near perfect $30 haircut - how much would you tip?

[Tarmac]

I used to go to a decent place (lets rate them 8 out of 10) which was $25. This made tipping rather easy, I would leave a $5 tip every time. I found a place which does a slightly better job, exactly like I want it and they got massv skillz, but the price is $30. I left $40 total last time, but that seems excessive in some ways. Is $5 being a cheap bastard? Also feel cheap giving them something like a fiver and 2 singles. cry me a river

how much would you tip?

 

[DNW]

Tip 5 bucks one time, then 10 the next. They'll even out..

 

[Isaac Mickle]

five bucks every time on twenty to twenty-five dollar haircuts. i might tip more on a $30 haircut. i would want to know more about the environment. if the cutters are young people who are not getting much per cut from the house, then i would tip more. if the cutters own the business, then i would be comfortable tipping five dollars.

 

[vanity]

I tip my girl $10 b/c the haircut is only $22 and she does an AMAZING job. I can also trust her advice becomes sometimes I go in and say "I want a new haircut. Something cool but I don't know what." Then she'll do her own thing and I like the results.

Once I went to this trendy salon on a recommendation of a gf of mine. Her cut was only $50 for a girl and it was a high end salon. She highly recommended it. So I go there and they have me change into this weird one-piece haircut cloak (so my clothes dont get hairy). The place is crazy with modern decorations and they massage my head while I got washed. I ended up getting some former-teacher from Vidal Sassoon to cut me. The place was like a ******* cartoon, the girls were SOOPER hot with ********* and tiny outfits, badass makeup and lips, all the guys were mega flamboyant and gay, everyone was ultra fashionable.

I go to pay and cost me $110. I couldn't ******* believe it. A guy's haircut with scissors and no color or anything. I got hammered immediately afterward and never went back. So now, anything under $50 is a steal

For those in chicago this was Salon Liv which used to be on Wells in Old Town. Right down from the street from Kamehachi.

 

[Buddy Love]

I truly don't understand tipping? Don't they get paid for their jobs?

 

[drizzt3117]

Originally Posted by Buddy Love

I truly don't understand tipping? Don't they get paid for their jobs?

They get paid less because of the expectation of tipping.

 

[Buddy Love]

Originally Posted by drizzt3117

They get paid less because of the expectation of tipping.

That sucks.

 

[drizzt3117]

Originally Posted by Buddy Love

That sucks.
Yes and no. One intention is that it incentivizes the stylist to be more friendly towards the customer which improves customer service. I think in general the stylists would get paid more in a tip environment than in one where tipping was not really done, as long as they're friendly and get repeat business. There's also the tax reporting element of it, since most tips are cash. I suppose the downside is that 1) they have to be friendly, and 2) some people are assholes.

 

[cmrocks]

I thought stylists worked on commission? My old stylist did anyways. She mentioned that she would bring in $300-$400 a day quite regularly.

 

[drizzt3117]

Originally Posted by DucatiCole

I thought stylists worked on commission? My old stylist did anyways. She mentioned that she would bring in $300-$400 a day quite regularly.

It depends on the shop, I'm sure.

 

[skalogre]

A quick correction; hairstylists are not like bartenders that work for below minimum wage. They could be paid by commission, hourly or if it is a situation where they "rent" their chair in the salon all the money goes to them and from that they pay the salon.

For hairstylists, the tip is indeed a tip technically; appreciation for a job well done. However it is sort of expected in the USA regardless.

 

[Tarmac]

still, I would think the average stylist has a fairly low salary before tips. By average stylist i mean the type who charges $30 for a haircut. I'm guessing 30k a year? How could they be paid more than that. If anyone knows any hard numbers, please specify.

If someone cuts my hair for almost an hour (she really does) and makes 30k a year, I think a tip is appropriate. Do you think she makes $60k salary or more? If that is really true then I would rethink my tip philosophy altogether.

 

[lawyerdad]

Originally Posted by drizzt3117

It depends on the shop, I'm sure.
Yes. Some are employees and some are independent contractors. It just depends.

 

[lawyerdad]

Originally Posted by Tarmac

I used to go to a decent place (lets rate them 8 out of 10) which was $25. This made tipping rather easy, I would leave a $5 tip every time.

I found a place which does a slightly better job, exactly like I want it and they got massv skillz, but the price is $30. I left $40 total last time, but that seems excessive in some ways. Is $5 being a cheap bastard? Also feel cheap giving them something like a fiver and 2 singles.

cry me a river

how much would you tip?
As someone else suggested, you might alternate between $5 and $10. I pay $50 where I get my haircut. The woman who cuts it is terrific - one of the few people who has ever been able to consistently cut my hair in a way that I didn't hate. Plus she's a great person, and I know enough about her life to know that while she's not starving, she's not exactly on the brink of early retirement, either. So I often tip $20, although if I have a $10 I'll sometimes drop down to $10. I don't know if that helps or not, but just for whatever the perspective is worth.
On a $30 haircut that you're really happy with, I think $10 is appropriate. But if you're more comfortable with $5 I think that's also appropriate, and you're not being a cheap bastard.

 

[amerikajinda]

I think $5 is an adequate tip on a $30 haircut... (it's slightly more than 16% - 16 and two-thirds to be exact) and I think what's more important to them than the size of your tip is whether or not you keep coming back!

Personally, I would leave $10... I like to make people happy.