I do tip my stylist even though she is the owner but it's not a pricey place. She is doing ok but certainly not rolling in it. This is a working class area, she is open 6 days a week and some evenings and seems to work a lot of hours. I assume she would not work 12 hours a day if she didn't have to.

I might feel differently if it was a super pricey place with employees where she was making money off of what her employees do too. But maybe not - I tend to err on the side of "tip if I feel like it" vs. not tipping because it's "not necessary".

I used to go to a guy that was the salon owner and the first time I went there, I, as normal, gave a tip. He returned it, explained that he was the shop owner and that it wasn't necessary to tip him.

I am one to always tip. The gal I go to now doesn't own the shop. Something I also do, and would be nice for someone you didn't tip, is usually a cash gift at the holidays.

tina

I go to the owner of a local salon. The prices are not outrageous but still pricey (to me). I give him a 10% tip each visit but I don't do it "because this or that". I love the way he cuts my hair, it hasn't looked this good ever and he's a hoot and extremely sweet.
For the holidays I usually make him a gift basket. This year it's a small bottle of limoncello, 2 appertif glasses, some home made cranberry-orange almond biscotte, a jar of home made peach melba jam and an ornament that I painted (I give him one every year).

The owner of the salon cuts my hair, so I don't tip him. However, I usually take a nice bottle of wine or something like that if I am in for a cut during holiday week. I have seen other customers give him a tip which he happily puts in his pocket. While I have been with the owner for many many years and am always very happy with my cuts, I personally think its tacky for the owner of any type of salon to take a tip from a customer. JMO.

I generously tip the girl who colors my hair as she does a great job and makes a point of "staying with me" during the color process. Many of the colorists rely on the support staff to watch the timers, rinse and wash, pretty much handle all of steps after colorist finishes putting in the foils. I very much appreciate that I don't have multiple people involved in my color process.

A few years back I treated my mom to a spray tan before a November trip we took to Disney. The spray tan business slows up drastically after Labor Day in our neck of the woods, so the owner sprayed my mom. DM wanted to/offered the owner a tip. I was very impressed that the owner would not hear of it. She stood firm despite DM insisting that she accept the tip. She absolutely refused to accept it.

It seems that your dilemma about tipping is more with the colorist/wife than the stylist/owner/husband.

I have been going to the same owner/stylist outside Chicago for a LOT of years - I don't tip him, never have and it has nothing to do with his fees or how they compare to 'downtown' prices. He's on a par with other stylists on the North Shore, or a bit less. If he was ridiculously cheap like a Hair Cuttery, then I would consider it because otherwise it's not a living wage. Since you are a new client at this holiday time of year, if you like your first cut/style, bring in a small gift a few days later.

If the wife of my stylist became his colorist, I wouldn't tip her. She is a co-owner in essence because of their marital status even if it's not on paper or the business license. But again, if you are pleased after the fact, at this time of year it's easy to bring a small gift later in appreciation.

Oh how this topic confuses me. Yes I too had always heard that you do not tip the owner. I had gone to the same stylist for 6 years and always gave her a 20% tip and at Christmas a gift - wine, a basket of her favorite coffees and candy etc.

That is until she became the owner of the shop and made a point of telling all her customers that she would still appreciate a tip. And then had the nerve to mention the "there's nothing wrong with giving cash at Christmas rather than a gift."

I paid, didn't tip and never returned.

Wow mcmann, I think I would have reacted just the way you did. :/

Well, I'm home, with a good cut and good color. I was happy, so I did tip them. Not traditional 20%, more like 15. Because they did a good job and it's the holidays. Maybe next time I won't. They're doing well, he's booked solid. The tip was also handled very discreetly. I didn't ask, and when I was paying up at the receptionist, after I had paid my bill she saw me still looking for smaller bills. Can't remember the exact words, but something along the lines of 'of course it's not obligatory, but if you're thinking of a tip we have envelopes right here', then from a desk drawer came one w/each person's name (owner and wife). So they don't leave the envelopes out (my regular salon has those tip envelopes all over the joint. ;)

They do have two other stylists that work there, but they aren't employees. They are viewed as independent and rent their space, do their own scheduling, etc. So I guess that means income from them is a flat monthly rate, rather than % of what's done for clients. Not even sure that's relevant.

Oh, and I sure hope I didn't sound snooty above. My hair is baby fine, and so many stylists over the years at mid-range priced salons don't take that into account, and I end up with a cut that belongs on someone else with super thick hair. It just doesn't work. Found one girl in all these years that charged average rates, did a great job, but she had a baby and that was that. Last summer I went to a local mid-priced place in a pinch. Ended up with too many really funky layers that splayed out at the ends and instead of highlights had very pronounced steps from blond to golden brown. Felt like a skunk who had stuck his paw in a light socket! ;D

Just seems like the salon downtown, and now this one, have people with better skills and more advanced training, and they can do wonders with my hair. Tho it's really more than I should be spending, I've never once gotten bad cut nor color. They just seem to be able to do a cut that puts much more volume and swing in my hair, so it's worth it to me not to have to look at a mess in the mirror every day. ;)

With all that said, I'm still confused about what to do next time with the tip. Sheesh.

Dh used to go to a salon to get his hair cut. He always tipped unless it was the owner cutting his hair. When the price jumped to $30 he said aidos and started going to a barbershop.

I cut my own hair and am trying to live with the gray. Haven't been to a "salon" since the late 70s.

No - you didn't sound snooty at all - prices for hair services are all over the map and sometimes just outrageous, IMO! As long as you liked the service and feel comfortable with how things were handled in the salon, that's all that matters. It's nice that things are handled discreetly and even nicer that mention was made that tipping isn't obligatory.

Around here, a haircut can cost $80. easy. No, they aren't trained any better, they are just full of themselves.

A dye and haircut that costs $145. before the $30.00 tip? No thanks. I now travel almost 40 minutes to get a $28.00 haircut (before tip) by a professional with specific training on cutting curly/wavy hair. I love what she does and it is worth the tip every six weeks.

Hair people should not make more money than my Doctor but it seems they do around here.

I never tip owners.

I don't tip the owner.

Maybe golddust lives in my neck of the woods!

I went to a salon a few blocks from work (snooty salon, if you ask me); several co-workers have gone there. I hated my cut. (I communicate, I show magazine photos--nothing worked with the stylist!)

But here was the surprising part: The stylist had a blow-drying person! The stylist actually stepped aside and the blow-drying person took over! (Never mind that the blow-drying person did not hear my discussion with the stylist about what I wanted my hair to look like.)

So here's my question: When I tip at a salon, I tip the washer and the stylist only if that person is not the owner. Now we have to tip the blow-drying "specialist"? Sheesh! (I've not been back to that place!)

I went to school and got my license in the 80's. Started at a barber shop; then went to a ritzy salon. At the salon; there was a colorist with shampoo person. At the hair cutting stations; there were more stylists with more shampoo people. The stylist cut and if giving a perm, wrapped the hair. The shampooer did the rest of the perm work; some times spending more time with the person then the actual stylist.

I was thankful for any tips; although I did not expect it.
The owners did not accept tips; and if they did, it went into a jar IIRC for later use on bagels & coffee supplies. I don't recall them putting it in their pockets.

Some places had a community tip jar that got divided at the end of the day.

As far as higher priced salons; they could or might not have more training. I personally wouldn't pay someone a lot of money to cut my hair. I'm lucky if I can find someone that does a good job on pin straight long hair. Not many can.

Every shop is different. You can offer a tip and they can say no or they will take it. You then have to decide what you can live with as a customer.

I do tip salon owners, I think not tipping them is an old tradition that is dyeing
( ha ha ha )..............

I was a small business owner and people have no clue of all the operating expenses associated with that. So my point is I'm not surprised salon owners accept tips.

I just wish all tipping would be eliminated everywhere; establish a fair wage for work and charge me for it. No tipping, no bartering, no negotiating, no sales, make life simpler................. how much is this, thank you, goodbye.

I gave my GD a haircut and highlight gift at her favorite salon. Her father's 1st cousin owned it and she had cut Haley's hair before. She was expensive but it was a splurge for a special occasion.

We made the appointment 6 weeks in advance and asked for Catherine. No problem. Well, Catherine greeted us warmly and gave us a tour of her new spa but she appointed her hair 'specialists' to do everything. It seems Catherine no longer styled hair. Requesting her services meant a personal greeting?

$185. later, we felt like we had been tricked by our own family! We felt they should have said Catherine no longer cuts hair instead of making the appointment and leading us to believe Catherine was going to cut Haley's hair. Family or not, we haven't been back.

I also have some strong opinions about higher end hair products that claim they are all natural. I am very allergic to coal tar products and it (or a cousin) seems to be the favorite ingredient for preservatives. None of the hair product experts seems to know anything about the ingredients in their products and seem very surprised anyone could be allergic to their $28. shampoo.

I tip the person that does my hair. The main reason I don't cut hair for a living is because you can't make any money at it in the area I live and I'm not willing to move. My loss. You would fall over if I told you what a cut costs. No, actually you'd want to move near me. :) Failed to really think of that before school. I'd feel like I was ripping them off without a decent tip! If they charged what I thought was outrageous I might not be so quick to do so.

"I just wish all tipping would be eliminated everywhere; establish a fair wage for work and charge me for it. No tipping, no bartering, no negotiating, no sales, make life simpler................. how much is this, thank you, goodbye."

I agree! When we were on our honeymoon all tips were included in the prices (and for the cost, it darn well should've been) but we felt funny/rude not tipping. We didn't the entire time but most of it. The people were very nice and nobody held a gun to our head but it would be so much easier if there were a set price period.

Ha, as I just read over this I guess I don't fully agree with my last paragraph. If I were told I wasn't allowed to tip and I really wanted to because that person was wonderful I would be annoyed. Ah, well. Hopefully someone can make sense of that.

I never tip my hairdresser who is the owner. But I do tip the shampoo girl and generally buy my hairdresser a xmas present.

Geez, Goldust eighty bucks for a haircut? Maybe I should think about going back into doing hair.

....Jane

When I first started with my current hairstylist, I already knew her a little, she was one of my bank clients. Knowing she owned her salon, I simply asked, "May I add a tip for you?" and she said that that was very nice of me....(meaning Yes, of course) When in doubt, just ask.

And I guess I am behind the times in tips for stylists. My cut/style is $40, about average around here, and I leave $45. For 30 minutes work from the wash to the spray, I think that's reasonable.

Red