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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think I don't need to tip?

95 replies

Charlieboo30 · 21/06/2014 16:15

I go to my hairdressers every six weeks (sometimes five) and spend £31. I also have it coloured every three months which is £62 and buy all my products from there. I spend easily £600 a year with them. To me, that's a lot.

Anyway, I was there today and when I went to pay the lady in front of me left a £4 tip for the Saturday girl. I have never done this. Personally I think I pay enough.

I'm now wondering AIBU?

OP posts:
gertiegusset · 21/06/2014 22:55

Mine costs £20 for a cut, I give them £22, to be fair they never seem to expect a tip.

jensonbutton · 21/06/2014 22:59

I tip the person who cuts my hair.

What's a Saturday girl? The person who washes your hair? I've never done that, mainly as I've never worked out the etiquette on how you do it - do you give them some cash after they show you back to your seat? Or are you supposed to leave it with the person on the till or what?

Anotheronebitthedust · 21/06/2014 23:09

For those who queried why non-tippers get irate/stressed about tippers, it's because of comments like Mrs Winnebago's, and as I said earlier, a previous thread on this topic, where people genuinely suggested that a minimum wager earner should never eat out/take a taxi/have a haricut, ever, if they weren't prepared or couldn't afford to pay another minimum wage earner a certain amount.

fwiw I am not an always-tipper nor a never-tipper, I just resent the assumption that you are automatically supposed to tip half arsed, shoddy service. If I genuinely feel people have gone above and beyond then I always will tip, but 99% of the time I find people just do their job, usually fairly well, but that's exactly what they get paid to do. We have a minimum wage in this country for a reason. Whether it's a fair/living wage or not is another topic.

Agree (again!) with back for good on the ridiculous 'personal services' rule that excludes care workers, nurses, child care assistant's etc. Can't think of a more personal service that wiping someone's arse ... sorry is that too tacky?

squoosh · 21/06/2014 23:12

No one has ever wiped my arse, aside from my mother, but if a person did that on a daily basis I would definitely give them a Christmas present.

When I was in hospital I did give the nurses a big box of chocolates as I was leaving.

I don't tip bad service. Why would anyone do that?

XiCi · 21/06/2014 23:19

I'm guessing 9 out of 10 people tip their hairdresser so in answer to your question yes they probably do think youre tight.

I tip taxi drivers, waiters, bar staff, hairdresser, manicurist, take away delivery person and various others if I'm happy with the service. Everyone I know in real life does. It's only on mumsnet that I've come across people who don't tip.

Coconutty · 21/06/2014 23:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

treaclesoda · 21/06/2014 23:36

These threads always bring me a new level of angst that I'm doing one more thing wrong in the world of mumsnet! I had never heard of tipping the pizza delivery person or a taxi driver until that thread last week. And I'd never heard of tipping a beautician until tonight. I don't know anyone in real life who tips anyone other than waiting staff. And I'm not all that comfortable with that either as most people I know who have worked as waitresses haven't been allowed to keep their tips anyway, they've had to hand them over to the business owner, so what exactly is the point of the tip? They're not getting recognition for superior service, it's just an unspoken additional charge. (I do tip in restaurants though, despite this).

WooWooOwl · 21/06/2014 23:44

How can you be happy with the service from a pizza delivery guy? They don't get the opportunity to show good service or bad, they stand on your doorstep for less than a minute!

If they're late, it's generally not their fault, and if they're not, then there is no space for them to do anything better.

Coconutty · 21/06/2014 23:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

UncleT · 22/06/2014 00:26

Tip, don't tip - that's the only rule in my opinion. It's totally up to you. Personally I often to, but also fairly frequently won't. I'm talking mainly about taxis, meals, deliveries etc. It all just depends - and bugger what anyone else things about whether I do or don't.

UncleT · 22/06/2014 00:26

often do*

GrannyOnTheSchoolRun · 22/06/2014 04:14

Backforgood who said a taxi driver should be tipped because they offer a service providing a level of intimacy?

GrannyOnTheSchoolRun · 22/06/2014 04:17

As for tipping care workers? I would assume come Christmas and Birthdays for e.g. that care workers would receive a gesture of thanks and appreciation for the work they do from a grateful family.

Tipping/gesture of thanks, its the same thing.

PrincessBabyCat · 22/06/2014 05:57

Interesting thread. Here in the US waiters get paid below minimum wage because they make up for the rest of their paycheck in tips. Which is a really ridiculous system. So not tipping here makes you a douche bag of the highest order.

Unfortunately a lot of businesses have taken to adding the "tip" line on receipts when they print them so you have to actually write the 0 if you don't want to tip them which can make it awkward.

GrannyOnTheSchoolRun · 22/06/2014 06:32

Was thinking some more about tipping a care giver and it reminded me of when in the Uk a couple of years ago and one of the care-givers I'd taken on to help me with my son was being visited by her family for a day out because it was her birthday. I wanted to give her a family birthday dinner as a present and she had to ask her employer if she could accept it and she was told she couldn't. Something about tax (plus an other issue about ethics) and Im not sure if me being at the dinner and paying for it was going to make it different but putting money in a card because I'd be at home looking after my son was not Ok.

The most she was able to accept was a tea party at home with me, the other carer, and my son, in a work day environment.

I suspect there are sorts of rules regarding various occupations and people tipping or offering a gesture of thanks/appreciation.

Delphiniumsblue · 22/06/2014 06:52

I never tip- I think it outdated.

Goodwordguide · 22/06/2014 07:13

I tip in restaurants, beauty salons, hairdressers and taxis, about 10-15% if I've had good service, partly because I've had good personal service and partly so they'll be nice next time - this helps in our small town eg, with taxis at the station, where they'll remember you.

I probably tip taxi drivers slightly less (usually round up), waitresses slightly more as I was a waitress for years but also the service in our local restaurant is very good. I have a particular fear of not looking tight (years of embarrassment from a tight ex-DP).

Care workers, nurses etc don't get tipped because you're not usually handing money over to them. My son was in hospital on Friday - the nurses were excellent but at what point would I have given them eg £10?! I'm not even sure they'd be allowed to accept it. I do always write a thank you, naming the nurses, as our local hospital gets a really bad press so it's nice to give praise where it's due.

NutcrackerFairy · 22/06/2014 07:17

I am genuinely interested as to why I should tip the junior at the hairdressing salon?

Some people here on this thread have said they work hard for minimum money... but I have to say I have never seen a junior working that hard...

Yes, they make tea for customers, wash their hair and may sweep up, also answer the telephone and make appointments.

But in my experience of numerous salons over the years they also seem to spend a long time in front of the mirror fiddling with their own hair and chatting with the stylists. That's fine, I don't have a problem with that. But I don't generally see them being run off their feet tbh, even on the busy Saturday shift.

I get that they are being paid minimum wage but they are also apprentices are they not?

That said, I usually do tip the junior a pound or two because I don't want to be seen as tight and realise they are young girls who would appreciate a little extra cash. But I don't really get why I have to. Lots of people are paid minimum wage who actually do work really hard [and often with families to support], i.e. kitchen staff and care assistants instantly spring to mind. And no-one tips them a pound or two when they clean up a patient's poo or wash a pile of dishes do they?

BrandyAlexander · 22/06/2014 07:31

I tip 10%, more if it's a waiter/ress who has been extra thoughtful with my children. I tip in restaurants, taxis, delivery for food etc. I also do Christmas tips to my postman and other delivery guys (shop a lot online).

People have proved over and over they remember and give extra service the next time you see them. Whether it's my hairdresser who lets me phone up on the day and get an appointment, or the waitress who magics a table up for us or the taxi drivers who wait until i am in my house with lights on before the drive off or my postman who redirected my post for 2 weeks for me when my redirection form hadn't come through or the delivery drivers who realised I was on holiday and took the initiative to deliver the package to my sibling who lives round the corner. For these examples alone, it's well worth tipping.

WanderingTrolley1 · 22/06/2014 07:36

Tipping is not obligatory.

Do it if you wish. I don't tip, nor do I feel any way about those who do.

insancerre · 22/06/2014 07:45

I don't tip my hairdresser. I go every 6 to 7 weeks and pay £30 a time
Now we have the minimum wage we shouldn't have to tip low paid workers to top up their wages.
And with TripAdvisor and other online review places the staff should be aware of the need to provide a high level of service all the time
If my hairdresser or delivery driver or waiter fail impress then I simply go somewhere else

petalchops · 22/06/2014 08:08

So glad this thread came up as I had my hair done yesterday by the salon owner and wasn't sure whether to tip or not. I know a couple of you have said not to, wondered what others thought?

I always tip waiters,beauty salons,hairdressers and taxi drivers as long as the service was good.

WanderingAway · 22/06/2014 08:23

I don't tip.

I have worked in low paid jobs but never one deemed in need of it being necessary to tip.

If it wasn't for me doing my job you would go into a shop with empty rails. The clothes just don't appear by magic, someone has to put them there. I probably got paid less per hour than my friend who is a beauty therapist but yet she would get tipped.

treaclesoda · 22/06/2014 08:25

novice it's interesting that you say you feel it makes a difference to the service you receive. I think for lot of people it makes zero difference because you never have the same person serve you twice anyway. The staff turnover in restaurants etc is so high that even the ones I go to most often I don't recognise the staff. I do tip in restaurants btw, but I don't do it to get better service next time, I do it because I feel obliged to.

I don't tip other workers though, and don't know anyone who does. Tipping all and sundry is definitely something I've only ever heard of on mumsnet.

BadLad · 22/06/2014 08:36

I tip in restaurants, unless the service was poor. I don't tip anyone else - haircut is only cheap and quick.

Doesn't bother me if people don't tip, although I was aghast to read on the last tipping thread that someone had actually left a penny as a tip for poor service, and nobody on the thread pulled them up on it. Not tipping is one thing but leaving a copper coin is incredibly insulting and socially inept, IMO.

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