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Original poster

to not tip my hairdresser?

255 replies

MrsSatsuma · 17/03/2011 19:49

Just wondered what everybody else thinks about this - as I always go to the hairdresser on my own, I've no idea what anybody else does! I occasionally tip my hairdresser (eg if it's £37 I'll round it up to £40) but not always - came to £75 last time as I had highlights too and I didn't know what to do so just left it.

I don't want to tip and risk offence, if it's against convention, but I don't want them to think I'm mean. On the other hand it's pretty expensive! As far as I know people don't tip for other luxuries, like massages or manicures (do they?) so I assumed hairdressing was no different. I don't tip taxi drivers as a taxi ride usually cleans me out anyway! and I do usually tip in restaurants provided I've had good service.

Would love to know what others do!

OP posts:
frgr · 18/03/2011 21:46

follyfoot, (and others like her) - but how do you tip by rounding it up to 31 quid? it's so cringe worthy/embarassing when i've tried to tip in the past. admittedly that was in my early twenties when i first realised some things like that are expected, but i always found it so embarassing and made me feel self concious that i just have a blanket rule to avoid it!

if it's cash, do you just say "oh here's 31 instead - thank you" when you hand it over? how about when some posters have said you give some money to the person who's washed your hair? do you actually come out and say "here is a couple of quid for the girl/boy there" - when you don't really know them or go back to them maybe (well I wouldn't - i go once a year)

or if you're on a card, and they don't accept tips on it, do you take money with you just for the tip? (which to me defeats the purpose that i like cards for - not having to carry money around!). and if you can tip on a card, do you just tell them once they've rung it up to add on a few pounds?

gawd this makes me sound terribly naive, and i don't plan to change my opinion that i'd rather they just added a fiver onto the listed price for people like me Grin but i am impressed that so many people seem to do the tipping thing so smoothly - tell us your secrets! Grin

Carmen123 · 18/03/2011 22:51

I only ever tip when I enjoy the experience. I have been to plenty hairdressers where I found the entire experience stressful, neck hurts when you get your hair washed, hair washed only on the crown and nails scraping at my scalp. But now I have a lovely hairdresser and it is so relaxing so I usually tip 5 pounds (10 around christmas) because I think I would like to go for a coffee and cake with her. So it is kind of like I would get her something for making my hour relaxing and my hair lovely.

My tip is never related to the complexity or the price of the cut.

Carmen123 · 18/03/2011 22:55

@frgr I only ever tip the hairdresser. I always pay by card but make sure I have 5 pounds on me when I go for the haircut and give it to her when she gives me the pay receipt. Naturally, just hand her the money with a smile and say "this is for you, thank you very much". Think you are giving her a cupcake or a chocolate or something.

I think the secret is that you tip only because you want to and because you are happy with the service. Not because you have to. You never have to. And then think of it as you would get her a drink or something, but it is just more convenient to give her cash.

Carmen123 · 18/03/2011 23:00

You never ever have to tip. Not even when you have one of those card readers that say "would you like to add gratuity". If you do not want to (for whatever reasons) just select no.

You only tip to say thank you for the service. You pay for the service as it is, but if you had a really nice experience and feel that waiter, taxi driver, hairdresser contributed to it (usually by enjoying what they do), then think of the tip as buying them a drink at the end of their day. And tip accordingly. How many pints would you buy them? (1- give 3 pounds, 2 - give 5-6 and so on).

That is what I do.

follyfoot · 18/03/2011 23:53

frgr Grin Well my lovely Stuart doesnt have a card machine now he has opened his own little salon so he says "that will be £28" and I just write a cheque for £31 and say "thanks very much, am really pleased with it" (which I always am)so its clear that the little bit extra is a thank you for his care and attention.

When he worked in a large salon and I paid by card, I just paid by card and handed over the tip in cash saying the same thing to him.

I tip if I'm very pleased with what someone has done for me - that makes it easy to hand over the money without any awkwardness.

MissyKLo · 19/03/2011 08:00

I don't tip but I buy her booze at Xmas and for her birthday. She likes that!

plopplopquack · 19/03/2011 08:10

I can't afford to tip but feel really uncomfortable not tipping. I hardly ever go to the hairdressers but when I need to I still don't go cos of the uncomfortable about tipping thing! My hairs a mess. Was thinking about going hairdressers today but now I'm not sure!

onlion · 19/03/2011 08:14

No way. Ive never tipped a hairdresser. They earn a higher hourly rate than me. (well mine does anyway)

onceamai · 19/03/2011 08:16

I think you have to factor the tip into the overall cost. When I have cut and blow/dry it comes to about 40 (not expensive for London) and I usually leave 5. When I have highlights (about 100) I usually leave 10. My lovely hairdresser can always fit me in though, even in an emergency, and she will always fit in the DS and the DD too.

FourFortyFour · 19/03/2011 08:17

I don't always tip my hairdresser (a cut is £48) but when I do she kisses me goodbye. TBH I don't like the tipping issue. It costs a lot already for a hair cut and blow dry and another fiver on top makes a difference.

onlion · 19/03/2011 08:17

Im a bit lost as to why you would tip a hairdresser. New one to me.

YusMilady · 19/03/2011 08:18

I am completely aghast at this. I am literally about to head out the door to go to the hairdresser's and I had NO IDEA I was supposed to tip! So that's why she always follows me to the till! Dammit - I enjoy getting my hair done and now I'm going to be all tense, even after a stint in the massage chair. Curse you MN for opening my eyes to yet another facet of modern life I was completely ignorant of.

I'm not bloody tipping though - they charge like a wounded bull for a cut and blow dry!

Rabat · 19/03/2011 08:20

I hate tipping, too.

I didn't think it was the norm to tip in a beauty salon, either. I have since learnt that it is...last time I went to one it was made very clear it was expected but I didn't leave one as I had just had an extremely expensive but average facial. It has totally put me off going again.

I used to always tip for the DC's hair cut - as they always seemed to take as long as mine but were a fraction of the cost. I rarely tipped when I had mine done though as I was alway shocked at the price and felt ripped off anyway.

I have now, finally, found a hairdresser that I really like. My cut is about £40 and I give her £5. It is probably a bit much but it stops my angst about it all. I now just see it as part of the cost.

I have definitely stopped using services before though because of the whole tipping culture.

MarshaBrady · 19/03/2011 08:20

I just had highlights £140 (not all over) and left £5. Nothing for hairwasher/blowdryer. Expensive as it is.

Then a cut is £65.

MarshaBrady · 19/03/2011 08:21

The blowdryer did follow me for a bit but I am not tipping that much on top.

JuneMummy · 19/03/2011 08:26

i tip my hairdresser £3-£5 as cant afford to tip much more then that once ive spent over £60. if i cant tip her that time then i pay her double next time or get my husband to double tip her when he goes in.
I also tip delivery guys, taxi drivers (on the rare occasion that i get one) and often round up the amount at the local shop and tell them to keep the change.
I get my groceries delivered and some times tip them too.

MarshaBrady · 19/03/2011 08:27

I never tip Ocado. They look expectant too. Do people?

tazmosis · 19/03/2011 08:51

My hairdresser is the owner, so I've assumed I don't need to tip as she isn't poorly paid. It is something I have thought about quite alot though - I agree with other posters who find the whole giving money thing embarrassing and a minefield. I do always tip 10 - 15% in restaurants though and often round up for the cabbie. I do give my hairdresser a nice bottle of wine at Christmas though.

follyfoot · 19/03/2011 08:58

I've wondered whether Ocado people get tips for 'normal' deliveries too. I dont tip them, but a couple of years ago when our delivery chap battled through deep snow to get to us, having to abandon his van and walk the stuff up, we did give him a tenner. Some of them do seem to hang around once the delivery is complete as if waiting for a tip.

IMissSleep · 19/03/2011 09:15

I was a hairdresser for 7 years. Used to work from 9-6 6 days aweek mostly doing between 7-15 peoples hair in 1 day. It's bloody hard work and you only get a small comission from each client ( usually 15-17%) so we would rely on our tips. Even £1 would help. If every client left £1 then by the end of the day I'd have enough for some food and bus fare home.

It's not essential but hairdressing doesn't pay well and once you've paid rent, travel expenses and bills you are left with nothing. I left because I needed a job where at the end of the month I knew I'd have enough to live on!!

hmc · 19/03/2011 11:02

I'm a regular and generous tipper (not that I am a paragon of virtue - just that I can afford to, so i do), but it would never occur to me to tip the Ocado driver (apart from the Christmas tip). Haven't noticed them lingering expectantly...

frgr · 19/03/2011 12:31

IMissSleep, I'm not sure that hairdressers are uniquely poorly paid, and that they should be relying on tips to buy them food and a bus fare home. I think that speaks volumes about the way salons treat their lower heirarchy employees than the stinginess of customers who come in and spend sometimes over £100 in some hairdressers, yet are on minimum wage at the same time, as a treat.

So I "get" the whole "tip because you're pleased" thing - but actually reading posts like yours ("tip because it's a hard job and we get paid fuck all") actually make me dig my heels in and feel more so that tips are not appropriate for employees to be relying on.

Vegasgirl · 19/03/2011 12:47

I tip a fiver - but only tipped 3 yesterday as I'm skint. I only tip in Restaurants otherwise. I like to tip my hairdresser as I think it is good to build up a good relationship where effort is rewarded when it comes to my hair.

Bunbaker · 19/03/2011 13:56

The owner of the salon does my hair and makes a beautiful job of it - a cut and colour is £47. I once read somewhere that you shouldn't tip the owner and so I don't. I feel that £47 is plenty to pay for a hairdo without having to fork out an extra fiver.

ShesEverSoFamous · 19/03/2011 14:21

IMissSleep The problem there was with the salon you were working in, not the hairdressing industry.

I am a hairdresser and I'm paid the minimum wage, I chose my career so I would never expect my customers to fund my lifestyle. I am not rolling in money but I am not scrapping together for the essentials either. I never expect a tip but of course it's always lovely to receive one as I know the customer is pleased with the work I have done.

When I was training I made £75p/w for 38 hours and the tips really did help, but still the young girls who go into the industry know it is a low wage and have to live within their means.