Do you tip your hairdresser?

pachycephalosaurus

When my hairdresser was employed by a salon I tipped : excellent skill and close attention to cutting my hair exactly as I wanted it done seemed to merit a couple of pounds handed direct to the person who did such a good job, by passing the owner who just had the sense to employ her . Now the hairdresser has her own salon, prices are set high to reflect her skill level, and she keeps however much of the bill the taxman & standing costs allow. So I don't tip her.

I wonder if the dividing line for tip/no tip is perhaps based on the very personal nature of the service provided .
Or is it a reflection of our vulnerability : thank you for not making my hair look weird (or , at any rate, weirder than usual ) or crashing the taxi , or doing something awful to my dinner ...

I recall my parents back in the 1960s discussing a 'Christmas Box' for the dustmen , and my disappointment to discover there was no actual box , just an envelope . I guess that households that did not fork out this annual tip had a bin or two accidentally missed in January ...

hairypitz

I've always had thin fine hair and an ear that sticks out a bit. When I found my current hairdressing salon I was so happy with the wonders worked and how I actually love my hair as soon as it's done and for the 7 or 8 weeks after that I gladly tip.
The hair cut has gone from around £45 to £55 in the time I've been going, I've had 3 different stylists who are all at the top of the scale.
I tip around £10 and don't mind one bit this expense (it kills my dad) as I'm always happy and think it's worth every last penny.
I recently moved to the other side of the country and do a 3 hour trip to continue seeing my hairdresser I like it that much.

Samilong

I always tip; but there again, I'm a man, and my haircut (clippers all over) costs £4. From what I see whenever I get a cut, most of the guys who go to my barber's do the same thing - pay £5 for a £4 haircut. Yes, it's a 25% tip, but I reckon it's still good value for a service I wouldn't want to do myself.

Another word for 'tip' is 'gratuity' - a show of gratitude. I'm grateful to the barber, so I pay a tip. I'd never tip the postman, for example - all he ever gives me is bills!

chasser

years ago i was a firefighter and it was not allowed to accept tips for jobs done. rightly so.
I have been offered bundles of cash running into the thousands for saving a life. I would never take a tip it was my job I knew the pay and the risks and the satisfaction and I was satisfied with that..

honey

picklekin wrote: »

Erg OP, I feel for you. I have social anxiety disorder and a trip to the hairdresser is one of my least favourite things to do

There is all the touching, the awkward conversation ("Did I watch Britain's got talent the other day?" - "No. I don't really watch TV" ... *massively awkward silence*). Then the really ODD hair massage when washing it (Is this meant to be a NICE thing, or is it suppose to get my hair cleaner??). Then you get a cup of tea.. but you can't REACH the tea.. if I move, the hairdresser forcefully repositions my head!! Then my face gets an itch and I have to try and endure if for fear of offending my hairdresser... Then comes the "tipping" question..

So, no, I don't tip. My last hair cut cost me £49 for just a simple trim, I think thats plenty for less than an hours work.

I also don't get why certain people get tipped and some don't, I have done plenty of minimum wage jobs in the past (supermarket checkout for ex) and didn't get tips so the "poor pay" argument doesn't hold to me.

I feel just the same about visiting the hairdressers! It's just such an uncomfortable experience and I really, really wish they wouldn't do the head massage thing.

I sometimes tip £2 and it costs me about £25 for cut & finish, but I feel awkward tipping and awkward not, if I don't I feel guilty and if I do I worry she's offended it's not enough!

Soleil_lune

picklekin wrote: »

Erg OP, I feel for you. I have social anxiety disorder and a trip to the hairdresser is one of my least favourite things to do

There is all the touching, the awkward conversation ("Did I watch Britain's got talent the other day?" - "No. I don't really watch TV" ... *massively awkward silence*). Then the really ODD hair massage when washing it (Is this meant to be a NICE thing, or is it suppose to get my hair cleaner??). Then you get a cup of tea.. but you can't REACH the tea.. if I move, the hairdresser forcefully repositions my head!! Then my face gets an itch and I have to try and endure if for fear of offending my hairdresser... Then comes the "tipping" question..

So, no, I don't tip. My last hair cut cost me £49 for just a simple trim, I think thats plenty for less than an hours work.

I also don't get why certain people get tipped and some don't, I have done plenty of minimum wage jobs in the past (supermarket checkout for ex) and didn't get tips so the "poor pay" argument doesn't hold to me.

Just noticed this post. :rotfl:

So funny!

Yes they do massage your head when they're washing it. So weird...

And make a drink that you can't reach.

And you do feel like you have to keep talking.

Then the hairdresser says something and you answer and then realise she is talking to someone else.

And yes, the tipping situation is awkward... As someone said earlier, what if you pay by card, do you just give them two quid? One fifty? Two fifty? #awkward.

And like you, as I have already said, I don't agree that any job deserves tips any more than any other.

goggum

Yes, I tip £3 for a cut/finish and £5 if having a colour as well. Hairdressers earn a pittance and mine cuts superbly - it is a highly skilled job. Having said this, some other family members don't tip as they can't afford it. I think that tipping should be optional and according one's means - if you can afford it, do it.

stmartinsdiver

Tip for a haircut at hairdressers prices - no chance. However, if you have the same person every time you go and you like what they do and how they do it a bottle of wine at Christmas is a good way to show appreciation without you having to worry about tipping each time you go.

dave2

Roughly what are people paying for haircuts, and how long do they take? What I am getting at is estimating how much they charge per hour.

veronicarose_2

I tip hairdressers, waiters and taxi drivers. With taxi drivers I usually tip 10% and as I've got older I am now confident to say 'here's a £x note, please give me £y change'. With waiters, I usually pay by credit card but give them 10% in cash, but less if the service is slow. My hairdressers has a tin with named slots for the stylists on their counter, but discreetly, not in your face. I pay £55 for cut, colour and blow dry every 6 weeks. I usually put £4 in for the stylist and £1 for the junior who washed the hair.


I always find it embarrassing to know who to tip when abroad and make sure I read up about it in the travel guides first. I once had an upsetting experience on a package holiday (can't remember where) when we were on a coach trip. My husband had cash to tip the coach driver, but I got off first, several people ahead, and was shouted at because I didn't tip him.