~Tipping Your Hair Colourist~

Hi everyone!

I know this question is discussed often, but I have never really found a definitive answer.  I'm hoping my fellow hair colour addicts  on here might be able to shed some light on the issue and help me to have a clearer idea on what to tip my hair colourist.  (I have no idea if I over-tip, under tip, or what!)

What I am wondering about are these questions~

1.  When you are happy with the colour and service you received, what amount do you tip your hair colourist?  If you could give me an idea how you decide the tip amount~ meaning do you tip a percentage of the total cost of the service~ (ie: 20% or whatever) or what amount of tip you give compared to the price you paid, (ie: when you pay approximately $100 total, you tip $20.00) ~that sort of thing would be a huge help.

2.  How do you decide on tip amounts per person when you have colour done by one person and a cut done by another person at the same salon in the same appointment?

3.  Do you tip the owner of the salon if they did your service(s)?

4. Do you tip the person who shampooed you or blowdryed you if it was a different person than your colourist/stylist?

5.  How do you handle tipping if you are NOT happy?  I mean, if I was terribly unhappy because there was a colour disaster or someone chopped four inches off when I only wanted one inch, I would NOT be tipping at all~ I'd be voicing my displeasure.  But what about if you are only somewhat unhappy~ meaning everything went fine, but an extra inch came off, or your hair colour was fine, but there was a minor problem, ie: tone not just right?  

OR  something else went wrong~ ie: you were kept waiting an extra-ordinary amount of time and/or you were left waiting often in the chair while your colourist/stylist was taking care of someone else (which is perfectly fine if they can balance everything), but you were left for more than appropriate time wait?

Thanks in advance for your input.  Hopefully I will finally have an idea of what is considered a 'great tip'~ for really great service; a 'good tip'~ for service that you are happy with but didn't stand out all that much and a 'cursury tip'~ for acceptable service with a few minor displeasing issues.

Cheers~

Taunya

(once again~ edited for spelling! :)

Edited by Blondie1972

1) I always tip slightly under 15%. I'm never ever happy.

2) Same as above for if it's cut and color by different people. (Though generally it's 15% for the cutter cause she does it fine, though not extraordinary.)

3) NO tip for the owner.

4) I made up my mind that I'm not tipping shampoo people anymore. I didn't ask for them to do my hair nor do I want someone else to do my hair. Since I decided this, I haven't encountered a shampoo person, so whose to say what I'll really end up doing. I just get fed up with having three people working on me. My other plan is to take part of my stylist's tip and give it to shampoo girl. Really, that's what it ought to be. Actually, one time fairly recently, the shampoo girl also put my toner on AND blow dried and styled me so I gave her a decent tip. I still gave the color girl her usual tip but I don't think I should have because she didn't do as much as she usually does.

5) I guess I already answered this. I'm never happy. If I was "disastercized," I'd not tip at all but for unhappiness, I give my mediocre less than 15%.

For waiting and juggling, I don't make any adjustments because it doesn't bother me.

Tipping has FOREVER perplexed me. I hate dealing with it and I WISH they'd just include it already. (Restaurants too!) There is a place around where I live that won't accept tips (it's a high class place too). They just want you to recommend them. (However, I don't recommend you go there! LOL!) Also, several of the places around here have a motto: "While a tip is appreciated, it's not necessary. We will strive to do our best job no matter what." Something like that.

I have another idea for tipping. How about if we tip on our subsequent visit? I usually don't hate my hair til I get home.  I'd probably tip good if I could find some good service somewhere.

 

 

Wow you tip your salons!  That's unheard of where I live!!!

I think the general opinion here is "we pay too much for the service anyway, so why should we tip?"

Thanks for the answers!

Alayney~ You and I sound very similar in philosophy regarding tipping~ although it sounds like I tend to vary my tip amount a bit more than you do directly based on the service I just received. 

My colourist can usually expect 20%.  That means I am happy.  If there is something special done for me or she gives me a free service, I will tip more that time.  If the service I received was fine, but simply what I requested and paid for with minor waiting and my hair turned out fine, but maybe not extra great, I will tip the 'standard 15%'.  If there was a bit of a problem, I won't lower my tip to 10% unless it happens often~ and I guess if it is a recurring problem, I eventually need to change colourists or address the issue (although I HATE confrontation:)   

I just wasn't sure if I was in the tipping  norm or not though.  My girlfriends are the same within reason~ then there are a friends who are more like Anitan28~ they always tip approx $20 for their highlights service ~ whether they get a trim or not, it is always $20.

I also get a bit thrown by tipping everyone who comes near me in the place! Tips to~ 1. the colourist, 2. the stylist, 3. shampoo person, 4. blowdry person.  It all adds up~ especially with the cost of services.  Colour is always a pricier service too!  Especially where I go.  (For example~ the place that did my nightmare lowlights charged me $150 CAD~ I felt that that was far too much~ (my own fault for not checking ahead of time though).  It IS a high end salon~ but the end result (me leaving in tears and devastated) goes to show that 'high end' isn't necessarily better.

The salon I went to on the weekend is more of a hip, trendy place that is nice, clean and modern~ but not overly luxurious.... I feel their prices are excellent.  The colourist charged me $25 for putting a toner on!  I was really happy with everything and since it was my first visit to her, I tipped her $20. Hopefully it left a good impression as a client and she'll remember that I try to treat her well in the future so she will reciprocate.  I haven';t had my hair trimmed there in over a year so I can't recall what they charge, but I do remember being very impressed with their reasonable rates the last time I had that service done as well.

I LOVE the idea of tipping simply being included and the salon can sort out dividing tips up to everyone (and it IS possible that the stylists DO tip out to the shampoo gal/guy.  Sort of like when I bartended/waitressed in University.  We tipped out to the kitchen, the hostesses, the bar runners, bus people, dishwashers~ everyone!  20% went into a pot from each bartender/server on shift and it was divied up between all of them.  I thought that was fine~ I was happy to share tips with them.

Aubergine~ I had no idea that it isn't the 'norm' to tip at salons in the UK.   Is tipping common otherwise in the UK?  I'm actually Scottish and should know this (although I haven't lived there since I was two). 

When/where is it normal to tip in the UK?  I seem to recall that it wasn't common to tip in the pubs either~?

Taunya

Edited by Blondie1972

I forgot to mention thisearlier~ I read a post on a hair styling forum for licensed hair stylists in which one stylist claimed that tips account for up to 40% of their annual income.  I would never have guessed that!  Seems almost a bit streched to me, but that's what the post said.

Easiest/best thing to do when multiple people work on you is take the TOTAL bill, do your "percentaging," take THAT tip, and divy it between everybody. (I guess I kinda said this eariler.) Example: Your bill is $95 for color. A colorist and shampoo person worked on you. You want to tip say $14 total. Give shampoo whatever you give, say $2, and give colorist $12.

Personally, I think it's a racket. Most of the stylists where I've gone make REALLY good money; tips CAN'T be most of it. I mean they charge SOOOOO much and they're usually working on multiple people.

Wow, Aubergine, I never knew that! What does it cost for cut and color there?

Kelly: If you bought, say, a bottle of shampoo. Wouldn't be much left for tip I imagine. If hair was $100 and you tipped $20 and shampoo was $12, you'd tip about $8? Just curious (and I have no clue what something in the salon costs since I find my stuff at a discount elsewhere). I really like that idea. Sometimes the stylist will tell me about something that sounds good and I'd like to try it, but I don't let myself buy anything because I have to give the tip. Kinda sucks but I don't want to be totally rude. Then again, you know how I said those salons will say "tip is appreciate but not necessary ..."? Well, since I'm NEVER totally satisfied, maybe I ought not tip at all. I feel like a hypocrite tipping anyway. My hair is presentable; just not what I want ... EVER.

Does anybody know how much credit the stylists get for selling product? Any idea how that works?

Blondie1972 wrote: Aubergine~ I had no idea that it isn't the 'norm' to tip at salons in the UK.   Is tipping common otherwise in the UK?  I'm actually Scottish and should know this (although I haven't lived there since I was two).  When/where is it normal to tip in the UK?  I seem to recall that it wasn't common to tip in the pubs either~? Taunya

Hi,

When I say "where I live"  I don't necessarilly mean the UK in general.  I live in a pretty crummy place in North West England and we're all poor here ...lol

So!  The salons round here don't expect tips, and no one gives them tips.  Maybe in other areas where it's a bit classier, like in London, they tip salons.  I don't know..

To answer your other question, we tip waiters/waitresses & restaurants, taxi drivers, errrr....that's about it!  We only tip pubs if they serve food.

I think we're like a mild Iceland, they don't accept tips anywhere as far as I know...


Edited by aubergine

WhisperToScream wrote: I do usually tip about 15%, but the guy who last did my hair got dye on my pants in several places. He was slingling the dye around while talking to the colorist next to him. I didn't tip him. Hopefully I'll get a someone who pays more attention next time and I will tip them. I moved recently and haven't found someone yet to color my hair. I'm hoping the next one is a keeper.

 

Its always a challenge trying to find a new colourist, isn't it?  Ugh!

I probably already said it earlier, but I just want to second that motion! ^^