tipping for apartment cleaning?

apartment blues

My wife hired a cleaning professional to clean our apartment today. The professional brought an assistant or helper. I came home at the end of the cleaning. The two women cleaned our apartment for about three hours. They did a really great job. My wife paid them $70 (their rate) and did not tip. Now, my wife always tips pretty generously when we go out to eat – about 20-25%. So I was very surprised when she told me that “people don’t tip for cleaning services.” I think we should have given each of the two women a $10 tip (so a total tip of $20). What do people think?

And lastly, my wife did mention that if we use this service regularly, we would give a holiday bonus. But I still think we should tip.

carmen

I have mixed feelings about this. I think it depends on if the woman was working for a company or if she was "freelancing." If shes working for a cleaning service you can be sure shes making shit money, so I'd tip...however, if she is working for herself I'd say its not necessary but it would be nice.
As an aside, I've been thinking about this a lot lately since I have begun taking clients in my home for hair services. I get tipped about half of the time... I think people don't know if they should or not. My prices are still lower than a salon even with a tip, but they know I'm keeping 100% of the price less supplies. I personally price with the idea that I won't be getting tipped (so I price with what I really expect to make, not what I expect to make minus the 15-20% I would assume if I were guaranteed a tip.)


Overall, I think tipping is ALWAYS appreciated

apartment blues

Carmen,

You bring up some excellent points. The woman we hired works for herself. We didn't expect her to bring a second person, but she did. I still think we should have tipped $20. I actually feel pretty bad about it.

modsquad

Definitively should of tipped the hired help but not the boss.

veets

I wonder why the person you hired was not clear.. and brought the helper.

cristina

My cleaning person charges $45 for 3 hours and I always tip 10%, and give a 50% holiday bonus. Tips are always appreciated. BUT most people I know do not tip for cleaning services...I guess it's up to you...

veets

I have a cleaning person once a week and pay $100 for 8 hrs work. If I go on vacation I pay the person anyway. For the holidays I give her an extra week's pay. In this circumstance I would not tip every week.. or ever.

For a one time cleaning service I would tip the ACTUAL person that cleans the house. I would do this if I were please and expected I would call the service again and specifically ask for that person.

apartment blues

Veets,

The two women who came (the one we hired and her helper) did not speak anywhere near fluent English so it would have been challenging to discuss it with the lead person on the phone. I found out last night from our friend who recommended the cleaning person that sometimes she comes alone and sometimes she brings a helper.

I guess I am having trouble with the idea that these two women scrubbed every inch of our apartment, did a fantastic job, and only made $35 each for three hours of hard work (that is, if they split the money evenly). I guess after being a member of a union for ten years I expect people who work hard to be better compensated. Probably naive, I know, but when you walk into your home and two strangers are scrubbing your floors by hand, it makes you think that they deserve better.

veets

ApartmentBlues.. yes I totally understand what you are saying.

It sounds like you were very pleased with the work and are likely to hire them again so perhaps the "fix" is to tip them "double" the next time and continue to tip on subsequent visits.

I just can't maintain the house by myself at this point so I do have a cleaning person once a week. Frankly, I am so grateful for the help I never feel I am paying enough.

boogieknight

Apartment Blues wrote: Veets,

The two women who came (the one we hired and her helper) did not speak anywhere near fluent English so it would have been challenging to discuss it with the lead person on the phone. I found out last night from our friend who recommended the cleaning person that sometimes she comes alone and sometimes she brings a helper.

I guess I am having trouble with the idea that these two women scrubbed every inch of our apartment, did a fantastic job, and only made $35 each for three hours of hard work (that is, if they split the money evenly). I guess after being a member of a union for ten years I expect people who work hard to be better compensated. Probably naive, I know, but when you walk into your home and two strangers are scrubbing your floors by hand, it makes you think that they deserve better.

While your heart may be in a good place, the sense of guilt you're feeling is out of bounds, and possibly condescending. If you'd forced the women to take a huge discount, then should you should feel guilty, but since the woman herself charged you $70 bucks for her time, then you should afford them the respect they deserve as working adults and assume that she knows how to conduct her own business.

A friend of my mother's used to clean apts. - she worked for herself - and would occasion take a friend along, including at times..AKKK...my own mom, who was retired and didn't need the money. My mom went along for companionship, and as a lark and as an oppty to peek into other people's lives and houses.

Not meaning to jump down the OP's throat, but if I was cleaning houses and charging you a price I set for myself, I wouldn't want your pity.

drunken revival

I just want to add: clean your on fucking apartments.

apartment blues

BoogieKnight,

I appreciate your thoughts and do not feel that you "jumped down the OP's throat." But I do want to draw a distinction between feeling pity (which I do not think is the case here) and being concerned about the rights of people who are doing physically challenging work. There is a difference between pity and being concerned that other human beings are not being exploited in some way. Unfortunately, this woman probably charges $70 because there is a lot of competition and in this economy she probably can't ask any more. It feels like some sort of exploitation to me, or, perhaps opportunism is a better word.

Sometimes, people are worth more then they are paid. And when I woke up today in an extra clean apartment, I felt this was the case. I don't feel that is out of bounds or condescending, but we can disagree on this point. In a perfect world, these two women would have cleared $150 at a minimum. When they left, I felt they did $200 worth of work and I am pretty surprised that the standard fee is so much less. 3 hours of scrubbing by two people who get no benefits - isn't that worth $150-200?

drunken revival

Apartment Blues wrote: BoogieKnight,

Sometimes, people are worth more then they are paid. And when I woke up today in an extra clean apartment, I felt this was the case.

Um....maybe you should have given, I don't know, a bigger tip in this situation?

whynot_31

DR - do you know a guy named Shelton Ross?

drunken revival

That's me.. DR = Shelton Ross

veets

So predictable that DR would make the f--ing exact comment that he did!

drunken revival

Veets,

You got anything else to add? Or do you just want to continue to feed my frenzy?

Also, what exactly was so predictable? I mean, I am on record saying how ridiculous it is to discuss how much to tip... I've brought up every relevant point on tipping at one point or another.... Shit, I was even quoted in the NYT doing just that - calling you people out on your white guilt ignorant, racist, bullshit.

eggcream

Apartment Blues wrote: BoogieKnight,

I appreciate your thoughts and do not feel that you "jumped down the OP's throat." But I do want to draw a distinction between feeling pity (which I do not think is the case here) and being concerned about the rights of people who are doing physically challenging work. There is a difference between pity and being concerned that other human beings are not being exploited in some way. Unfortunately, this woman probably charges $70 because there is a lot of competition and in this economy she probably can't ask any more. It feels like some sort of exploitation to me, or, perhaps opportunism is a better word.

Sometimes, people are worth more then they are paid. And when I woke up today in an extra clean apartment, I felt this was the case. I don't feel that is out of bounds or condescending, but we can disagree on this point. In a perfect world, these two women would have cleared $150 at a minimum. When they left, I felt they did $200 worth of work and I am pretty surprised that the standard fee is so much less. 3 hours of scrubbing by two people who get no benefits - isn't that worth $150-200?

Oh for God's sake, send them the difference if it bugs you so much. Overpay everyone if you think they're not getting paid enough.

I wouldn't throw around you were Union for years as if that is the standard for pay. Every see people not doing their job, bad teachers in rubber rooms for instance, but can't be fired cause of their Unions.

veets

DR

I am not afraid to answer you and the answer is this...


You are inflammatory, not informative, not amusing and PREDICTABLE.

The "predictable" seems to come from a place of nasty. Your quote in the NYT was picked up because of your NASTY. I don't like it. Many other posters don't like it. I am surprised that the moderators have not permanently banned you long ago but such a choice is up to them.


I do learn things from other posters and get a chance to contribute some useful information and sometimes make a fool of myself .

What I do not do... and most posters here have this policy... I do not respond to a posting just to get a rise from people or to derail a topic. It is simply basic courtesy.

I rarely respond to your posts but in this case I am willing to respond (and perhaps get a response from moderators banning ME) because your response is just inflammatory and might even get you quoted in the NYT.... again......

but it is not within the "rules" or spirit of this forum.

booklaw

I totally agree with Veets... I've come very close to writing similar responses to DR in the past, but shied away from the confrontation. I shouldn't have shied away.

veets

Booklaw... it is ok for you or anyone to shy away....... because it is so unpleasant!

I am just not willing to shy away from THIS FORUM based on someone's nasty ways.

I am having a great snow day and just was not able to have this negative vibe inflicted upon ALL OF US by DR while I was ENJOYING a visit to Brooklynian.

I have no further comments and will let it just stop here.

iluvbrooklyn

Subject: I pay $80

for about 4 hours of work. I have other friends that pay more. I figure that if I'm making $50/hour, then paying her $20/hour for her fabulous work is completely fair. During the holidays I bought her a gift and paid her an extra week's salary. Because I'm in a small one bedroom with one person, my rate seems reasonable and generous. Since you have more people and perhaps a bigger place, there's no reason you should feel as if you can't pay more, and I'm sure she wouldn't turn it down. I think part of the reason they charge so little is because they need the job and are pricing themselves accordingly. If you feel like your cleaning person deserves more, then I see no reason why you can't up her payment the next time she comes by.

tybur6

I'm in no way saying what these women do for work isn't valuable work... but the work they do is paid less. I'm really in agreement with BoogieKnight above. There is a market here. Manual labor has a lower wage associated with it -- whether its construction, lettuce cutting, or janitorial services. It's skilled, yes. But lower price tag.

Apartment blues, I get your guilt ridden mind... but $200 for 3 hrs of cleaning?!

I'm not discounting the benefits aspect, but on a purely salary to salary basis... $100 each for 3 hours would exceed by white-collar, middle management (union, public institution) rate.

I'm not going to add a value judgment there, just ask... Do you really think ANY market would support that?! So, next time, I would just tip $130 on top of the $70 fee and you can allay all of your guilt.