Yes they do. In the past year or so I followed my stylist to a new shop. At this shop, each stylist has their own credit/debit card machine which is nice. At her previous shop, the shop owner managed it but what she did was tallied everything up each day and the girls were paid their charges and tips daily. Or maybe they were just tallied up daily and paid weekly. Not sure about that.

I agree that a salon should offer that convenience.

Maybe ask your stylist about it?

tina

Yes, they do and have never suggested that I tip in cash.

Would your salon take a debit card? And are businesses charged for a debit payment the way they're charged for credit payment?

Is it really the policy or stylists preference? Seems to me that the salon owners would not expect their clients to be put out that way. I wonder if it's because the tips are split between staff? Does your stylist do everything such as shampoo, color and style or are there different staff doing the whole package? If that is the case then the added tip likely is split but if not then I don't see why it's up to the client to ensure the tip is cash. Especially if this is a higher end place you'd expect them to have their tipping policy known in writing. I'd say something to the salon manager

The salon I use for spa services (I go elsewhere for hair) will put the tip on the charge and actually hand me the cash and a tip envelope when I'm paying. They'll hold the envelope if the esthetician is busy at that time and put my name on it so she knows who is tipping or I can bring it to her personally. I would expect that kind of service at a nice salon.

The salon I use stopped allowing customers to add on the tip effect the beginning of this year. They made it sound as if it was out of their control.

Yep, they always ask if you need/want to add a tip to your total.

Not a cash carrier either, I always add my tip to the total of my bill which I pay by either debit or credit card. At the time of the transaction, the girl who takes the credit card gives me the amount of cash above the cost of the service. There is a stack of small envelopes for tips at the front desk. The salon I use is high end for where I live, but compared to NYC, not so much.

I don't understand why the stylist has to wait for his/her tip? While I realize the salon pays for the ability to take credit cards, I would imagine those costs are passed directly onto the customers through the costs of services, etc. I have to agree that adding the tip to your credit card be a minimal courtesy extended by the type of salon. If it were a walk-in place, I might understand that they may not know you, etc., but if you have been a long-standing customer, I don't get it at all.

First of all, even my salon (JC Penney salon!!) let's me charge the tip, then gives me the cash so I can tip my hair stylist then on the spot.

That said, we own a business and credit card transactions can take up to three business days before the business actually gets the $$$. Maybe this is why they are delaying payment...?

Cheesy, if you ask me. No way for a high end salon to behave.

I'm in NJ.. I guess you are too? I actually just ran into this today at the nail salon.

I handed the girl my card & told her to put $2 more on as tip (bill was $7).. she told me she couldn't do that & they only accept cash. She said.. don't you have cash? A bit nasty & I told her no. I said; the last time I was here they put the tip on my card; she said, nope.. and I said I know they did because I never carry cash & her reply was that they may have done it one time & that they told me the last time I was there that they wouldn't do it again; which is a lie. I was prepared to walk out without giving a tip because at this point I was getting pissed off at the register girl. She said a few words to whoever did my girls brows & put the tip on my card which is a BOA credit/debit

My opinion.. I used to work in the field; I don't know many people that claimed all of their tips & have a feeling it has to do with that. I wonder if the salon has to give the employees a tax form at the end of the year, meaning more paperwork & more accounting fees.

If this is a problem for you; speak to your stylist to see what her point of view is. She may tell you the real reason if there is one.

I'll confess to this: I have a very simple cut (long hair, blunt on the ends with long layers throughout) and my regular stylist is Diana at *gasp* Supercuts. At $14 for a trim every two months, I usually pay with cash but I have had to use my credit card a time or two. Even at Supercuts I am allowed to easily add a tip to my total. I've never heard of a salon not working this way.

If I were ever in roselvr's position of being told when I was paying that they couldn't append the tip and being questioned about carrying cash, I would have no qualms about telling my stylist (hopefully within earshot of everyone in the room), "I'm so sorry I can't leave you a tip. This crazy new 'cash only' policy around here won't allow me to tip as I always have."

No, it's not the stylist's fault - but it wouldn't be mine either.

The salon I go to has option of debit or credit, I usually opt for the debit card, but when I have opted for credit I've always added the tip without a problem. So I agree it's a cost of doing business and shouldn't be any consequence to you...I don't even think you should feel obligated to add extra to cover any charges. They typically price their services to cover that stuff anyways. I doubt talking to the manager would do anything though since their the ones who set policy.

I think roselvr has the right idea. Most hairdressers I've known do not report the full amount of their tips. So I wonder if by including your tip on your credit card bill then perhaps the stylist gets a statement of tips at the end of the year. It would make it harder to under report your earnings.

My regular salon has never allowed tips to be included. But if I go to a spa or a higher end salon they do include them.

I don't see why adding the tip to a salon bill would be any different than adding a tip to a restaurant bill. Perhaps there has been a new IRS ruling about taxing of tips.

Oh, and on the subject of tipping at the salon - I'd always heard that you don't tip the owner. My stylist owns the salon, and I don't want to seem cheap and not tip her, so I just kind of round up my bill a few dollars.

I just called a friend who owns a fancy spa salon in alaska. She said she'd be firing a front desk gal or have a staff meeting with all stylists if this happened. The majority of her clients pay for all of their services in one charge slip which can include multiple services and multiple recipients of tips. She would be horrified if a client was asked to carry cash for tips.

You should email the owner or a contact me link (which normally goes to management) and ask about the policy.

By the way, it is a bit more paperwork but it's basically business as usual for a salon to do this paperwork just like at a restaurant. A large enough salon does it all on their computer system and it's simple data processing at the front desk (enter charge, tip amount, stylists, etc which is all part of normal bookkeeping for them anyhoo).

She suggested the email unless you know the owners name. She said she'd want to hear about this directly...and always does when someone does something goofy to a client...but normally at a coctail party which she hates!!!

Thanks everyone - I was beginning to wonder if adding a tip to the credit card charge was the exception.

They used to give me the cash back - so I'd leave a tip for the stylist and a smaller tip for the young woman who washed my hair. Then they stopped doing that and I just told them how to divvy it up. Today they didn't say they *wouldn't* charge a tip, just that they *prefer* cash. This was the receptionist talking, not the stylist.

I've been switching between stylists, but I have an appointment in six weeks with the one I used today, so I'll mention it to her. However, I'm also going to say something to the owner/manager, because that's the only way they'll know that clients have an issue with it.

It makes no sense to me that if I'm using a credit card as a convenience, I should then be expected to also carry cash for a tip. It defeats the purpose of the credit card.

I only dabble in hair now since I switched careers 5 years ago. I have some very long time clients I still see, at the salon I used to work at. I pop in once a week for a few hours, on a limited basis. I can tell you that because of this, my credit card slips are tallied and distributed once a month as is everyone's at the salon, hence a delay in payment but certainly no biggie for me. On the other hand, a $60.00 service with a 20% tip is $72.00. Once it hits the transaction fees, it becomes $67.00. Singly, $5.00 is not a lot of money but during the course of a full week it has the potential of adding up to a good amount, and at the end of the month you could be actually losing hundreds of $$$.

It is a tough economy right now, people have scaled back. Perhaps when the salon looked at the bottom line they decided to try to re-capture some of their profit. I think the problem is the wordage the salon is using. Wording is so important, you certainly don't want to alienate the clientele over $$$, but it is also not the clientele's problem regarding bank fees. A true business person may say the salon should raise prices to accommodate the bank fees.

As far as not tipping owners, I would ALWAYS tip, unless they ask you to do otherwise. Owners are usually the unsung heroes of the salon industry, pouring their heart and soul (and expertise)into raw young talent often only to see them give up just before they bloom or fly away in a huff once they've decided they know it all.

7% is extremely high for credit card processing fees. Normally you would only see this with high risk retailers or business owners. But even if this is the case, that business owner should adjust their prices to reflect the high cost of their charges into their fees so that neither the stylists nor the business looks as bad as this one asking for cash :)

I know this is impolite...I usually am polite!... but I just cannot help myself and hope goldgirl and all will forgive this hijack rant:
Can we just once and for all take a vote that will do away with this ridiculous, awkward, sometimes demeaning routine of tipping stylists? Wouldn't everyone prefer to be charged, say , $120 vs. $100, and not need to figure out how much tip is deserved that day? Hmmm, was it a full weave or partial, new style or trim, and OMG! Don't forget the shampoo girl whose service may vary.
Thank you everyone for indulging me...goldgirl, especially. Now carry on with the OP (to which I say, if they will not take my card for all, they lose my patronage.)

For another point of view, although I rarely carry cash, I always stop at the ATM before heading to my salon to get cash for my tips. I always pay for my services with a debit card but always tip in cash. Coming from the NY/NJ area, I am all too familiar with salons in that area and so know just how they are. I don't know why I always gave my tips in cash but I do. I think in my head, it is good for me to reward the stylist with a cash tip for services rendered. Instant gratification I think :-)

leahcate, I respect your opinion but tips are supposed to be a symbol of appreciation so I totally disagree. To be honest, I don't want anyone "charging" me a tip much less deciding on how much it should be for ANY service. Often times, that is the motivation to go the extra distance. Just like at a restaurant when you get bad service you don't tip as well, the same theory is applicable in a salon. I'm very touchy about that stuff and won't use any service that automatically chooses to reward themselves with my wallet. Let's face it, stylists don't always do the best job, and should be tipped accordingly at the clients discretion not the salons.

I add a tip on to the total bill when using my credit and/or debit card and there's never been an issue. The cashier gives me the difference back in cash and I give it to my stylist (who, BTW, is an owner). If it ever came to the point where I could not add the tip to the total and receive the difference in cash to give to the stylist, I would make sure I had cash with me to give for the tip. I would have to agree with lukkirish. There's no impetus for a mediocre stylist or wait person to do their best if a tip is automatically included in the bill. I give a tip to show my appreciation.

In the town I used to live in, most everyone you talked to went to this certain salon. It was a bit higher than others, but it was so classy. It was chic, very friendly and professional. They took your coat for you, got you anything you wanted to drink. After being greeted by the stylist, she asked you all about your hair, what you liked, didn't like, how much time you spend on it, what look your after, ect. Then she washed your hair and gave you a head massage while your feet were reclined up. The stylists all spent an hour on each person receiving a cut and style. When it came time to pay the receptionist, I was told that they don't accept tips. I felt so relieved. I always wonder if I'm tipping enough. It was nice to not have that pressure and just enjoy the experience of being pampered.

The difference I see in tipping at restaurants and tipping at salons is that the waitstaff does not set the prices nor their salaries, whereas in many salons the stylists set their own prices. The only way that a waitperson can earn more money is through tips. Stylists often can raise their own earnings by raising their prices. Of course this doesn't apply to salons like Cost Cutters or Supercuts.

Since credit card companies charge the business a percentage of the total amount charged, the salon's paying a fee based on money they don't collect. If they're not doing big volumes of business, I can see why they might change the policy. And if the stylist has to wait, she or he might not be happy about that.

So, next time, carry some cash.

Tipping is an interesting topic and differs in different cultures. Some countries have no tipping and the workers still manage to give good service. My parents came from a culture where there was no tipping and my father hated having to tip for service which he felt was due him as a customer. He wanted the owner of the establishment to pay the workers their due, and to expect them to do a good job for that pay. If the worker isn't up to snuff, then s/he shouldn't just get low tips, they should be let go.

There's no impetus for a mediocre stylist or wait person to do their best if a tip is automatically included in the bill.
Honestly, no one gives me a tip at work. I do a good job because I take pride in my work, I have an inate drive to do well and because I get satisfaction from doing a good job. And my employer recognizes that in what they pay me. And if a stylist or waiter is mediocre, then is even their best good enough? Shouldn't that job go to someone who is better than mediocre?

Don't get me wrong. I'm actually a very good tipper and tip extra for service above and beyond. What I'm saying is that it's in our culture, tipping is expected and unfortunately, many service industries DON'T pay their workers enough to incentivise good service to the customer. It IS up to us customers to provide that incentive in the form of a tip. IMO, it would work better if they price were set to pay the worker a fair amount, and workers were trained to do a good job for their fair pay -- just as it is done in non-service industries.

The place I've been going to for the past couple of years only accepts cash for EVERYTHING. It's a small local business with probably a low overhead -- very nonfrill. I rarely carry more than a few dollars in cash, so I always have to make a special trip to get cash before I go there. The people are nice, and I've been getting really good haircuts there, which is why I keep going, even though it's a bit of hassle. (It's not particularly cheap, either.)

When we stopped yesterday; we just finished @ Verizon; my daughter asked if we could stop to get her brows done since we were driving by. This place is a block away from Verizon. She went in while I tried to set up my replacement phone; I went in, in a few minutes & sat. When she came out I paid. They had no problem taking the card for services just the tip. She also pointed to a sign on the wall that was written pretty small. My daughter doesn't usually go to this place; she uses another place by her BF's house & usually goes when I give her weekend money (which is rare these days). I forgot to ask if this was policy at the other place too. They don't speak very good English where we went.

IMO, it would work better if they price were set to pay the worker a fair amount, and workers were trained to do a good job for their fair pay -- just as it is done in non-service industries.

We were discussing this at another board I go to; it got pretty heated.

I as a hairdresser hated depending on tips. Where I used to work in North Jersey was an expensive salon that served bagels & coffee. The owners did pretty well.. this is going off of the building; contents of it as well as what they drove & clothes they wore. I don't doubt they could have paid us better so that we didn't have to live off of tips. At the time, I think I was making minimum wage - I made more pumping gas. I was just starting out, doing shampoos, perms & helping with the colorist.

Restaurants are another story.. It's rare we get good service at my favorite place & we refuse to go back after giving them 3 or 4 tries. I will find another Charlie Browns in another town. Waitresses speak to my husband, ignore me; don't watch us when we eat to see if we need more drinks.. my hub has had to get up multiple times to get water or coffee when the waitress was standing far enough so that she couldn't hear us but close enough to see.

Prices go up, portions get smaller.. I don't get it.

Lowspark - I just have to comment on your response. To me, when it comes to service related businesses it's a very gray area. I think there are a LOT of people with good work ethic and motivation to do well. What may be mediocre to one isn't to another and therefore is very subjective.

My whole point was, if I want to say thank you to someone by providing a tip, that's MY choice, not theirs. If the salon has issues with paying whatever fees are paid because tips are charged, that should be between the owner & the stylist. After all, stylists typically pay to rent the chair and everything in that arrangement is negotiable, why inconvenience the customer?

lukki,
I'm not sure if I fully understand your point, but I think we actually agree, at least somewhat.

You said, if I want to say thank you to someone by providing a tip, that's MY choice. However, it seems to me that that's not really how it works. Maybe salons are different since the operators do negotiate terms with the owner. But in restaurants, do servers have a choice? They depend on tips. They cannot survive on the pay they receive from their employer. And the kicker is that we all know this. Therefore, we are in effect obligated to tip. And there goes the choice.

Let's say in a restaurant, we get below par service. Not terrible service, just not really very good service. We might not tip 20% or 18% or 15%... but we will still tip. Why? Because we feel that a tip is obligatory in all cases except maybe the case of extremely bad service. So then the choice isn't whether to tip, it's how much to tip.

And now, I come back to the case of the salons. As you said, stylists typically pay to rent the chair and everything in that arrangement is negotiable. My contention is that yes, it's all negotiable, but only to a point. They aren't going to ignore the fact that customers do tip. And that fact is part of the negotiation. And that goes back to my point that we are essentially obligated to tip.

So are restaurants doing the tip in cash thing now? I haven't encountered that...rather the opposite...they're automatically adding a 15% gratuity to the bill.

I was just at a restaurant the other day for lunch and I had no cash on me, so i paid with my card, and added the tip...since the slip HAS a place to add the tip. The server looked at me a bit odd, but didn't say anything. I guess, in retrospect, he was expecting a cash tip...but if there is space on the slip...why pay cash?

When I travel for work, I have an allotted amount my employer covers, this is to include gratuity. If the meal exceeds the amount, I have to itemize and provide a credit card slip. If I pay cash, I can't get reimbursed for the tip. Of course, this isn't a salon, but my point is that if the service (credit/debit) is offered, paying employees their tip shares at the end of the day, and the shop eating the 3% of that tip for the bank charges is the cost of doing business. I sincerely doubt that merchandise fees are on tips is what is going to put a place out of business. If thats the case, they need to accept cash only.

When we had our business we tripled our volume of sales once we started accepting plastic versus cash/check only. That more than covered the service charge...which was deductible as a business expense anyway.

Lowspark, I waited tables for years when I was younger and sure there is a dependency on tips in the food industry but that doesn't obligate the guest to pay a tip. If I wanted to make decent tips, I did my best to be to provide a good experience for my customers.

Truth be told, I never feel obligated to tip anyone. Don't misunderstand, I'll tip up to 50% if service is exceptional, 25% if it's very good and so on regardless of what type of service I'm receiving; salon, food, car wash, whatever, but if I'm not so happy with the experience, I don't tip.

I think we all have our pet peeves and freedom of choice is mine especially when it concerns our pocketbook. I get very prickly if I feel like my right to choose is threatened. Like most people, we work really hard for our money and I personally refuse to allow anyone to make me feel obligated to pay for something that is supposed to be gratuity. That's what would happen if a tip was incorporated into the service automatically.

I don't really get your point with the salon, I don't feel like it's my responsibility to cover the charge for paying credit, that's between the stylist and the salon. My comment was really directed at the part you said about how well you are at your job and that mediocre people should be replaced. I don't agree with that specific comment in that to me it's a matter of expectation or personal opinion as to who is mediocre and who isn't.

I've probably mentioned this here before, but the most annoying place I've ever seen a tip jar was in a self serve yogurt place. The only thing the cashier/potential tippee did was weigh my yogurt and charge me an exorbitant amount for it.

Terriks - That's not so much annoying as it is hilarious! LOL

I have a hard enough time quickly figuring out what 20% of the bill is....couldn't do 18%!
Most of the time I can do 15% in my head.
Math is not my forte.

Lukki,
We might have to agree to disagree on this. But I will add a couple more comments, just in response to yours.

I don't know anyone who will forgo a tip on bad service unless the service is horrendous. Below par or mediocre still earns a tip. That's my experience. It's anecdotal of course but it seems to me that it's representative of how we've been conditioned in this culture. Yeah, there are some people who will withhold tip for bad service on a regular basis, but I would venture to say that the vast majority tip at least something, no matter what.

We're not legally or physically obligated to tip. We don't get stopped somehow or accused of stealing if we don't tip. But culturally and psychologically, we've been made to understand that tipping is almost required. Again, this is based on my experience and observations. And again, I'm talking in generalities, meaning this applies to the majority, not necessarily everyone.

As far as my point about salons, I wasn't addressing the credit/cash situation. I was simply saying that whether the base pay is negotiable or not -- as in, more negotiable for salon workers than restaurant workers -- the fact that customers tip is still figured into the equation, resulting in a lower base pay amount than would be if no tipping were involved.

it's a matter of expectation or personal opinion as to who is mediocre and who isn't
Yup. I agree 100%. My boss and company have expectations of me and my performance at work. My boss and others whom I work with have personal opinions as to the quality of my work. And those expectations and personal opinions determine how well (or not well) my reviews go -- which leads to my pay.

If those expectations and personal opinions say I'm not performing up to par, I'll be told that and I'll be expected to improve, or at some point, I'll be let go. At least, that's how it works at the company I work for. And I'm pretty happy with that.

Yup, we can agree to disagree, it's all based on experience. Quite honestly though, I think you've missed the whole point of my post which was in response to Leathcates comment about including the tip with the costs.

Again, I don't want anyone forcing me to automatically pay a tip for any service just because. To me, tips are a means to say thank you for a job well done and I won't use services that take my right to decide away from me, period. It has nothing to do with what service it is, how well you or anyone else is at their job or how a corporate environment reviews their employees. I am not a difficult person and am happy to leave a tip even if I'm not 100% happy if the effort is there but still I know I have the option not to tip, and that's good enough for me. That's all.... :c)

Most restaurants in our area automatically add a 20% gratuity to the bill if there are more than 6 people dining in your party. Talk about not having an option...

I find this to be a very interesting discussion, especially since you have experience waiting tables. So I hope I'm coming across that way - discussing, not arguing. :) If it does feel like arguing, please let me know and I'll shut right up.

I think I do understand your point. If they charge $120 and no tip for the same service that they used to charge $100 for, expecting a tip, you feel that the choice of how much to tip has been taken away from you. And once that choice is gone, so is the stylist's incentive to go above and beyond.

So at the $100 + tip rate, you might tip $20, or, depending on the level of service, you might tip $10 or $50 or any other number including zero. At the $120 +no tip rate, the stylist is going to get that $20 whether s/he does a fabulous job or a terrible job. And that is what doesn't sit well with you.

And I completely understand that. That's the culture and mindset in this country. My point is that it isn't that way in all countries. And in those countries, you can still get good service, with the incentive for the server being the same as the incentive for any worker in any job, service or otherwise. Do a good job, be recognized by your boss/company, get paid accordingly. And those who don't do a good job, ideally, get filtered out.

And therein lies the rub. Ideally, they get filtered out, but in reality, inevitably, they won't all get filtered out. And that's how it is in every industry.

And in fact, we don't always get the choice, even in this country. And here's my example: Real estate agents. They provide an intangible service, just as waiters and hair stylists do. But we don't tip them. We don't determine what they will earn from us based on the quality of the service they provide. They get a percentage of the sales price, the percentage being agreed to in advance of receiving the service. So regardless of the level of service they provide, once your house does sell, they get that percentage.

Other services have preset prices as well, legal and medical being some prime examples. They get paid the same regardless of level of service.

I'll be honest here, I don't know what is ideal because I've never actually lived in a country where tipping doesn't exist. Maybe tipping IS better. Being my father's daughter though, I'd rather see the total price, up front. By the same token, I wish they would include sales tax in prices instead of adding it on after the fact. You know, a $10 menu price ends up translating to somewhere between $12 & $15 depending on tax and tip.

I don't expect things to change, and I think most people agree with you in that they want the choice. It's very interesting though, to read different viewpoints.

"intangible service, just as waiters and hair stylists"

I don't think stylists provide intangible service. You can see it, feel it, and work with it every day. Hair is a reflection of an individual, in a society that unfortunately judges us by the way we look. One bad haircut and you know exactly how tangible a stylist can be!!! =)

Igloo, I'm sure you were just commenting that 7% as bank fee in general was high, and didn't mean to imply my salon was a high risk retailer run by a credit risk business owner!!! =) We do pay a bit more because our salon is small and rural and the volume of transactions doesn't meet a certain criteria. I rarely get cash or credit, we still take good old fashioned checks. We treat it as the cost of doing business, to accommodate those who choose to use credit.

Ohhh no no no Never ending, not at all. Sorry for the banker speak!!! "High risk" means different things in the merchant services world than it does in the real world and sometimes I forget and just whip out a topic with banker speak without explaining.

A salon with small charges (below 20 or so including tips) is considered higher risk than one with larger average charges (ie a salon that offers additional services) because clientele tend to not be dedicated to a $7 bill (for instance) and will protest it more likely than a larger bill (say over $100). Seems odd, but its true.

A salon who takes the very rare credit card would be rated higher risk than one who takes them daily because their experience in processing effects risk (experienced processors learn to take id etc). It does not mean that you're a bad person or it's a bad salon, it's just that on the average if you don't meet certain threasholds the account risks tend to elevate. Not that the salon owner or the business is "risky" in a bad way. Sorry about that.

I probably still didn't. An interior decorator is a great example....one charge a week maybe and it's huge....verses a fabric store that sells fabric daily. The decorator is a big risk (did the room in pink and the client wanted coral so they protest the charge) and the fabric store, they're not because the small ticket isn't a big loss due to a retail item being taken from the store (more protests come from intangible services than from the purchase of items).

I give up :) I do hope I did explain somewhat....and if not, let me just say sorry for being a dork :OP

Igloo-thanks but you're fine, thanks though for taking the time to explain!!! =)

You are right, in banking terms we are high risk but not in the way consumers interpret the the wordage. I apologize if I came across snippy, I didn't mean too, which is why I added the smile, but did wanted to clarify- which you did beautifully. DH was in finance for many years,(still is partially)and banks do look at things in ways that include many different parameters not always considered by the regular bank customer. Frustrating on both sides sometimes ! = )

I live in South Jersey. My hair salon does not take charges at all. My nail salon adds additional fees if you use a charge. The nail salon does have an ATM. I know the reason my nail salon does not take a charge is the fees they are charged. The fees may be low $$ wise but it adds up on the volume that the nail salon does.

My nail salon adds additional fees if you use a charge.

A business that adds fees for using credit cards is in violation of their agreement with the CC companies. They can offer a discount for cash, but cannot add fees for CC use.

If it's a high end salon they need to get with the program. It's the 21st century and many people don't carry cash, like me. (lol)

On the other hand, I use to be a hairdresser (many years ago) and never reported the exact amount of my tips. Did you hear that IRS?

....Jane

Ahhh, what a volatile topic. People are passionate whether they fall in the tip or anti-tip crowd.

Just for the record, I tip, but I dislike the practice greatly!

I have lived overseas and loved the practice of NO tips. Restaurants in Europe pay their staff fairly and train them well. Great service--and not the stupidly perky kind of stuff you see in the States, but professional and courteous. I miss that!

I've been a portrait and wedding photographer and I don't understand why a poor, overworked wedding photographer doesn't get tips...don't I need incentive and love, too? My feet, back, and arms HURT after a evening photoing annoying wedding party participants. :0) My hubby is a pilot...I believe every passenger should hand him a twenty after every successful landing...otherwise, he might not have the motivation to be good at his job.

Arrrggghhhh, what happened to doing a great job because you care about doing a great job?

"...Restaurants in Europe pay their staff fairly and train them well. Great service--and not the stupidly perky kind of stuff you see in the States, but professional and courteous. I miss that!"
You mean you wouldn't miss hearing "or are ya still workin' on it?", before your plate is removed. And speaking of: you wouldn't miss the hurried way plates are removed, regardless of who may still be eating? Usually me, and I just hate it. When was that courteous rule tossed aside? End of OT rant...thanks. :>)

The salon that I go to for myself doesn't allow the tip to be put in w/ everything else. It has to be separate and it's been that way forever.

When I used to have expensive treatments done like relaxers, colors and cuts 1 trip to the salon could cost me way over $300 easy. I knew my stylists very well and would tip w/ a check.

Now I only have my hair blown out straight every now and again but I'm so used to the habit of carrying cash to tip everyone that does everything that it's totally the norm for me.

I'm such a dork - I go into Manayunk w/ my little cash bundles paperclipped together w/ a stickie w/ the name of each person that will be doing something. It can be as many as 4 little bundles. I've been in the habit for years of finding out how much a particular service is and having my tip ready before going. If it's someone new the tip amount may be more or less but I always know what to expect.

I wanted to follow up on my original post, as I returned to the salon last week ready to have a chat with the manager if they again requested a cash tip. When I told them I needed to put the tip on my credit card, they gladly obliged with no comment, so I can only assume other customers felt the same way and complained!