If you only tip your hairdresser at Christmas…

[northtea]

What do you give them?

I started going to a new hairdresser around May this year after having my cousin do my hair for years so I’m not sure of what to do. I want to give her a tip in a Christmas card but i have no idea how much I should give. My haircuts cost £55 and I go every 8 weeks usually.

I don’t tip my hairdresser at all.

I pay £140 every two months to have my extensions moved up and my hair washed. It’s an hour and a half job.

She goes on 5-6 foreign holidays a year. She is very well paid, clearly. Why would I tip?

I tipped £10 on my visit last week, trying the spread some festive cheer I suppose, but wouldn’t usually.

Then kicked myself afterwards, paid £140 for half head foils, and a cut (I mean a trim, less than an inch off straight round the ends), and a rough blow dry. So £150, for just under 2 hours work. Plus, she had an inbetweeny client in for a cut & blow dry whilst my colour was on.

While I was there an older lady was paying, and I could hear her sarcastically asking if they do bank loans or credit 😂 I thought hear hear, it’s an expensive game, and that’s without the Christmas tip!

Mostly, hairdressing is expensive, and hairdressers are - rightly - well paid for their skills.
They set the tariff, I pay what they ask.

I find it patronising when my actual question is ignored just so people can give a negative opinion.

I pay €75 for cut and colour every 6 weeks and round it up to €80. I tend to give this at Christmas and bring a gift. However I know my stylist very well and know what he likes.

I was challenged to defend why I tip. (a) it's my money and I can do what I choose with it. (b) in situations where it makes a difference to me how the person does their job, how welcoming and friendly they are, how well they put me at my ease and make me enjoy my time with them rather than finding it burdensome, then I choose to value that and give accordingly. Hairdressers, taxidrivers and restaurant staff mainly. If they just do the thing they are paid to do without this, then they just get the listed price and no tip - their listed price is just for the basic service. The extra that I can choose to give is for those who I consider have gone over and above that basic level.

I go every 7 weeks for a cut, colpur and blow dry. I tip £10. Today I tipped £20.

If I need an emergency apppintment, she always fits me in. I was her first customer after lockdown. My friend, who never tips, couldn't get an apt for three weeks.

Yep. I am asking those who do tip how much they tip, because I want to tip. My reasons are similar, she is bloody good and goes above and beyond. I’m a tricky customer and she navigates this brilliantly. The more I go the easier it’s becoming and that’s in part due to the hairdresser so if I want to give her some of my money, I will.

It’s amazing how many people read If you only tip at Christmas and decide to open the thread and post about why they don’t tip. I’m clearly asking those who do, not those who don’t.

I tip when I go so don’t tip at Christmas. My mother would only tip at Christmas and I think the cost of her cut. I mean if you did the usual 10% each time that would have been about £25 in total so give her that.

I give my hairdresser a 5euro tip whenever I get my hair done and 20 euro at christmas

I gave my lovely hairdresser £10 in her Christmas card which ch tanked her for being lovely.

Thinking about it, I really hope she opened the card & didn't just say thank you, take a sec to appreciate the gesture then toss it on the side & forget like I would 😬

My hair costs £38 every 6 weeks and I always give £40 (partly as I think it’s too cheap anyway) no different at Christmas although I normally do a card and a bottle of wine.

I gave £20 this year.

Those of you tipping £2 or 5€, - do you worry that comes across as a bit mean?
I am sorry if that comes across as a criticism, but it's something that worries me about tipping!

Hairdresser comes to the house to me and DD so we gave him double what we normally pay. Same for cleaner, gardener, beautician and window cleaner.

You give all these people double their tariff?

I don't tip generally but give my hairdresser £10 in a card at Christmas. She is lovely, and I pay less than £40 for a cut and finish.

Same here.

im paying nearly 70 now for a haircut so I don’t tip

I would tip £60, assuming you haven’t tipped throughout the year, and can afford it. You’ve spent approx. £330 in the year, so this is between 15-20%.

I give her £20 at my pre Christmas appointment

I only tip at Christmas. My cut and colour costs £110 and I tip £20 once a year only

The ‘basic service’ at a restaurant or at the hairdresser should not be ‘basic’ as they charge a high price for their services. As a customer I expect good service at that price.

If the service is not good, they will loose my custom. There’s no need for ‘topping up’ some of these high prices by additional tipping imo.

In many cultures (eg Japan) it’s considered very rude to do this.

I don’t tip mine any more. He’s the salon owner and I buy shampoo from him and I got a box of posh biscuits this time.

He isn’t cheap and I know he spends money on clothes etc. He’s told me about the hundreds of pounds he spent on a jumper. I can’t do that, so I reckon he doesn’t need a tip from me.

@Lemonlimonade It’s also considered very rude in other cultures (such as the US) not to tip heavily! So it goes both ways. We do have a tipping culture in this country, but less so than the US, more so than Japan it seems.