Do you tip the hairdresser?

kellyt1981

I feel such a meanie but no, I don't tip the hairdresser. They are getting paid already, if they feel they don't earn enough then they can find another job.

I don't tip taxi drivers or waiting staff either. I can't afford to leave money left, right and centre.

mollyeyre_2

I feel decidedly uncomfortable at the thought of tipping a hairdresser - it seems patronising to give a few extra pounds to someone who owns the business and can no doubt beat me hands down in the finance stakes. I wouldn't give a tip to anyone who is doing the job I have paid for, however - if I do get special service by, say, delivery men who willingly take my goods up to the top floor (3 storey house) - then I would like to say 'thank you' by offering some cash. ...... Having said all this - I do leave a tip in a restauant if the service is good, and have been known to ask a poor service restaurant to remove the service charge they have added to the bill.

Mandles

mollyeyre wrote: »

I feel decidedly uncomfortable at the thought of tipping a hairdresser - it seems patronising to give a few extra pounds to someone who owns the business and can no doubt beat me hands down in the finance stakes. I wouldn't give a tip to anyone who is doing the job I have paid for, however - if I do get special service by, say, delivery men who willingly take my goods up to the top floor (3 storey house) - then I would like to say 'thank you' by offering some cash. ...... Having said all this - I do leave a tip in a restauant if the service is good, and have been known to ask a poor service restaurant to remove the service charge they have added to the bill.

wow, id love to do that in some really bad restaurants but i wouldn't have the gaul!

helen258

I never tip anyone because they charge enough already. I pay £44.50 for a wash cut and blow dry; to be honest I'd be happy with just the cut (presumably they need my hair to be wet before they cut it, but I'd happily wash it myself first). I dislike sitting there while they flick around with it and put 'product' in it after it has been cut, but I suppose I have to indulge their 'creative' desires. I was spending over £100 every 6 weeks on getting my hair cut and coloured (they seem to charge extra for highlights/lowlights). Then I discovered Clairol Nice'n'easy - £7.50 for 2 bottles from Superdrug recently. And I decided to grow my hair a bit longer, so it needs cutting less often, currently I'm working on every 3 months - so £178 a year = under £15 a month.

Helen

Jo_anne_2

I pay £32 for a wash, cut and blow dry at my hairdressers. I always hated having my hair cut and have finally found a hairdresser who I feel comfortable with. I tend to leave her a £2 tip but I found out at the last appointment that all the tips go in one box and are shared equally with all the staff. I am not sure I will leave a tip next time, as I'd like it to go to my stylist.

eryn_kathleen

I'm going to get my hair cut tomorrow for the first time in about six months. I've never tipped before but I think I probably will tomorrow since it'll be a big cut (10 inches) and probably take up two appointments.

My question is - how do I tip? In the States I went to a no-tipping salon where the staff were paid a salary and had all the benefits, just like an office job. In Britain I was told no one tips, so I didn't worry about it.

Do I leave the money with the receptionist when I go? How do I tip the hairwasher?

lolly5648

You can either ask the receptionist to give the money to the hairwasher or do it yourself. Most of the young hairwashers watch your progress as you pay as they are desperate for their tip so it is nicer to go over to them just before you leave and either hand it to them or put it down next to them if they are in the middle of a wash

butterfly72

I started seeing my hair dresser when she was junior stylist. shes now Senior creative designer or some snazzy title like that!! As you can imagine her prices have risen with her promotions!! Its now £50 for a cut and blow dry. I do get 25% discount because I work for the NHS.

I don't tip but at Christmas I will take a tin of choccys for them to share.. or if I didn't manage to get to the shops give a tip to my stylist and hairwasher so they can get a drink. But its only at christmas.

Sailorgirl

Have just read the whole of this thread in one go and can see both sides of the story.

Isn't it bizarre that the amount you pay for a haircut has no bearing on how good the final result is.

I had been going to Toni & Guy but they messed me around with my appointment last weekend, claiming I'd got the wrong time even when I knew I was right and were so rude to me I was nearly in tears when I left the salon. Anyway have voted with my feet and a nice lady in a local salon managed to fit me in for a cut - £15 cheaper than the evil T&G, so I gave her a well deserved £5 tip and my hair looks just as good.

My take - for what its worth...If you feel someone has done a good job, you should reward them as much as you can afford. If you feel you aren't getting value for money - shop around - maybe it'll cost you the same including a tip but the more of the money will be going in the pocket of the person who's provided the service to you.

steviewander

I did a career change into hairdressing from working in I.T. I took a 40% pay cut to do a job that I actually enjoyed and had a passion for.

Hairdressers are notoriously badly paid. Assistants/Juniors in my home city are paid around £80 a week. They are paid this measley amount because the salon effectively deducts a nominal amount for the training they receive from the salon trainers. Aside from that, small salons can't afford to pay them much more anyway.

When I started as a junior stylist, I was paid the minimum wage (about £200 a week). My commission rate of 10% would only start beyond the £200 takings threshold. In practice it meant that I took about £250-£275 per week. As a 31 year old, this was hard going to pay the mortgage. I never *expected* tips, but was hugely grateful for any received, even if this was just £1. I would never have taken it as an insult given that most don't tip at all. I probably used to get about £25 in tips per week back then (3 years ago), which really made a huge difference in the quality of life for me.

I've heard about the comparisons between shelf stackers and cashiers at supermarkets not expecting tips even though they are on comparable wages. I would argue that the nature of the service you get from hairdressers and supermarket checkout staff are fundamentally different. A *quality* hairdresser should have spent years training to qualify in their trade (longer than plasters/tilers/plumbers) and is spending at least 45 mins with you (if you go to a decent salon). Not so in the case of a supermarket checkout clerk. The difference in experience AND result can vary dramatically from a stylist who really cares about their work & their clients to a stylist who 'can't be bovvered'. At the supermarket, there is not much scope for checkout staff to make such a massive difference in your 'experience' which is virtually always a simple transaction done in a few minutes.

In the 3 years I've worked in this industry, I have been amazed by the indifference some stylists have towards their clientele. A good stylist will make your experience at least pleasant, if not wonderful, as well as giving you fabulous new hair. Only then would I say that you should consider giving a tip. No hairdresser should ever make you feel bad for not tipping. It should be totally at the discretion of the client. Certainly a few pounds is enough and I would consider £5 as being particularly generous. If you cannot afford it, a simple thank you with a smile is much appreciated!