Do you tip? Or wear a pashmina?

[marthamoo]

I think people fall into two categories: those who can and those who can't. It's like wearing a pashmina: you either chuck it artlessly over your shoulder and it looks fab, or no matter how hard you try you look like you should be trying to flog bunches of lucky heather.

I can't wear a pashmina and I can't tip. I went to the hairdressers today and had, as well as my normal cut, my hair coloured for the first time (normally do it myself). Who do I tip? And how much? The bloke who cuts it owns the salon - and I read somewhere you don't tip the owner. Should I have tipped the colourist? And what about the girl who washes your hair? In the event, I nearly fainted at how much it cost, paid by card, and scuttled out of the door without tipping anyone. Am I a bad person? Do they slag me off as soon as I am out the door?

I DO tip in restaurants, and I do tip taxi drivers. I don't tip the dustbin men at Christmas time. I have never said to a person serving behind a bar "and one for yourself" and am not even sure what they do if you do that - do they have an actual drink, or add the price of a drink onto your round of drinks? And if they do that do they add on the price of half a shandy or a double brandy? And don't you feel like a complete t*sser going "and one for yourself, my fine wench!"

I feel I am completely gauche when it comes to tipping - and I particularly hate it at the hairdresser's as I really don't know what to do so end up not tipping at all.

What does everyone else do?

I too feel awkward about tipping the hairdresser, I usually give the tip in cash at the till, hoping they will know how to share it among them.
(but I never did until I found out a friend who was going to the same hairdresser left tips, and I felt a bit mean...)

Pashminas, I wear one, though I have no idea how I look like, hope not too ridicolous...

We also tip takeaway deliverers as always use the same 2 restaurants and they are v. nice to us (they don't ring the bell for fear of waking dd up)

DH is a big time tipper, it always makes me laugh how he would barter for a price with the minicab driver, and then give the same amount the asked in the first place, he says this way he pays the same amount but they're happier....

What should I do? I am having a freebie haircut tomorrow as I have foolishly agreed to let a trainee loose. Do I tip them if I like it, and wear a hat if I don't?

I pashmina but don't really tip, just say keep the change.
As I use my card at hairdressers they don't usually get a tip and as it's so bloody expensive and i only have it trimmed and kept in style that they can sod off.
Cabbies get the money rounded up but again as it's either £5 to do a 10 minute journey or a fortune into and back from town I'm not generous with my tip. PS - ever seen a poor black cab driver? The drives the cabs are parked in are usually attached to a big fat house bulging with stuff!
Restaurants - yes, esp if witer/waitress helped add to enjoyment of evening.
Bars - your're joking right, £5 for a vodka & lemonade or glass of wine is more than enough, nothing left to tip with!!

When I used to work in a pub, the landlord was such a bloody skinflint that he insisted that if you were bought a drink, you actually had to spend the menoey on a drink, or forfeit the tip! I always used to charge for the cheapest half a lager (even though I hate the stuff) or a coke and then keep a note of the number of tips. That way, when the customers left I could have a couple of large G & Ts with my tips then weave my way home. He's gone bust now - something really seedly like arrested for indecent exposure!

Do tip in restaurants, cabs, hairdressers - about 10%

Spend the 'money' that is!

I do tip when I have the change and I think it's a matter (for me anyway) of being organised. It always seems that when I want to tip someone a fiver (hairdresser for example) I only have a £20 note in my wallet and I end up rooting through my handbag and then mumbling something incomprehensible as I leave the shop blushing like mad. We do tip our bin men and postie at Christmas as well but our postie is a star.

Lou, as it's a trainee and a free cut (you are mad!!!) I would tip if you are happy as she will undoubtedly be on a pittance. If not happy put the tip towards a headscarf or attractive foldaway rain bonnet.

I tip very few people now a days. except taxi's and restaraunts, and then I am a bit mean unless I think they deserve a tip.
Years ago you could get your hair done nicely for a fiver, and if it was nice you did not mind giving a tip. After all everyone knows that they all pool them and share them out. so it is not as if you are giving the person who cut your hair the money, everyone is getting it! I say pay the bill and enjoy with the tip money you saved. You will have a new look to exploit or a skarf to by sorry!

message withdrawn

ITS A FREE CUT! Blimey I am starting to feel depressed today. One mumsnetter talks of her bidet and now another is going/thinking of tipping a hairdresser who is giving her a free cut. Please, I don't feel a member of the mumsnet club yet. I think I am a deprived Bunglie

Isn't a pashmina a posh shawl. They were trying to flog them on TV before Christmas for £100 the poor girl modelling it had it wrapped around her head one minute and her a**e the next. No matter how she wore it, and she was a model dh and I used to tune in just for a giggle
I can't tell you if I can wear one, as I am a poor deprived Bunglie with no bidet who can't afford one, not that I want one.
Oh I need to go back to bed, getting depressed!

Eek I mentioned a bidet as well in another thread, was it me!?

Thanks Moo, for your words of encouragement . She is a he btw. Hopefully will do a good job, quiver...

Sorry lou33, just gone back and checked, Yes it was you. So you are to blame for my now complete lack of confidence and feeling of failure due to the lack of materialistic toilet fixtures. I am obviously scarred for life and am going to need therapy
Should I buy a pashmina to induce a feeling of well beig - just a thought???

Marthamoo - Ditto Hairdressers Ditto Pashmina! Went to a posh doo the other week - borrowed a friends Pashmina to compliment my dress - spent whole evening fiddling with it - sat down to eat and it was a releif to hang it over the back of my chair. Was feeling relaxed at being rid of it when i looked down to see one of my boobs hanging out of the top of my dress ! YEs i did a Judy Finnigan!

never tip haridressers/barmen
altho tipping me as a barmaid always got you better service!

dislkie tipping really, altho tip dustmen ( anyone who handles ds3s nappies deserves a reward)

tessiebear - oh noooooo

I will go and punish my self Bunglie.

Pashmina - have a very expensive suede one: bought when I ws pg and very fed up with clothes - thought "sod it - I'll just throw expensive pashmina over cheapo acrylic maternity clothes". Definitely looked better in the shop than on. On a good day, I look like Lee van Cleef, on a bad day........ Looks best thrown casually over the back of a chair, I think, a la colour supplement style living (which works only if you ignore the carpet ankle deep in lego).

Tipping - use taxis all the time (job related). Just say - can you take for £x (where £x includes tip). Always feel suave and metropolitan doing that. Tip hairdresser and colourist - only a decent dying session stands between me and disaster. BUT - difficult one - what about tipping someone who has given you a massage?? I have an ultra-glamorous friend who always does. Are you supposed to? They do tend to linger sometimes in a meaningful way. BTW, where are you supposed to be keeping that spare change?

Bidet - never owned, never used. Fascinated to know what you are actually supposed to do with it - always been too timid to ask.

Does a pashmina look OK with trainers?

Moo, I so understand the hairdresser dilemma, for years and years we had someone who came to the house and did us as a job lot (pudding basins all round) and then one day I decided to be grown-up and not only have a proper cut but colour too, at a salong, (in front of one of those mirrors that make you look revolting - or maybe that's just me) anyway I sat there being determined for 2 hours to bestow tips elegantly as I left; and then was eaten up with stage fright at the counter and scuttled off like the peasant I really am

The DDs have waited on for long enough that I know how important tips are for them so unless the service is truly cruddy I leave 10% and if they've been jolly and fun they get more. (Pizza Hut have lovely staff as a rule so I give them a lot!)

Bidet - footbath, obv. (Don't have one though. Feet would be cleaner if I did.)

Janh am worried now that you acutally live in pizza hut! Sorry didnt come over by the waws visitor never came in the end

LOL at Lee Van Cleef, anchovy

And no, jan, it's not just you, they get hairdresser's mirrors in the same place they get changing room mirrors: the special "Mirrors To Make You Look Minging" shop (trade only).

I tip the hairdresser,usually say to the receptionist to give it to my "anthony".It's usually a fiver.I do feel hairdressers are paid a crap wage,wouldn't tip the salon owner htough.
Always tip taxi's by rounding up and adding a bit if it's been a long journey or if a friendly cabby.
Restaurants always tip around 15%.
Have tipped delivery men if they are nice and I want them to do something like move a table to deliver a fridge iyswim.
Tip the young lads at car wash to get them to hoover out all the dog hairs as they always warn me first that they can't always get them out,If I tip (£5) all hairs have magically gone and job is like a 60quid valet and only cost me a tenner.
Definately wotrth tipping to get great service.

message withdrawn

I tip for most things, but don't for the owner of the hair place. Re massages, I tip if it's someone in a spa-like place but now don't if it's someone therapeutic (actually, she said to me "You wouldn't tip a doctor, would you?" and that was the end of that )

Never said "And one for yourself" to a barman, though, because I'm from the US and used to leave money on the bar. Still do that.. probably considered really gauche, but hey-ho.

In the US, many waitresses are paid less than minimum wage and count on tips, so we tip more there.

A pashmina would last about a day with me; even shorter if I wore it out to dinner.

I have two pashminas, both presents from my m-i-l who is I am sure attempting to turn me into a sussex matron

I wore the black one a lot when pg. Only wear now if the weather looks like it may be nippy but don't want to take a coat, plus is excellent makeshift umberella. The other one Lou has - it's sort of pinky mauvy purple and not really me at all.

Tip my hairdresser, cab drivers (I usually say for eg if the fare is £7 and i only have a tenner, "just give me the change from £8"

Do say one for yourself if am pissed or feeling v generous. Tip in restaurants if the service is partic. good (on top of the service charge) but usually only pay the service included.