To think I don't need to tip?

[Charlieboo30]

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?

Numanoid "....not everyone can afford to leave a tip,..."

They can afford to go to a hairdressing salon so what's another £1 or so?

I do not tip hairdressers because whoever they are (whatever their place in the hierarchy there), they have more income than I have. I rarely visit a hairdresser.

Don't tip for beauty treatments or bad service in restaurants

I have money (my husbands) but I'm still not tipping left right and centre

And in RL most of my friends (with money or not) don't tip everybody

Although I tip a few pounds at the hairdressers they don't seem to expect it and I don't tip the woman who cuts my hair at home

Wandering your friend provides a personal service that requires a level of intimacy. You dont. That why I would tip her and not you.

Granny - I never mentioned taxi drivers? It was MrsWinnebago who said that her criteria for tipping was whether she had received a personal service.

I personally think that giving a gift to people (like care workers, or teachers) is very different to tipping. Firstly from a purely financial viewpoint - a one off bottle of wine or flowers once a year is a very different outlay (and income, to those receiving) to paying an extra 10-20% on every meal, taxi ride, haircut, manicure, massage, etc you ever have.

Secondly, tipping is historically a relic based on inequality. The rich would always tip the poor for performing a service well for them. There is still an element of this in tipping - the served are assessing the server, and deciding how much they are 'worth'. The fact that tipping is always monetary reinforces this. But giving a nice present, appropriate to the individual, to someone who you have developed a relationship with (not a random who you takes your order, delivers your food, and spends 5 mins max with you), at a 'recognised' present exchanging time, like Christmas, retirement, etc, is a much more equal concept, and a much nicer way of recognising someone's hard work, I feel.

You say that it is nothing to do with salary - but of course it is! You wouldn't tip your doctor, or lawyer, or consultant, would you? No matter how exceptional (or personal) a service they had performed for you?

What's another £1?....the difference between being able to do something or not to some people.

I always tip hairdressers, restaurant staff, porters, taxi drivers and beauticians. At Christmas I tip the postwoman, bin men and window cleaner. On holidays there often tends to be more tipping depending what country I'm in. I've always done it, just the way I was brought up.

I think tipping reinforces social inequality and makes those tipping feel superior to those they are tipping.
Whereas, I feel equal to not superior to waiters, hairdressers, taxi drivers and not inferior to teachers, doctors, etc.

I always tip the junior.

I tip black cab drivers, restaurant staff and porters.

I tip restaurant staff if their service was good.

But that is about as far I go for tipping.

I don't tip. They get paid their wages as far as I am concerned and that's that.

When I left school, I worked as a Dental Nurse. Until I became qualified I earned crap wages (even after they weren't great), I never received a tip, yet I performed an 'intimate service'! It did use to irk me a bit a Christmas time when patients would bring in presents for the dentists and forget about the nurses and receptionists.

A tip of £4 is far too much. I used to give a pound but now £2 seems better. But last time I paid £57 for a cut and blow in a hairdressers I haven't been to for years. I didn't leave a tip as I thought it was total robbery.

I waitressed for 7 years through school and uni. I saw the tips I received as appreciation for good service. I certainly didn't see it as people looking down on me.

I go to the US about 6 times a year and there a tip of 20% expected in nice restaurants. You are regarded as mean to tip anything less.

Precious I worked in a bank for many years. I can't speak for all but in the one I worked in, the 'ordinary' staff wouldn't have got anywhere near those biscuits. They'd either disappear with someone senior never to be seen again or be put into some sort of charity raffle and go straight back out to a customer.

I don't go to a hair salon that has juniors; my stylist washes my hair, makes coffee and sweeps up afterwards. I tip her a couple of quid (on a £15 haircut) because I like her and she cuts my hair well.

I had to go to a different salon once when mine was closed. They did have a junior and TBH I didn't feel like tipping. Couldn't really say why ; maybe because I have more of a relationship with my regular stylist.

I've worked in plenty of tough jobs for low pay and I never felt aggrieved if someone didn't tip. It was always just a nice surprise and bonus if someone did. I hate the US culture where you're made to feel pretty much like you're stealing if you don't tip a huge amount.

My 17 yr old dd is an apprentice in a lovely salon. She absolutely loves what she does BUT is only on about £2.30 an hr. She works extremely hard (around 43 hrs a week) for not a lot of money.

She's always thrilled when she receives a tip from a customer (even just £1), not just because its money (who doesn't like money???) but because it's a sign of respect and that she's done something well.

I always tip if I'm happy with the service.

I tip hairdressers and taxi drivers.

Because most of them are self employed and spend years not even earning NMW.

My sister is 24 and currently is a self employed hairdresser. She used all of her inheritance to set up self employed in a little room that she's transformed and quit her well paid job to follow her passion and training.

It's still early days. She currently, after paying the overheads, earns £43.75 a week ... working 40 hours plus bank trips, leaflet drops etc.

Those £1, £2 tips really help her out and make a real difference.

Yes I understand that it is their choice to go self employed and that you shouldn't have to pay for their choices. But at the same time - they are growing businesses and potentially creating jobs and boosting the economy - and creating jobs by leaving their employed ones meaning they are available for other people to fill. And they don't have the luxury of sick pay, holidays and national minimum wage. Every day is a fight and if you don't work you don't earn.

So that's why I tip hairdressers and taxi drivers and not people like waiters, who are on NMW.

Incidentally - my old hairdresser was employed at £7.00 per hour. I did not tip her.

I always tip the lovely lady who has scissors in her hands and my hair. I am quite friendly with my hairdresser though.

The tipping culture does make me quite stressed. I feel resentful that the culture means I should tip the man who delivers my chow mein but not the lady who washes and cares for my beloved relative. I mean, of course, delivering my food is a very important task (!!) but it confuses me.

I don't tip, the price is the price. I don't generally get annoyed about other people tipping but I do get annoyed if someone tips on my behalf, for instance if I buy dinner and my companion leaves a tip.