Off-Topic Tipping hair stylist question

[wishiwasinhawaii]

Originally Posted by marki64

I guess I am cheap. $10.00 is max that I tip. I pay about $80-$90 for cut and color, no style. I think the prices for hair is ridiculous. And then they do all this massage crap. Drives me nuts. I just want to get it done and out. If I am in the chair longer than 2 hours I get restless. I find tipping in general, is just getting out of hand.

Completely agree about tipping. I'm tired of being expected to tip 20% or more for just about everything. They do the "massage crap" to justify the high prices by trying to make it more of a spa experience, even if that's not what you wanted. I don't want to spend 2 hours at a salon either, but it takes so long to color my hair that I'm considering just going grey!

I have very straight hair that is difficult to cut and I have a hard time finding anyone who knows what to do with it, but finally found someone about 5 years ago. He's on a long vacation right now and I need a cut but I'm too afraid to go anywhere else. Oh well... but I do tip him well because I feel he's worth it and his prices are not as bad as some other places. I've paid a lot more to look a lot worse!

[Nuggie's Auntie]

Originally Posted by aspidistra

The proper amount is considered 20% now. 15% is barely acceptable. Anything less is an insult.

Originally Posted by marki64

I guess I am cheap. $10.00 is max that I tip. I pay about $80-$90 for cut and color, no style. I think the prices for hair is ridiculous.... I find tipping in general, is just getting out of hand.

^^This. Seriously. People do not tip in other countries (at least, the countries I've visited/lived in) as much as Americans do. Tipping used to be a little extra, to show appreciation. The word in German is 'trinkgeld'--drink money. Enough to get a drink, that's it. Now it requires a line item in the family budget.

I recognize that hair stylists are skilled and they deserve to be paid. I don't mind them charging a decent amount for their services, but then expecting at least 20% on top of that... yikes. I'm with JoniO. I'll give $20, maybe $25 for a cut and highlight, but that's it. My stylist is the owner of the salon. I never knew you don't need to tip the owner! She always accepts it. She's lovely and does a good job, so I don't mind, but she and her husband are DINKs, so really I probably need it more than she does! ha!

[wishiwasinhawaii]

Originally Posted by Nuggie's Auntie

^^This. Seriously. People do not tip in other countries (at least, the countries I've visited/lived in) as much as Americans do. Tipping used to be a little extra, to show appreciation. The word in German is 'trinkgeld'--drink money. Enough to get a drink, that's it. Now it requires a line item in the family budget.

I've traveled quite a bit too and tipping is not allowed at all in any some of the places I've visited. If you try to tip, they will not accept it and in some countries (Japan) they actually are offended because excellent customer service is part of what they already are paid. Tipping to them means you didn't find their service acceptable and are paying extra to 'buy' better service, which causes hurt feelings. In other countries, tipping is allowed, but it's a minimal amount and not really expected.

[Nuggie's Auntie]

Originally Posted by wishiwasinhawaii

I've traveled quite a bit too and tipping is not allowed at all in any some of the places I've visited. If you try to tip, they will not accept it and in some countries (Japan) they actually are offended because excellent customer service is part of what they already are paid. Tipping to them means you didn't find their service acceptable and are paying extra to 'buy' better service, which causes hurt feelings. In other countries, tipping is allowed, but it's a minimal amount and not really expected.

It's part of the reason Americans are perceived as vulgar. "Oh, you Americans! Throwing your money around all the time!" I've urged people to extend us some grace on this point, explaining that here, generous tipping is expected and is a significant part of certain workers' compensation. But I really do think it's becoming problematic here in the US. It seems to be engendering a pernicious sense of entitlement in both the server and the served. I wish there were some way to dial it back, but I don't see how that would happen. It's so ingrained now.

[wishiwasinhawaii]

Originally Posted by Nuggie's Auntie

It's part of the reason Americans are perceived as vulgar. "Oh, you Americans! Throwing your money around all the time!" I've urged people to extend us some grace on this point, explaining that here, generous tipping is expected and is a significant part of certain workers' compensation. But I really do think it's becoming problematic here in the US. It seems to be engendering a pernicious sense of entitlement in both the server and the served. I wish there were some way to dial it back, but I don't see how that would happen. It's so ingrained now.

I agree. I remember when I was younger if you weren't satisfied with the service, you tipped accordingly and the server got the message. Now, even if the service was poor, it doesn't matter--you're still expected to tip 20% and that's a problem. We shouldn't be rewarding poor service. It's at the point where I don't even want to eat out anymore because I know I'll have to add $10 or more to the cost of the meal and then I feel like I'm better off staying home. Even when you have someone come to your house to fix something, I'm never sure if I'm supposed to tip them too. It's out of hand.

[mtnmom]

Originally Posted by Nuggie's Auntie

^^This. Seriously. People do not tip in other countries (at least, the countries I've visited/lived in) as much as Americans do. Tipping used to be a little extra, to show appreciation. The word in German is 'trinkgeld'--drink money. Enough to get a drink, that's it. Now it requires a line item in the family budget.

You've not been to Mexico or South America? Hang onto your luggage because there's always someone grabbing them to "help" you, and then have their hand out for payment. Or be in a restaurant where a trio of musicians burst into song and then walk around with a hat and look disgruntled when you won't pitch in.

I've certainly been to countries where the price you see is the price you pay, and I appreciate that. But I'm also very glad not to get service I didn't ask for and then be expected to fork over money as in the examples above.

[Nuggie's Auntie]

Diane, I've been to Mexico, but not South America. That would drive me crazy! I was completely fed up in China. They kept trying to sell me cheap crap. One woman even followed me into the ladies room. Ugh! But I think our tip happy culture encourages this kind of treatment when we're abroad. People see / hear Americans and expect us to fork out cash because, well, we usually do.

[Eibhinn]

I would really like to live in a country where the price is just the price and you don't have to have this after-market proving that you are a good person guilt trip (obviously this requires people be paid living wages, which they should be). I've started having the tip option show up on the interac machine at fast food joints and it's just getting to be too much for me.

I gave up on hair stylists several years ago partly because it's annoying to have to pay lots of money to hairstylists who have no idea what to do with my curly hair. Then being expected to tip them for bad haircuts was a bridge too far, so I started cutting my own. It doesn't always look fantastic, but it still almost always looks better than the cuts I was paying money for.

[wishiwasinhawaii]

Originally Posted by Eibhinn

I would really like to live in a country where the price is just the price and you don't have to have this after-market proving that you are a good person guilt trip (obviously this requires people be paid living wages, which they should be). I've started having the tip option show up on the interac machine at fast food joints and it's just getting to be too much for me.

Wow, I haven't seen that at fast food joints in the US (yet). That's ridiculous.

[Nuggie's Auntie]

Originally Posted by wishiwasinhawaii

Wow, I haven't seen that at fast food joints in the US (yet). That's ridiculous.

I have. I bought a latte at a Starbucks a couple of years ago and used a card. There was a line for 'tip,' but I didn't notice because my kids were acting up and I was distracted, so I just signed the slip without crossing out the tip line. They added in a 20% gratuity on $4 latte. It was absurd. It's not the same thing as sit-down table service, but it seems absolutely anyone in any type of service job now gets a tip. Pretty soon we'll be tipping the clerk at the post office and the receptionist at the dentist.