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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Should I have left a small tip?

80 replies

ForgedInFire · 05/06/2021 21:30

Please help me settle this debate with my family.
I went to get my hair cut and blow dried today, it's the first hair cut I've had in a couple of years. The price listed is £30, but there is a £3 surcharge for PPE which I knew about in advance. I came with £40 only and intended to leave a £5 tip. I got my hair cut by the owner of the salon and when I went to pay, I was charged £38. I kind of froze- I felt like it was rude to not tip (I was very happy with my hair) but I felt like tipping somebody £2 is insulting. When I was having my hair cut she offered to curl it and I said yes but she didn't say anything about it costing extra, it was only curled at the bottom not the whole head, I dont mind paying extra for that but if I had known I probably would have declined because I knew I only had a set amount of money. My family made me feel really bad for not tipping, I am generally a bit socially awkward.
Was I unreasonable?
YABU- you should have given her the £2
YANBU- it was OK not to tip

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 05/06/2021 21:33

So you took the £2 change?
I would have said to keep the change

Floralnomad · 05/06/2021 21:33

I’d have just given her the £40 , personally I’d have found it more embarrassing taking the £2 change than only leaving a £2 tip .

reluctantbrit · 05/06/2021 21:34

I normally tip around 5-10% depending on my small change. But I see my hairdresser every 6 weeks so if I have no coins on months I give her more the next.

JellyTumble · 05/06/2021 21:35

YANBU. You shouldn’t be tipping anyway; I never do. I don’t agree with tipping culture; all it does is encourage low wages.

PuppyMonkey · 05/06/2021 21:37

I’ve never tipped a hairdresser in my life. A £3 surcharge for PPE? What, now?

myfuckingfreezer · 05/06/2021 21:40

@PuppyMonkey

I’ve never tipped a hairdresser in my life. A £3 surcharge for PPE? What, now?
Me neither! How odd. Especially a salon owner.
DarcyLewis · 05/06/2021 21:40

I wouldn’t have tipped either.

Hairdressers always seem to offer extras like using products and curling hair without telling you they will charge for it.

ConsuelaHammock · 05/06/2021 21:41

Pay by card in future. I’ve never tipped a hairdresser in my life and I’m moving away from tipping in restaurants too. Definitely don’t always leave 10% anymore.

Faranth · 05/06/2021 21:41

I've never tipped a hairdresser in my life. But in your case, even though it sounds like it's normally what oyu would do, I certainly wouldn't tip the owner of the salon. They're already making money on every cut regardless of if they're the ones doing the work or not. If they feel their work is worth more then they are perfectly able to put their prices up. That's not a choice the employed stylists have, so a tip would be more appropriate for them, if you feel it's necessary.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 05/06/2021 21:43

I don't tip anyone for anything. I only earn £9 an hour myself so I'm not going to give anything extra to people who earn more than me in some cases.

Emilizz34 · 05/06/2021 21:44

It’s not the done thing to tip the owner of a hair salon

Original poster
ForgedInFire · 05/06/2021 21:44

Oh an interesting mix of responses, thank you. I guess it's one of those things where my Dmum has always tipped so I always tipped. I hate tipping culture- I'm not well off myself and I get a bit stressed out thinking about what is the right amount and when I need to do it

OP posts:
Elisandra · 05/06/2021 21:44

You don’t ever need to tip the salon owner, so you did the right thing anyway.

RoseRedRoseBlue · 05/06/2021 21:45

I hate tipping. It just causes awkwardness.

drpet49 · 05/06/2021 21:45

I don’t tip my hairdressers

HasaDigaEebowai · 05/06/2021 21:46

I never tip hairdressers and it sounds like they built the tip in anyway if they charged £5 more than the cost (plus a ridiculously inflated £3 for PPE)

SuperMonkeys · 05/06/2021 21:47

I don't tip my hairdresser.

Giving her £2 would have been fine. Equally, not tipping her was fine too. 👍

Vikingintraining · 05/06/2021 21:49

I wouldn't have tipped, I don't tip hairdressers. I also wouldn't have paid £3 for PPE, you can bring your own and they already have them. If the listed price was £30 and I was given a bill for £38 I would have queried it and not paid more than the listed price. If they offered to curl my hair but didn't make it clear it was for a fee then I wouldn't have paid for that either. You were ripped off!

AnnaSW1 · 05/06/2021 21:51

I never tip my hairdresser. It's almost £100 for a trim. He's doing fine. I do tip the deliveroo drivers though

cervixuser · 05/06/2021 21:51

don't tip the owner - but do tip whoever washes my hair

Divebar2021 · 05/06/2021 21:52

I always tip my hairdressers who I’m also friends with. I normally tip £5 each ( one colours, one cuts ) which is about 10% of what I pay. The place I go is about £50 cheaper than my old London based hairdresser. I wouldn’t have stood waiting for a £2 change but I would have given it to any junior who washed your hair rather than the owner.

Myusernameisnotmyusernameno · 05/06/2021 21:54

I pay £45 for my hair cut and always make it up to £50 for a tip. Interestingly I got my nails done today and wasn't sure whether to leave a tip so I didn't. I feel better about that now.

grapewine · 05/06/2021 21:55

I only tip in restaurants. Where would it end? YANBU.

Figgyboa · 05/06/2021 21:57

I tip my hairdresser. In your case, I would have told her to keep the change

DrManhattan · 05/06/2021 22:09

Another one for tipping the hairdresser. It's only a couple of quid, why wouldn't you?