Wonnie

Guess I'm going to be Scrooge here because I'm definitely outnumbered. Do you tip the trash collector? Do you tip the clerk that goes out of her way to help you find what it is you're looking for? Do you tip the plummer or the septic tank removal person? I feel that employers should pay their employees a decent salary so they don't have to depend on tips. And I feel that the employees should be doing their very best because they have pride in their work and want to do their best. Are you saying that hair dressers should not do their best if they know they won't receive a tip from you??? What ever happened to work ethics? Medical personnel are not permitted to accept tips but, if they could, would you tip every aide and nurse on every shift that cares for you?...or every lab tech or Xray tech that services you?...or the housekeepers that clean your roon or the aides that serve your food? Don't they all work just as hard as the beautician? The other day I stopped at a walk up ice cream stand and ordered a single dip ice cream cone . It took her all of a minute and a half to scoop up the ice cream and plop it into my cone. With one hand she handed me the cone and with the other pushed her tip jar at me. Really????? Isn't that her job?

cashs_mom

I don't either. I would much rather have a voluntary tipping system where I can choose how much to give by how good the service is, rather than be required to pay the 20 or 25% more which is what would happen with the good hairdresser if tipping was done away with.

Well, Wonnie, you don't have to tip. And, we could do away with tipping and employers could pay their employees more, but they would then pass that increase in pay on to you by an increase in the cost of goods that would be mandatory for you to pay instead of you having a choice about who and how much you can tip.

As I said earlier, I consider personal services a bit different than the trash guy. And some of the people you mentioned are VERY well paid for what they do. In general, hairdressers are not that well paid for what they have to deal with. And as was mentioned, they don't have health insurance, retirement benefits, many are self employed and so not even eligible for unemployement benefits.

I don't mind tipping when I get excellent service. I believe in rewarding good service and I do.

Wonnie

Gosh, Cashs Mom, I have no quarrel with you. You, also, are entitled to your opinionas well. I've learned along the way a few things. Let's take waitresses. Think most people think that when they tip that chosen waitress that she gets to keep that tip. Sorry, not always true. Some places require that all tips are put in a single "pot" which, at the end of the day, is divided equally among all the waitresses. Not really fair to my way of thinking and it doesn't take long for the waitress with good work ethics to figure out she had to share her hard earned tips with those who could care less about the service they gave. A good waitress usually does share her tip with the one who clears her table after the meal and to the bartender who preparesd her table tops drinks. I consider the septic cleaner as a personal service because I sure don't want to do it myself. Actually, I feel there are a lot of things we could do ourselves but choose to have someone else do it for us. To me, that's personal service. I do tip when it's deserved but not when I'm told I have to. Did I tip the girl who dipped my cone. For what? A minute and a half of work for which she was paid to do? No. I understand that costs for everything have sky rocketed but I still believe that employers in the food industry should pay their employees a decent salary. Don't know about where you live but in this area you can pay as much as $2.75 for a single dip of ice cream in an old fashioned cake cone. Yes, the employer has overhead to pay out of his profits but employees have "overhead" to pay out of their salary as well in the form of house payments, gas and electric, water, children, etc. and rarely get to the "profit" part.

Endora

I've felt the same way for the longest time now. Seems those in professions where tips are part and parcel to their jobs, have began taking tips for granted, especially when I read of hairdressers turning away customers who don't tip a high enough amount. DH and I have (a few times) refused to tip table servers in restaurants where service has been less than acceptable, and not once did we feel badly for doing so.

IMO, tips don't come automatic as a subsidy payment just because, you have to earn a tip and work for it.

dms

I agree. I guess you're even supposed to tip for carry-outs. I try to do a good job at my job, but I don't get tipped. Aren't we supposed to do our best regardless? I know waitresses don't get paid what they should, but hairdressers get plenty for their work. IMO

tessagin

You're fortunate you're only paying $75 for highlights. That is what many tip for some highlights. I know it's ridiculous but depending on where you go and not necessarily where you live.

tessagin

Most hairdressers work on commission. They give much of what you pay to the salon and some still have to "sell" product and then on ly make a very small commission on that. I used to be a hairdresser. They also pay for their continued education in most states were it's mandatory to maintain their license. If you pay $50 for a service, your stylist may make $25 or less and product cost is often taken out of that $25. Some owners expect tips. those people get nothing from me. Yes they have overhead but they are still making money off their retail products

Mariah

A trim, shampoo, style, comb out, ect, is $22. I give her $30.00 and it is worth it to me! Go every month.
Mariah

Sheri.a

For years I resented tipping much like Wonnie. I think it was triggered by "someone" deciding in the 70's that a 10% tip should be 15% in restaurants because of inflation. I'm not sure who got to decide, but social pressure said it was the right thing to do. At the time I was a bank teller making a low salary and it didn't seem fair. No one tipped me for doing a great job.

At some point--not sure when, I adopted the whole tipping thing. I'm ok with a 20% tip at the restaurant or hairdresser. I suspect it had something to do with my household income (We have been blessed). But I really understand when others have a hard time with it.

bearisgray

so how do the costs break down?

Who gets what?