Covid-19 changed many things in the past year and a half, but did it change our tipping habits? At TipYo, we certainly think so. In this blog, we discuss trends we are seeing and answers to the universal questions about tipping: when to tip, how much to tip, and how to tip. We also discuss how guests are using their mobile devices to show their gratitude. As the leading cashless tipping provider for the hospitality industry, we share insights from our clients and experience.
When to tip:
There is never a wrong time to tip. Now in the hospitality industry, demand for hotel services and a worker shortage are happening simultaneously. As hospitality management works to hire more staff, hotel associates are working harder than ever to keep up with the surging demand. While tipping in hotels is never required or expected, our data clearly supports guests want to show their gratitude for hotel associates who make their stays so meaningful.
One of our partners, Virgin Hotels (www.Virginhotels.com), has at one point offered 9 different non-point of sale tipping categories. The most common categories for our clients are Housekeeping, Concierge, and Bell Service. We have been pleasantly surprised to see guests tipping Maintenance, Front Desk, and others.
How much to tip:
There’s no wrong answer here either! TipYo is an Allied Member of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (www.AHLA.com), and they recommend leaving a $1-$5 tip per day for the housekeeping staff. TipYo’s data indicates guests that who use our mobile tipping platform are leaving $8.21 on average for housekeepers.
Additionally, we have noticed our tip average is about $2 more than it was pre-covid! Some guests have even gone above and beyond, tipping $50, $100, or more!
How to tip:
In a world where we are trying to limit unnecessary interaction and transfer of germs, it’s a great time to try out cashless tipping. Our society has become increasingly cashless in 2021. We can do everything on our phones; why not tip hotel associates?
There’s also nothing worse than what Bloomberg Pursuits called “the universal travel faux-pas” in an article about TipYo. Nikki Ekstein wrote, “You arrive at a hotel, receive your luggage from the bellboy, reach into your pockets, scour your wallet, and turn up… nothing.” You never have to worry about that again in hotels that offer cashless tipping.
One of the best things about cashless tipping by TipYo is that it doesn’t limit guest generosity. Guests can tip how much they want, when they want, and without having to carry cash or exchange it with a hotel associate.
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If you find yourself in a hotel that doesn’t offer cashless tipping, let us know and we will reach out to them to get them started! Email [email protected]!
Are you a hospitality professional? Reach out to us directly here about setting up cashless tipping in your hotel. It meets guest expectations, boosts the take-home pay of your associates, and can help with hiring challenges right now.