Tipping extra?

[Alibi Ike]

Do you find tips or bigger tips if the guest has made a big mess in the room? Would you leave a big/bigger tip if you made a mess in the room?

 

[agoodman]

No actually I hardly ever find tips (1) and (2) LESS from those people and (3) when I do, they are from people I least expect it from

 

[JBloggs]

The messiest guests leave the least tips or none at all (speaking from a hotel/housekeeping viewpoint).
Now if I had some sort of accident, I might be inclined to tip more, but then leave the room extra tidy to compensate.

 

[EmptyNest]

Sorry I usually don 't leave tips unless something more than extraordinary was done for me. :-( Guests who left tips for us were usually ones who had a really good stay with us not because they made a mess. Those folks never left tips.

 

[Pollyanna]

The kinds of people who place all their used towels neatly in the closet laundry basket, all their trash in the trash baskets and then strip the beds and leave it all in a tidy pile on the bed are the ones who leave tips.
Just had a bride and groom who had their wedding here for a very low price, were given gifts from us, presented with a beautiful hors d'oeuvre and dessert table for after the wedding, even though they had declined catering, were given very late check-out, all free of charge, ( he was in the army so I felt inclined) left a huge stain in their room, not sure if wine, coffee, or vomit. They left the briefest of thank you notes and not a dime for housekeeping. Oh, and its usually the older guests who tip. Young people don't seem to know what exceptional service, surroundings and value they are getting.

 

[agoodman]

I ALWAYS leave a tip for the Innkeeper because more than likely they have given me a special rate .. and even if they haven't .... If I get a comp I like to give a GC or other, or a reciprocal

 

[egoodell]

We get tips often but I think it's because they usually book the room and wine tour which means they get a lot of personal attention plus a ride to town for diner the night of the wine tour. Tippers here range from late 20s and up. We never know who's going to leave us a tip.
We are (knock on wood) lucky we've only had one mess of a room in three years.
RIki

 

[Don Draper]

I tip whether at a b&b, hotel, motel...I am on vacation and someone is cleaning the toilet for me...hallelujah!
The bigger the mess, the smaller (or nonexistant) tip. My favorite are the cheapskates who TAKE the Housekeeping envelope rather than just not leaving anything.
I would not expect tips because I am the owner, but we have a full housekeeping staff and the envelope SAYS that...just don't leave anything, but don't make me print an entirely new envelope!

 

[Alibi Ike]

Why I asked- I do tip when I'm on vacation because I know how awful cleaning rooms can be. I don't usually make a mess, I'm usually very, very neat & tidy and make sure all the trash is in the trash cans, towels are piled up in the tub, etc. (I don't make the bed because I hate it when guests do that and I have to unmake it. Too much work. I also don't strip a bed and would not want a guest to do that here, either. All besides the point.)
I was violently ill last night in a really, really cheap motel. There was a kitchenette so a big roll of paper towels was available. I cleaned up as best I could without any cleaning supplies other than paper towels & water. I tied it all up in the plastic bag in the trash can but the room still reeked.
I was fairly certain they see this a lot and I didn't want to be 'one of those guests' so I left a much bigger tip than I would have and a note apologizing. I was curious to find out if anyone else leaves an extra tip when something like that happens.
Generally, our experience here reflects everyone else's- no tips and definitely no tips when there is a mess to clean up.
(And the cheap motel was surprisingly clean with the exception of the 50 yo carpeting. The antique furniture in the room would have fetched way more than the room cost.)

 

[gillumhouse]

I once left $20 for an innkeeper who had given me a comp. She returned it by mail. I felt that I must have offened her. Now I take a nice hostess gift.
When doing a "Hit & split" travel I stay at a motel and always leave a tip. When on City biz I get to stay in nice hotels and always leave a tip - EXCEPT at a certain hotel in our Capital that even after being TOLD about a piece of trash AND after telling the Manager on Duty at the desk the next day about it, it was still there when we left. And no, it was not ours. It leave a tip because i know hotel/motel housekeeping are paid minimally.. (B & B housekeepers get paid a decent rate, but if I knew there was housekeeping, I would still leave a tip. I am "conditioned."

 

[agoodman]

Oh my I would be OFFENDED if someone sent my tip back, a nice gracious thank you would have done well!!! Or a note saying that it has been donated to a local or favorite charity

 

[Joey Camb]

I have worked in housekeeping in a large hotel and they only get a very limited time per room so anything you do to help is appreciated so I make it really clear which things I have used ie glasses and mugs, stack all the towels and sheets together for clearing (as I know these all come off and go on the cart) and tie up the rubbish and make sure the room is as clean and tidy as possible. I tip staff I have had good service from. I think it is appreciated you are trying to help.

 

[gillumhouse]

Oh my I would be OFFENDED if someone sent my tip back, a nice gracious thank you would have done well!!! Or a note saying that it has been donated to a local or favorite charity.

Actually, it was not meant as a tip. It was meant as leaving something to cover the laundry & food costs for my stay as was the custom of the Assoc. when we stayed with members comp.

 

[agoodman]

Oh my I would be OFFENDED if someone sent my tip back, a nice gracious thank you would have done well!!! Or a note saying that it has been donated to a local or favorite charity.

Actually, it was not meant as a tip. It was meant as leaving something to cover the laundry & food costs for my stay as was the custom of the Assoc. when we stayed with members comp.
.

Either way, your intention was good, you wanted to leave it or you would not have .....

 

[Samster]

Why I asked- I do tip when I'm on vacation because I know how awful cleaning rooms can be. I don't usually make a mess, I'm usually very, very neat & tidy and make sure all the trash is in the trash cans, towels are piled up in the tub, etc. (I don't make the bed because I hate it when guests do that and I have to unmake it. Too much work. I also don't strip a bed and would not want a guest to do that here, either. All besides the point.)
I was violently ill last night in a really, really cheap motel. There was a kitchenette so a big roll of paper towels was available. I cleaned up as best I could without any cleaning supplies other than paper towels & water. I tied it all up in the plastic bag in the trash can but the room still reeked.
I was fairly certain they see this a lot and I didn't want to be 'one of those guests' so I left a much bigger tip than I would have and a note apologizing. I was curious to find out if anyone else leaves an extra tip when something like that happens.
Generally, our experience here reflects everyone else's- no tips and definitely no tips when there is a mess to clean up.
(And the cheap motel was surprisingly clean with the exception of the 50 yo carpeting. The antique furniture in the room would have fetched way more than the room cost.).

Oh, you poor thing...hope you're feeling better.
I would probably have done what you did even though I was feeling like crap & it certainly wasn't my fault that I got sick.
Our tips mostly came from young people who really couldn't afford it or people who were grateful for all our extra service. Rarely did well-to-do folks leave anything at all and they expected a lot ....

 

[Country Girl]

We have found, surprisingly, that younger adults tend to tip better, are more appreciative, and are neater.

 

[JBloggs]

We have found, surprisingly, that younger adults tend to tip better, are more appreciative, and are neater..

We have found, surprisingly, that younger adults tend to tip better, are more appreciative, and are neater.

Interesting point CG and Samster, I agree. We also find the younger generation tip (if a gratuity is left which is not often fyi) vs the older. Another stat from my own experience here is Military tip 10 to 1 to non military.
Another off topic sorta on topic thing is that younger guests require less (if any at all) "hand holding" and "rat-tat-tat song and dance" of the hosts are the ones who tip, ie they appreciate the added privacy.
Each year I go back to this rat tat tat issue and battle it out in my mind. I guess it depends on mood and exhaustion levels as to how much extra of ourselves we can give. Or if they arrive later and try to take -w hen there is nothing left to give, up at the crack of dawn and have no more to give, and what I do have needs to go to my family.
When people demand it, it is the line that is crossed for me personally, as I am renting to you a Bed and Breakfast (I am not rentable, there is not a tick box on the online reservations to rent the innkeeper for your personal conversation or entertainment). A balancing act, to be sure.

 

[Alibi Ike]

We have found, surprisingly, that younger adults tend to tip better, are more appreciative, and are neater..

We have found, surprisingly, that younger adults tend to tip better, are more appreciative, and are neater.

Interesting point CG and Samster, I agree. We also find the younger generation tip (if a gratuity is left which is not often fyi) vs the older. Another stat from my own experience here is Military tip 10 to 1 to non military.
Another off topic sorta on topic thing is that younger guests require less (if any at all) "hand holding" and "rat-tat-tat song and dance" of the hosts are the ones who tip, ie they appreciate the added privacy.
Each year I go back to this rat tat tat issue and battle it out in my mind. I guess it depends on mood and exhaustion levels as to how much extra of ourselves we can give. Or if they arrive later and try to take -w hen there is nothing left to give, up at the crack of dawn and have no more to give, and what I do have needs to go to my family.
When people demand it, it is the line that is crossed for me personally, as I am renting to you a Bed and Breakfast (I am not rentable, there is not a tick box on the online reservations to rent the innkeeper for your personal conversation or entertainment). A balancing act, to be sure.
.

I think we get one type of guest who comes in a variety of ages, walks of life, etc!

• Bedmaking by guest? Non-existant
• Tipping? Rare
• Wanting the song & dance? Almost everyone
• Messing up the room? All the time. It is rare we can vacuum when a guest is staying over.
• Wanting to talk if they see us in the inn? A rare occurance when they don't want to talk.
• Cleaning up their table? If one does it, they all do and it's generally an older, married guy or young couple who start the trend.

 

[JBloggs]

Just to be clear there are exceptions to every rule.
I will also note that is not really those who are here on an anniv or honeymoon that tip either, they are "lashing out" so to speak to stay with us and don't really do that. Years ago working in fine dining the servers FOUGHT over not getting the most dressed up couples, obv on their anniversary (very demanding and not tipping). FIGHT TOOTH AND NAIL TO NOT HAVE THESE DRESSY COUPLES.
Surprisingly as I am always pleasantly surprised it is the ones I least expect, always, those who we do nothing extra for, who seem to leave a gratuity. It baffles the mind. Those we bend over backwards never do. NEVER and I REPEAT NEVER has there been a gratuity left when we UPGRADED A GUEST TO A ROOM (for say $50+ in upgrades AND discounted to begin with, NEVER!!!) Go figure that one out.

 

[Samster]

Just to be clear there are exceptions to every rule.
I will also note that is not really those who are here on an anniv or honeymoon that tip either, they are "lashing out" so to speak to stay with us and don't really do that. Years ago working in fine dining the servers FOUGHT over not getting the most dressed up couples, obv on their anniversary (very demanding and not tipping). FIGHT TOOTH AND NAIL TO NOT HAVE THESE DRESSY COUPLES.
Surprisingly as I am always pleasantly surprised it is the ones I least expect, always, those who we do nothing extra for, who seem to leave a gratuity. It baffles the mind. Those we bend over backwards never do. NEVER and I REPEAT NEVER has there been a gratuity left when we UPGRADED A GUEST TO A ROOM (for say $50+ in upgrades AND discounted to begin with, NEVER!!!) Go figure that one out..

I agree about your statement about tips coming from left field. That was totally my experience.
I remember that I got a $50 tip from some ladies that were here handling a difficult situation with one of the ladies' sister and all that I did to my recollection was treat them with normal, everyday kindness. Their behavior was not entitled or overdemanding and they were certainly in a stressful enough situation that it could have been the case.
Never got a tip from someone that was really messy or broke something (rare but it happened).