$100,000+ in Digital Tips
Since launch, Linchris’ 30+ properties have generated over $100,000 in digital tips with Canary, giving staff more earning potential and greater job satisfaction.
The impact of these additional staff tips have made a tremendous impact for staff and hotel operations.
75% Less Turnover
For example, Tom Anderson, GM at Hotel 1620 in the Linchris Portfolio, has had three housekeepers stay with him for over two years—a rarity in an industry where typical tenure is just 8–10 months. Tom credits Digital Tipping as a major factor in why his team has stuck around, noting the program went live right around the time these long-term staff members joined.
“Since launching Digital Tipping two years ago, we only lost five housekeepers total,” said Tom. “For comparison, in the previous two years, I hired up to 20 housekeepers.”
Increased Pay = A Retention Play
Digital Tipping increases staff compensation, and makes working in hospitality more competitive in an increasingly competitive world for talent. “One of our housekeepers was thinking about leaving for a hospital job offering $20 an hour,” Tom said. “I showed her the tipping totals in Canary, and with tips included, she was already making slightly more at Hotel 1620. She said, ‘Oh, I never thought of it that way,’ and decided to stay.”
As Tom put it, “Digital Tipping saved her from leaving. She knew the hospital wasn’t going to tip her.”
$50,000+ Saved in Recruiting & Training Costs
High turnover doesn’t just hurt morale—it gets expensive fast. Between paid training, trial periods, uniforms and onboarding, which can include background checks, HR documents and onboarding meetings, Tom estimates it can cost around $2,000 to onboard each new housekeeper – and that’s only when you’re hiring internally.
To source, interview and hire housekeepers, adds to the cost. Ultimately, experts estimate that it costs $5,000 to $9,000 to recruit and train each new housekeeper.
“Without Digital Tipping, it wouldn’t be unusual to spend $20K a year on housekeeping training alone,” said Tom. “But with fewer new hires over the past two years, those costs have been significantly lower to somewhere between $5,000 - $10,000 a year.”
Happier Employees, Better Morale
Beyond the financial impact, Tom has noticed a clear boost in staff morale. Housekeepers enjoy reading the guest comments that come through with tips, often sharing them with the team.
“The team loves reading the guest messages,” Tom said. “It’s a little boost of retention. You might have had a wicked bad day and feel like, ‘I’m not coming back tomorrow,’ but then you see a $20 tip and a note saying, ‘Thank you for all you do.’ That can be the thing that makes you stay.”
