On the recent Marriott Urging to Tip Housekeepers

[lsanderson]

Annie Lowrey at New York magazine is unimpressed with the plan. Hotel housekeepers, she writes, “are precisely the sorts of workers who could use a raise in this economy. But tipping is a terrible, terrible custom, and as such, this is a terrible, terrible way to shunt these workers a little more money.” She explains:

“Tipping introduces uncertainty to a worker’s income. Does a hotel housekeeper get to keep her tips, or does she have to pool them? What happens if her tips come in unusually high or low? What if the other housekeepers hide their tips, or forget to encourage guests to leave something? On top of that, tipping reduces the incentive for employers to raise wages.”

And, she concludes:

“Marriott makes $13 billion a year in revenue, and $626 million in profits. Arne Sorenson — the guy who suggests you leave $1 or $5 a night, depending on rate — makes $7 million a year. If Marriott wants its housekeepers to earn more, it should pay them more, rather than blithely suggesting that their customers do it for them.” Moar

Comments

[quadong.livejournal.com]

Amen!

[don-fitch.livejournal.com]

That!

And I'm unimpressed (or very negatively impressed, take your pick) by what Mr. Sorenson considers an adequate tip. Less than 1 % of the bill seems closer to being insulting than to being helpful. Yep, though I dislike The System, I do go along with it.

[lydy.livejournal.com]

On the one hand, I agree that tipping is a shitty system. On the other hand, I try to remember to tip handsomely, because until the fuckers actually start paying the maids a decent wage, it's a way to help ameliorate real pain and want.

[lsanderson.livejournal.com]

yes! Yes! YES! A certain list that shall not be named haz been discussing it, for various values of discussion.

[geometrician.livejournal.com]

I get so sick of the tipping system we have in this country. The pathetic minimum wage discussion obfuscates any discussion of tipping practices. If I go to a restaurant, I pay a premium for my food. Then, unless I want to step back to the kitchen myself, I am also expected to pay the servers. Oh, wait.... that's right, I'm not allowed in the kitchen.

Now I not only have to spend $200-300 or more per night to stay in a hotel, I am expected to pay for housekeeping.

We are on a dangerous track. With airlines charging fees on top of airfare for every little thing, we will soon be paying á la carte for all sorts of services, without any commensurate reduction in the major cost for whatever it is we are doing.

[bart-calendar.livejournal.com]

I thought the deal with hotel housekeepers was that you don't tip if you are just sleeping but if you get laid you leave a tip commensurate with how gross you've left the bed. i.e. just normal sex wet spots, a fairly small tip, period sex and blood all over the sheets, a larger tip, water sport, a giant tip.