How much do you, and should you...?

Essene

Happy
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Nov 12, 2007
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I'm just curious. We can talk about any type of service. I'd really like to hear about valet tipping because I'm going to a nice restaurant soon.

But like I said, anything goes...


:)
 
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I usually go for 10% for tattoos, waxes,services like that. I go 15-20% (usually 20 unless I'm unusually short for some reason) for waiters and waitresses unless the service was abysmal and even then I'm unlikely to give anything below 10%. Having waited tables, the shit you have to put up with for such little money is incredible (I also am far more patient and gracious now after having done it myself) and tips are supplemental to income, otherwise they'd make maybe half minimum wage in most places.

I'm not sure about SOP for tattoos piercings and the like. As far as I know those people make above minimum wage and tipping is more a measure of how good your experience was.
 
One of the determining factors in how or whether I tip has to do with who owns the shop. If I get my haircut by the owner of a shop, he or she gets no tip as all of my fee goes to that person (via the shop's bookkeeping, of course).

However, if I get my haircut by someone who works at the shop but has no ownership interest, then half or more of my fee goes to the shop and only the remainder goes to my service provider. In that case, I tip the stylist about 20% or so.

Generally I tip the shampoo girl 10% of the cost of the cut (or as much as 20% if she does a good job).
 
Wow, it's been ages since I contemplated a piercing! And I have no tattoos. I don't even recall if I tipped!

I tend to tip 20 percent or more. A lot more if I'm a regular. If the service stinks, I just don't go back. Mister Man has got me into the big tipping make friends with the owner/manager/staff approach at our regular restaurant/bar, and I have to say, it makes our experience much more fun and we learn all sorts of interesting insider tidbits. I take the same approach for salons - this is my hair, people! And I would think that goes double if they have a sharp pointy object aimed at you. ;)
 
Sometimes I'm happy that I live in a country where tipping isn't common at all.
 
Sometimes I'm happy that I live in a country where tipping isn't common at all.

Because those people get paid enough in the first place. Amazing notion.

I tip 20 percent. I can't remember the last time I had a shampoo from someone other than the person who cut it, it's so weird in boy hair world.

As for ink, I think I forgot by the time he was done I was really high and miserable. He's lucky I didn't kick him in the nuts (nice design but went way too deep)
 
I only tip at restaurants usually in dollar increments as opposed to percentage.
 
Because those people get paid enough in the first place. Amazing notion.

I tip 20 percent. I can't remember the last time I had a shampoo from someone other than the person who cut it, it's so weird in boy hair world.

As for ink, I think I forgot by the time he was done I was really high and miserable. He's lucky I didn't kick him in the nuts (nice design but went way too deep)

For the record, I'm often the only male in the place when I get my hair cut. I've been going to the same salon for about 10 years now, have had my hair cut by the owner and now two of her sub-contractors, and have always had good results. Getting a shampoo from a teeny-bopper stylist wannabe is definitely one of the attractive side benefits. :D
 
20 percent. Around the holidays, if I can afford to, I tip more.

It would have to be intentionally bad service for me to tip less. Most of the time if the service is not great you can turn it around by being a little nicer. Yes, I know it's not your job to be the one going out of your way to be nice. But, in most cases, you would not believe the stuff people in any kind of service industry have to put up with. So, I not only tip, I try to make their job a bit easier or at least more pleasant.

"You" is the generic you, not a personal statement.
 
*nod* 20-25% for great service, but never anything less than 15% as I was a waitress in college, and sometimes all of those issues with your food have more to do with the kitchen than your server.

I tip 20% for haircuts and I think for my tat back in the day. This whole piercing thing has me baffled though.

MWY- I know the etiquette is to not tip the owner of the hair salon, but the last time I went, the woman before me tipped him, so I tipped him anyway because I felt bad.

I don't know if he was expecting it, or was insulted by it, but I figure that he can't complain for a few extra bucks in his pocket.

Am I uncouth? Should I care? ;)
 
Sometimes I'm happy that I live in a country where tipping isn't common at all.

I agree with you on this.

In the UK tipping is still not overly common at lunchtime meals and food places.

But, PM I have never heard of tipping a tattooist!!

It would not even cross my mind to do that!
 
I don't have any tattoo's or extra piercings, but when I get my hair done or my eyebrows waxed I tip about 10 percent. I'd probably tip about that much for tattoo's and/or piercings.
 
Honestly, I go for a straight 20% across the board.. if the service is poor, whether food, tattoo, piercer, hairdresser, etc.. then it starts dropping and if the service is excellent or he/she goes the extra mile.. then it goes up
 
I have to say that in Oregon that waiter/waitresses get minimum wage, which is almost 8 dollars here. If they made less than minimum wage, like they do in other states, I would probably tip more.

I tip LESS at buffets, but I still tip cause my kids spill drinks and stuff a lot. They're clumsy like me.
 
graceanne, I think we need to move to your state. Seriously. Like, NOW.

My mom is a waitress, in Arizona, she gets $3-something an hour. Tips suck, especially since we have "snowbird season" in winter, so in summer there is hardly anyone here. SUCKS.

Percentages and me don't get along, so I usually don't tip by percentages (unless I have a calculator handy). From what I can figure, tho, I usually tip 25-30% at restaurants. Never been to a tattoo or piercing place... My mom cuts my hair, so.... Yeah.


Heather
 
I agree with you on this.

In the UK tipping is still not overly common at lunchtime meals and food places.

But, PM I have never heard of tipping a tattooist!!

It would not even cross my mind to do that!

Like Netzach metioned before, it'd be nice if servers here were paid the actual minimum wage. There is a special minimum wage for servers here, which is $2.63/hr - and that's "okay" because it is expected that the customers around here will tip to compensate for the fact that the restaurant owners don't pay the servers.

It's just the system here. I have no idea why or how it came about.

I see tattoing like I see hair dressing. The artists fees are going to partly go to their rent/parlour.

Honestly, I go for a straight 20% across the board.. if the service is poor, whether food, tattoo, piercer, hairdresser, etc.. then it starts dropping and if the service is excellent or he/she goes the extra mile.. then it goes up

Okay. Thanks. I was hoping you'd weigh in, since I know you and Malin have had piercings done. Yeah, yeah, I know I could have written a pm, but starting a thread is way funner!:)

I don't have any tattoo's or extra piercings, but when I get my hair done or my eyebrows waxed I tip about 10 percent. I'd probably tip about that much for tattoo's and/or piercings.

*nod* Okay.

Thanks guys. I now have a better idea of what I'll do when I go.


I'm kind of a weirdo - I know big shocker, but I always feel uncomfortable tipping at the hair dressers. I always fold the bills up in my hand and secretly slip them while whispering "thanks" to the person on my way out, or (my favorite way) I sneak like a 5 onto their work station and run away before they see me doing it. It makes me so uncomfortable and I don't know why! LOL
 
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graceanne, I think we need to move to your state. Seriously. Like, NOW.

My mom is a waitress, in Arizona, she gets $3-something an hour. Tips suck, especially since we have "snowbird season" in winter, so in summer there is hardly anyone here. SUCKS.

Percentages and me don't get along, so I usually don't tip by percentages (unless I have a calculator handy). From what I can figure, tho, I usually tip 25-30% at restaurants. Never been to a tattoo or piercing place... My mom cuts my hair, so.... Yeah.


Heather

My sister is a bartender, but when she was waitressing she told me that, with tips, she makes about 15 dollars an hour.
 
I have to say that in Oregon that waiter/waitresses get minimum wage, which is almost 8 dollars here.

graceanne, I think we need to move to your state. Seriously. Like, NOW.

My mom is a waitress, in Arizona, she gets $3-something an hour.

Ditto. Most time here waitress make like $2.15--the minimum wage for waitress--, unless it has went up since they started increasing the minimum wage. It was $5.15 then last June it got up to $5.85. And I think it went up again this past June to $6 something and supposedly by next June the minimum wage is suppose to $7.

As far as tipping goes, when I had my navel pierced it cost $25 and I tipped him $5. At restaurants it just depends on the service. But most of the time I will leave at least $2 unless you are horrible like the waitress Bunny and I had one night at Logan's. (She spilled coke on our rolls and didn't bring us anymore. She wrote my steak down wrong and so when I sent it back because it was pouring blood she argued with me that was what I said. We didn't get refills. Oh, and she asked how did we want the ticket and we said two please...we got one......YOU BAD WAITRESS-NO TIP!)
 
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My hair appointments cost anywhere from $50-100... I usually tip in the $20-25 range, no matter what the cost... why? Cus my stylist is a friend, and because she does really good work. Sometimes I buy her flowers instead of giving her a tip, as she loves getting flowers. It's not a percentage for me- it's just what I happen to have.

I tip no LESS than 15% on a restaurant bill, and usually tip around 30%, if the waiter/waitress has earned it.

My tattoos- depends on how thrilled with it I am. Piercings, I haven't tipped on- most were just done at regular jewellery stores (mostly ear piercings), and my tongue piercer screwed up, and the guy who did my nose refused a tip. *shrug*
 
graceanne, I think we need to move to your state. Seriously. Like, NOW.

My mom is a waitress, in Arizona, she gets $3-something an hour. Tips suck, especially since we have "snowbird season" in winter, so in summer there is hardly anyone here. SUCKS.

Percentages and me don't get along, so I usually don't tip by percentages (unless I have a calculator handy). From what I can figure, tho, I usually tip 25-30% at restaurants. Never been to a tattoo or piercing place... My mom cuts my hair, so.... Yeah.


Heather

Wow- minimum here is like 8 bucks an hour, but there's SUCH a labour shortage here right now that most places begin at 10.
 
Wow- minimum here is like 8 bucks an hour, but there's SUCH a labour shortage here right now that most places begin at 10.

Wow. Their's not enough jobs around here. And as much as it's nice that minimum wage is 8, it's not . . . what's the word. Minimum wage is 8 dollars and hour and that's what cna's and interpeters make. Minimum wage being so high makes it less worth people's while to get some education. I mean, why go to college for however long just to make minimum wage?
 
Wow. Their's not enough jobs around here. And as much as it's nice that minimum wage is 8, it's not . . . what's the word. Minimum wage is 8 dollars and hour and that's what cna's and interpeters make. Minimum wage being so high makes it less worth people's while to get some education. I mean, why go to college for however long just to make minimum wage?

Really! When I was managing at Burger King, I was making $7.25/hour--and I was 3rd in command. My thoughts on the whole raising minimum wage is eventually they have to raise the other pay rates to balance things out. How long is eventually? WHO KNOWS?!?!
 
Really! When I was managing at Burger King, I was making $7.25/hour--and I was 3rd in command. My thoughts on the whole raising minimum wage is eventually they have to raise the other pay rates to balance things out. How long is eventually? WHO KNOWS?!?!

Yeah, you'd think. But this is the govt we're talking about. They're not the brightest cookies in the jar.
 
In restaurants, i tip 15-20%; if the service and food are good. Salons, usually 20% if good work.

My tattoos, those were done by the owner; and since the work was excellent; he got 25%.

When i had my belly button and tongue pierced, i also tipped 25% for almost pain free work. Hurt a little more than i enjoy, having my tongue re-pierced.
 
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