Pet peeve - tipping at nail salon (anywhere I guess)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Wow.

Okay $4 tip for $25 service is 16%. Sorry, that is not cheap.
Let's get some things straight. Beauty services are a lot different than food industry (waiters, bartenders, etc). Waiters get a very low wage ($2-3/hour) as the expectation is that they will make a great deal on their tips. As a waitress, if I had a $1,000 food tab at end of night, it's fair to assume if make $200 that night before I tip out my busboys, cooks. When I go out to eat, I tip anywhere from 22-30% (unless it's carryout) or 20-28% pre-tax. I have had great service and even gone as high as 40% before.

To PP, I don't use Peapod.

Beauty services work differently. My sister does hair. She has done booth rentals, commission splits and situations where salons pay you per service (they charge $80 to haircut and give you $50). She says a good tip is anywhere from 10-20% (but she usually gets 10-15). I am from CA.

For beauty, you show appreciation by a decent tip (not as high as food), repeat business and referrals. Agree with the PPs that poor service shouldn't expect the high range of tip, yet alone a tip at all (which I could never do).

I agree that our society has become out of hand when it comes to tips. I live in DC and had our NW current guy have a pre-addressed envelope with an ask for tip for the holidays.

I think we should do away with all tips in all industries including food. Inflate the cost of food, taxis, hair the amount needed to give employee a decent wage. If you're an independent hair stylist, charge the actual amount you'd expect for service including any expected tip.

I assure you I am not cheap. I am know amongst my friends as the best tipper. There should be a balance. No. I never reduced food tip based on food or things outside control. I will, however, complain to management (while making a point my issue was not with service).

This

Yes OP, we have seen what I have heard called "tip creep". Essentially, where 10% was the going rate for tips it has become 15% and where it was 15% it has become 20% ..... and so on. What is more is that tip creep has resulted in categories of employees who never expected or received tips now feeling entitled to it.

Tips are given to recognize good service and is part of the compensation of workers who are paid less than the minimum wage eg waiters. It is not intended as a economic mechanism to compensate people so that their living standards are raised - that is the role of tax policy and the government.

A couple of decades ago, a 15% tip at a restaurant was considered a decent tip; in cities like NY, it was closer to 20%. Today, 15% is viewed as being cheap. It is insane and I am like you in that I tip generously when I get good service but I only tip those people whose pay structure is based on receiving tips.

+1

[Anonymous]

I tip 15% unless they went out of their way or did an excellent job. I had to wait 45 minutes last weekend with my feet sitting in a pedicure tub before they even started the pedicure. I tipped 10% in that instance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But WHY can't I tip on a credit card?

Seems shady to me, frankly.

Because they have to pay for you to tip on a credit card. So, let's say that you tip $3 on a credit card. There is a fee of day $.50 per transaction as well as a percentage of each transaction. Your $3 becomes $2.40.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But WHY can't I tip on a credit card?

Seems shady to me, frankly.

Because they have to pay for you to tip on a credit card. So, let's say that you tip $3 on a credit card. There is a fee of day $.50 per transaction as well as a percentage of each transaction. Your $3 becomes $2.40.

Do you think they are claiming the tips as income?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But WHY can't I tip on a credit card?

Seems shady to me, frankly.

It is because they don't disclose cash tips and avoid paying tax on those tips.

[Anonymous]

If I tip in cash, I leave less - you know they aren't paying income tax on those tips.

[Anonymous]

Where can you get a pedicure for only $25.00? That's a steal.

[Anonymous]

This is why I hate tipping. I do not mind giving people money, but I hate the stress of trying to have the right amount of cash. I wish you could just put it all on the credit card. It would be so much easier. I remember in one post someone said (awhile back) - is it really so hard to have cash with you? My answer is yes, some days it is. I don't use cash for much.

But you can just ask for whatever bills you want as change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But WHY can't I tip on a credit card?

Seems shady to me, frankly.

It is because they don't disclose cash tips and avoid paying tax on those tips.

Yep, exactly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is why I hate tipping. I do not mind giving people money, but I hate the stress of trying to have the right amount of cash. I wish you could just put it all on the credit card. It would be so much easier. I remember in one post someone said (awhile back) - is it really so hard to have cash with you? My answer is yes, some days it is. I don't use cash for much.

But you can just ask for whatever bills you want as change.

Not an issue: just tell them you will only tip on a CC otherwise they will not get a tip. End of discussion.

[Anonymous]

And that is why I learned to do my own mani and pedi. Granted there's no pleasure factor, but I do a better job in taking out the cuticles. I hate that in American salons they dont remove it and charge you a lot for a usually crappy job. that's also why I only user uber and avoid regular taxis at all cost. I just hate the entitlement around tipping. Most workers in DC are rude and rarely say thank you, you're welcome, etc. so don't come asking for tip!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where can you get a pedicure for only $25.00? That's a steal.

nova

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where can you get a pedicure for only $25.00? That's a steal.

nova

also in DC - i have never seen anyone tipping $10 on a $25 pedicure - that's 40%!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yikes! Tight wad op!

Three to four dollars is kind of low.

Not for a $25 pedi!

[Anonymous]

I tip what I feel its worth. It's my choice whether or not to tip. If they don't, too bad. I cycle between several nail salons and if the service flags at one, I don't go back for a while. For good service I tip 25-30% FWIW. Bad service, 10%.