the tip for the maids who cleaned on in between days? We leave money each day. We're getting clean sheets every day and we know that different folks work different days. And we usually leave $5 ... but if we've been in a hotel room with all four kids :willy_nilly: we'll leave more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMom Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 We leave money each day. We're getting clean sheets every day and we know that different folks work different days. And we usually leave $5 ... but if we've been in a hotel room with all four kids :willy_nilly: we'll leave more! Really? $5 a day? I've left a couple of dollars a day but I'm pretty crazy about keeping my hotel room neat and I re-hang our towels so they don't need to replace them. Also, do they normally actually change the sheets every day or just at the end of a guest's stay? Thanks for the answer! BTW, I tip the bellman $1 per bag and the valet $2. Am I undertipping them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 Dh and I tip 15% minimum for basic service with stinky attitude and go up from there. We are rarely disappointed with the service we receive, dining with or without the children. Very interesting post! I refuse to tip for piss poor service. I have gone out of my way to tip the person that DID help us (working the next table over, and once the bus boy), and if we don't leave a tip - we have always let the manager know why so he can let the server know. I'm also amazed at how many people don't realize that HOTEL MAIDS/HOUSEKEEPERS don't make minimum wage, either. Think of the work they have to do.....and how many people "stiff" them. Yikes! OK, this really must vary by state. I've never heard of that being a sub-minimum wage job (i've lived in CA and FL). I refuse to pay $150-200 a night for a room and be expected to tip the maid (thinking vacation here - and i haven't paid that for a hotel in years! LOL!!!). But i think it's just wrong. I'm sure i'll get blasted for that... but well, i wasn't raised that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmamainva Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 Really? $5 a day? I've left a couple of dollars a day but I'm pretty crazy about keeping my hotel room neat and I re-hang our towels so they don't need to replace them. Also, do they normally actually change the sheets every day or just at the end of a guest's stay? Thanks for the answer! BTW, I tip the bellman $1 per bag and the valet $2. Am I undertipping them? Well, it depends on how clean the room is! If it's just my hubby and I, and we kept the room very neat, then $5 is what we leave on average. If we're there with all the kids (as usually happens on Thanksgiving), then we may leave as much as $10 because they'll drop cheetos on the floor or leave their wet bathing suits on the carpet, etc. We normally stay in Holiday Inn / Days Inn / Quality Inn / Comfort Inn, etc. I don't think we've ever stayed in a hotel with a bellman or a valet! :blushing: So I don't know what's an average tip for them. And we always get clean sheets every day...at least we always have. Maybe it's done differently if you're there for an extended stay? We usually don't stay more than 2 or 3 nights in a row in any hotel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 IME we made minimum wage plus tips. How is it legal for the restaurant NOT to pay the minimum wage??? My experience is from working in CA. I just looked it up and Cali is different. Makes me want to get a job here! I was making $100/night just on tips. It would be nice to get a paycheck on top of that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyThreeSons Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 because they expected he'd be tipped. He worked third shift and one of his duties was to drive the hotel's shuttle van to the airport and back. When was the last time you tipped a uniformed security guard? Very few people did. Those were lean years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 CA was not always that way - i don't know when they changed either. But those posters hanging in the bathroom at work had it at $2.36 i think! It was of course, up to the place of employment to pay more. And Laura - i can't imagine a Security Guard being a tippable position. YIKES. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey in TX Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 BTW, I tip the bellman $1 per bag and the valet $2. Am I undertipping them? Bellman, if carrying luggage, expects $5 per bag. I can't justify this, so always carry my own. Waitstaff is given 20-25% for good service. Superb service may even warrant 50%. If the quality is poor, we give less. On a few occasions I have left zero, with a note explaining--or a talk with the manager. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 On another board a year or so ago, I was amazed at how many moms didn't know that waitstaff were not paid the minimum wage for hourly rate. The person who started the thread was upset at peers' expectation that she tip between 15% and 20%. Her frustration is that they "get the same money to work as everyone else" and "why should she tip them". Her perspective on the issue changed many pages later. ;) I started working as a waitress around 11 or 12. Hourly pay was $2.01. I've read it hasn't changed much! We "had to" claim 8% of our tickets on taxes (I didn't do taxes at 11, however). I waited tables through college. I emerged an advocate of the tip included system but I don't see that changing here. I voted "yes" that I knew, because I've waited tables, too. But, I'd like to point out that I was surprised when I moved to Canada and found out that (at least in my province) wait staff MUST be paid at least minimum wage just like any other worker. I find that Canadians (or at least the ones in my province) are very cheap tippers. VERY cheap. It bugs me, but since they know waitstaff is paid the same fair minimum as anyone else, I think they don't realise it, or don't think about it. When we travel to the States, I always make sure to remind dh to tip at least 20% for good service. He thinks that's insanely high, but does it anyway because I *ahem* ask nicely. :) I think waitstaff should be paid on the same fair scale as any other worker no matter where they live and work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crissy Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 (edited) I voted other because they do get minimum wage plus tips in Washington state. WA's minimum wage is $8.07 and is set to go up to $8.55 in January. Edited October 27, 2008 by Crissy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 Dh was a waiter, so we leave good tips. We will tip the maid at the hotel most of the time. When we stay for only a few nights we do not have them clean the room. We rehang our towels and fluff our own pillows. When we evacuated for the hurricane we left a good tip for the maid. The hotel was packed with evacuees and many of us had pets. It's so fun in small hotel room with a dog and a cat (NOT!). They looked relieved when we told them not to clean the room until we left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 OK, this is an interesting chart. It looks like not many states are putting hotel staff in the tipped wage category. NY appears to be a nightmare to figure out! LOL!! http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/state/tipped.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laylamcb Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 I didn't know this until my sister waited tables at a local restaurant in high school. We were both amazed. She was also expected to share her meager tips with the bus staff and bar. Since high school, therefore, she and I have both been EXCELLENT tippers. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamagistra Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 I think waitstaff should be paid on the same fair scale as any other worker no matter where they live and work. :iagree: Absolutely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3lilreds in NC Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 I'm also amazed at how many people don't realize that HOTEL MAIDS/HOUSEKEEPERS don't make minimum wage, either. Think of the work they have to do.....and how many people "stiff" them. Yikes! You're kidding - they don't? I had NO IDEA. We've never tipped housekeeping staff. Granted, we stay at places like the Red Roof Inn, but they still have housekeepers. I had no clue they were tip-dependent. That's awful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in NH Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 I was a waitress for about 14 years and when I stpped waiting tables we got paid 2.25 an hour...minimum was about 4.5 then. There are other jobs that also have a lower minimum wage...for instance, I worked for a seed company for awhile and they only pay agricultural wokers about $2 an hour...and I am not talking about immigrants here...Underage ag workers got even less! i never understood why those kids would work for about $1.80 an hour! There was no incentive to make more and even at 13 years old i would have made much more money babysitting than working in a hot corn field all day! one thing is for sure...i am oh so glad I no longer wait tables! well, except at dinner time when i hear, "Mum, cani have a glass of milk.0.etc.;). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3lilreds in NC Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 because they expected he'd be tipped. He worked third shift and one of his duties was to drive the hotel's shuttle van to the airport and back. When was the last time you tipped a uniformed security guard? Very few people did. Those were lean years. :eek: I had no idea! I've never ridden in a shuttle with a uniformed security guard - but honestly we haven't tipped shuttle drivers at, say, the airport or anything. Goodness. I will have to tell dh. He is not the world's greatest tipper. He does much better now that he's with me. ;) I will have to start carrying some cash when we travel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMom Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 Bellman, if carrying luggage, expects $5 per bag. What the heck!:eek: When we stay, the bellman helps my dh load our bags onto the cart and then takes them off the cart and sets them near the front door of our room. When we travel, we're usually staying for a week (in a timeshare) and may have 10 bags. No way I could afford to tip $50 for him to bring our bags up and another $50 to have them taken back down to the car. I hope we haven't been looked at as cheapskates.:confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 Usually less than half, and they are expected to claim at least 10-15 percent of their wages in taxes. So yes, they can end up with zero checks. Barbacks and bussers are paid minimum wage but they are tipped out (paid a percentage of the wait-staff or bartenders tips) because they help do some of their work and make the job easier for them but do not get directly tipped. Many people don't realize that the car-hops at Sonic are paid like wait-staff. They are not paid minimum wage and do depend on tips. Considering that they work outside in the elements and that their overall tickets are lower, they should be tipped even an even higher amount. Most hotels maids (with very few exceptions) are paid less than minimum wage and really depend on tips. It really doesn't matter how much you pay for the hotel room, the maid still gets paid the same amount. There are many other jobs that also depend on tips. My dh is a business traveler and he pays out any where from $20-50 a day for tips depending on if it is a day he travels or not. Tips are also expected for personal serivces such as haircuts, nails, massages, taxi or limo rides and so on. Once again, it doesn't matter how much you are paying for the service itself, the actual person providing the service, does not receive all of that money. Most times they don't even receive half of that money. That includes pizza delivery people. They pay their own gas and insurance. If you can not afford to tip on top of the price, then consider that maybe you can not afford the service. Not meant to be snarky just trying to point out that the tip should be considered as part of the price. If businesses did away with the tipping system and paid their employees more, they would simply pass the increase on to you anyhow. If you are not tipping appropriately right now, you are actually paying less than you should be for the services you are utilizing. There are very few other services where you could get away with this. Even if your dr. fails to cure you, you still have to pay the bill. Even if you lose you lawsuit, you still have to pay the lawyer. Even if your service is not so great, you should have to tip your service provider. If the service is really lousy, then by all means feel free to speak up and seek redress but don't skimp on paying your service provider. Consider this a public service anouncement. Feel free to tip appropriately. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 I had to waitress one summer when my parents decided I had it too easy. Family friend owned a Western Sizzlin Steak house and it was the most miserable summer of my life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snickelfritz Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 He's asked a concierge or two, and they usually say $1 or $2 per bag. Maybe that's cheap, but it's what we've been told. We haven't, however, tipped the concierge.:001_huh: Never the maid. :001_huh: Even in the very nice hotels that we go to for his work, they don't change the sheets. Part of their water conservation efforts. They will if you specifically ask them to. If we're in the room, we just have them leave the room alone and give us fresh towels. I was relieved to see that chart where the maid is not considered a tipped position. I don't honestly know anyone in real life who tips the maid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 wow what a difference between what is paid in the states and what is paid here in Canada. I know wait staff are paid minimum wage plus tips, which is why I don't feel guilty for not leaving a tip the times I get beyond poor service (like the time I waited 45 minutes for food that was still 1/2 frozen) then was told the unedible item could not be removed from the bill, I refused to leave a tip and nevr went back. I applied for a job like 7 years ago as a hotel maid, they were offering $12/hr, double the minimum wage. I do not leave a tip for maids in hotels, also I have never had clean sheets each day etc, I am lucky to get fresh towels without calling the front desk and asking for them specifically. I used to tip hair dressers and cab drivers, but when I am being charged $50+ for a basic 1" trim with no shampoo I can't afford to leave a tip. When I get something more like a new color I do tip for those services, but for an over priced trim no way. This is also why I now cut the kids hair myself and only get my hair cut once a year at most, because it is a rip off. I don't take cabs anymore but I hear their base fare has pretty much doubled and the cost per km has gone up, so if I did take cabs still I couldn't afford to tip in addition to the fare charged. Basically I am a cheapskate but I will not pay for poor service, service not received, or other craziness. I am shocked to hear that those staff in the states do not receive at least the minimum wage. In my city everywhere is screaming for waitstaff etc, they are understaffed, no one would bother applying for a job that didn't pay at least minimum wage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 I'm also amazed at how many people don't realize that HOTEL MAIDS/HOUSEKEEPERS don't make minimum wage, either. Think of the work they have to do.....and how many people "stiff" them. Yikes! I used to work as a hotel house keeper. Trust me, it is a lousy job. You don't even want to think about things that happen in hotels rooms that may require cleaning up after. :001_huh: As a general rule sheets are only changed twice a week unless the customer specifically requests otherwise but bathrooms are thoroughly cleaned. Towels are changed, the room is throughly dusted and vacuumed and beds are made. Many of these workers also have to vacuum all public areas and clean all public bathrooms and do the hotel linens. And many are not even paid minimum wage. I did work at a hotel on a college as a young adult and I was paid very well. But my mother held many hotel jobs where she didn't earn minimum wages. It seems that most business travelers know to tip and do so but most traveling families and vacationers do not. I think that my dh tips about $5 a day as a single person. Bell caps are paid about $2 per bag but only higher quality hotels have bell caps. If the hotel has a valet service, they are supposed to be tipped as well. Concierges are only tipped if used. I don't think front desk staff is tipper but I am not sure about this one. I will have to ask my dh about this one. Room service is tipped. I am just posting here because this is the first mention of hotel maids/housekeeping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 Yup, it has always been thus. Employers get away with it because they figure tips will make up the difference. I could never tip $5 per bag. ack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigitte Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 Dh is waiting tables right now. The hourly rate is $2 something and he has to claim 10% of his sales for tax purposes. After tipping out the bartenders, bus boys, and hostesses 1% each, waiters are pretty much having to claim all their tips for income tax purposes (unless they are really good and get higher than average tips). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in the Kootenays Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 I didn't know that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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