to think this a stealth way to ask for tips?

[gingercringe]

The tips thread made me realise something I’ve been thinking about since Saturday.

I have been going to the same hair salon for ages - colour, roots, highlights and cuts & blowdries etc - always with the senior hairdresser

For the past year (Easter will exactly a year) I have been going for blowdries only (sometimes hair cut) since I don’t colour anymore and trying to grow my hair - with the caveat that after trying all the hairdressers there I realised that the most junior (cheaper) one is the best of them all when comes to cut and blowdry - her hair is very similar to mine and her hands are super gentle. So I make a point to always book her. I do it online. I go there sometime 4x a month, sometimes 1x a moth but I’m a regular.

So last Sat I had my appt and they called me asking if I could arrive earlier - no priblem.
Got there everything seemed normal.

When the junior hairdresser was blowdrying my hair, the senior came to me to say that she changed my appt from short hair to long hair since my hair is now longer and from now on I should make sure to book long hair always especially since I only want (insert junior hairdressers name) so this is to allow her plenty of time to do a good job.

I was mistfied as to why she said long hair rather than medium but thought it was because my hair was curly so thought nothing if it.
Then upon reflection, sure they should have told me the appt changed when they called me? It is not a big deal but halfway through the appt they told me it would be more expensive. Which is fine, my hair looked good - even though the time duration of the appt was the same for short hair. But I paid for long.

Is is because I never tip?
The mention that I only want XYZ to do my hair makes me think so.

My hair is shorter than this on the photo BTW. I think it is medium not long?

I feel uncomfortable going there again, will have to find somewhere else.

I would make the next appointment in person and confirm in advance that they will treat it as short hair. And book the junior.

If they say they will treat it as long hair then book elsewhere.

I have a regular beauty treatment- every 2-3 weeks. I don't tip them but do give an extra £20!at Xmas. I tip £3-5 to a hairdresser when I go (twice per year).

I pay by card and the machine dont have a tipping option. I dont carry cash. I dont tip because it never crossed my mind

That kind of says it all - the junior whose work you are very pleased with, but tipping her doesn't even cross your mind.

Except that your decision not to tip did cross your mind as soon as the salon wanted to charge you more.

Ok I’ll preface this by saying I’m not a hairdresser but do work in the industry. 100% this will be about time & amount of product needed - tips are never expected. If she’s not renting a chair the extra charge won’t go to her anyway. She’ll earn the same regardless.

If you’ve found a hairdresser you love I wouldn’t stop going over this.

I’m sick and tired of tipping culture. We are now tipping even for bad service and mediocre service! Employers should pay their staff appropriately so we can all budget more transparently. I stopped tipping my hairdresser, she earns well more than I do.
OP I would go to a different salon, I just hate it when there is all this gossip and making the client uncomfortable, clearly they have been talking about you in your back. I bet if you tipped them, they wouldn’t be happy with the amount. People in professions where tips happen get more and more entitled, and rude with it.

Up to you of course but in my opinion if you like the way that junior does it, it's worth popping back in to the hairdresser and talking to them about the decision to charge you for long hair. Best to do it face to face where you can pull a strand straight and show them, and have their website up on your phone to refer to.

It's probably not so much about tipping (because if they are good the tip should be all hers), but about profitability for the salon - they'd rather you had a more expensive service from the junior for the same amount of time, or had the service with a senior. Probably also some wounded ego and pride mixed in that you prefer the junior not them. Whilst I think this all reflects poorly on them, (they could just make an internal rule that junior only does a certain number of blow dries a week and tell people after that she's booked up) I'm somebody who one I find a hairdresser I like clings on to them like a limpit, so I'd try talking to them about it before I walked away.

OP isn't tipping for very good service, so how is this relevant?

I never tip and I’ve never seen anyone tip.

Busy central London salon, prices reflect that.

How do people tip at the hairdresser? Like the OP I always pay card, there’s no option to tip and no tip jar.. I did once ask about tipping and I got a kind of surprised reaction it was a bit awkward.

It’s relevant because there are various people calling the OP tight and mean for not tipping. Tips should not be expected even for good service - surely that’s what you pay for? Professionals should do a good service because they are professionals and want people to come back, not to get tips. If they want extra money and feel their services are worth that, then they should just increase the price accordingly. It would make everything more transparent and reduce awkward situations like this one described by the OP, which may be or not related to tipping.

I don’t usually tip they charge enough already! And I am giving them my service

Your hair length is medium.

I'd always tip the junior or whoever washes my hair (usually junior) as they're on crap money.

This ⬆️Cash point machines still exist and give directly to the junior .

@Nw22 "I really don’t understand tipping hairdressers. They charge enough and if they are employed the salon should pay them enough. If they do a good job that’s just them doing their job so no tip"

Juniors depend on tips. The difference between what salons should do and what they actually do is huge.

And to be honest I don't believe the OP books the junior because she's the best at the job. And if she does-all the more reason to tip.

I never tip. I'm against tipping as a general practise.

It's obscure and makes people feel uncomfortable and stressed - and it's just weird! If it becomes an expectation it's no longer a choice, is it - so, just include it in the price.

I have never tipped a hair dresser in my life, or any beautician. I would for exceptional service or going above and beyond. For doing exactly what was asked of them and what they charged me for? Nope.

Is it because you have curly hair? When wet I guess it’s longer? I do always tip my hairdresser as I feel I should and she’s lovely but I do hate tipping! My hair costs such a lot of money to add 10% on is a lot and I’m sure people say it should be more than 10% now but I can’t afford that!

I'd say it's because your hair is curly and probably a little more awkward to dry than striaght hair. If it was with one of the other stylists it would probably take them a lot longer to dry it so it maybe woulc be considered as long hair because of the time taken. As the junior has similar hair she's faster at drying yours but the senior stylist is probably thinking in overall terms and that's why she's asked you to book long hair.

I've always booked half head highlights but my hairdresser has recently asked me to book full head in the app as sometimes we do high and low lights or the odd time it'll need full head and we won't know til I'm there. It's so she has the length of time needed booked by me so she's not got another booking coming in halfway through. I'm absolutely fine with that, I pay at the end and unless I get a full head of highlights I still pay half head even though I've booked for full. It's solely about the time needed in my case.

Either way, I'd just ask why you're being charged extra if you want to keep going there.

@WhoIsnt "If it becomes an expectation it's no longer a choice, is it - so, just include it in the price."

They should. But they don't.

That's totally unfair if the salon owner chooses to pay the junior poorly, it is not the customers job to top their wages up.

Personally, wouldn't go back to a salon that was calling Hair that short long, it is short, 100%

My salon charges £25 for a hair wash and blow dry, you can nearly get a cut for that which is 33 so if you tip you would end up paying for a cut

I never leave a tip. They tell me the price, I wave my machine at the card reader, done.

Also, all of you saying that juniors are badly paid, they are paid minimum wage. If it's a Saturday job it's pocket money for them, they are not trying to live on it. If they are junior apprentices etc their income will rise soon enough.

Also, how does it even work - you slip them a fiver or whatever and they pocket it? Is there a collective tip jar? Can the manager purloin it in the same way that they have done in restaurants?

I think the idea of tipping is quite condescending. You pay for a job well done, you don't act like you're the Lady of the Manor bestowing favours.

People on here are acting like the cost of the service is immaterial. The OP IS paying for the service. The fact that it happens to be a junior who's cheaper isn't relevant. And even if it is relevant and she's trying to save money, why is that an issue when we have a cost of living crisis?

If I go into my hairdresser on a Wednesday I get a 20% discount on a colour. So if I choose to go on a Wednesday is that mean and am a I cheapskate? if so, why, when that's a discount they offer? If they don't want people to take advantage of it, don't offer it. Equally, if you don't want junior staff doing jobs you think senior staff should be doing, don't offer appointments with them.

I would ask the junior if she could do it privately, or speak to the manager and say you are unhappy with this visit for the reasons you have given. Re tipping, I can't understand why hairdressers expect tips, as if they are doing you a favour rather than their paid job ( very well paid in some cases).