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Tipping your hairdresser/stylist ?


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I had my hair done tonight. I get it cut, colored and my eyebrows waxed. The total comes to $76. I had a $100 bill. The owner was setting up my next appt. and then she checked me out. I usually get my change back and then have to ask for ones or whatever to get the right amount for the tip. I was in a hurry so when she said the total was $76 I said, I'd also like to give her a $15 tip. (Part of the reason I did this was because my stylist was already with her next customer.) So I said please add the $15 tip to that too for D (the stylist). The owner says, ok, then you owe a $1. I started digging through my purse then I stopped and said, but No, I actually would get $9 back. She said oh, I thought you said $25. I laughed and said, boy I'd love to be able to give her a $25 tip but my husband might not like that. Thinking no biggie. Then she says to me, well that usually is the going rate on tips that's why I assumed you said $25.

 

:001_huh:

 

$25 would have been a 30% tip. Is that really the going rate??

 

FTR: not that it matters to this story but the owner has always been curt. She doesn't have the best social skills that you would normally find with someone that wants repeat customers.

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I thought 20% was the going rate.

 

And FWIW, the woman had a lot of nerve, essentially telling you you're not tipping well enough. :glare:

 

She has a very odd way about her and she looked a little uncomfortable after she said it. Not sure if she was embarrassed or what. The whole thing had me :001_huh:. I have had enough odd encounters with her that if I didn't love my stylist I would have found a new place by now. I think every women knows how hard it is to find someone that does your hair 'right', so I am staying put. :001_smile:

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I don't think 30% is out of line for someone you love and see regularly ... but I don't think it's any kind of "norm" either. That's to say, I don't think you were being cheap at all. And as a lifelong service industry worker, I'm sensitive to the issue of tipping LOL. (And also to the issue of abrasive owners who don't always help when they're working the front of the house ::sigh::!)

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I go to a pretty upscale place and give 20%. To me it is a generous enough amount. There is no way I would do any more than that.

 

:iagree:

 

We tip about 25% when ds gets his hair cut, because the overall cost isn't that expensive, but women's services can run up to several hundred dollars depending on what you have done, so even 20% adds up to a very hefty tip.

 

And this thread reminds me that I'm due for a haircut. Yecch. I know I need a new style, but I have no idea what to get.

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I don't think 30% is out of line for someone you love and see regularly ... but I don't think it's any kind of "norm" either. That's to say, I don't think you were being cheap at all. And as a lifelong service industry worker, I'm sensitive to the issue of tipping LOL. (And also to the issue of abrasive owners who don't always help when they're working the front of the house ::sigh::!)

 

I do really like my stylist. I just can't justify a 10% increase in her tip. It is a stretch for us as it is. If things get any tighter around here that is one of the first things to go, and I really don't want to have to give it up. I know you are saying 20% is enough. I guess I feel like 20% is plenty.

 

I know it seems like I am disagreeing with you here I just am flummoxed because I have always felt that I tipped well.

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:iagree:

 

We tip about 25% when ds gets his hair cut, because the overall cost isn't that expensive, but women's services can run up to several hundred dollars depending on what you have done, so even 20% adds up to a very hefty tip.

 

And this thread reminds me that I'm due for a haircut. Yecch. I know I need a new style, but I have no idea what to get.

 

Same here. I actually tip at least 20% for my ds's haricuts. I go to a cheapy place and they are really good with my kids.

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I do really like my stylist. I just can't justify a 10% increase in her tip. It is a stretch for us as it is. If things get any tighter around here that is one of the first things to go, and I really don't want to have to give it up. I know you are saying 20% is enough. I guess I feel like 20% is plenty.

 

I know it seems like I am disagreeing with you here I just am flummoxed because I have always felt that I tipped well.

 

No, I totally see where you're coming from!

 

And I bet your stylist would, too. She'd rather have 20% from you than the nothing she'll be getting if her owner turns you off to the salon ;). I've had owners cost me customers, and it's hard. I always wish I had one more opportunity to try to win back those customers, but when they're chased off ... they run!

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No, I totally see where you're coming from!

 

And I bet your stylist would, too. She'd rather have 20% from you than the nothing she'll be getting if her owner turns you off to the salon ;). I've had owners cost me customers, and it's hard. I always wish I had one more opportunity to try to win back those customers, but when they're chased off ... they run!

 

 

I know. I am sure that is what happens. It's a shame.

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I give 20% and it is my understanding that this is the average amount. My current stylist owns her own business and she is the one that does my hair. I have heard something about you aren't supposed to tip the owner but I am not real sure about that rule so I just tip her anyhow and she hasn't ever said I shouldn't so I still do. I am just so tickled to have found her.

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The last time I went in for a haircut and color my brain was having problems sorting out the tip so I was figuring it out loud (not in front of the sylist, just the cashier) and rounded up to $13 and then added another dollar to even it out to $14. So now I'm a bit over the 20% and the cashier still said to me, "Well that's the average," in a tone that meant it wasn't good enough. I was so embarrassed and annoyed. :glare: I'm glad to read here that 20% is good enough. Humph!

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Several years ago, my daughter colored her hair blue (as part of an art project -- long story), and then two weeks later our family was scheduled to get our passport photos taken. I brought my daughter to a local hair salon, and they ended up keeping her there for SEVEN HOURS trying to get the blue out (which involved coloring, then bleaching, then re-coloring... it was awful). (Of course much of that time was spent under hairdryers, and waiting for the colors to set, etc.) We had no idea what we were getting into, and it cost us over $200 (much more than I had ever, ever paid for anything hair-related!). I had no idea what tipping was, so I paid them $20 for a tip and that seemed like a LOT to me. Later, I found out through a friend that it was probably considered cheap of me, so -- given that it was Valentine's Day -- I went out and bought the biggest box of chocolates (which probably cost $25) I could find, and brought it over for everyone in the salon, as well as a thank you note for saving my daughter's hair. Everyone in the salon was at least an observer in the whole event, and they all got a kick out of it and laugh about it even now. Fortunately they didn't hold it against me, but I realize now I probably shouldn't have even given them the chocolates, but just gone in and given them more cash!!

Now I always give at least 20%.

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20% is absolutely appropriate. What was NOT appropriate was her commenting in ANY way, whether your tip was enough or not!

 

I have triplets, and you can't imagine the number of rude remarks I have dealt with in the past 7 years. Everything from "I'd kill myself if I were you" to "that's what you get for messing with God's plans" believe it or not.

 

In the beginning, I was just so astonished and embarrassed that I would stand there red-faced and all but apologize for my affront to society. At some point, I began saying in a shocked voice, "wow! What a rude thing to say!" I try to sound surprised, as if I just blurted it out b/c I was SOOOO astounded that they would say such a thing! :)

 

Honestly, I would be prepared to say that to this owner the next time you go in if she makes another comment. She needs to know what kind of impression she is giving off. I would say something to the stylist as well. "I've been leaving a 20% tip, but the owner let me know last time that 30% was your standard. I'm so sorry that I can't afford that. If it's a problem, I can go elsewhere." Say it nicely, as if you are really meaning to clear her schedule for someone who would tip 30%. I imagine she will say something to the owner as well.

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I think 20% is fine. If someone wasn't happy with 20%, I would think I needed to find another person.

 

FYI, once I tipped less than 20%...when my DD had a Chi Enviro hair straightening and the bill was $350! I also had to buy a couple of products, which brought the total to $400 (holy cow...) I tipped $50 which was less than 15%. I told the lady, I know this tip is short, you really did a great job - she interrupted me and said, no, no, that's absolutely fine, don't worry about it. She seemed to understand this was already a ton of money, and I suspected she was making enough from the service anyway.

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A $25 tip would be a lot. Wow. That's like 1/3 the cost of what you had done.

 

I give 20% and it is my understanding that this is the average amount. My current stylist owns her own business and she is the one that does my hair. I have heard something about you aren't supposed to tip the owner but I am not real sure about that rule so I just tip her anyhow and she hasn't ever said I shouldn't so I still do. I am just so tickled to have found her.

 

:iagree:

 

I could say this exact same thing. I go to a lady who has her own little shop out of her house. It's just her. She only charges $13.00 for a shampoo, cut, blow dry, style, and eyebrow wax. I know! She's AWESOME! She lives way far out in the boonies though...but it's worth it. I remember seeing a movie once. I forgot what it was called...it had Melissa Gilbert and Patty Duke (no, not The Miracle Worker) where Patty Duke had given up a baby....who ended up being Melissa Gilbert. Melissa was looking for her and went to her Patty's hair salon to get her haircut. When she paid her she gave her extra for a tip and Patty Duke said, "Oh no...you don't have to tip, I'm the owner." Sooooooo....I always kind of wondered about that. But, like you said, my stylist never has said not to. :001_smile:

 

ETA: I looked it up; the movie is called Family of Strangers.

Edited by ~AprilMay~
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What I don't understand is why do we tip hair stylists?

 

This is one of the few professions who get to set their own price. If you need to make $75 for a haircut, let me know and I'll pay it. Why ask me to spend $50 for the cut, but then expect me to "voluntarily" give you more? And when I really hate the cut/style/color, do you expect the same tip?

 

I hate tipping, but I'm a bit more sympathetic to wait staff because they don't set the prices for food.

 

Hair stylists, though, should just set a price and be done with tipping. IMO, of course.:D

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What I don't understand is why do we tip hair stylists?

 

This is one of the few professions who get to set their own price. If you need to make $75 for a haircut, let me know and I'll pay it. Why ask me to spend $50 for the cut, but then expect me to "voluntarily" give you more? And when I really hate the cut/style/color, do you expect the same tip?

 

I hate tipping, but I'm a bit more sympathetic to wait staff because they don't set the prices for food.

 

Hair stylists, though, should just set a price and be done with tipping. IMO, of course.:D

 

Someone can correct me if I am wrong but the owner sets the prices. The owner pays the stylist an hourly rate. From what I understand the stylist is like a waiter. I belive the more experience you have as a stylist the more you can get an hour but other than that the owner is the one getting the money and then paying the stylist.

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Someone can correct me if I am wrong but the owner sets the prices. The owner pays the stylist an hourly rate. From what I understand the stylist is like a waiter. I belive the more experience you have as a stylist the more you can get an hour but other than that the owner is the one getting the money and then paying the stylist.

 

Really? That would explain what others said about not tipping the owner. I always thought the stylist rented her booth

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I went in today to my upscale Aveda salon, where haircuts start at $45, but most stylists are in the $60-80 range. This is metro Charlotte, so not a small town, but not huge either.

 

As I was checking out, I mentioned this post to the lady who has been working at the front desk for years. "I usually tip 20%, but was reading on the internet about someone who was told that the new going rate was 30% - is that right?"

 

Her reply was, "I usually see 18-20%, rounded up to the nearest dollar. I rarely see 30% except right before Christmas."

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I don't tip by percent for hair stuff since getting my hair done - I do tip, but it's more how much time it took than the cost of what I have done. Every salon is different and the one I go to, my stylist has told me she gets 50% of whatever she does and pays her chair fee from that ($50 per day) - she makes decent money, the salon is expensive! When I'm spending $300 to have my hair done, I really don't think a $60 tip is warranted and no way I'd do $90 (30%) for three hours of stuff done! I usually tip $30 and I think that's fair - that's $10 an hour on top of the $150 my stylist gets and even if I subtract the chair fee as if I were the only one all day, she's still making pretty good money for three hours of work!

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I always tip 20% at a restaurant.

 

The guy who does my hair highlights it and cuts it and charges me a small fortune. However, it is the going rate for my area. I so don't want to tip him at all because I have heard that it's not necessary to tip the owner, but he certainly seems to expect a tip and I have friends who use him that agree. I used to tip him 20%. Then he raised his prices, so now I make up part of the difference by only tipping him 15%. I am still paying an outrageous amount. I mean, he could have gone to law school for what he's charging hourly. I used to go every 10 - 12 weeks and now I get it cut shorter and get softer highlights so that I only need to go once every 5 months or 6 months because I just can't stand to pay that kind of money. Like I said, it's the going rate in my area for a cut and a highlight, but I just don't get why people cutting hair are able to charge so much money.

 

Lisa

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I went in today to my upscale Aveda salon, where haircuts start at $45, but most stylists are in the $60-80 range. This is metro Charlotte, so not a small town, but not huge either.

 

As I was checking out, I mentioned this post to the lady who has been working at the front desk for years. "I usually tip 20%, but was reading on the internet about someone who was told that the new going rate was 30% - is that right?"

 

Her reply was, "I usually see 18-20%, rounded up to the nearest dollar. I rarely see 30% except right before Christmas."

 

 

I'm starting to think she didn't know how to calculate percentages.:D

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And what do you do if you have a hair washer and a separate blow dryer person???

Am I supposed to leave a tip for x, y, z??? Geez I'll need to go to the bank before I get my hair done for way more than I can afford so I can give everyone a little something.

 

Yes, they are normally tipped separately. The stylist, from what I've been told, does not share her/his tips with the hair washer. I've never had a separate blow dryer person though....

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My hairstylist owns the salon. She only charges me $25 because I want a dry cut, with no styling. (My hair will end up uneven if it is cut wet) I take 1/2the time of a regular cut (only 30minutes or so), so she charges me less. On top of that I was rounding it off to $30 even though she was the owner. She averages about $60 per hour on me which is not too shabby considering she used zero product, I only cost her chair time AND with a short appointment, she could fit me between other clients. I pay her cash, and I suspect my appointments don't show up on her books.

 

The last time I was in, she had raised her rates and charged me $27. I still paid $30, the amount I brought with me, and again.... she is the owner....Tips are not supposed to be expected.

 

I told her I would call to schedule my next appointment. Historically, if I didn't schedule she was calling me in a few weeks to get it on the books. It has been 4-5months...she hasn't called.

 

I guess I was cut loose! LOL I wasn't happy the last few times with my cut anyways, so no biggie (the reason why I didn't raise my tip), but it is hard to find someone who will do a dry cut.

Edited by Tap, tap, tap
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