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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be slightly cross at my hairdresser

103 replies

Lieveke77 · 25/10/2014 13:24

So i had the full works done at a new hairdresser £60, and i bought some products. Total was £95. I paid with a card and gave him £10 cash as a tip as he had done a splendid head massage while washing. He wasn't pleased... Am i out the loop here because it wasn't enough or should you not tip a hairdresser anymore???

OP posts:
LovleyRitaMeterMaid · 25/10/2014 14:10

*trim

Siarie · 25/10/2014 14:11

I don't tip hair dresser or beauticians, not when my hair costs like £150-180 a time! And my waxing is £50 every four weeks at the moment. Hmm

NewEraNewMindset · 25/10/2014 14:13

OMG hairdressing is so expensive why the hell are people tipping on top?!!

I find it so strange and one of the reasons I use a mobile hairdresser. I love her but only tip at Christmas. I used to self employed, I charged a rate and received my money. Never once did I think the person should tip on top. At Xmas if I received a little extra I was delirious but never expected more than a card.

HappyYoni · 25/10/2014 14:14

I don't tip hair dressers or beauticians. In fact don't really tip anywhere except in restaurants.

NewEraNewMindset · 25/10/2014 14:15

Are people tipping their gardeners, cleaners, dentists each time too? What is it that marks hairdressers and beauticians apart that requires us to top up their wages?

sunflower49 · 25/10/2014 14:17

How do you mean he wasn't pleased?How did he express that?

I don't tip as a rule. If I get good service in a restaurant I will do-if I don't , I won't.

I go to a very cheap salon for my hair/eyebrows etc. I sometimes tip her because she's really cheap and she's lovely, funny and I always have a good time when I'm there but I don't always!It depends what I have had done and how much I have spent.
I agree with the poster who said low-waged service industry staff are who you should be tipping. But if I'm not treated nicely in a restaurant I won't tip, if the staff are unattentive or pushy or unfriendly I don't. I have to feel I was given good service to tip.

Gunpowder · 25/10/2014 14:19

I always tip my cleaner.

Gardener is paid by bank transfer so doesn't get tipped. (only have him rarely)

Dentists, opticians etc. are professionals so wouldn't tip them. Might give them a box of chocs/bottle of wine at Christmas if we had a particularly good relationship.

CatKisser · 25/10/2014 14:20

My last hair cut was going from extremely long to a short, choppy curly bob and I was really nervous. She did an absolutely brilliant job and I gave £30 for a £23 cut. Usually I tip 4/5 quid max.

fatlazymummy · 25/10/2014 14:25

I tipped last time, I just rounded up. It was probably a couple of quid on top of £30 odd pounds. I tipped her because she gave me some helpful advice and what I considered better than average service. Someone who just does the minimum and can't really be bothered doesn't deserve a tip, IMO.
If I have a junior to wash my hair (I didn't this time) I think it's nice to give them a pound, because I know they get paid very little. However a qualified hairdresser/ stylist usually does reasonably well regarding money, so I would never feel obligated to tip them.
Also, I would never buy any products from a hairdressers. Pop into Boots, super drug, or even poundland and buy something very similar for less money.

LovleyRitaMeterMaid · 25/10/2014 14:27

And how do you go about tipping the hair washer separately?

carlsonrichards · 25/10/2014 14:29

Tipping is American? PMSL. If it's bad, it must be American. Seems okay to slag them off on this forum. You'd never say, 'It's a horrible Pakistani/African/Chinese import.'

FWIW, tipping is the norm in C. and S. America to the point of bribery.

I have seen it commonly in many parts of Europe, too.

£10 is fine for a £60 haircut. Very good, in fact.

avocadotoast · 25/10/2014 14:30

I used to tip when I went to a super cheap, old school place. But then that just meant rounding up to £15 for a wet cut Grin I don't bother now, but then I don't think my hairdresser really minds.

HangingBasketCase · 25/10/2014 14:35

I only tip if I have an apprentice doing it, I won't tip the "stylists" because it costs an arm and a leg as it is to get your hair done these days.

Flump007 · 25/10/2014 14:40

How ungrateful. Hiw could you tell he was not happy?

Itsfab · 25/10/2014 14:41

Where's the OP?

I hate tipping. I tipped a fiver at the last salon I went to on top of £25 for the cut. Probably won't go back to her so wish I hadn't bothered. Prior to that I was paying £50 for a cut and generally left a fiver but sometimes I didn't. I got a kiss good bye when I tipped and not when I didn't.

snowmummy · 25/10/2014 14:54

I've never tipped a hairdresser. I pay around £90 for a cut and colour. That's enough imho.

Nanny0gg · 25/10/2014 15:01

Why is it that people will pay £££ for an outfit that they may only wear once, but begrudge the money for something they wear every day - their hair?

Pay-per-wear it's pretty cheap.

ladeedad · 25/10/2014 15:01

The last time I was at the hairdressers, while getting my hair washed, the girls were bitching about the last customer who hadn't tipped them.

So I didn't tip either.

itiswhatitiswhatitis · 25/10/2014 15:01

I don't tip my hairdresser as she is quite expensive for a mobile hairdresser (very good though and cheaper than salon) plus I have wash my own hair, sweep up the cuttings and make my own coffee!

How do you know he wasn't happy? I would go back and use him again but pointedly leave no tip next time, ungrateful little sod!

randomAXEofkindness · 25/10/2014 15:17

Slagging customers off for not tipping is embarrassingly crass. When I worked in a salon (very highly regarded, had to book at least a month in advance for an appointment, so not a reflection of the quality of the work), tippers were in a minority, maybe 1 in every 7 customers.

I think some people overestimate the prevalence of tipping and feel guilty for not doing it.

fatlazymummy · 25/10/2014 15:17

Who says we begrudge it Nannyogg?
FYI all my clothes are very cheap and get worn hundreds of times. I just don't see the need to bung a few quid on top of the agreed price, why should I?

ImperialBlether · 25/10/2014 15:20

It makes me laugh when people say, "I don't tip my hairdresser and she doesn't mind" - she just has the manners to let you think that.

I want to know how the hairdresser in the OP expressed his displeasure - he sounds incredibly rude.

randomAXEofkindness · 25/10/2014 15:21

I don't tip, btw. But, I might consider it if I ever get a good haircut.

Nanny0gg · 25/10/2014 15:23

Who says we begrudge it Nannyogg?

It is implied in lots of posts that appear on these threads (fairly regular occurrence)

fatlazymummy · 25/10/2014 15:42

Well, I'm not getting that inference really.
I must say though, in my experience there are quite a few hair dressers around that aren't all that good at their jobs , or really try very hard, and I can quite understand why people don't want to pay extra, on top of what can already be an expensive service.