To not tip a hairdresser

[photographerlady]

Seems salon prices are just going up and up. I tried mobile hairdressers to save money but the hair cuts were awful, layers not maintained and destroyed my fringe. So back to salons but when a cut and blow dry is pushing £40 it just makes me want to stop tipping. I don't mind rounding it up occasionally to the next fiver but AIBU to skip/cut out the tip especially if I'm going every 6-8 weeks.

[GabsAlot]

why do people think because they pay 50 quid the hairdresser gets that amount?

they dont most of them are on crappy wages except the top stylists

im not saying u have to tip bt just correcting some posters who seem to think they make hundreds an hour

[DuckAndPancakes]

If you have long hair that takes several hours to colour, don't complain at what you're paying. To get dye from a supermarket, you'd pay £15-30 for the 3-4 boxes. Then you'd put it on yourself and have a flat, uneven colour.
The dyes that salons use are more expensive because they are higher quality. They're usually £8 a tube, so maybe £30ish for that. Plus the price of developer. The you're paying for the water to wash your hair, the products to wash your hair, the laundering of the towel that has dried your hair. The electricity to power the hairdryer and other styling tools. For a cut you're paying towards the constant training and courses that your stylist goes on to maintain their standards and to give you what you ask for. Their scissors need to be professionally sharpened often and cost several hundred pounds per pair. They will probably have several different kinds to be able to do the things you want. THEN they have to pay to have a chair in the salon and then they get a cut of what is left over as their "hourly wage".

If you want a cheap haircut, that is what you will get. If you want something beautiful, modern and stylish... It's gonna cost you.

[DailyFaily]

I always tip hairdressers, taxi drivers and waiters, thought it was just the done thing and I've never found it awkward. I expect the hairdresser, or whoever I'm giving the tip to to share it amongst the hair washer etc. I also often give plumbers/electricians/roofers etc a bit extra if they've done a good job - again, it's always gratefully received, never feels awkward. I work in the NHS - we don't take tips but we often get biscuits/sweets etc which I guess is the same sort of thing.

[FrikkaDilla]

80smum I agree. I think it is demeaning for them. It puts tipper and "tippee" on different levels IMO. Wish all this tipping malarkey would stop.

PS No, I don't tip my hairdresser. I expect to be charged a fair rate.

[parmalilac]

Ooh yes, hate tipping in all its forms, shouldn't be necessary. It's so arbitrary, and many people just do it because it's the 'done thing' rather than as a true reflection of something above and beyond what was expected. Spent some time in New Zealand, and they don't do tipping, which was fab.

[HazelBite]

When my hairdresser became a Mum she started doing mobile hairdressing and I don't tip her but at Xmas I give her some money to trat herself and have bought presents for each one of her children when they were born

[HazelBite]

Even to "treat" herself

[frenchielala]

Hair dressers won't be getting anywhere near what you are paying. Most salons employ stylist on a 'rent a chair' basis and the hair dressers are normally self employed. Depending on the level of the stylist there will be a set amount that they receive per cut, colour etc. The rest goes on lighting, back to the franchise, training, marketing etc..

[jetsetlil]

RabbitSaysWoof - yes employers should give bonuses but a lot don't. My DD works for British Gas, they get excellent bonuses which is provided by their customers. I look at it as the same thing. I mean FFS, you are talking about a couple of quid to tip hairdressers hardly likely to break the bank. 10% tip in restaurants (provided the service and food warrants it). unless you eat out a couple of times per week it's not that much. What do you non tippers do when you go to the USA?

[Pinkheart5915]

I pay £275 for a cut and colour and always tip by £5-£10 or so depending what note I've got with me. she is the only hairdresser I let touch my hair after some hairdressers that were just awful.

I'm pregnant at the moment so haven't been having it coloured just wash and cut and blow dry every few weeks and that cost £90 but I always leave £100 as she's really very good.

[MrsJayy]

My hairdresser is driving a little sports car i dont begrudge her anything but she isnt on the breadline she is early 20s and good for her but she isnt relying on me tipping her

[TheLittleRedHen]

I don't tip even in restaurants. We get paid the same and I don't get tipped for doing my job properly.

[Scattymere]

I tip mine £10. He rescued my hair and its never looked better. He comes in before salon opening to fit me in and spends 3-4 hours a time on me. If they do a great job, you wear your hair everyday, everywhere, is £5-£10 to show your appreciation and probably ensure you get their best service/time/effort so bad?

[Bellasima20]

littleredhen aren't you charming.

[Dixxie]

I don't tip my hairdresser. It's really expensive as it is. I resent all this 'Americanism' that's coming into the UK. If my hairdresser, or a waiter etc did something over and above the normal good level of service then - on an ad hoc basis - I might choose to recognise it, but I don't agree it should be standard practice or expected.

[TheLittleRedHen]

Bellasima - The cost of eating out or a hair cut is enough as it is, I can't justify leaving a tip as well. I'm not rude to servers, I just don't leave a tip.

[Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost]

I'm usually a tipper but I took DD to get her hair coloured the other week. It was £117.
Plus there were about 5 different people doing her hair.
One Washing another cutting ect. So there was no way I was going to leave a tip. I would have had to have left at least £2 each. I mean you can't exactly dole out 20p to each of them can you. Don't get me wrong. I would have left about £2 tip if it had been the one stylist.
But no YNBU. It's each to their own

[EveryoneElsie]

YANBU. Not everyone can afford to tip.

[EveryoneElsie]

** oops I meant tips should not be expected, as...not everyone can afford to tip.

[RainbowFlower24]

I tip a little because I can afford to do so and hairdressers are on awful wages in the country where I live. Each hairdresser has a tip jar. If they don't have a jar, when they say - that will be 38 euro, I say 40 or keep the change or something similar. If you feel what you Pay is enough, or you don't have spare money for tips, yanbu to not do so. If I'm having a tight month like on maternity leave I don't do it.

[ChickadeeChick]

My hairdresser owns the salon so I feel justified in not tipping. I spend about £90 in there on cut and colour every 8 weeks.

I do tip in restaurants though.

[HermioneJeanGranger]

I don't leave tips either. Why are some professions worth of tips when others aren't? Everyone in the UK is paid a minimum wage - why is it the customers job to give them more money?

Occasionally I'll round up the bill (So if it was £23.50 and I leave £25 I won't wait for the change) but if I pay by card or have the exact amount on me, I won't leave a tip.

[notamummy10]

Hairdressers don't earn as much you think, I believe it's either NMW/NLW with a little extra... I think they also earn commission on the products they sell as well. Hairdressing is lowly paid despite having to train for 3/4 years to qualify and move up into the different 'ranks'.

I used to have my hair done at Aveda, my ex-hairdresser also has a second job at an entertainment venue nearby to her work so she can pay for her mortgage!

[HoggleHoggle]

I've been agonising for years about whether hairdressers should be tipped or not! But I've decided that as it's expensive (but worth it, I don't begrudge it) as it is, I can't afford extra. I do give £10 at Christmas though.

I always tip in restaurants.

I also give a small extra - not money - if someone's done a big job on the house. So when the kitchen and bathroom fitters finished, they got a bottle of wine of thanks. Not sure why I felt the need to do that, but there you go.

[treaclesoda]

I'm sure some hairdressers are poorly paid but I don't think that in general it is such a terribly paid job once you've got some experience behind you. There certainly seem to be a lot of hairdressers driving fancy cars for example. And any salon I've ever been to has been full of staff chatting to customers, and each other, about fancy holidays. I wouldn't say it's fantastically well paid (unless you're Nicky Clarke of course) but it's not at the bottom of the heap either.