Tip for haircuts?

[Rigamarole]

Inspired by the other thread about tipping (p.s. I'm a waiter, keep up the good deeds) I realized - am I supposed to be tipping the person who cuts my hair? I remember as a kid my mom would have us give 2 dollars to the haircutter. Although I cut my own hair a lot (shaving it with a #8), I occasionally get a pro haircut but I've never tipped (haircuts are expensive here! $15) Have I been committing terrible sin?

[Clockwork And Candy]

Eh, the average haircut costs me around twenty dollars and I always tip ten. I'm prob'ly undertipping and they secretly hate me, but... ::shrugs::

[Rigamarole]

Originally Posted by Clockwork And Candy

Eh, the average haircut costs me around twenty dollars and I always tip ten. I'm prob'ly undertipping and they secretly hate me, but... ::shrugs::

Are you kidding? Tip 10 for a 20 dollar haircut? Wow, I knew I was cheap, but didn't know I was that cheap.

[dalej42]

I tip $4.00 for a $16.00 haircut.

I've always tipped hair stylists.

[Loopydude]

I go to SuperCuts or some equivalent cheapo cuttery. I have the boringest of man-coiffures, and I refuse to pay over $20 to get it. I don't use gels, I don't care if they shampoo me or not, and I couldn't give a flying turd whether I'm stylin' or not. The cut costs about twelve bucks, and I usuall throw in another three or four. Since the whole cut takes about ten minues, I think that's generous enough.

[Quartz]

Back when I didn't cut my own hair, I used to simply round it up, so for a £8 or £9 haircut, I'd give a £10 note and tell the barber to keep the change. But I've cut my own hair for many years, and I don't tip myself anything.

[The Universe Lashes Out]

You should at least tip a buck or two.

[Cunctator]

I never tip. Mine's usually around $18. I hand over a $20 note and pocket the $2 in change.

[StGermain]

I tip about 20-25% for haircuts. I know those Supercuts folks don't make much.

I'm female, if it makes a difference.

StG

[Lakai]

I stuck with a stylist who went from charging $15 to charging $25. I still give him $2 tip. I'm just too lazy to find anyone else.

[JimOfAllTrades]

I tip $5 on a $20 haircut.

I’ve been going to the woman for about eight or nine years. She’s pretty good about slipping me in when I come to my senses and realize I need a cut for something the next day, and she does a good job, particularly considering my poor ability to describe what I want other than “shorter”. It takes her about 30 minutes to wash it and cut it.

I don’t think I’m a big tipper, but she takes good care of me, and the price plus tip I pay doesn’t seem to out of line to me for the level of sevice.

[BoBettie]

I tip $5 on a $25 cut- but I don't get washed or anything, I come in with wet hair, which cuts the time and effort down a bit for the cutter. Hell, 20% seems good to me.

[sj2]

Around 15-20 percent at top salons.

25-30% at Supercuts -- just discovered it -- when I get my hair colored since she is spending so much time on my head. They don't make much there so it evens out with what I tip for more spendy places.

I also tip 40% or so at cheapo diners--matches the tip if I ate at a more expensive place.

[Shagnasty]

I tip 3 - $5 dollars at Supercuts. However, I am pretty sure you don't need to tip if it is an independent barber or stylist that owns the business. They are the ones that set prices and you don't usually tip owners.

[seenidog]

I go to the beauty shop my wife goes to. Lynn cuts my hair the way I like i so I put up with the abuse I take after coworkers see me walk out of the Beauty Boutique. A haircut is $12, a beard trim another $2, and paying for it with a twenty makes sure I can get an appointment at short notice. I know, that is a lot more than I tip a waitress, but then again the waitress is not scraping my throat with a straight razor.

[tremorviolet]

Well, here are the rates from The Tipping Page

Barbershops: 15% unless it's the owner (no tips for the owner)

Beauty Salons: 15% as well unless it's the owner

I generally tip $8 on $40 although recently I've been adding a couple of extra bucks for the free valet parking (which isn't really free, the stylists have to pay $2 for each "free" ticket stamped).

[Waenara]

I used to go the Supercuts route, and then about a year ago I found The Bestest Hairdresser Ever^TM. But she works at a more expensive salon. Cut is $40, cut and color (foils) is $100 (CAD). I get color maybe every second or third haircut, and I usually get a cut every 6 weeks (short hair).

I never bothered to tip hairdressers before, but now I usually tip about $5-10 for a cut and $15-20 for cut and color. At first this seemed high to me, but a $20 tip on $100 is 20%, and getting coloring, shampoo and scalp massage, cut and styling usually takes about 2 hours. Sometimes she can squeeze a male haircut in while the color is "processing" on my hair, but usually I'm the only customer for that whole two hours.

Plus, my stylist works on a chair rental basis in a pricey salon - she doesn't get an hourly wage from the salon, instead she pays them an hourly rate for the use of the chair and the salon equipment, and then has to make that back through the price she charges and her tips. I had a friend who did that a few years ago and she said it was tough sometimes, because you pay the chair rental in advance, and if you don't book enough customers then you're paying for chair time that you don't actually use. You have to be pretty good at properly judging your schedule ahead of time.

[DiosaBellissima]

I slip in an extra $5-$10 per every $65 cut and color I get. I've gone to the same hairdresser since I was 14 (so, goin' on 7 years), she does a wonderful job and she always fits me in.

What I don't get is tipping the washer. I mean, my hair dresser does the shampooing anyway, but I can't imagine giving a seperate tip to the unlicensed girl who just scrubs down your hair.

[Unregistered Bull]

I tip $2, and I just get it all buzzed off. I ought to break down and buy some clippers.

[Telemark]

I always tip, somewhere north of 20% usually.

[Lynn Bodoni]

I go to an upscale beauty college. I don't get the same stylist every time, but I get premium service at a Supercuts price. The stylists are completely up to date on everything, and part of the routine is a teacher checking out the work at the end, and grading the student. The students love to work with their customers, trying for new looks, and while this sometimes takes a bit more time, I've always had very good results. The one bad result was because I didn't specify I wanted lighter red highlights on my auburn dye job. I just said "highlights" and I got blond highlights, which I hated (but everyone else thought looked great). I tip these students, as they aren't making any money, and they spend a lot of time pampering me and helping me to look my best.

For those who are curious, my natural hair color is dark brown, with about 25% grey, and I get a very dark auburn dye put on it. At 48, I still get carded when I buy booze with this dye job.

[iwakura43]

My barber charges $28 and I tip $3. Three bucks so that when I give him a twenty, a ten and a one, he doesn't try to give me change.

[tashabot]

I used to work next door to a salon when I worked at Domino's. We gave them our employee discount on food and they gave us $10 haircuts. I usually paid with a twenty and let them keep the other ten. They always took care of me and were very nice, even before I started going there.

Also, it does depend on the salon's policies. A lot of places, the hairstylist has to rent out their little booth and give a chunk of their sales for that, and for the house. Tips could make the difference.

There was a place in town advertising $5 hair cuts. I know why after my boyfriend made the mistake of going there. Uneven as crap. He didn't tip and instead went directly over to the salon next to Domino's, where they fixed it and he gave them a $10 tip.

~Tasha