Thread: Tipping for service

Just wondering what the customary tip was for hotel housekeeping and bathroom attendants? I dont stay away too often nor encounter bathroom attendants on a regular basis. I like to tip for good service and don't want to offend by under tipping. For dinner I tip 15 to 20 percent depending on quality.

Originally Posted by junkinduck

Just wondering what the customary tip was for hotel housekeeping and bathroom attendants? I dont stay away too often nor encounter bathroom attendants on a regular basis. I like to tip for good service and don't want to offend by under tipping. For dinner I tip 15 to 20 percent depending on quality.

I hate the bathroom attendants. They take the paper towles out of the dispenser then try to get tips for handing it to you.

Luckily I dont do the "club scene" any more and never see these guys.

Housekeeping.. Not more than a couple bucks each night. Helps keep them from stealing my stuff or stuffing my toothbrush into places it shouldnt go.

I agree on the BR attendants but we went to a restaurant while on vacation that had an attendant. Annoying but I guess a symbol of quality service?

Don

Originally Posted by junkinduck

I agree on the BR attendants but we went to a restaurant while on vacation that had an attendant. Annoying but I guess a symbol of quality service?

Don

If they were after quality service they'd pay them enough so you didn't have to tip them. I just don't like people loitering in the bathroom. 15-20 seems generous, but then, service on the whole is bloody awful here. I've always left over 10%, but just recently have decided that if they don't do the job, they don't get anything. Judge your tip on what you believe is reasonable for your length of stay.

US is different, 15%-20% tip at a restaurant is the norm here and it's expected.

I prefer not to disclose the establishments where I've encountered bathroom attendants...

The ONLY time I used a restroom in France, when I stopped there on a trip to England, I was completely weirded out by the FEMALE attendant in the restroom. I had no idea if I was supposed to tip her or not but it seemed rather odd to me to have a female attendant in the men's room.

BTW, I did not tip her as I did not have any interaction with her other than the uneasy interlude at the urinal when I noticed her watching me. I was able to wash my hands and leave without any assistance from her. I later surmised that I should have tipped her simply for keeping the restroom clean. Oh well, next time.

Originally Posted by gugi

US is different, 15%-20% tip at a restaurant is the norm here and it's expected.

I prefer not to disclose the establishments where I've encountered bathroom attendants...

I grew up in restaurants 10% was the norm, anything above that is for exemplary service. Tips have gone up in recent years, but IMO its because staff now expects it of you and people are willing to give it. 10%
should be the norm for good service.

In Europe, I always tipped the little old ladies outside the restrooms, because I know it must be a crappy job (pun most certainly intended) keeping those public bathrooms clean.

But hotels? I've never tipped the housekeeping staff...I didn't even know it was common practice till I was told by Japanese tourists.

Originally Posted by Utopian

The ONLY time I used a restroom in France, when I stopped there on a trip to England, I was completely weirded out by the FEMALE attendant in the restroom. I had no idea if I was supposed to tip her or not but it seemed rather odd to me to have a female attendant in the men's room.

BTW, I did not tip her as I did not have any interaction with her other than the uneasy interlude at the urinal when I noticed her watching me. I was able to wash my hands and leave without any assistance from her. I later surmised that I should have tipped her simply for keeping the restroom clean. Oh well, next time.

HAH! In Japan, the old ladies come in and clean around you while you're doing your business! I'm still not used to that. That, and the public bathrooms in parks are often just a roof over a wall of urinals...totally open to view. But that's a different story...

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

I grew up in restaurants 10% was the norm, anything above that is for exemplary service. Tips have gone up in recent years, but IMO its because staff now expects it of you and people are willing to give it. 10%
should be the norm for good service.

I realize there are a lot of different thoughts on this, but it's worth mentioning that wait staff often get paid almost nothing by their employers, so their only chance to make money comes from the customers. Don't know how that was in the past - maybe the owners paid them more?

If you factor in the time a waiter/waitress spends with sidework beforehand and afterwards, you're looking at a 6-8 hour shift (for dinner, say), during which only maybe 3 hours are very productive in terms of tips. Since they aren't making the food themselves, they're also somewhat at the mercy of the kitchen staff in terms of food quality and timing. Also, most have to take turns working far less lucrative lunch shifts.

I could go on, but it's all been said before. After years of waiting tables in different kinds of restaurants myself, I usually tip around 20% if the service is adequate - sometimes more if I expect to come back in the future. Lack of attentiveness or a bad attitude are really the only two things that will always drop that rate in a hurry.

One other thing: some people make the argument that the owner of a food establishment should be the one paying his employees - not the customers. I can understand the argument, but after traveling in several countries where this is the norm, I can say that I've generally received much better service when the wait staff depends on tips.

I remember making a dollar an hour and thought I had something!