Marriott is rolling out a new feature in its mobile app, which is sure to be controversial. I can’t decide whether to be annoyed at the implications, or just accept that if I’m going to have to tip, making it easy is good.
In this post:
Marriott tries to make digital tipping easier… yay?
As reported on Reddit, the latest update to the Marriott app includes the following new feature:
Had a great stay? Show your appreciation by tipping hotel associates directly in the app with the new Digital Tipping feature.
From the Tray Table reports that a spokesperson has confirmed this is correct, and that this is already live at around 1,500 service in the United States and Canada (though I haven’t experienced it yet — has anyone else?).
This is being facilitated through an undisclosed third party, so the tip doesn’t appear on your folio, you don’t earn Bonvoy bonus points, etc.
What’s not entirely clear to me is the logistics. This is an opportunity to tip one specific employee, rather than the staff overall? How will you be able to identify Marriott employees? Are you leaving a generic tip for your housekeeper, or can you ask a friendly employee for their “code” so that you can tip them, or something?
I’m conflicted about making digital tipping easier
Of course the concern is that the easier you make it to tip, the more employers essentially pass on the cost of labor to customers, in order to pad their bottom lines. Will we eventually be pressured into tipping for interactions that previously wouldn’t have typically come with a tip expectation?
At the same time, I think that in-app tipping is almost just a way to catch up with the times, and a logical development:
- Many hotels already have QR codes or envelopes in rooms so that you can tip housekeeping, so this would just be another way to facilitate that
- There are hotel employees in the United States who do generally expect tips, so making it easier to tip those people seems like a positive (again, for those who intend to tip)
- I’m also really frustrated nowadays when trying to tip in cash, by the lack of change at hotels; often the hotel front desk doesn’t have change for a $20, and the shuttle bus driver can’t break a $20 either
So yeah, my real feelings on this depend on the execution, so that’s why I’d love to hear any firsthand experiences.
Bottom line
Marriott is rolling out digital tipping in its app, and it’s apparently already live at around 1,500 properties. With this, Marriott works with a third party for tipping, so that it’s otherwise separate from the hotel group.
I certainly don’t love the precedent this sets, and the potential increase in the number of employees who will solicit tips. At the same time, it does seem there should be better options in place for facilitating tipping, in situations where guests want to.
But yeah, we’re talking about Marriott here, so… I’m skeptical. I just picture a world where name tags are replaced by tipping QR codes.
What do you make of Marriott’s new in-app digital tipping?
Tell me you're American without telling me you're American - write about tipping.
Get the feck over it already. No one wants this BS.
I don't find it annoying or useful. I always tip housekeeping in cash and will continue to do so. I have no confidence that the online tips will go to the folks I want them to go to.
As if CEO's are not making enough (plus $20 million) they still need a percentage of digital tips. Shame.
Even if this is a 3rd party, I'm sure Marriott is getting a per tip % or fee for it.
Tipping in US after covid is gone to a stage of crime. Pay your employes a fair amount, provide health care & stop squeezing customers. It became a psychological war. No wonder why US is heavy loosing tourists.
Just checked out of a courtyard which was super accommodating in the ongoing power outage in the Colorado foothills. Realized I did not have cash when o got to the hotel after leaving my home which had no power for days. I appreciated the tipping app as I always tip (former hotel exec who knows how hard these people work) - it worked flawlessly. Housekeepers work hard and many people leave disgusting rooms (and no tip) so I feel they deserve a tip.
How do you know they actually get it though?
tipping is from US, where employees didnt get salary. 3-rd world symptoms.
Unbelivable, that they still dont get salary... If there is something above normal, then i tip, but not for mandatory. I could pay also for my nights if i want, for hotels.
Enough said https://www.reddit.com/r/EndTipping/
Uh, no. Here's a thought - given you're charging me $300+ for a box with a shower per night, pay your staff a living wage with benefits instead of spending money to develop an app to guilt me out of more money.
Tipping is for idiots, you fools are spreading this crap around the world.
This doesn't cost Marriott anything. Don't even have to process envelopes or cash.
So why not?
Idiots will continue to tip, why shouldn't Marriott owners cash in on idiots?
If it allows me to not tip more quickly, I'm all for it. Tips are for human severs who do a good job in the USA, maybe bartenders you know and will see again, maybe someone who carries your heavy bag that you know and will see again, and the person who cuts your hair. Period.
Why would anyone tip a multi billion company is beyond myself.
Of course, any dollar raise through "tipping" will reduce the amount of pay, just like with US restaurants, so the owner is the one who ends up pocketing it (through having to pay lower wages).
Well, I can't complain as the idiots who fall for this corporate scam will subsidize my stay. Thank you.
And do you honestly believe that this money goes to the worker? LOL! Anyone who believes that is a TOTAL MORON. I have a job too, where is my tip!?!?!
Bull. Guess I'll (make every effort to) avoid Marriott hotels in the future!
Useful in the US. Annoying anywhere else
I never tip at hotels and don’t ever plan to. If you Americans can’t figure out how to pay hardworking people a decent living wage without having to beg for tips, that’s not my problem.
Unfortunately it is somewhat our problem because the staff may de-prioritise those of us who do not tip.
Lets call it what it is then, its not a tip, its a bribe.
US bribery cullture needs to change.
Wouldn't it rather fall under extortion?
I hate everything being behind an app or a QR code. Such an eye pain. It's fine to be a smartphone user and hate being forced to use it more and more.
Very excited to finally be able to graciously tip on top of the resort/destination fee! Bonvoy!
The staff doesn't know who's going to tip.
That Mariott hotels now do, "we will only service your room every 3rd day or if you specifically requests it" and still expect a tip. Is fascinating.
Since they moved to this mode of operation, I have moved to a mode of no longer tipping. I simply tell them I require no service for my stay.
We stayed at the new JW Marriott in Chania Crete in October and it was quite an awkward checkout experience where I was verbally asked if I’d like to leave a tip for the staff and then presented a printout with suggested amounts between 10 and 20 percent of a hotel bill that was already approaching $3,000 for 5 nights. I declined, but made a mental note to myself that I would not stay there again due to this awkward interaction.
If you tip in cash then Marriott doesn’t know how much in tips the employee makes. If they can push it to the app they can get that data and I would assume use it to justify pay rises or lack off. I don’t think it’s a friendly move for either their customers or employees.
They can actually get the half the top as service fee
#livingwage
"Please help our staff stay off welfare, because we won't".
The only thing that a hotel could do that would annoy me more than expecting me to tip its employees while refusing to help me change a 20 would be to force me to install their app on my phone just to do normal transactions. I don’t want more apps, especially not from companies that I only occasionally do business with. The best hotel I ever stayed at was the Fairmont in Banff—it had a...
The only thing that a hotel could do that would annoy me more than expecting me to tip its employees while refusing to help me change a 20 would be to force me to install their app on my phone just to do normal transactions. I don’t want more apps, especially not from companies that I only occasionally do business with. The best hotel I ever stayed at was the Fairmont in Banff—it had a no tipping policy and made enjoying the hotel so much easier. I’d go out of my way to stay at a hotel chain that just eliminated tipping.
Our Most Valued Guest:
We hope you have enjoyed being nickel-and-dimed over your stay, knowing that we underpay our staff nevertheless.
For your convenience, you may leave additional tip on the app. How it's apportioned would remain our trade secret.
We hope to see you back soon, chump.
Regards,
Mgmt
Tip at a Marriott? What for?
Annoying and useless.
If you must tip, cash is king.
Cut out the middleman.
"I’m also really frustrated nowadays when trying to tip in cash, by the lack of change at hotels; often the hotel front desk doesn’t have change for a $20, and the shuttle bus driver can’t break a $20 either."
this resonates with me on like a visceral level lol - my life is basically one unending quest for 1s, 5s, and 10s.
Under those circumstances, the simple solution is don't tip.
They'll learn to have change or have no tip.
I've been to restaurants (a long time ago when I paid in cash) where I paid my $22.75 bill with two twenties. Sometimes, I'd get back a ten, a five, two ones, and a quarter. The server hoped I'd leave the five for a 22% tip. To heck with them, I'd leave $2.25 for 10%. Don't play that game with me. You'll lose.
How else should a server make change of 17.25? That combination of bills seems exactly appropriate to me. What is your point? They should give you exactly enough ones to make the “standard” 15%? This is a pointless comment. Just saying. Doesn’t sound like the server was “hoping for” anything…. You lose.
If the day comes, I'm not surprised if it comes from the tithing LDS chain.
+1 for annoying. You'll probably get constant push notifications from the app reminding you to tip. More and more hotels don't clean your room daily, upgrades are non existent at Marriotts and they gouge you at every opportunity.
However I've never had a problem with a shuttle driver not being able to break a twenty. Usually they have a wad of small bills
Curious, does "Lorna" work at every Marriott Property, I have seen that envelope many times
You sure it isn’t Ligma?
Only in America!
There should also be an option to give a middle finger to the top management of any corporation that does this to their clients.
I used this to tip a front desk person who has been insanely amazing for me over the last year. The QR codes at one of the hotels I frequent have for a while been going to this third party system that actually allows you to look up *any* hotel employee and tip them. I suspect this is the same system that is rolling out in-app, but we'll see on my next stay!
This is almost certainly only a thing at Marriott-managed properties, which is less than 30 percent of all Marriott hotels across all brands.
Do people actually tip at a standard hotel? The only time I ever tip is for personal service like when someone helped me take my bags to my room or if concierge does something for me other than give me basic info.
I love it. When I don't tip, they now are more certain I don't believe in tipping at hotels.
I have an idea. The hotel can tip the employees from the rates I pay for the room.
Hard pass. I'm not in favor of some nebulous "catch all" tipping where I have no idea where it's going, or if 100% of it is even going to the rank and file. What if management is also taking a cut? There is no clear delineation.
How about adding a feature of properly paying your staff?
This.
That’s a Bingo!