Tipping housekeeping staff

Quote: slyther

Does anyone tip the guy that runs the taxi stand? Sometimes I give him $1 but that seems kinda of lame.

It has been discussed before, but I don't unless he helps with luggage, even if it is just a single light bag he puts in the trunk.

If the place is busy and he's doing a good job of getting the line moving, he might get a buck. He might not. It depends on my mood. It's definitely one of those tips i never feel obligated to make.

On Housekeeping tips, I've been told by those in the industry it's always better to tip day-by-day than at the end. I always leave it on the pillow, with the card/envelope if there is one. I did have a friend lose $6 in state quarters left on the bedside table at the Excalibur... she'd been sorting them but they must have looked like a tip. She wasn't happy.

When I'm in the hotel for a short time, such as a weekend visit or overnight, I don't "utilize" housekeeping services in any way, and as such, I don't feel a need to tip. I don't request anything (extra toiletries, towels, etc), and I always leave the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door, and don't need my bed made or fresh towels for a 2-day trip.

On longer trips, I leave the tip when I check out at the end of the trip. Since I can almost always check out via the television, I do that, then place the tv remote in a less than normal location (such as next to the sink) with the tip on top of the remote. I figure with all that, and the fact that nothing of mine is left in the room, that's a pretty good indication of the fact that it's meant to be a tip.

On a related side note, I was in Laughlin recently, staying at the Colorado Belle. When I was getting ready to leave, I realized I had a $5 from the CB in my pile of change. Since I didn't feel like taking the time to go to the cashier to cash it in, I went ahead and left it as the housekeeping tip, even though, as I stated, I didn't really "utilize" any housekeeping services.

On an unrelated side note, while in Laughlin, I went and played some blackjack at the Riverside, and discovered they had some atrocious blackjack rules. No double after split, and could only double on a 10 or 11, hit on soft 17. At least blackjack paid 3:2, but not being able to double on soft hands drove me nuts. Because of the bad rules, I decided I wasn't going to tip. At one point, a fellow (drunken) player noticed I wasn't tipping and asked me about it. I said I didn't feel the need to tip when the blackjack rules were so bad. I knew the dealer could hear me say this, but I hadn't expected that the pit boss could hear me say this. He did, and came over, and in a jovial way, stated that it wasn't up to them (the dealers and pit bosses) what games were offered. Since he was nice in the statement, I decided to respond. "No, but somebody upwards in management makes the decision. And if all the players would stop tipping, it might make a difference. After all, we already know the dealers tips are split with the pit bosses, and for all I know, the tips get split to the higher ups as well. If they stop receiving tip money, and they know it's because of the awful games they offer, maybe they'll change the rules." Apparently, this comment was not well liked. I got a dirty look from the pit boss and the dealer. The pit boss just walked away, but glared at me from his center computer area. The dealer became a bit colder than she already was. The drunk player asked the dealer if it was true that dealers split their tip money with the pit. She didn't respond. I said, "Yes, it's true. The dealers don't like it, but of course the pit does. If you notice, the dealers here are not as happy as the dealers in other casinos. The pit here is happier than the other casinos. Just go look at them, and you'll see. However, the Riverside gets more business than the other casinos, so even though they have to split, they still make more money here. They just don't like having to split." Anyway, the pit boss kept staring at me, and I didn't like it. So after about half an hour, I said, "Well, I've won money here, so I guess I'll cash out." After coloring up my chips, I had an extra $5 chip above what I had won. I really badly wanted to make a comment about how I would normally have left the $5 odd chip as a tip before leaving. Instead, I just tapped the chip on the table (the way the dealers do when they receive a toke), and walked away.

My sister worked briefly as a Hotel Maid in the 70's. I have tipped houskeeping religiously since that time. She has too!

How about the shuttle drivers? I tip them a couple bucks but wonder what the norm is....I think most don't tip them at all.

Regarding the konceptum story, I can see how that comment would not go over well. He was probably right that the floor has no control over the games nor the rules on the tables. Those decisions are above their pay grade. However, I've never heard of tips going up higher than the floorman level.

Basically, I feel that in most cases, including dealers, tipping is pretty much an expected service fee. It is indeed not his/her fault for the rules. If you don't like them, don't play. The tip boycott excuse doesn't hold much water with me either.

I agree with the Wizard. Also, those rules are not so terrible. A single deck 3/2 game with double down restrictions is still a better than average game.

konceptum -

Your Riverside story makes no sense.

If you don't like the rules, don't play the game. If more people refused to play the games with lousy rules, then the beancounters would notice.

Quote: bigfoot66

I agree with the Wizard. Also, those rules are not so terrible. A single deck 3/2 game with double down restrictions is still a better than average game.

Good point. The Riverside has more 3-2 single deck games than any casino in Clark County. Most of the other casinos in Laughlin pay 6-5 in single-deck 21.

I always tip housekeeping $2 a day and the taxi guy $1 for getting me a cab. With tipping dealers, I tend to be fairly generous. When I am on a losing streak I do however tip very little, and I know that should not make a difference but that is just me. I probably over tip when I am doing well so I do not know if that makes up for it. I will say almost all dealers are completely understanding when things are not going well.

Quote: Wizard

He was probably right that the floor has no control over the games nor the rules on the tables. Those decisions are above their pay grade. However, I've never heard of tips going up higher than the floorman level.

I don't think that anybody on the floor has any control over what games are offered. I admit the dig was more to ascertain whether or not the tips were propagated upwards. The pit boss didn't comment, even in the negative. That doesn't prove anything, as I think he was mostly upset about my "revealing" the fact that pit bosses were privy to a tip share in the first place. But I would have liked to have heard that the tips didn't go any farther than the pit.

Quote: Wizard

Basically, I feel that in most cases, including dealers, tipping is pretty much an expected service fee.

And I normally tip the dealers, mainly because I know they are paid minimally, plus I don't mind as long as they are at least a bit entertaining and conversational, and most of them are. (I will admit, though, that I tip what *I* think is appropriate, and in my own unique way, and probably not what others think, and I'm happy to explain it if anybody cares.) And I *would* have tipped before I left, as I mentioned, if it weren't for the pit boss glaring at me for the last bit of my play. I know I wasn't clear on it, but when the pit boss approached me with his jovial comment, my return comment was also made jovially, with a smile and a wink, and was not intended to be taken seriously. Obviously, what I said struck a nerve, because the events that transpired then did.

Quote: bigfoot66

A single deck 3/2 game with double down restrictions is still a better than average game.

Well, it was a 6-deck shoe game. And the Wizard's page indicates that hitting on soft 17 and the double down restrictions add up to a 0.5% extra house edge, or close to doubling the house edge. Granted, it's better than other games that can be found out there, but it was still a lot worse than every other casino in Laughlin.

Quote: djteddybear

If you don't like the rules, don't play the game. If more people refused to play the games with lousy rules, then the beancounters would notice.

This, I agree with. Had I known the rules of the game, I would not have played in the first place. However, there were no rules of any kind presented in any format at the blackjack tables, or anywhere nearby. In my mistake, I assumed the rules would be similar to the other casinos in Laughlin. I only found out the hard way that I couldn't double on soft hands, couldn't double on 9, couldn't double after a split, etc, etc. As it was, I only spent an hour and a half there, and didn't play again after finding out the rules. Unfortunately, people will not refuse to play the games there. The Riverside is well aware of the fact that they are the most popular casino in Laughlin, and has the most business. I have no "proof" of this, other than every time I've been to Laughlin, at any day/time, the Riverside is always more populated and busy than any of the other casinos. It is a noticeable difference. Not only in the pit games, but also at the slot machines. Basically, I believe that the Riverside knows it is the most popular and busy of the casinos, and thus can offer worse edge games to its players, because they still have the business. I think it's also why they perform such atrocious toke hustling, both by the dealers and the pit, as has been mentioned in other threads.

I will say that this causes me more consternation than might be expected. As a business owner myself, part of me says, good for them. They have a captive market, they know it, why not take advantage of it.

Also, if this discussion continues more, it should probably be split into its own thread to not derail the OP. :)

Quote: Wizard

Good point. The Riverside has more 3-2 single deck games than any casino in Clark County. Most of the other casinos in Laughlin pay 6-5 in single-deck 21.

Unfortunately, I didn't spend any time looking at the single deck games. However, all of the shoe and CSM (multiple deck) games in all of the casinos in Laughlin that I played at all offered 3:2.

One place the lack of tipping is noticeable is the McCarran shuttle to the Car Rental Center on Gillespie.
And that is despite the drivers' helping with the luggage, insisting on stowing it correctly themselves and on unloading it.

Quote: konceptum

On an unrelated side note, while in Laughlin, I went and played some blackjack at the Riverside, and discovered they had some atrocious blackjack rules.

Next time you're there, walk four doors down to the Pioneer Club. They have the same game but with double on anything. Whatever you do, though, don't eat at the restaurant there. There is also a prevalence of coin-dropper slots and video poker.

Quote: teddys

Next time you're there, walk four doors down to the Pioneer Club. They have the same game but with double on anything. Whatever you do, though, don't eat at the restaurant there. There is also a prevalence of coin-dropper slots and video poker.

Thanks for the hint. I've never been inside the Pioneer Club. All my trips to Laughlin, and I've never even walked into the place. I feel kind of bad about that.

Quote: konceptum

Thanks for the hint. I've never been inside the Pioneer Club. All my trips to Laughlin, and I've never even walked into the place. I feel kind of bad about that.

You're not missing much. I don't think it has seen any upgrades since the eighties.

Quote: Wizard

Still, I wonder, when did it start to be expected to tip housekeeping? I don’t think it was expected just 20 years ago.

When I stayed in Vegas in the 70's and 80's I never
heard of it. I became aware of it in the mid 90's. Now
you're expected to tip everybody.

Why do most people tip the staff if you are staying in one of the upper level suites at aria or Wynn?

Quote: Wizardofnothing

Why do most people tip the staff if you are staying in one of the upper level suites at aria or Wynn?

Why do people tip them at all? Did you mean what or are you asking why a suite person would tip?

Sorry I have a bad habit of not proofreading - that should have said how much or what do

ok, since we have clarified that wizardofnothing didn't mean to ask "why", then I will be the bad non-tipper that asks why?

Say you check into a hotel for a night, In the morning you are 'supposed' to leave a tip for housekeeping.

For what? Cleaning the room for the next patron?

Some will say you leave the tip for the clean room that you checked into a day earlier. But wasn't that part of what you paid for??

I never ever tip when staying one night/ occasionally I will ask them to reclean the room since most times they never REALLY DO a good job- I have stayed in the same exact room weeks apart and found something I dropped behind something weeks prior

Was your money still in the safe?
;-)

Quote: kewlj

But wasn't that part of what you paid for??

This logic can be used for almost all things tipping-related.

Quite frankly, I generally don't tip housekeeping. I figure I'll tip the dealers since KJ doesn't, and I won't tip the housekeeping because KJ does! ;)

That's pretty funny

Quote: RS

This logic can be used for almost all things tipping-related.

Quite frankly, I generally don't tip housekeeping. I figure I'll tip the dealers since KJ doesn't, and I won't tip the housekeeping because KJ does! ;)

I will tip housekeeping if I request something like extra towels, ect. I also will tip if I am staying multiple nights, because they are providing a service for me. But I will not tip on the day that I depart. It just isn't clear to me what I am tipping for at that point?

Have you notice that none of the electronic video type BJ games, like the "big boobed girl" one or similar ones by Aruze or other manufacturers have a spot on the layout for tipping?? That is the way the game is supposed to be played. And by the way, the personalities of some of the electronic dealers are far superior to most human dealers that I encounter. :)

Quote: kewlj

Some will say you leave the tip for the clean room that you checked into a day earlier. But wasn't that part of what you paid for??

Do you tip waitresses?

Quote: SanchoPanza

One place the lack of tipping is noticeable is the McCarran shuttle to the Car Rental Center on Gillespie.
And that is despite the drivers' helping with the luggage, insisting on stowing it correctly themselves and on unloading it.

Agreed. If someone loads/unloads my suitcase or more impressively my wife's suitcase, loaded to a lb or two below the airline maximum, I always tip for that. And those driver's always seem genuinely thankful.

On the other hand, I may never forget the dockworkers, who were probably making a pretty nice union hourly rate, aggressively hustling the mostly senior crowd for tips on one of the cruises I went on years ago. I think it was down in Florida, probably Miami.

Quote: JohnnyQ

Agreed. If someone loads/unloads my suitcase or more impressively my wife's suitcase, loaded to a lb or two below the airline maximum, I always tip for that. And those driver's always seem genuinely thankful.

On the other hand, I may never forget the dockworkers, who were probably making a pretty nice union hourly rate, aggressively hustling the mostly senior crowd for tips on one of the cruises I went on years ago. I think it was down in Florida, probably Miami.

I heard that you should always tip those dock workers or tour bags may take 24 hours to make it to your room. I tipped ours last year and the bags were there before we even made it to the room. Maybe they were just that efficient and it had nothing to do with the tip.

Quote: GWAE

I heard that you should always tip those dock workers or tour bags may take 24 hours to make it to your room. I tipped ours last year and the bags were there before we even made it to the room. Maybe they were just that efficient and it had nothing to do with the tip.

a) I think the dockworkers spread that rumor !

b) I think the people who bring the bag to your cabin work for the cruise line. I was referring to the dockworkers loading on shore when you first get there.

I don't tip housekeeping staff. I do tip wait staff, and usually tip airport shuttle drivers (I generally pack light and place my own luggage) and even dealers (gasp).

I would prefer if the U.S. were a non tipping society and we just pay for what we get, employers pay their employees and sometimes charge more. Tipping is a socially awkward tradition, and in the case of food is usually not really based on service but on price.

I really don't buy that prices automatically would go significantly up if we were a non tipping society, and if they go up by the amount we're expected to tip I'd prefer avoiding the socially awkward practice. I can't claim I own a business where employees depend on tips for a living wage, but The way I see businesses operate supply and demand is by far the determining factor in price, employee wages seem to be a minimal factor, IMHO.

If I'm throwing money around in Vegas, I'm not sweating a few tips here and there. I'd rather give someone money who will appreciate it than pad the bottom line of a failing corporation.

Bonus if you provide a service to me personally, and are pleasant to interact with.

Quote: Wizard

Do you tip waitresses?

Yes. She brings MY food.

Quote: kewlj

Yes. She brings MY food.

Isn't that her job? When I go to restaurants in countries where tipping is not expected I get MY food as well, as opposed to somebody else's.

Quote: Wizard

Isn't that her job? When I go to restaurants in countries where tipping is not expected I get MY food as well, as opposed to somebody else's.

Yes, well I bow to public pressure on this one.

Quote: kewlj

Yes, well I bow to public pressure on this one.

That's all I wanted you to say.

Quote: Wizard

That's all I wanted you to say.

Yes, I knew that.

Tipping...I rather dislike tipping - particularly in a casino.

We talk here about EV and HE and bankroll. There's really nothing more mind-numbing to me when I go to the cafe and see 1 single chocolate chip cookie selling for 2.75. And, having made my fair share of cookies, I know this cost them a nickel at most. Huge mark-up!

And, a player hits a jackpot on a VP machine at the bar - and the bartender greedily anticipates a hundred dollar tip! For what? Bringing me a bottle of water - and talking ad nauseum when all I want to do is play? Ludicrous. By all means, tip a buck or two when they bring you a very cold beer. But a hundred bucks?

I know guys who've tipped a hundred bucks to Hooters' girls. That made no sense to me either - unless it was for favors I didn't know about. But, hey, it's their money, not mine.

But for me - I'm there to play and honestly, I'm there to win. If I have fun while I'm at it, great. If not - I don't care. I'm there to leave with more money than what I came with.

This is why I self park, so I don't have to tip the valet.


Overall - I get it. Sometimes, guys lose so much money, it doesn't make sense to be cheap. "Dude, I'm down 3 grand today." Cocktail waitress comes up with a water, he tips her 20 bucks (more because she's hot than for the service, I'd say)
What's 20 bucks more on top of a big loss like that? The guy is still up from hitting that 600k jackpot 18 months ago.

But! Not for long, losing 3k and tipping 20's!

I tip housekeepers because I feel it decreases the chance of them sticking my toothbrush up their twat by several orders of magnitude. I don't know what the probability for the base event is, but $5/night on a comped room is worth the peace of mind. They also have to deal with some seriously nasty stuff on a regular basis I imagine.

When I learn that cleaning feces off a wall is part of a slot attendant's standard duties, I'll start tipping them as well.

Don't give me any ideas! I get a little heated when I lose, sometimes....(j/k)

I will tip the maids, usually. I figure they deserve it.

Plus, maids are not dealers. I NEVER tip dealers, EVER.

Quote: sabre

I tip housekeepers because I feel it decreases the chance of them sticking my toothbrush up their twat by several orders of magnitude. I don't know what the probability for the base event is, but $5/night on a comped room is worth the peace of mind. They also have to deal with some seriously nasty stuff on a regular basis I imagine.

Although I have no proof, I'm pretty certain the "toothbrush in the snatch" routine occurs regularly among the maid community whether we tip them or not.

I tip because I have been a hotel maid, cocktail waitress, bartender, food server (x20 at least), receptionist, dealer, and many other jobs. I never want to do any of them again, ever. Did I say never?

Special on servers. Most places in the US, they don't make minimum wage. Or they do, but it's a special wage just for food servers that ASSUMES that they will make enough tips (tax wise) to make up the difference between what they do make and at least minimum wage. For me as a server, that was $2.70/hour when the min wage was $7.05 (so a long time ago, but the relative scales are still in effect). It's a crap system, but don't kid yourself that the servers make "minimum wage" because they don't.

Re: housekeeping. I've mentioned this before, but the time to tip them is the FIRST night of a multi-night stay (assuming you're going to tip them anyway). Your room will be clean and well-stocked (likely overstocked with extra coffee, notions, whatever) the whole time you're there.

Quote: beachbumbabs

Re: housekeeping. I've mentioned this before, but the time to tip them is the FIRST night of a multi-night stay (assuming you're going to tip them anyway). Your room will be clean and well-stocked (likely overstocked with extra coffee, notions, whatever) the whole time you're there.

Most definitely.
The Venetian pays high wages to keep the unions out.

By the way, if you are thinking of a non gambling location in Florida,,, the housekeeper is paid 3.50 per room. That's it. Usually not enough to live anywhere near where she works.

On a gambling voyage, or in a casino, I start right out with a tip for the dealers. Its an investment for me and it might as well work right away. First time I went on a cruise on the Voyager out of Coco Beach, I not only made a good tip for them but I actually risked the stick's ire by calling out loud and strong, Dealers Have Shoes. With my very limited bankroll I may not be at that table for long, but there are two things I know for sure: While I am there I will have bets on the line for the dealers and the dealers will KNOW it.

Whether its a casino maid or a non-casino maid, let them know of your preferences regarding caffeine or decaffeinated. They will always do what they can for you. In Biloxi, I used to be the third son to check into a certain room suite... not a bad trick in a family that only had one son and about five daughters. The maids don't care if I'm getting two free rooms back to back, the maids only care if they are getting well tipped.

Quote: FleaStiff

.... the housekeeper is paid 3.50 per room. That's it.

Is that right? I thought she gets an hourly wage. I generally put out the Do Not Disturb sign because I don't want strangers in my room, and I figure I'm doing her a favor by giving her less work to do. I didn't realize I was costing her money.

Quote: zippyboy

Is that right? I thought she gets an hourly wage. I generally put out the Do Not Disturb sign because I don't want strangers in my room, and I figure I'm doing her a favor by giving her less work to do. I didn't realize I was costing her money.

Prolly mgt doesn't know you had out the 'do not disturb' sign. If everyone on her floor does that, well, she can sit in the break room and log onto WoV ;-)

Quote: Wizard

You raise a good point. Why do we tip some people for just doing their job, but not others? I would tip a maid for just doing her job, but not a cashier. Why the difference? My position is that society is in part held together by good manners and proper etiquette. Things like this separate us from the other animals. So I defer to social norms, even when they don’t make sense.

Still, I wonder, when did it start to be expected to tip housekeeping? I don’t think it was expected just 20 years ago. It seems like there is tip inflation all over the place. I hate to just go with the flow, but don’t want to be Mr. Pink either.

Some jobs are paid lower than what an average person can survive on. Typically waiters, maids etc. They simply have to rely on tipping just to get by. Bus drivers, cashiers etc. are supposed to get their income from the employer alone. Who and how much you tip varies a lot from country to country, but tipping is more common in The US than in Europe, I think.

Last week I kept the housekeeping out of my room for my 3 day stay, only used one towel, purposely used only one trash can (just me and no need to make extra work ) and I even make sure the facilities are somewhat clean when I leave (I am an adult and can spare even cleaning ladies the dignity of dealing with a dirty toilet ) even on my vacation . That being said , I left 10 bucks for the final cleaning . I tossed 50 dollar hands (up to a few 250 dollar hands ) around all day , I can give them 10 bucks on my 140 dollar stay (mostly comped save fees ) as a kind gesture for doing a dirty job, I wouldn't wanna do.

20% on dinners, even for the Buffett wait staff , 5 bucks to the airport shuttle driver and a buck or two for the rio/harrahs shuttle driver .

25-100 bucks on most winning sessions at the tables , and 5-10 on short (like 10 hand ) losing sessions . Even if I lose all my chips quickly playing a few big hands looking for a quick double up , I pull a 5 or 10 out of my wallet and tip as I leave .

Really no need to be greedy when I am being served on vacation and am having hundreds of dollar swings . What is 10-20 bucks in tips a day when I am doing that ?

Quote: megapixels

If I'm throwing money around in Vegas, I'm not sweating a few tips here and there. I'd rather give someone money who will appreciate it than pad the bottom line of a failing corporation.

Bonus if you provide a service to me personally, and are pleasant to interact with.

Exactly !!! Imagine it from these people's eyes . They might be struggling to pay bills and I am whipping $300 out like it is nothing . I can't imagine the mindset you have to have seeing people on vacation everyday at work, having fun and tossing money around like they don't need it .

Quote: Greg216

Exactly !!! Imagine it from these people's eyes . They might be struggling to pay bills and I am whipping $300 out like it is nothing . I can't imagine the mindset you have to have seeing people on vacation everyday at work, having fun and tossing money around like they don't need it .

Let me ask you this though? Isn't that kind of the byproduct in working in a touristy area? Do you think people that go to Vegas who drop a bunch of money left and right at the tables and fine dining and shopping live that way in their everyday lives when they go home? Or is it more of a 3-5 day splurge? The fact of the matter is, people save up all year to enjoy the vacation that they do take. Now, I am not against tipping housekeeping staff, I do when I stay in a hotel as well, but to look at people enjoying themselves on vacation and thinking you deserve some sympathy because you are struggling with your bills is a bit over the top.

Quote: Gabes22

Let me ask you this though? Isn't that kind of the byproduct in working in a touristy area? Do you think people that go to Vegas who drop a bunch of money left and right at the tables and fine dining and shopping live that way in their everyday lives when they go home? Or is it more of a 3-5 day splurge? The fact of the matter is, people save up all year to enjoy the vacation that they do take. Now, I am not against tipping housekeeping staff, I do when I stay in a hotel as well, but to look at people enjoying themselves on vacation and thinking you deserve some sympathy because you are struggling with your bills is a bit over the top.

Not "expecting it" or sympathy . Just saying it has to be hard watching people party all day while you work . I am in the trades and work on houses , even I get jealous when people are off of work and AT HOME enjoying the day off while I work on their house ... I can only imagine seeing guys blow thousands at the blink of an eye .

I am sure they get used to it and use it to boost their income