Tipping

I have been going to the same beauty shop since two weeks after we moved here in 2001.  As many women can attest to, finding a great hairdresser and manicurist sometimes is like the hunt for the holy grail.  I got lucky.  The lady that does my nails, and yes I wear acrylics, does them without the drill - all by hand girls!!  Plus with her being married to a diabetic, I trust her to deal with my feet on pedicures.  

She has gotten a tip from me since day one. 

I found out this last trip to the shop that I am one of few that tip her. There are ladies that have been going to her since before I started and she has yet to get one tip from them.  On top of that, most of the ladies that get their nails done at this shop, also get their hair done by one of the stylists — and they don’t tip them either.

Floored, absolutely floored.

Now I don’t tip a lot, usually $3 on top of what I have done - even if it’s just a $7 eyebrow wax; but I always tip.  Could it be the times when I was younger working as a waitress?  Probably.  But even though I do pay more for what I get done, by choice, I get quality.  It was explained to me the lady who owns the shop, who does hair, is rarely tipped because a lot of people believe the owner doesn’t “need” it.  Excuse me?

I went out on the net and found on the website “Howstuffworks” this on tipping:

A tip, or gratuity, is a small amount of money given voluntarily as a token of appreciation for a service rendered. According to Webster’s Dictionary the word “tip” is also considered by many to be an acronym: T.I.P. - “To Insure Promptness” or “To Insure Prompt” service. We tip our servers as a way of thanking them for good service. We might also leave a very low tip, or no tip at all, as a signal that the service was terrible. 

Yes, you see the word voluntarily in that description, but also before “a token of appreciation”.  This is why I tip.  If the service that I pay for is done well and promptly, I tip the person. 

I found at “The Original Tipping Page” a guide to suggested amounts for tips.  For Beauty/Hair Salons, this is what they suggest:

One Operator: 15% of the bill
Several Operators: 10% of the bill to person who sets hair; 10% divided among others.
Manicurist: $1 or more, depending on cost
Owner: None, unless he / she is doing your hair, then follow above rules.

So, I’m not crazy!  But let’s see, a $1 for a manicurist?  I’m thinking they are not talking about what I get done, so my $3 seems reasonable.  Now a simple $15 hair cut gets the same amount, so let’s see 15% of $15 is $2.25, so she’s getting $.75 more than the suggested amount. 

Well after researching all this, I feel much better about my tipping habits at the beauty shop.

Shame on you if you use the same person for the above services and never show your appreciation for a job well done by not tipping them.  What’s $3 tip to make sure your hair and nails look amazing?

Not much in my book.

Tags: Rants, Tipping