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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU not to tip my hairdresser

184 replies

wallowinwater · 14/02/2018 15:53

I am genuinely confused about this... I have no idea how to handle this - do most people tip? Not tip? Also if you do how much? Do you just hand it to the hairdresser (feels weird). I used to tip and have stopped...

OP posts:
Redwineistasty · 14/02/2018 20:22

thequeen Funny, I moved from Wales to the NW!
I don’t tip bin man or postie but I do give them Christmas presents.

It think it’d be pretty unpractical to keep the tipping up as you may not be in each time they come?

Stovokororbust · 14/02/2018 20:33

Never ever went back to a local beauty place after the woman muttered after me "There is such a thing as a tip" when I hadn't. She'd got in someone else to help wax my legs "to get it done faster", spent whole time talking over me to her, and didn't bother tying back her hair extensions so they kept flopping into the wax. I could never have looked myself in the eye again if I'd tipped her, tho normally always tip.

vitalite · 14/02/2018 20:36

My hairdresser comes to my house to do my hair and has been known to make additional trips in between main cuts/colours to do additional
"Thinning" at no extra cost so I do tip her, usually £3-£5 depending on how what's in my purse I'm at the time.

littlepeas · 14/02/2018 20:41

Not day to day, but buy gifts at Christmas as well as baby/housewarming gifts when appropriate. I've known both my hairdressers (one for colour, one for cut) and my beauty therapist for years and it would feel strange to tip them - a bit condescending.

norfolkenclue · 14/02/2018 20:48

Where I go, they have boxes on the reception desk with the individual stylists names on. I think we are supposed to put money in them...they are like children's money boxes! I find this awkward as sometimes 3 different people have done something to me...one person washed my hair, another cut/styled it and then handed over to someone else to blow dry! I'm never too happy when that happens to be honest as I've 'booked' with one person, but they always say how over-booked/busy they are etc...so I don't tip! (I really need to change my salon!!)

TeeBee · 14/02/2018 20:51

I usually pay around £120 for a cut and colour. I refuse to pay any more. If I go to my boyfriend's cousin's salon, they charge around £50 for the same thing so I tip £10.

FlopsyMcDoodle · 14/02/2018 20:57

But how do you do it if you pay by card? My hairdressers doesn’t have an ‘add tip’ option on the card machine and there aren’t any money boxes or anything. If I make sure I’ve got a fiver in my purse what would I say when I hand it over?

RaininSummer · 14/02/2018 21:01

No tips any more. Reason being that I dont get paid much but have never been given a tip for any job ever.

mumpoints · 14/02/2018 21:02

FlopsyMcDoodle I try to make sure I have money in my purse, the tip will sometimes depend on what I've got (£3-£5) and then say "thanks, have a coffee/drink on me".

mercurymaze · 14/02/2018 21:03

i don't pay a tip unless it's £2 to the junior

i think it's a bit weird to tip on top of a £120 colour

looliloo · 14/02/2018 21:04

The hair service might be £100 but your stylist won't see that money in their pocket, probably minimum or abit above.

mercurymaze · 14/02/2018 21:10

well they should get a job in a better paid salon, i very much doubt they earn min wage

iamyourequal · 14/02/2018 21:13

I have a cut and blow dry every 6 -7 weeks. I tip 10 or 15 percent when paying and I tell the receptionist it's for the stylist, (or split between stylist and hair washer). I tip 10 or 15 percent in restaurants only if happy with the service. I tip the grocery delivery man, Usually £1-50. This drives my husband mad as we have already paid for the delivery.

BarbaraofSevillle · 14/02/2018 21:15

No gemini but taxi drivers, hair stylists (obv not senior directors etc..) and the like are not high earners and very much appreciate the gesture

Who earn the same or more as retail workers, care workers, cleaners and no-one ever tips them, and care workers certainly provide a personal service and probably have the shittiest deal of all workers .

Even retail workers often provide a personal service - DP used to work in a fairly high end bike shop where he could spend ages helping a customer spend thousands on the perfect bike for them, along with all accessories, and build it for them, all for a few pence more than NMW and no-one tipped him apart from the very rare occasion when a customer brought a few cans or a bottle of wine in for the staff.

And yet it's pretty much the norm to routinely tip hairdressers, beauticians and restaraunt staff on similar pay Confused.

Frequency · 14/02/2018 21:19

I doubt you live anywhere near me, Mindhunter as I'm right up North but if you do, I'd be happy to cut your hair free of charge. I've been in the position of not being able to afford a much needed haircut (still am but now I have hairdresser friends who do it free) and it's shitty.

museumum · 14/02/2018 21:23

I pay £40 for a cut that takes 40minutes. Self employed. I know she has overheads but still.
I also don’t tip my massage therapist (bad neck) who charges £45 for an hour again self employed.
I’m also self employed and charge about £40/hr.

Herculesupatree · 14/02/2018 21:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CocoLoco87 · 14/02/2018 21:35

I had a wash and blow dry today for £22. I wasn't planning on tipping because I so rarely go to the hairdressers because it's expensive! However, the girl was CLEARLY waiting for a tip when I paid so I ended up handing her a fiver Sad

I don't begrudge tipping at restaurants or to taxi drivers but for some reason I really don't like tipping at the hairdressers...but I always do...and then wonder what's wrong with me Grin

newmum2018385 · 14/02/2018 21:49

I don't tip my hairdresser except at Xmas. I know my hairdresser well and apparently they all get lots of tips at Xmas put the money together and use it for their Xmas night out.

Failingat40 · 14/02/2018 21:52

I once paid £70 by card for a hair appointment then asked the girl if she had change of a £20 in £5's.

I wasn't paying attention and certainly didn't expect her to return 3x £5 notes to me, pocketing herself a £5 tip THEN as I was unaware what she'd done, I gave her a £5 from what I thought was my £20 - so in the end she got a £10 tip!! Angry

I was absolutely livid when I realised what she'd done and swore I'd never tip again.

fishybits · 14/02/2018 22:00

I tip him a tenner which isn't even 10% but I like him, he makes me laugh and it'll buy him a drink on a Saturday evening.

SharonBottsPoundOfGrapes · 14/02/2018 22:53

As I said earlier (and other pp now) tips were never expected but very much appreciated. I treated all clients the same and never favoured anyone or gave better service because of how they tipped. Kind of going ofg track here but we had one client who was generous but very rude and demanding with it. She would make us turn the radio off and want total privacy. The owner knew her from being a trainee at an elite school and she followed her when She got her own business. Everyone bowed down and kissed her arse because she was very rich. She once had my boss reprimand me for impertinent behaviour because I asked if she had any plans that evening Grin
When my boss sold up the new owner wasn't as accommodating as she had been promised. She was shocked to arrive for her appointment to find that the radio was on and the back salon hadnt been cleared of other clients for her own personal use. Being asked to take a seat in the waiting area was akin to being told stand in the gutter. My colleague even asked her to be her twins godmother because she used to splash the cash. I never trusted my colleague after that. Her manners towards me improved when I became the one entrusted with doing her hair. I didn't pander to her the way my boss did and wouldn't elbow other clients out for her like she'd been used to. She was touched when I was on a seaside trip and bought her some old fashioned sweets she told me she loved but rarely ate as she couldn't find them.
I loved hairdressing and excelled at doing colours and updo's. If you're good at something in particular people come back again and again. But unless you have your own thriving business or are the top stylist its hard to make serious money. The whole time I never once made more than £150 in a week. I earned more barmaiding and shop work.

SharonBottsPoundOfGrapes · 14/02/2018 22:58

Failing that is so cheeky. You should have gone back and taken at least £5 back. Taking tips automatically isn't on at all.

Boatsonthewater · 14/02/2018 23:08

Never tipped at the hairdresser. It’s alreadyvcosting a fortune. I tip taxi drivers, but rarely tip in restaurants. They are already putting on a huge mark up. I know it’s shameful but it’s all a rip off anyway.

Leonard1 · 14/02/2018 23:23

I tip hairdresser as she and the staff in salon always take me at the right time, make me a coffee, make a good job of my hair and are very pleasant.