Tipping for expensive salon visits

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait this has me thinking...do you all tip home cleaners every time? Not ones hired from national companies but self employed small crew business?

My sister does my hair and refuses any payment, so I just get her a bigg gift card at the holidays. But I do have a house cleaner

No, holidays only.

Really? I'm the poster from above who was tipping the shampoo person out of the bigger tip. I always give each house cleaner (small crew of 3) a tip of $20 each. And at Christmas, I give them each $50. Again, where are the tipping rules? I clearly need to read them.

It's never bad to be more generous if you can afford it. The cleaners probably really appreciate that extra $20 and remember that you are generous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't want to pay 20% tip then don't get the high end service. And FFS please tip the shampooer, how cheap could you be?

So...what is the not high end service? Every salon I’ve ever been to includes a shampoo and blow dry. High end salons don’t give any additional services, they just charge more for stylist skill, better quality products, nicer salon. Paying $90 for a hair cut vs $20 covers the cost of having a better haircut, without tip. Tip is you want, whatever you want, but no it isn’t required.

No, not required, but customary. So don't be surprised when you want to schedule a cut and they don't have any room for you.

Or if you late cancel/show up late to service. You also get what you get and don’t get upset. (Our late cancel fee is 100% - under 24 hours notice)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. I'm so freaking happy the salon I go to allows customers to tip via Venmo now. I never have cash and when I do, it's not the right amount. The amount I'm charged seems so arbitrary each time.

I appreciate Venmo tips. It feels more personal/intentional
than being palmed a few bills or given an envelope. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't want to pay 20% tip then don't get the high end service. And FFS please tip the shampooer, how cheap could you be?

What high end service? I pay $300 for cut, color, and walking out with a wet head. I’m in a room full of chairs and surrounded by loud hair dryers and women complaining about their in laws. I get a cup of tea. Isn’t $300 enough for the time and talent of a simple cut and color?

You don't pay for the blow dry? You need to go somewhere less expensive. You can't afford it.

I just think it’s overpriced BS and choose not to waste money on it. If I spend $300 on a cut and color and have pay extra to not leave with a wet head, don’t try to convince me that’s high end service. It’s unfinished...and I get tea. Wow, so high end.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't want to pay 20% tip then don't get the high end service. And FFS please tip the shampooer, how cheap could you be?

What high end service? I pay $300 for cut, color, and walking out with a wet head. I’m in a room full of chairs and surrounded by loud hair dryers and women complaining about their in laws. I get a cup of tea. Isn’t $300 enough for the time and talent of a simple cut and color?

You don't pay for the blow dry? You need to go somewhere less expensive. You can't afford it.

I just think it’s overpriced BS and choose not to waste money on it. If I spend $300 on a cut and color and have pay extra to not leave with a wet head, don’t try to convince me that’s high end service. It’s unfinished...and I get tea. Wow, so high end.

Clearly you don't like & can't afford your salon. You should find a less expensive option. If you think paying the tip & $50 more for the blow dry is too much, then you are over budget.

[Anonymous]

20% is a guideline, but it's fine to tip based on the job they did. If they did a great job and spent 2 hours on a cut and color, I tip more. If the stylist is distracted, constantly chatting with coworkers, and spent 1/2 hour, I tip less (and won't return).

[Anonymous]

Interesting to get this perspective:

https://www.southernliving.com/fashion-beauty/hairstyles/do-you-tip-owner-of-hair-salon

[Anonymous]

It's not "ever increasing percentage" -- it's been 15-20% forever. And a small tip to the shampoo assistant. Since I've been going to a salon. Which is once a month for the past 25 years.

If you don't like paying for tips, then do not get the service. If enough people don't pay for the services, then the structure will change. But, I am guessing that you are in the small minority that is uncomfortable with tipping. And you sound like you can't afford the service in the first place. So try the Hair Cuttery where a 20% tip will cost much less due to the overall price.

Maybe you are right and it's been "15-20% forever" in hair salons. But it wasn't always 20% in restaurants. It certainly wasn't 18% expectation at food places where you get your own food at the counter or 15% when you pick up your own take-away. And the list of people you're supposedly obligated to tip, to make up for their low salaries, has definitely gotten longer over the years.

Is 'Stay at home or stay in your plebeian Massage Envy lane' really the only answer that American society has to offer if I'm not 100% happy with it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To add -- my salon requires tips be in cash, so I also see this as pretty likely tax fraud. She probably makes 60K a year in cash that it basically under the table. It's just a way for the salons to shift money away from the Social Security Administration and the general tax revenue.

That’s not your problem, and she’s more likely to get audited. They will imply tips.

Agree it's not my problem, but it's sort of all of our problems when certain industries do this specifically to keep their employer-side taxes low and to cheat the social security system. I've always wondering how the IRS implies the tips. I suspect my stylist probably reports just enough in tips to avoid suspicion (basically whatever she's putting into her savings account), and pockets the rest.
Also, the IRS does basically no individual audits anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can't afford an $80 tip, you can't afford a $400 haircut. This is all cringe.

YES! [phone]

No, it has nothing to do with affording. Salons love this train of thought though and want you to feel “cheap” for not freely dispensing out cash.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can't afford an $80 tip, you can't afford a $400 haircut. This is all cringe.

YES! [phone]

No, it has nothing to do with affording. Salons love this train of thought though and want you to feel “cheap” for not freely dispensing out cash.

"Salons love this train of thought" --- like salons are these huge money generators with insane profits. Most are small businesses run by regular hard working people. Give it a rest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can't afford an $80 tip, you can't afford a $400 haircut. This is all cringe.

YES! [phone]

No, it has nothing to do with affording. Salons love this train of thought though and want you to feel “cheap” for not freely dispensing out cash.

"Salons love this train of thought" --- like salons are these huge money generators with insane profits. Most are small businesses run by regular hard working people. Give it a rest.

Regular, hard working people who want your cash. I’m old enough to remember when a cut included a blow dry. Now it’s four different charges and 2-3 tips.

[Anonymous]

"Salons love this train of thought" --- like salons are these huge money generators with insane profits. Most are small businesses run by regular hard working people. Give it a rest.

If it is all so reasonable and $400 plus $80 tip is a just price for the service, then why isn't the price of the service officially $480?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can't afford an $80 tip, you can't afford a $400 haircut. This is all cringe.

YES! [phone]

No, it has nothing to do with affording. Salons love this train of thought though and want you to feel “cheap” for not freely dispensing out cash.

"Salons love this train of thought" --- like salons are these huge money generators with insane profits. Most are small businesses run by regular hard working people. Give it a rest.

Regular, hard working people who want your cash. I’m old enough to remember when a cut included a blow dry. Now it’s four different charges and 2-3 tips.

Wow! And did you walk to the salon up hill in the snow, both ways too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Salons love this train of thought" --- like salons are these huge money generators with insane profits. Most are small businesses run by regular hard working people. Give it a rest.

If it is all so reasonable and $400 plus $80 tip is a just price for the service, then why isn't the price of the service officially $480?

Because we are living in a tipping society right now in America. That's why. When you go to a restaurant, you add a tip. Why don't they just add it automatically to the bill, you say? Why? Why? Why?

Terrible circular argument.