I’m finally going to get a haircut after the incident three years ago. The last place I went to, the lady cut my hair too short and didn’t help me when I asked how to fix it since it didn’t look like how I wanted it. I looked like a limp black q-tip for months.
Now my friend has gotten a recommendation for a stylist from hers (her stylist is in San Diego, a bit far for me to go for a haircut), and her stylist swears by him. I went online and the guy who was recommended got rave reviews. So it’s time to brave that chair and trust someone to not totally screw up my hair once again.
Everyone tells me that this guy is a god and I will come out with the best haircut I have ever had. If this is true, then I want to thank him properly! So how much should I tip him if he does do a good job? And the haircut will be around ~$70 from what I’m seeing from the reviews online.
(If this helps, I tip at least 20% when I eat out if that gives you an idea of how much I appreciate good service.)
My hair is thick and I always ask them to wash it and style it (because I unfortunately do not have ‘wash and go’ hair and usually have other stuff to do right after a cut) so I usually tip 15% or so.
I tend to go at about 25% but my haircuts are only 26 dollars and take less than an hour (30 minutes if she’s a quicker stylist, 45 if she’s slower). And I’m a guy.
Here in the Boonies I can get a wash, cut and style for $20, so I tip $5. Perms (for body, not curl) are $60, and I tip $10. I usually buy some products too, and the markup on those almost constitutes a second tip.
I worried about finding stylists when I moved back from Seattle, but haven’t had a problem finding people who do good work. I’ve had three in 15 years and have never had a bad cut or a frizzy perm.
Wait and see! If you are very happy when you get out of the chair, tip with a lavish hand. If not, then… (I recommend taking an assortment of bills - $5, $10 - so you can tip what pleases you…)
I agree with SnakesCatLady. I’d also tell him why you haven’t been to a stylist in a while, so he knows that the stakes are pretty high. But for a $70 haircut, if I intended to go back again, I’d probably tip about $15 (if I didn’t intend to go back, I’d tip less). I tend to tip my stylist well because my work schedule can be uncertain, and she’s been very, very flexible when I’ve needed her to be.
I get a wash, cut, and style for $35, and I give my stylist (who is also the manager) $10 – he takes part of that and gives it to whoever washed my hair.
I figure that $45 every 6-8 weeks isn’t too much for a cut I like from a stylist I trust.
