Why is it not standard to tip your Carpet Cleaner?

[Desk Jockey]

My son Gabriel and his partner both received a tip last week of $20.00 each. They were ecstatic most of the time they get $5.00 occassionally $10.00 but they were blow away by the $20.00.

I personally only got a tip a handful of times in my whole cleaning career.

I'd take it off, don't want to look like a begger.

 

[Chris A]

I teach my techs techniques for getting tips. My belief is that if they are getting a tip then everyone wins. One of my techs yesterday got a $54 tip on a $280 job.

First thing is to do an amazing job.

Second is to treat a customer like you would treat a first date. Be on time, look and smell good, Be polite and charming.

Third is to do something extra on every job. (An area rug in the kitchen, pathways in a bedroom not cleaned, I encourage them to do anything extra that could promote a generous company and a caring tech.)

My goal is for my techs to get 25% of their pay off of tips. They are happy and it means that they are doing all the right things to win over lifetime clients.

Isn't that more like sidework?

 

[Royal Man]

I teach my techs techniques for getting tips. My belief is that if they are getting a tip then everyone wins. One of my techs yesterday got a $54 tip on a $280 job.

First thing is to do an amazing job.

Second is to treat a customer like you would treat a first date. Be on time, look and smell good, Be polite and charming.

Third is to do something extra on every job. (An area rug in the kitchen, pathways in a bedroom not cleaned, I encourage them to do anything extra that could promote a generous company and a caring tech.)

My goal is for my techs to get 25% of their pay off of tips. They are happy and it means that they are doing all the right things to win over lifetime clients.

Isn't that more like sidework?

I hope he was joking about his techs doing "little extras" for cash.

Most techs get fired for that crap.

 

[Connor]

I know a salon owner who tells you your total for her services like "XX.00 PLUS TIP", almost demanding it like tax.

I am a good tipper, but will leave no tip and an explanation if service is poor.

 

[The Great Oz]

Our techs are instructed to refuse tips and let the customer know they are very well compensated. The customer paid a fair price for their cleaning and the technician gets a fair percentage of that cost. This is almost always greeted with relief on the part of the homeowner that now feels even better about the type of company they hired.

We let the customer know a nice review means more than a tip.

If the customer insists on tipping it's OK for the tech to accept (don't want to insult any transplanted east-coast Mafia Dons.) but a guy bringing in a lot of tips is going to come under some scrutiny to find out if he's doing anything to imply a tip is expected or is doing $80 worth of side work for his $30 tip.



Scott,
I'd think there was something sketchy about accepting a check for $10,000 for a $200 job. That's the sort of thing that makes the newspapers in a very bad way when the heirs find out.

 

[roro]

Our country has a no tipping culture and consequently I always feel a tad uncomfortable when travelling overseas being unsure as to how much is expected even when the service has been rather crappy.
Worst experience - a guy on a street in central LA coming up to my wife and I engaging us in conversation, telling us a joke and then him holding his hand out for a tip.
I like Bryan's comments and would like to think people get a living wage without having to rely on tips.
As a sort of a parallel.
Why did so many get offended in the last few years about "obscene bonuses" paid to company executives. Isn't that also just a tip for something they did well

roro