Tipping a hairdresser?

[Houseoflego]

Hi,

I just got a haircut and feel like my hairdresser was expecting a tip. I would have felt a total knob handing a professional some cash. What is the etiquette? Do hairdresser in Ed expect tips?

[Mick Mac]

1) yes

2) its christmas

[Houseoflego]

Thought so! I wasn?t channelling Christmas at the time. Will find a way to make amends!

[Pugwash]

I have always tipped hairdresser but not if I had a really bad haircut etc. (Rare)

[Sue]

I always feel totally embarrassed tipping my hairdresser, and so does he.

In larger places I used to just leave it at the desk when I paid, but the place I go to now is really small.

The trouble is it's sort of become a joke now :(

[NewWave]

Houseoflego Wrote:

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> Hi,

>

> I just got a haircut and feel like my hairdresser

> was expecting a tip. I would have felt a total

> knob handing a professional some cash. What is the

> etiquette? Do hairdresser in Ed expect tips?

I always tip hairdresser, they often rely on tips pretty much like waitresses.

I've actually not hears of anyone not tipping hairdresser unless cut is rubbish

10% is the norm (My ex was a hairdresser so i know)

[Sue]

Not sure what the situation is if the person owns the salon? Same?

[lavender27]

Always tip a hairdresser.

[Lowlander]

Mens: Historically a straightforward cut was ?4, then ?9; it's now around ?12 - ?14; it was easy to tip by paying with notes and politely refusing the change.

20 years ago rounding up from ?4 to ?5 seemed generous. Nowadays ?14 to ?15 scrooge-like.

And as Sue says they always seem embarrassed. So am I.

Interestingly, men's haircuts have always been around ?2-3 more than the price of 20 cigarettes.

[Angelina]

Always tip your hairdresser - they don't get paid much but make you feel fab!

10% ish.

Never for a bad cut, but you would have already told them that, either verbally or by crying....

[Angelina]

I gave the chap in the nail bar ?1 (yes, I was embarrassed that was all the change I had) as he had done such a good job taking my daughter's fake nails off - he was over the moon - which made me worry :-(

[tomskip]

I tip the junior who washes my hair and takes my coat. Not the hairdresser who charges ?50 for a 30-40 minute job. As a woman I can never get away from the feeling I am subsidising the price of men's haircuts in the salons I frequent.

Yes, I know business premises and overheads and everything else but I'm not sure hairdressers are particularly poorly paid - or are they?

[Frenchy]

Without going into the minutiae of the math and breakdown of an average week: for the regular stylist who works at the salon (as opposed to a senior who may also be the business owner - which of course comes with its own perks but also responsibilities) - the tips can make the difference between their day being ?worth it? or ?not?, it?s that simple.

And not just because they've got tips which have made the day financially viable, but because also they've made someone happy, which is what every decent stylist wants to do more than anything, otherwise they'd do something else which would be far easier and earn more money.

When it?s busy, you?re on your feet all day, often without a break, always customer-facing, sometimes without lunch, performing a personal service and genuinely wanting everyone to walk out of there feeling good - for not a lot of money. And when it's not busy.. you might not earn much anyway.

PS.. you?re right about the men. Kids too. But that?s not the stylists? fault!

[robbin]

Why would you not bung your (poorly paid) hairdresser a few quid? I don't understand!

[Mick Mac]

tomskip Wrote:

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> I tip the junior who washes my hair and takes my

> coat. Not the hairdresser who charges ?50 for a

> 30-40 minute job. As a woman I can never get away

> from the feeling I am subsidising the price of

> men's haircuts in the salons I frequent.

>

Oh right - so even this has an anti men angle. Real men don't go to hairdressers. So you arent subsidising men.

[Mick Mac]

Frenchy Wrote:

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> Without going into the minutiae of the math and

> breakdown of an average week: for the regular

> stylist who works at the salon (as opposed to a

> senior who may also be the business owner - which

> of course comes with its own perks but also

> responsibilities) - the tips can make the

> difference between their day being ?worth it? or

> ?not?, it?s that simple.

Barber in Peckham is ?12, I pay ?15, but at Christmas or if feeling in the mood I pay ?20. It takes 10 minutes on average to cut a man's hair in a barbers.

[Frenchy]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> It takes 10 minutes on average to cut a man's hair in

> a barbers.

It's like most things in life, Mick: you get what you pay for.

[JohnL]

Did anybody tip O2 for getting their 4G connection back up. :)

[womanofdulwich]

no but i did get 2 months free in Jan and Feb!

[rendelharris]

tomskip Wrote:

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> I tip the junior who washes my hair and takes my

> coat. Not the hairdresser who charges ?50 for a

> 30-40 minute job. As a woman I can never get away

> from the feeling I am subsidising the price of

> men's haircuts in the salons I frequent.

Why? If a plumber comes to your house and takes two hours to fix your plumbing, then goes to your neighbour and fixes theirs in one hour, do you feel that you've been subsidising your neighbour's repairs?

[fishbiscuits]

Frenchy Wrote:

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> Mick Mac Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> > It takes 10 minutes on average to cut a man's hair in a barbers.

>

> It's like most things in life, Mick: you get what you pay for.

I used to go to a place that charged ?15 (basically the cheapest barbers I could find in The City). I was in and out in 15 minutes. Then I started going to a place that charges ?33.. but they wash your hair, cut it really nicely, then wash it again to get all the bits out. They eliminate my mono-brow, burn off the ear hairs, and put a nice moisturizer on your face and neck. You also get a little shoulder massage, and of course a coffee or beer. It's a great after work de-stresser, and besides... it's not 1992 any more, nobody needs to convince anyone they're a "real man". Some things have improved for the better.. embrace it.

[fishbiscuits]

Oh and regarding tipping... I usually think the clue is in the price. They expect/hope you will round up to the nearest fiver.

[JohnL]

JohnL Wrote:

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> Did anybody tip O2 for getting their 4G connection

> back up. :)

The tip for O2 was supposed to be - don't forget to put a reminder in outlook to update your certificates LOL.

[lavender27]

The word "TIP" ?? starters, where does this word come from? Is this word an abbreviation? Who decided after giving someone money over the overall price to call it a "TIP".

Lavender27

[rendelharris]

lavender27 Wrote:

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> The word "TIP" ?? starters, where does this word

> come from? Is this word an abbreviation? Who

> decided after giving someone money over the

> overall price to call it a "TIP".

>

>

> Lavender27

The usage of tip in the sense of a gratuity has been common in English for over three centuries, deriving from the meaning of adding something on top. It's not an abbreviation or an acronym (though there is a false etymology "backronym" suggesting that it is formed from "To Insure Promptness", but this has no validity).

I love my complete Oxford Dictionary!