To have no idea how to tip in hairdressers

[WigglyBraddins]

Warning: the following question definitely into the Developed World Problem category.

So I was in the hairdresser yesterday afternoon and I never know what to do about tipping. Sometimes I don't tip at all, sometimes I give the hairdresser £2 or I give it to the receptionist. But yesterday a very proper looking older lady who came across as being someone who did things the right way, thanked and tipped the girl who had washed her hair as well as the hairdresser.

Who do I tip and how much?

I never tip hairdressers. It costs such a lot to start with.

I round my cut up to the nearest note. So if it comes to anything which ends in a 0 or 5, she doesn't get a tip. Unless it's say £25 and I've only got £30. It doesn't happen that often so I figure it averages out over the year to a reasonable tip. I don't feel obliged to though, and my hairdresser does the whole experience so no one separate to tip.

Ive always wondered how that works. Surely she still has wet hair and her gown on, does she go searching out her handbag like that? Or does she wait till shes done, what if the hair washer bas gone by then?

I leave the tip with the lady on the till, about 10% ish for cut or colour (£2.50 or £5). If the trainee has washed my hair I leave her a quid.

I get 10% off my bill tho, so I'm actually just paying what it would cost iyswim.

You could just say thanks at the time and leave the tip when you go. You only leave a tip if you want to tho.

I leave 10% to the stylist and around £3 to the person washing my hair. Usually works out at around £10-15. A good stylist does wonders for your hair and with highlights and mad , long curly hair she is with you for about 4 hours. I think they deserve good tips.

I tend to bung a couple of quid in for the hairdresser, then give one to the receptionist for the person who's washed my hair (as usually I don't know their name). It's a bugger if you don't remember to make sure you take change, though.

Oh, and I don't bother at all on occasions like last time, when the cow was snooty and miserable the whole way through, then magically cheered up and got extremely friendly when it was time for me to pay. I don't think so, madam.

I have been going to my hairdresser for years, I go every 6-8 weeks and have always tipped her £5.

Just because your service may cost a lot doesn't mean your hairdresser is making it, it's always nice to show appreciation for a great service.

I don't tip anywhere, ever. I just pay the price that's listed.

You don't have to tip hairdressers anything. They get paid to do their job the same as everyone else who provides you with a service in exchange for their wages, like the person who scans your shopping through in the supermarket, the teacher who educates your children, the man that fixes your boiler, or does your meter readings, or fits your new carpet.

If you want to tip anyone at the hairdressers, tip the person that washed your hair if they give you a particularly brilliant head massage that you want to acknowledge.

But don't feel obliged to do it just because.

Agree with WooWoo

I think this tipping culture for hairdressers, waiters and taxi drivers is ridiculous.

Staff should be paid a living wage [or better] and it should not be up to the consumer to subsidise businesses in paying their employees.

And yes, yes, to if it is the accepted thing to tip hairdressers et al why aren't check out operators, boiler repairers, painters routinely given tips?

I rarely tip my hairdresser but she is also the owner of the business so I really don't feel any obligation to do so. And I never tip the girl who washes my hair [she is a surly little madam anyway] and consider it up to my hairdresser to pay her what she feels she is worth.

I leave money at the till on my way out. Usually a fiver if it was just a cut, a tenner if it was a colour and cut. I say 'Can you pass this on to the girls who did my hair, please?'. My second-to-last hairdressers had a row of jars by the till, and I'd see her change down the note and divvy it out - perhaps not all receptionists do this though? Never thought to separately tip the hair wash girl though - makes sense, she probably gets overlooked and is the most poorly-paid?

StealthPolarBear the v proper lady yesterday waited until she was paying and nipped back in to the basin area to tip the hairwasher. bumpandkind I have long, very thick, curly hair and yesterday's do took 3 hours, now I'm worried I should be tipping more and the stylist is very good, but she's also the salon owner's daughter. Hmmm.

When i was training I was on £50 a week to start with. The best tippers were the little old ladies. We did treatments upwards of £40 (a lot in the mid 90s) and the amount of people (usually haughty middle class cheshire housewives) that would make a point of not tipping and saying so was disappointing. I worked very hard and appreciated what extra I was given. I was known for going the extra mile and once had a lady drop a tip in the next day after being shamed into it by her elderly mum (I'd looked after her baby while she was being treated as well as doing my own tasks i kept her baby amused, fed and clean) I admit to feeling gutted when she marched over a grabbed her child and walked out without a word. A thank you would have been nice. We don't expect tips (really we don't, more people don't tip than do) but like I said they are a lovely and appreciated extra. Don't assume that just because you're in a swanky salon that your stylist gets all that cash. A newly qualified stylist might be on the minimum wage or be getting as little as 5% commission and nothing else. The junior washing your hair will be paid peanuts. If you have only enough for one person then let the junior have it or split it. If you aren't tipping thats your prerogative but don't make a song and dance about it. No one cares. Itll just make them bring you cold coffee and the 3 year old magazines next time you're in. :o

I live in Canada, and we tip just about everyone! Hair dressers, delivery men, taxi drivers, servers at the bar and restaurants, coat check girls, all sorts.
It would be considered very rude not to.
If you are paying at a till, you ask for to be added on the bill. If there is no till, you can just hand it over and say thank you.
Its just something that you factor in when you plan on doing stuff.

I used to work as a hairdresser. Always tip.