How much to tip hair stylist?

[whimsicalmoon]

I've booked an appointment at quite a fancy salon in London for a couple of weeks' time. I've been having some hair issues and I need to start taking better care of it. The thing is, it's way way more expensive than what I'd usually spend. The cut and colour are going to come out at nearly £300! I'm justifying the expense as a worthwhile cost that could save further hassle down the road from going to somewhere cheap. The last place I went ruined my hair.

I imagine I'll be expected to tip on top of that, and it's stressing me out, as 1) I can't really afford to and 2) I have no idea how much is appropriate. The last time I went to an upscale place, they asked for 20% on the machine, which just felt mad. Would leaving an extra £10-15 look stingy? Would it be better not to tip at all? Is tipping mandatory?

I've never understood why tipping hairdressers is a thing. Mine is £90 for a cut post covid. Even allowing for any overheads that's still more than my hourly rate and the thought of tipping someone better off than me, for doing their job at rate they set, seems bizarre.

You’re not responsible to make up their shortfall in wages, that’s their employers responsibility. A tip shouldn’t be a suggested amount, it should be a small thank you if you want to and can afford it. At £300 they should be paying their stylists an appropriate wage.

You can say no, you can give less. IMO 20% is just insane. And on £300 I would not be giving 10% either. In fact, on £300 I don’t think I’d be tipping at all.

Do you have quite a lot of disposable income though? I only asking as that’s a very expensive trim.

It’s kind of you to tip like that when you can afford it, I’m sure it means a lot to the stylist and it’s not something you have to do.

I don't tip generally. If I was paying cash and it came to say £48, I would probably leave the £50, but not if I was paying by card.

I don’t tip hairdressers, or anyone else if I can help it. Tipping is outdated, patronising & feudal. With the minimum wage about to increase to £11.40 an hour, it’s also unnecessary.

If i like the cut, ten quid, regardless if how much it cost.

I don't tip, I pay the price set for the service, if it isn't enough to pay the staff they should put their prices up. I do take a small gift at Christmas though.

Some people who get their hair cut are probably earning less an hour than the hairdresser.

I don't tip.
I pay 125 euros every 8 weeks.
Thats more than enough.

I absolutely won't tip at a hair salon with the prices they charge these days. I work a very hard job in an underappreciated yet vital service, and I get paid minimum hourly rate. I certainly don't get any tips! I think at 150 per hour, even taking into account any overheads, still works out at well above the national average for the stylist. Don't tip.

£170 for a trim?! Is she cutting it with diamonds??

That's insane, is this some "celebrity" hairdresser?

£10

I don't tip hairdressers - never entered my head.

Calculating how much to tip looks very stressful. I find that tipping the sum of £0 is the best solution.

Not the owner, but the director.

As others have pointed out, it feels very weird to be expected to tip someone much better off than myself, but this was the case at the last salon I went to! My hairdresser was far better off than me, went on lots of fancy holidays, lived in a lovely house in a posh bit of London, and I was made to feel really stingy for not tipping. I thought it was just me, so I'm actually relieved most people seem to agree.

I can just about stretch to the crazy cost every few months for a good job done that won't further destroy my hair, but the thought of tipping another £30-50 every single time on top of that is rather anxiety inducing!