Reply to How much do you tip a massage therapist for a 60 minute massage?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]IF you think that your therapist is making a LOT of money....ask the front desk how much your therapist is being paid. 
As a therapist at a spa and a clinic and a chiropractor I can tell you generally the rate of pay IS LOW! 
And yet schooling runs $10,000-$15,000 or more and requires at least 6 months and ALSO requires therapists to pay for continuing education classes every year, carry their own liability insurance AND pay for their own state licensing every single year! Figure $400 per year just to  practice! 
Additionally due to repetitive stress to the hands, wrists and joints a therapist can't/won't usually work more than 25 hours a week MAX!
Expected career span for a LMT is ONLY SEVEN YEARS! Due to repetitive stress injuries.
Additionally therapists are paid ONLY for the time that they are giving massage. If I am there 8 hours but work only 90 minutes, I get paid for 90 minutes!
Chiropractors pay between $18 and $33 per hour. Typically no tips. So even $5 is nice. I've seen chiro's pay as little as $15/hr.
Envy/Heights/Elements (membership base clinics) pay $15-18 an hour. Will max at $20 but therapists rarely stay 5 years.
Spa's usually it's like between 30% and 50% of the charge. but 50% is RARE. Where I work 50 minute Swedish is $90 and I get paid $22.
Every therapist appreciates the gratuity. Some therapists are counting on it to pay the bills. But it is rare to be tipped through a chiropractic office or PT office.
Otherwise here is how I feel and see others feel about tips for a one hour session (50 minutes hands on)
Zero: Shameful. If you leave me nothing and come back again, don't expect my best work. Good work, but not my best. 
    That said: I have had a LOT of bad massages out there. Communicate what you want. If it is that bad still, don't tip.
$5: Wow. You better be in a tough spot. But I won't give you my best work next time. Thumbs are the first to go. And I won't give you my thumbs.
$10: acceptable but nothing special or inspiring.
$15: I know that you appreciate my work, my education and my commitment.
$20: You get my very best every time. I am committed to you and your health and well-being. I may give you extra time, better lotion or other little freebies to let you know you are appreciated.
More than that and you got the massage of a lifetime and you really do appreciate it.[/quote]

Awesome post.  What goes around comes around.  That said, here are some guidelines to tipping your doctor:

Nothing: Disgraceful and disrespectful.  If he prescribes you the wrong thing and you die, your family shouldn't even have the face to show up at the hospital to ask for compensation.  Zero tip?  Seriously?  The man went to med school for your health and you stiff him?! You know that $100,000 operation fee goes entirely to the hospital (if he were an idiot, he may enter into such an agreement) and your doctor survives on tips, right?
10%: Damn, I hate poor people.  If you can't afford to tip the doctor properly, you can't afford to come to the hospital!  Try a vet next time. Let's get this over with...
15%: Ok, not too bad; this is when the doctor starts to actually think about how to get you better.  Nothing special, no late-night trips to the med library or anything, but he'll start to function at this level.
20%: OK, now we're in in the cool-people-who-deserve-good-care section.  This 20% tip on your $5,000 1-hour visit is how you show your doctor that you appreciate him putting in all those long hours and paying $50K tuition for 4 years in med school
25%: I will do my very best every time for you when you show up to nurse you back to health. Now, I am committed to you as a patient and may give you little freebies like antiseptic wipes, pill containers, a fridge magnet with our logo on it, etc...
But more importantly, if you tip well, you are investing in your health and a life-long relationship with a doctor committed to your well-being, and you will appreciate better health as the years add on!

So next time you go to the hospital, remember how you like to be tipped for a massage, and tip your doctor the accordingly.  Same goes for your garbage collector, doorman, supermarket clerk, the police, security guards, floor sweepers, laundromat, etc... [/quote].

Couldn't have put it better myself.   Best response that I've read to any of this nonsense.       
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