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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Tipping in Hairdressers

68 replies

BootyMum · 02/08/2010 21:39

Just wondering what other MNetters's think about tipping their hairdressers... I usually tip the girl who cuts and colours my hair £5 - £10 depending on what I'm having done, probably around 15% of my bill. However I find working out how much to tip a little stressful - ie should I also be tipping the girl who washes my hair and the girl who brings me a cup of tea? And how much to tip? Don't want to seem stingy, ungrateful or displeased at the service I received as I am actually very happy with my hairdresser. But also feel a little resentful that I feel I should tip on top of the £50 - $70 I usually pay for cut and/or colour. I am not particularly well off and have to space these appointments quite far apart to be able to afford them. Why should hairdressers get tips for doing their job when many other lowish paid professionals don't ie nurses who also work hard on their feet all day... AIBU? What do other MNetters do?

OP posts:
echops · 02/08/2010 21:41

I feel the same as you - guilty if I don't tip, a bit grumpy if I feel I have to! I usually pay £5 (unless I'm super happy with my hair then it's £10). This will probably stop though as I'm now on maternity leave and have run out of money!

Jasonthunderpants · 02/08/2010 21:41

I always tip my hairdresser

When my head is shaved I always say good job Jason and give myself a pat on the back and kiss the mirror and put £2 in my beer jar

LynetteScavo · 02/08/2010 21:42

I never tip.

QOD · 02/08/2010 21:42

I usually give me a couple of pounds - I don't know why - I mean her price is her price (her own salon) - I know the idea is that they are on hourly rate and you are paying 5 to 10 times that to the shop....

Jasonthunderpants · 02/08/2010 21:43

how much
bloodey hell

and having your hair cut is not cheap
Dont do it you mad fools

fluffles · 02/08/2010 21:43

i just can't DO the physical tipping, i usually pay by card and find handing over a few quid (i get a cheap cut and dry) so embarassing, it feels like an old great aunt giving some money to a kid at a famiy party - so patronising.

if only there was a thing by the till like in a cafe or you could leave money on a plate like after a meal.

ValiumSingleton · 02/08/2010 21:43

I hate it. I am broke, and a hair cut is so over priced as it is.... I only tip sometimes, but I hate that if feel stingy and cringe when I don't tip!! I don't have a job fgs!

Meglet · 02/08/2010 21:44

£5-£10 .

I don't get mine cut very often but if the girl who washes it is nice and professional I give her £1. And the girl who usually cuts my hair is quite lovely, and doesn't attempt to blow dry my frizzy hair or apply 'product' to it anymore so I give her a £1 too.

It's my feeble attempt to suck up to someone who is doing something how I want it done. I never get anything fancy though, certainly no colour or blow dry.

ValiumSingleton · 02/08/2010 21:45

Lynette, here's an award. It's a cup.

{ }
( )
I
_

ValiumSingleton · 02/08/2010 21:45

ooo that looked MUCH better before I posted it!

OctaviaH · 02/08/2010 21:48

I know you should

But I didn't, last week

because I had just spent upwards of £50 on a 15 minute haircut (admittedly, it did look lovely), and had my hair washed by some woolly-headed 16 year old work experience girl who limply slopped some shampoo on my head and skipped the head massage- normally my favourite bit!!

LynetteScavo · 02/08/2010 21:49

Actually I do tip my DCs hairdresser. She only charges £4, so I give her a £1 tip, as she is really lovely with them.

Madinitials · 02/08/2010 21:50

I usually tip my actual hairdresser £5. It costs £90 to have my hair done and I need change out of £100!! I pay by card and have a fiver in my purse for her but if I forget to get the cash out then it's too bad, I'm not loaded.

LynetteScavo · 02/08/2010 21:51

Thank you for the cup, VS.

To justify my non tipping, I have to go every three weeks to have my grey (I'm 95% so they tell me ) covered. It costs an absolute fortune, but I have to go, as I'm for to young to be grey!

HaveToWearHeels · 02/08/2010 21:57

I don't tip my hairdresser as I know they are on commission and earn pretty good money. I pay £50 for for a trim and blowdry and £140 for trim, blowdry and colour.
Hairdresser is a single mum, has her own house and drives a brand new convertable ! She is lovely but I have never tipped her in the 8 years I have been going to her.

SixtyFootDoll · 02/08/2010 21:58

I dont tip, my hardresser owns the salon and makes a good living.

nagoo · 02/08/2010 22:03

Fuck me you people have posh hair!

mangoandlime · 02/08/2010 22:10

I used to tip all the time. Now the salon manager cuts my hair and at £45 a pop I'm paying him to give me a great haircut, that's a given! So no tips now. I agree it's slightly patronising too, feels like giving sweetie money!

Meow75 · 02/08/2010 22:10

I pay about 7 quid for a dry cut or about £35 for a colour and cut. Usually tip between £2-5 depending on what I've had done and how long it's taken.

My hairdresser doesn't take plastic so I always have to have cash , but it does mean I get change, and then I can just give her a couple of quid back as appropriate. I've never had a bad cut there, so I think it deserves a small token of my appreciation.

paisleyleaf · 02/08/2010 22:11

Like fluffles I also find it patronising.
I think because (like Mrs Mills said) you only tip downwards - you don't tip your solicitor do you.

SixtyFootDoll · 02/08/2010 22:14

I like Mrs Mills advice!

cat64 · 02/08/2010 22:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Lindax · 02/08/2010 22:27

I always tip £5 (very awkardly as although I want to give the tip I hate doing it! - Same as the way I love to buy presents that people really like but hate giving them.)

Always understood that trained stylists wages weren't too great (unless senior stylist). The tips are what give them a reasonably good earning potential.

Anyway this is what my hairdresser has told me (I do believe her, have been going to her for 15 years). She lives very modestly.

This is a salon in a mid sized Scottish town, not a big flash city one - suppose salaries vary depending on salons.

Also give a £2 tip to barber for ds's(6) £5 haircut.

Honeydragon · 02/08/2010 22:32

I pay £8 for my hair and £6 for dc, I generally don't tip unless dc fidgety or a pain.

However, I love our barber to bits,he is a real family hairdresser, and we recently nearly lost him when he keeled over and had a heart attack. He was off work for only two weeks - so I always round up now as he cannot do the hours he used to.

I hide the money behind the counter as he gets cross at Mums when you tell him to keep the change and gives it too your kids

smellmycheese · 02/08/2010 22:34

I don't tip the stylist that does the cut and colour. She most likely earns a helluva lot more than me to begin with, and i pay £50 plus.

I do give the girl who washes the hair a couple of quid though. Not all, but some of them are apprentices, only getting about £30 quid a week. She only gets a tip if she gives me a head massage though!

I reckon if you asked most senior stylists, they'd probably rather you tipped the hair washers and sweepers than them?

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