[Mako]

I never seem to know what to tip. In restaurants there's the usually 15-20% (depending on service) but what do you tip at the salon?

My salon is structured in such a way that one person colors and another cuts. On the day I only go in for highlights, they have an assistant that washes and dries my hair, since the colorists doesn't wash or blow dry.

And here is my question....do you tip the person that washes and styles or not?

I always just tipped the colourist thinking that they split a portion of their tips with the assistants and for what I'm paying, they should imo.

I just hate having to dole out 3 separate tips in one visit (assistant, colourist and waxer)

[mvp]

Sounds like you are going in for more than an oil change. You are partaking in the Full Monty.

IMO, you need to tip all of 'em. Nothing wrong with handing a big wad of dough to the cashier and asking them to divide it among all. Even better if you know the names of the people who did this-n-that on you.

If someone did an exceptionally good job (the shampooist who gave you a scalp/neck massage so good you made strange noises.... the waxer who deserves hazard pay), you take the time to find them in the salon and hand your money/praise to them personally.)

The hard thing for me is when I'm being worked on by the owner of the salon. Standard Tipping Rules state that you don't tip the owner of an establishment. It's weird because some new-fangled owners don't know this. How do you all handle this exigency?

[faybe]

The place I use has little mailboxes and envelopes for each stylist, and a glass bowl near the wash station for tipping the shampoo girls. I put a few dollars in the communal wash tip bowl, and do 18-20% for my stylist (same person colors and cuts). If it were different people coloring and cutting, I'd ask for a breakdown of the bill and tip each the same percent based on what they did. It does seem like more of a hassle but- around here anyway- a good hairstylist is worth their weight in gold and makes it worth it!

[lovey1121]

I always tipped the washer and stylist who also did my highlights. This is why I grew my hair long, my husband trims the ends, and I do bangs and highlights I also tip my dog groomer $5/dog.

Doesn't need to be much, but that little something means a lot.

[lovey1121]

MVP, I wouldn't tip the owner unless you decide you want to. At the cost of a decent haircut these days, they're doing just fine...A 1/4 mile stretch of the main drag in a town I drive through each day has 8 hair/nail joints, and it looks like a new one is coming in a few blocks up. I believe the post-Armaggedon survivors will include hair and nail stylists in addition to nematodes and Stubben Seigfrieds

[Hunter Princess]

At one of the salons I used in the past, there was one girl who washed my hair and then the stylist, and I used to tip them separately. She usually got just a couple of bucks because she would just move from one person to the next and get that part done for the stylist.

Now I just have one person who does everything.

[meupatdoes]

The hard thing for me is when I'm being worked on by the owner of the salon. Standard Tipping Rules state that you don't tip the owner of an establishment.

Really? I never knew that and always tip.

I just went to get cut/color/blow dry and the same person did everything from start to finish.

The total bill for services rendered was $215, and I tipped her an additional $50 in cash.
Easy enough.

ETA: OK, really now. How was THAT offensive, thumbs-downer???

[BuddyRoo]

The general rule is that you don't tip an owner, you only tip those renting chairs or employed.

I've never had a separate washer/cutter/colorer...but if that were the case, I think I'd actually try to figure out who is an employee and who is an independent contractor renting a chair. I would suspect that the washer person is an employee and the stylist doing the color and cut is renting a chair. If that's the case, I might give the washer person a $5 tip and then the stylist a separate tip. To get my whole fancy shmancy 'do done at the nice place was usually about 125-150 bucks. I typically tipped 20-25 dollars.

Note: I just colored my own last night as I can't afford the nice salon thing anymore. Le sigh. I am having images of the spa experience due to this post. Thanks a lot.

[ArabX3]

I have a lady that cuts, colors and washes - I have never tipped anyone in a hair salon.

[mvp]

MVP, I wouldn't tip the owner unless you decide you want to. At the cost of a decent haircut these days, they're doing just fine...A 1/4 mile stretch of the main drag in a town I drive through each day has 8 hair/nail joints, and it looks like a new one is coming in a few blocks up. I believe the post-Armaggedon survivors will include hair and nail stylists in addition to nematodes and Stubben Seigfrieds

Yeah. And for those who have not read the Traditional Rules of Tipping, the logic behind not tipping the owner is related to the logic of tipping itself.

The owner can set prices he wishes and therefore presumably makes a good wage. Tipping is reserved for the workers who have little control over that and we think of as not paid adequately either for what they contribute or enough to make ends meet.

For that reason, I'd be sure to think about the dedicated shampooist. It seems reasonable to expect that that person isn't making much money.

[Bacardi1]

If satisfied, I tip 20% to the cutter/stylist & 10% to the shampooer. If something was screwy (just like in a restaurant), I may drop that down some.

[FlightCheck]

meupatdoes, it wasn't me who gave you a "thumbs down"!

But I must admit to being in AWE of your hair stylist prices. That is more (minus tip) than I spend in a YEAR of hair cuttery. Of course I color my own, but I have it cut or trimmed every six weeks and come nowhere NEAR that price.

And, for the record, I tip 20% except at Christmas, usually 50%


Flightcheck
~now nervously examining her hair, thanking God that her stylist does not read COTH~

[candyappy]

Really? I never knew that and always tip.

I just went to get cut/color/blow dry and the same person did everything from start to finish.

The total bill for services rendered was $215, and I tipped her an additional $50 in cash.
Easy enough.

ETA: OK, really now. How was THAT offensive, thumbs-downer???

It cost that much are you kidding me!!?? How long did she work on you?

[SarahandSam]

I seriously don't even go to salons half the time because I'm so scared of tipping.

I never knew that about the owner of a salon, either. The colorist I do go to when I don't chicken out is the owner, and I have always tipped her. I usually will give her $10 on a $40 haircut and ask her to give some to the shampoo girl. Then again, I really like my colorist.

[ybiaw]

I do a 15-20% tip at each cut/color/etc. Around the holidays, I do an entirely separate monetary "gift" for my stylist, meaning: I will write him a personal check or give him cash in the amount of my usual style/color/cut/etc in addition to paying for my current color/cut/style/etc. No additional tip at that visit.

[ReveilleandRinsie]

I tip 20-25% for my stylist -- she does the shampoo, cut, and blow-dry. My salon also does little 5-minute scalp and shoulder massages with a cut, too. If I get in for a massage (not nearly frequently enough; daily might be enough, but no guarantees there ), I tip her 25%. The biggest thing I do is keep coming back, though. Giving my regular business to a local outfit and recommending them to my friends is a big thing, I think.

[meupatdoes]

It cost that much are you kidding me!!?? How long did she work on you?

I entered the Salon at 11am and left at 2:30.

A brief back massage and some really delicious green tea were included.


I charge the same per minute to teach riding lessons and I don't include back massages or green tea so it seems fair enough to me.

[reefy!]

RE: Not tipping the owner.........

My hair person used to be a stylist in the salon on went to - and I tipped as she did my coler, cut, and style.

Now, she left and opened her own salon - does exactly what she did when she was renting a chair, except now she's the owner.

Does that mean I can stop tipping her?? Yes, I admit - I would like that - dang hair is expensive to maintain!!!

[ybiaw]

RE: Not tipping the owner.........

My hair person used to be a stylist in the salon on went to - and I tipped as she did my coler, cut, and style.

Now, she left and opened her own salon - does exactly what she did when she was renting a chair, except now she's the owner.

Does that mean I can stop tipping her?? Yes, I admit - I would like that - dang hair is expensive to maintain!!!

Yep, that means you can stop tipping her. She owns the salon, she sets the prices. Therefore, no tip. BOOM.

[MHM]

RE: Not tipping the owner.........

My hair person used to be a stylist in the salon on went to - and I tipped as she did my coler, cut, and style.

Now, she left and opened her own salon - does exactly what she did when she was renting a chair, except now she's the owner.

Does that mean I can stop tipping her?? Yes, I admit - I would like that - dang hair is expensive to maintain!!!

I went through the same thing with my hair person. At first she was an employee, then she opened her own place, now after several years of running her own shop, she closed it and is back to being an employee at a new place.

I tipped her the same way all along. I would have felt funny about not tipping her for doing the exact same thing I had always tipped her for in the past. Plus she was always good about fitting me into her schedule as needed.