When do you tip a maid

Coming to the United States meant learning the language of tipping—10 bucks to the patient concierge, three bucks to the bellhop for carrying heavy luggage, a chance to show appreciation for work done with extraordinary care. Many hotel chains have updated their cleanliness guidelines to ensure the safety of their guests and staff.

Among their protocols include social distancing measures and reduced interaction with guests—no turndown service and room service simply left at your door, for example. You can opt to check-in online to skip the front desk and use a mobile room key to reduce touch points. So, amid the pandemic, when housekeeping may not even enter your room, should you still leave a tip?

If so, how much? First of all: Yes, leave a tip, you monster. And tip more. Though guests are interacting less frequently with housekeeping—who are largely invisible workers to begin with—it does not mean housekeepers are working less. Are you hiring an individual self-employed cleaner who runs their own business, or are you turning to a larger cleaning company with many employees? Individual owners are generally able to set their own rates and do not lose a portion to a larger company.

Because of this, they do not usually expect extra tips. Meanwhile, employees of cleaning companies do not get to determine their wages, get paid only a portion of the full service rate, and may even rely on tips to make a living wage. Taking this into account will help you determine whether a tip is necessary.

Another thing to factor in is the tipping policy of the specific company you are working with. Many cleaning companies have begun to pay their employees a higher wage, eliminating the pressure for their customers to tip the cleaners. Other companies may build the tips into their standard rates. In this case, the service agreement should clearly state how the rates are determined and whether the tip is included. Still other companies may have a policy that does not allow cleaners to accept tips, and in these cases your cleaner will respectfully decline any tip you may offer.

In addition to the size of the company and the tipping policy, you may want to consider the state of your home when deciding whether to tip your cleaner. You should also consider the quality of work you receive from each service before you decide whether to tip your cleaner. This guide will answer some of the most pressing questions related to tipping your maids and cleaner.

Tipping can feel awkward, we never want to talk about money, right? Whether or not you decide to tip your house cleaners will come to a variety of factors, but ultimately, tipping your house cleaner is a personal decision. Just like wages vary by location, so does tipping. In the same way, tipping a Texas home cleaner will be different than tipping one for a home elsewhere in the U.

Ask your friends and neighbors how much they are tipping for house cleaning services. Or search for articles on local standards for what a living wage is in your area and use that to decide how much to tip house cleaners. Before tipping your cleaner, think about what you can afford.

Customers have a right to ask what their house cleaners are paid. Square footage is also something that you can use to increase your tipping. One way to determine the right amount to tip is to consider what service your cleaning person is providing. Is your cleaner coming in early and working longer to help you get ready for someone visiting?

Did you need to ask for additional help from the maid service to prepare for these people arriving? Cleaners know on average which customers will require more work, and they might increase the amount of people accordingly. Oftentimes, cleaners prefer to receive a tip in cash.