Real life MMD: Should I tip when using daily deals vouchers?

Former_MSE_Debs

Money Moral Dilemma: Should I tip when using daily deals vouchers?

I'm getting a massage using a voucher I bought via a Daily Deals site. I told a friend how much I'm looking forward to a nice treat, even more so as I won't need to take my purse. My friend was surprised and said surely I was going to tip the masseur since I got the deal for a great price. It didn't even cross my mind, but should I tip when the cost of the activity is already paid for?

Click reply to have your say

Previous MMDs: View All


[threadbanner] box [/threadbanner]

flyingflea

Personally I think the cost of the service is irrelevant. If you feel that they deserve a tip, then by all means tip them. However, if the service was sub-standard, don't bother.

Oh and if you're absolutely disgusted by their service then tip them a few pennies. This is worse than not tipping at all because it shows you've actually thought about the tip and decided to make a point. I did this once then a waitress told me to like it or lump it when I told her my food was cold.

BNT

If you would normally tip when paying cash/card, then you should tip when using a voucher. I'm not too familiar with massages, but I believe that beauty and spa treatments usually earn a tip.

The same goes for restaurant vouchers. You tip based on the normal price, not the reduced price.

Basically, the server shouldn't receive less just because you've got a good deal.

lanavdt

I tip if the service is great otherwise I'd sooner save the money for something else :j

1ipstick

In the USA, all Groupon (etc) deals actually say on them 'please be nice and tip on the pre-discounted amount' - that's the US & tipping culture for you, but yes you should treat the discount as just that and still pay for anything you would otherwise have paid for such as a tip.

bogwart

I hate the whole tipping thing, but yes, if you would normally tip for a massage then you should still do that. It makes no difference to the assistant how much you paid, so just do what you would normally do.

duchy

This isn't an MMD at all

It's usual to tip for cerain services-Paying for it with a voucher doesn't mean you don't tip. Why would it ?

In fairness you should be tipping a percentage of the normal price not your cheapie too-after all you'll be expecting the staff to give you their usual standard of service not half the service cos you've paid half price !

Saetana

Stupid question, if you would normally leave a tip without a voucher then do the same with the voucher, some of these "moral dilemmas" are getting really silly now - I'm half convinced they are making them up.

janpryor34

I'm not a big fan of tipping just because its expected but now I always think about it when looking at a voucher offer and cost in both the tip and travel before deciding if its really worthwhile. A friend I used to work with was quite put out that I didn't tip the beautician when she gave me a treat of a 'Free Facial and Manicure'. A family crisis meant she couldn't use the appointment she had booked and the voucher T&Cs meant it was too late to change so I got lucky, but as she knew money was, and is, really tight and the train fare took all the spare cash I had on the day. I really enjoyed the 90 mins of pampering and was happy to recommend the service to other friends and wrote 2 positive reviews online. I was a bit shocked when the giver asked me what tip I'd made and even more by her reaction that she would be too embarassed to go back there as she always tipped £10 to the beautician and £5 to the manicurist! I don't have £15 a month to spend on myself so this seemed excessive to me. Its probably because I've had to be scrimping for so long that the culture of tipping has moved on without me but I can't help feeling there's a bit of snobby one-upmanship about it too.

PS I'd never be brave enough just to give a few pennies tip but I when we do get to eat out I check the bill and if a service charge is included but we really didn't get any then I cross it out and ask for the bill to be recalculated, twice I've had a manager come over to ask why and got an apology and once had items taken off the bill because they arrived cold and the servers only comment was 'well you can see how busy we are'.

Lesj

In some countries workers are paid very little by their employer and rely on tips for the majority of their income. I have no problem with that as goods and services in these countires are usually much cheaper than we are used to in "Rip-off Britain" However, in the UK, workers are protected by minimum wage regulations and I feel that tipping should be abolished and made a thing of the past. Why do you feel obliged to tip a waitress but it would never cross your mind to tip a checkout operator in a supermarket ? Both probably earn a similar hourly rate and spend the same amount of time with us, per transaction, being friendly and chatty etc. Tipping is just historically linked to certain professions but its time we just dropped the whole idea.

Missli

janpryor34 wrote: »

I'm not a big fan of tipping just because its expected but now I always think about it when looking at a voucher offer and cost in both the tip and travel before deciding if its really worthwhile. A friend I used to work with was quite put out that I didn't tip the beautician when she gave me a treat of a 'Free Facial and Manicure'. A family crisis meant she couldn't use the appointment she had booked and the voucher T&Cs meant it was too late to change so I got lucky, but as she knew money was, and is, really tight and the train fare took all the spare cash I had on the day. I really enjoyed the 90 mins of pampering and was happy to recommend the service to other friends and wrote 2 positive reviews online. I was a bit shocked when the giver asked me what tip I'd made and even more by her reaction that she would be too embarassed to go back there as she always tipped £10 to the beautician and £5 to the manicurist! I don't have £15 a month to spend on myself so this seemed excessive to me. Its probably because I've had to be scrimping for so long that the culture of tipping has moved on without me but I can't help feeling there's a bit of snobby one-upmanship about it too.

PS I'd never be brave enough just to give a few pennies tip but I when we do get to eat out I check the bill and if a service charge is included but we really didn't get any then I cross it out and ask for the bill to be recalculated, twice I've had a manager come over to ask why and got an apology and once had items taken off the bill because they arrived cold and the servers only comment was 'well you can see how busy we are'.

You should never have to tip, but for some services its expected. I've never had a professional facial, or my nails done by a manicurist, so would have just used the voucher most probably, without realising. Your friend shouldn't have got at you about it, if money was tight. I think £10 tip for a facial, plus a £5 tip for nails is excessive. When I do tip its around the 15-20% mark. I still wouldn't tip £10 for a £100 facial though, as is steep for me.

Where do you draw the line at tipping. I used to tip my local hairdresser £2 regularly for a £12 wetcut, but I had one at The Crop Shop, a walk-in salon where all haircuts are £10 regardless, so I had less of a deal, although the stylist cut it well, as styling, blow-drying, and the finish were included, although no use to me, so I had another wet-cut. As the price was the same for a much reduced service, freeing them up for their next client, I just paid £10.

For a taxi from my local train-station (a 10/15 minute walk away) it costs £3 which I believe to be the minimum fare. I usually walk it, but on a couple of occasions booked a local taxi when it was raining. I didn't tip, as it was a 5 minute (or less) drive home. I have tipped taxis in the past, but not always, as they are so expensive.

I usually tip a waitress/waiter in a restaurant as they do a great job. I don't if the food/service has been bad.