Marriott to encourage tipping room attendants

[drron]

Marriott International wants to give its housekeepers a raise — and it is hoping customers will chip in.
Beginning this week, a number of the company’s hotels will begin providing envelopes in guest rooms to encourage visitors to tip workers. The initiative, called “The Envelope Please,” is a partnership with A Woman’s Nation, a nonprofit organization founded by journalist and former California first lady Maria Shriver.

Marriott to urge guests to tip their housekeepers as part of new campaign - The Washington Post

 

[UP4014]

I first thought, if management want to give them a raise, then give them a raise.

But, this gives them a raise without increasing the rates to the customer, or does it?


Matt

 

[harvyk]

Here is an idea, how about they actually pay their housekeeping staff a livable wage and stop expecting their guests to "chip in". Charge the guests up front the actual costs of keeping the hotel running including making sure all workers are paid fairly, and get rid of this false economy.

Now there is a radical idea...

 

[Hvr]

Exactly right there harvyk. If an employer knows that the wage they're paying is too low then they need to increase their wages rather than encouraging staff to beg from customers.

 

[harvyk]

Exactly right there harvyk. If an employer knows that the wage they're paying is too low then they need to increase their wages rather than encouraging staff to beg from customers.

Only problem is that tipping culture is so ingrained in US culture that I suspect if people where presented with the following choice

A. Pay $150 per night, no tipping required
B. Pay $130 per night, tipping will come to $30

Most people in the US will still pick option B, simply because the initial price looks smaller and no one thinks twice about the $1 here and the $1 there.

I remember once having an "internet discussion" on another forum over tipping culture, the person just couldn't grasp the concept that paying slightly more for everything upfront would ultimately be cheaper than paying a slightly cheaper rate up front but then forking out more than the difference it tips.

The argument ended with, "well with option A I'm likely to get sticker shock so I'd still go to option B".

 

[burrco]

Perhaps they can put a coin slot next to the power switch so we can chip in for utility costs as well.

 

[harvyk]

Perhaps they can put a coin slot next to the power switch so we can chip in for utility costs as well.

Don't give them idea's...

 

[dk4]

Only problem is that tipping culture is so ingrained in US culture ...

I see tipping in the USA, tied to their history of slavery.

From slaves with no pay, to black servants with little pay, their economic system & business models (in certain industries) have never embraced a change to "a fair day's pay, for a fair day's work", because from the setup of their society, positions in those industries have always been filled with exceptionally cheap/free labour.

Along with all the social positioning power plays associated with it, I agree with Hvr, and I often view tipping as institutionalised begging.

 

[harvyk]

I see tipping in the USA, tied to their history of slavery.

From slaves with no pay, to black servants with little pay, their economic system & business models (in certain industries) have never embraced a change to "a fair day's pay, for a fair day's work", because from the setup of their society, positions in those industries have always been filled with exceptionally cheap/free labour.

Along with all the social positioning power plays associated with it, I agree with Hvr, and I often view tipping as institutionalised begging.

AFAIK, tipping originally came about as a way of the rich getting "better service" at restaurants aka a bribe. A tip would be provided on arrival and that would ensure better service, eg better seating, more attentive waiters etc. It was originally frowned upon (and even illegal in certain states) in the US as bribery had no place in a democratic society. During prohibition this "under the table" payment was encouraged by hotels / restaurants whom had lost out on booze revenue as it supplemented employees wages. Somehow from there they used it as an excuse to keep employees wages very low and as a result it's now considered all but mandatory in the US.

 

[Himeno]

The only time I tip is if it is deserved, not because they think they are entitled to it. The hotel can "encourage" all they want, doesn't mean they'll get a tip from me.

 

[UP4014]

Here is an idea, how about they actually pay their housekeeping staff a livable wage and stop expecting their guests to "chip in". Charge the guests up front the actual costs of keeping the hotel running including making sure all workers are paid fairly, and get rid of this false economy.

Now there is a radical idea...

The same reason the 'right' don't want the poorest 30M people to have health car. :-|

 

[casanovawa]

In any other country I'd call a business who did that a bunch of scummy A**holes, the sort of thing you would expect from some small local sweatshop rather than a big multi national conglomerate...

And I'm sure in most developed countries such a large business would be embarrassed to make such a stupid statement and would get rightfully panned for their ignorance...

But the yanks seem to love this thing where you get sooooooo much better service because the poor sop is relying on getting this embarrassing transaction at the end of it....

I hope if any Marriot here in Oz ever came out with such a stupid line someone would smack the idiot making it straight in the head...

As its the US i guess to the bare minimum we will have to keep putting up with it till they fix their coughpy system...

If they could do something about displaying the total price for your sandwich or drink on the menu boards and not have the tax surprise when you hit the cash register that would also be appreciated...

 

[anat0l]

This is a bit of an odd thing for Marriott to do, really. I think it actually engenders a bit of contempt and a condescending tone to the guests.


For whatever it is worth, when in the US (or other places where it is culturally / socially 'expected'), yes I do tip the housekeeper. I usually leave a nice note for them as well each day, and am hoping that no one else except the housekeeper takes the money.

 

[dajop]

Can understand this at the low end properties - the courtyards etc. But at the high end properties it's crazy - can you imagine being asked for a tip to supplement the wages of the cabin crew and support staff after a first or business class flight! But I guess in the hotel industry it's the polar opposite of the airline industry, it's the low end properties (Tune hotels excepted) that have inclusions and the high end ones that nickel and dime you for everything.

 

[JohnK]

Some of these companies are unbelievable.

The simplest to do is to bring executive salaries back down to earth and increase the wage of those poorly paid.

 

[Foreigner]

I dislike the tipping culture, esp. in the US, esp. at the bar, esp. in airport lounges. But on reflection, tipping housekeepers is a not a bad idea IMO. It's very likely you won't come face to face with them, yet (most of) these housekeepers do a tremendous job. Tipping them is not obligatory but a minimum $1 per day doesn't really hurt does it? There's a tip in the link: tip on the day because the same housekeeper may not be cleaning your room the next day, or the day after.

 

[harvyk]

<snip> $1 per day doesn't really hurt does it? <snip>

Actually, "$1" a day here and there adds up very quickly. That's the thing with such small amounts here and there, $1 to housekeeping + $1 to the door man (for calling a taxi over) + $2 to the taxi driver (10% of fare) + $5 to the waitress for lunch (%20 tip) + $1 to the barman (for 1 drink), none of them by themselves are big amounts yet you're now up to $10 in tips and you haven't even made it past lunch yet, and all these people are doing is things which they are also getting "paid" for, no doubt by a company which is bringing in some serious coin.

Personally I think there is a massive disconnect if a company is raking in the big dollars off the backs of people whom it virtually refuses to pay and that same company then expects the general public to big up it's slack. I mean seriously, if the tipping culture was not around and I went to a bank asking for a loan to set up a company and told them "I don't actually plan to pay my staff, I expect members of the general public to chip in when they want to" I'd be laughed right out of the bank managers office.

 

[lovestotravel]

Here is an idea, how about they actually pay their housekeeping staff a livable wage and stop expecting their guests to "chip in". Charge the guests up front the actual costs of keeping the hotel running including making sure all workers are paid fairly, and get rid of this false economy.

Now there is a radical idea...

You going to whinge about the endless other companies in the USA that rely on customers/guests to tip staff ?

 

[harvyk]

You going to whinge about the endless other companies in the USA that rely on customers/guests to tip staff ?

Yes........

 

[lovestotravel]

Yes........

Cool let me know how that goes for you