Hello! We’re back with another article, and this time we wanted to talk about how o tip a house cleaner or carpet cleaning professional. Dallas Maids is known for its friendly, professional staff; and it is common to find that customers are willing to tip cleaners for their hard work and service.
However, over the years we have received many questions from our clients on whether they should tip or not, is it proper or not, how much they should give, and so on.
In this article, you’ll be able to read our experience and advice for this.
Should I Tip a House Cleaner?
This question is, in fact, much more common than people think. Even though common sense would make you think that tips are widely accepted, sometimes people wonder if the company would keep the tips instead of the employee, or if the employee would feel offended or uncomfortable receiving them.
And those are completely valid questions! Although it is illegal in the US, (besides morally questionable), some companies and business owners keep the tips from their employees, unfortunately.
Dallas Maids doesn’t keep the tips for their customers. Besides abiding by the law, there’s also a huge moral component here. We believe that employees keeping their tips is not only the right thing to do but also encouraging to keep up the good work. It is a fair reward for their own hard work and going above and beyond with their cleaning tasks.
Besides, this builds a healthy and positive relationship with their customer, which can improve the experience for both parties.
And don’t worry about the cleaning artists feeling offended or even uncomfortable! Fortunately, their stellar performance earns them tips all day, every day. You can imagine they are more than used to it, and of course they appreciate it.
It’s positive on many levels for them. First, it is additional profit (as little or as big as it may be, it’s still profit). Second, it’s a huge morale boost. It is an important recognition of their work as well. This is something that the company takes note of when it’s time for a salary raise or a promotion.
When Should I Tip a House Cleaner?
The short answer is that you should tip a house cleaner if you’re happy with the results of their work! With proper training and a strong work ethic, cleaning artists work harder and faster. Sometimes, they even go above and beyond their original duties.
For example, let’s say you were planning a party with your friends and colleagues. This means you need to get your home deep cleaned, and probably within a small timeframe. If your maid leaves your home looking sparkling clean and finishes the job within the estimated time (or even earlier!) feel free to reward that with a nice cash tip.
Another good reason is to celebrate a special event or a holiday such as Christmas or Thanksgiving. Festivities always bring people together and it makes it much more special for everyone to have some extra cash to spend on their loved ones.
With time, it is likely that you form a bond with your cleaning artist, especially if you schedule a regular cleaning service with them (unless you ask for someone else, of course).
Although they always stay professional, with the occasional conversation you can slowly build a bond with your cleaning artist. If you are happy with their work overtime, you might want to surprise them with a bonus.
What Happens if I Don’t Tip a House Cleaner?
This question is just as valid as the previous one. Sometimes, you don’t feel like tipping your cleaner. That’s completely fine too! Remember they are getting paid for their work and how much or how little you want to give is completely up to you.
Plus, if you do ask for an additional cleaning task and they have time and the proper equipment, they will add that task or room to the final invoice, so every step of their work process is being paid fairly.
Perhaps you’re satisfied with their work, but you wouldn’t say their job was stellar or that they went above and beyond. In this case, it is completely fair for you to feel like not giving a bonus for their performance.
This would be different than being unhappy with their work, for example. If this happens, remember you can always contact us and explain your case so we can fix the problem as soon as possible.
How Much to Tip a House Cleaner?
Now, let’s say you’ve decided to tip your house cleaner. The question is: how much?
A good rule of thumb is to give 15-20% of the total service cost, just like you would do with a restaurant waiter/waitress. This is a good estimate because this percentage increases or decreases depending on the number of rooms and cleaning tasks. Therefore, if they need to spend more time and effort, their tip will increase accordingly.
This translates to around $25 to $50, but of course this depends on the size of your home and the type of cleaning service.
This percentage is just an estimate, and it probably makes more sense for you to round this up so that it’s easier to give this amount in cash. For example, if your desired percentage equals $28.75, you might want to round that up to $30.
Keep in mind this is completely voluntary and that it should follow your current financial situation. For example, you might want to give a 15% tip occasionally, and then 25% for a special holiday or festivity. This is completely up to you.
How to Approach a House Cleaner to Give Them a Tip
For some people, this situation might be awkward or even embarrassing. But don’t worry! This situation will be as pleasant or unpleasant as you want it to be. From the cleaner’s perspective, keep in mind they are used to receiving bonuses for their work.
To take down the pressure, put yourself for a second in their shoes and think about receiving a tip from someone you work for. This is a happy and positive moment for the person receiving the tip, so it should be for you (the client) as well!
A good time to approach your house cleaner would be right after they finish the job when they’re wrapping up everything to leave. If you wish, take a look around to see the quality of their work, offer feedback (if you have any) and inform them that you want to thank them with a little extra cash.
Does the Company Care about Employee Tips?
Of course we do! Dallas Maids’ philosophy has always been: take care of your employee, and the employee will take care of your customers.
If the employee earned a tip and/or a positive review, this means they are doing exceptional work and that should not only be awarded by the client, but also by us (the company).
Earning positive feedback from clients and mentioning their job was good enough to earn a tip, will be taken into consideration when it’s time for a raise and/or promotion, besides other factors (employee longevity, reliability, behavior, and so on).
However, this doesn’t mean you have to feel pressured into giving a tip or expressing your opinion about the employee (and the company) whether it is positive or not so positive. Our customer’s happiness is our utmost priority, and if you feel the performance was just okay and not impressive, then it’s a completely valid opinion.
And if you weren’t happy with the results, please let us know so we can fix it for you.
Conclusion
It’s fair to say that a tip is much more than a monetary incentive. It is a recognition of someone else’s hard work, and that recognition inspires them to keep up with it.
We encourage you to tip our cleaning artists whenever you feel they exceeded your expectations. Or, as a “thank you” for their hard work and loyalty, especially if they happen to clean your household frequently.
Remember their behavior is always professional and serious. That doesn’t mean they don’t get happy and proud when someone recognizes their work.
Here’s a quick reminder for calculating how much you should give as a tip. 15-20% is the standard, however, this can go up depending on their performance, or any special occasion such as a festivity or a personal gesture that you want to engage in with your cleaning artist.
And if you do not want to tip your cleaners, that’s okay too! There’s no need to need for an explanation, as long as you’re happy with the results of your cleaning service. However, if that is not the case, please contact us within 24 hours of service so we can fix this.
Now that you know everything about tipping your cleaning artists, feel free to visit our booking page to find the perfect service for you. Dallas Maids’ professionals will take care of your home and we’re certain you will be impressed with the results!