Tipping at beauty salon

[Flyinggeese1]

I can’t see if this has been discussed before, though can see plenty of threads about hair salons.

If you get your nails done at a salon do you tip?

I pay £26 for Shellac (inc removal of old colour) at an all round beauty salon (not just a nail bar, they do all sorts, it lovely). Usually round up to £30 if paying cash but want to start using my card. What to do?

I’ve only I recent months started getting my nails done regularly. So if going twice a year I’d think nothing of leaving a tip, but every 3 weeks as I’d like to maintain seems a bit much!

I was brought up with my mum tipping hairdressers etc and it’s kind of ingrained, but starting to feel a bit patronising, not to mention expensive!

Thoughts please!

@Flyinggeese1
I just tip them because they are doing a skilled job ( in my opinion ) I can’t even paint a bloody wall let alone a fingernail so anyone that can paint a tiny fingernail and put on tiny eyelashes is bloody amazing in my opinion .

I’ve been going to the same salons for several years so I know all the therapists well so I don’t think anything of it
I went out for a meal last night and tipped the waitress a tenner
Mainly because it was boiling hot in the restaurant and she had a face mask on and she still managed to be very cheerful and happy
I can’t even wear a face mask for 5 mins in Tesco’s without sweating like a pig 😂so she was a god damn superstar

See Grinch that’s the thing, you say you know the therapists well, so doesn’t that make it even more awkward? So you’re (not you personally, just any customer) chatting away as peers, maybe almost friends, then when it comes to paying, the dynamic changes completely and it’s the customer bunging the therapist a few quid which has patronising undertones to me.

This is what I struggle with.

We have a piano tuner who comes to the house occasionally. Does something skilled that I can’t do. I don’t think he earns much. I’d never tip him. Would you?

In most salons the nail techs are self employed and take their own payments or work on a commission split. It’s not well paid and we couldn’t work for such a long time. Less people qualified for self employment help than you might think. Lots of us are skint tbh. Tips are never expected but always appreciated. Except not in other currencies because we can’t afford holidays. Yes, I’ve had that before more than once.

Re the peer/friend awkwardness, my best or friendliest clients are the ones that always tip me and it’s never felt weird at all.

I don't tip my brow or nail people as they are the business owners. I do tip my hairdresser as she works for the salon and hair wages are shit.