I would have tipped $6. You can go back and they will fix the smudge.

It would be $6 for me too. I tip 20 percent for all services as a base, 25 to 30 if I am very happy.

I started out going because my sister gifted me with one. that rolled into it being twice a year (BD and Christmas). We went together and it was good time spent with each other too! then about 10 yrs ago I decided it was just too difficult for me to do my own anymore so we usually go together every 6 wks or so now.

here's a tip - buy and take your own base / top coat and polish. what they have there is also used on every other customer they have.

Jasdip, did they have you dry your toes under an air dryer? I always go through 2 cycles when I get pedis and wait at least a couple of hours before putting on socks. I have been known to run into the grocery store in my flip flops (I take nice, good supportive ones), but no one seems to care. I wouldn’t do it in snow though.

I think 20% is normal, unless you are a regular. Then you might get by with a little less since you go often.

15-20% if the service is good is more than adequate. Less if it's not.

I think a lot of people, more women than men, have an emotional feeling about people working minimum wage jobs and see tipping in such situations as a way to contribute to that person's welfare. Which, of course, is silly. When buying goods or services from a small seller, do you pay more than the asking price to help them out? Overpay at garage sales or on Craigslist? I suspect not. There's no reason to "overpay" with a tip either.

I tipped $4, and she was thrilled. The lady ahead of me gave her $30 and told her to keep the change. We Cdns are cheap, by the looks of it!!!

I was under the blower, and she saw my sandals and helped me put my feet in slow. I'll probably just leave it, as no one else sees my toosies. I do like getting them done as my toes are a pia to trim, they curve inwards, not nice straight toes!

I always tip $5.00 for a pedicure. It is well worth it.

I think $4 was good.

I usually do 15-20%.

Hubby and I have always tipped at restaurants etc. I know more people than I should who don't tip, period. If they want tips, they should get a different job mentality.

We used to take advantage of 2 for 1 dinner specials or buy 1 get the other 50% deal. I always tipped for 2 full meals, not the cost of the meal. The wait staff was doing their full work and should be tipped accordingly.

Jasdip, a place we go to that has really good food has some nightly specials with lower prices. We sometimes choose them for the choice, not the price, but I'll similarly tip as if paying full price. It's the restaurant that's granting the discount, not the server.

I gladly pay an exceptional tip for exceptional service. The key word is exceptional, meaning, out of the ordinary, unusual. Such is the case at the restaurant I had in mind above - they know us, they go out of their way to give us an experience superior to what's normal or expected.

Normal or expected service for me is paid 15-18%. Any more and I'd feel foolish.

Hi desertsteph,

Just wondering ... do you and sis both have the mental and visual acuity, plus the necessary agility, to provide such care to one another's feet, should you so choose?

Maybe choose such service to one another routinely, and go to the shop as a fun outing, as earlier, for birthdays, anniversaries or whenever.

You could tip one another the $5.00 - 6.00 to make her feel good, and save the fee ... or give it to someone who's homeless or an agency that helps people in need, etc.

My varicose veins caused my doc to recommend pressure socks about 10 - 11 years ago, I got a couple of pair one spring and a third, a bit tighter, that fall, at about 40 bucks each, 10 bucks less immediate rebate using loyalty card that usually offers just points.

I've worn them in sequence almost every day, washing each evening after use. They have non-elasticized toes and heels that I've had to darn from time to time. As it seems that the holes appear at the location of the big toe, I've felt it important, as a labour-saving project to keep the nails trimmed - haven't found a way to trim the heel, as holes appear there from time to time, also.

Store called a couple of years ago to know how the socks were doing - seem to be O.K.: how do I know when they're not?

They slide.

Mine are staying in place: don't slide!

So they're still working: still getting holes in toes (and heels - but not much I can to reduce that).

Glad that I can (still) reach my toes, to reduce the holiness they make in those socks (former clergyperson speaking).

ole joyful

Pedicures are wonderful. I don't have them very often, but love it when I do. Agree about the tip being 15-20%. I have been going to my hairdresser for over 30 years and always tip her 20%. I believe I tip the lady who does the pedicures for me 15%, but can't recall.

Buy your own polish and bring it to use for your pedicure. Then you can easily repair any smears or chips between pedicures.

Buy your own polish and bring it to use for your pedicure

also the polishes they use, they use on other people and the brushes can transfer a fungus. I know.

I don't want nail polish. I don't require the services of a podiatrist. What do men pay for a pedicure?

I think a lot of people, more women than men, have an emotional feeling about people working minimum wage jobs and see tipping in such situations as a way to contribute to that person's welfare. Which, of course, is silly. When buying goods or services from a small seller, do you pay more than the asking price to help them out? Overpay at garage sales or on Craigslist? I suspect not. There's no reason to "overpay" with a tip either.

Your comparison is silly. The “small seller,” the person holding the garage sale and the Craigslist seller all have the ability to set their own prices—as do all business owners; the person working for minimum wage, however, does not.

By the way, not only do I not appreciate your gender stereotyping, I think the assertion being made is wrong.

I always tip more to someone who does a pedicure for me.

I’ve gotten very few. Hate how someone else has to kneel before me to do one.

sammy, I was describing what I have experienced, more females talking about tipping excessively than males, because "I feel sorry for her, she's supporting a family with what she earns" or something like that. I've heard something like that more than a few times. When having the discussion with males, this point of view has never been suggested. My experiences may be unrepresentative. But I don't think so.

I'll describe for you a person who is emotional, empathetic and nurturing, prone to being upset when seeing or hearing of anyone or anything with problems and or other than healthy and other than happy. Who may be brought to tears when hearing about tragic events or situations or seeing them as in a movie . After doing so, I'll ask you - "Is the person I'm describing more likely to be an adult male or an adult female?" What will your answer be?

Yes, it's a matter of degree. You can try to deny that there are personal and personality characteristics that are more common in one gender than the other (of all sorts) but we all know there are plenty of them. With exceptions, of course.

I don't agree with waitresses showing enormous tips on social media. Practically shaming the public into over-tipping by massive amounts. The latest feel-good crap is giving wait staff a 2020 tip!

Good tip about bringing my own polish!!! See, I don't know these things! LOL Good question about how much it would be without polish etc. A man brought his elderly mother in for a nail trim. She had a walker and running shoes. She just sat in the chair in the waiting area and the attendant trimmed her nails. No idea what the charge was. I should look into that! I really don't need the leg massage, hot towels, massaging chair treatment etc.

Chisue, it depends on the salon. Many will charge a little less if you don’t get polish. Some still charge the same as if you get polish. Every now and then I get a pedicure with no polish - if I wear polish more often than not, my nails get a white, chalky look.

mine charges the same with or without it. I like to take a break from polish too and let my nail breathe.

Regarding tipping -- many years ago, everyone who worked in a salon, whether they were a hairdresser or a nail technician, had to give the salon owner a percentage of their gross sales. That percentage was generally* 40%. That's why customers didn't tip the salon owner - because s/he was making money off of everyone in the place.

Times have changed, though. Now, the folks working in the salons generally* are renting their station space. And, since they are paying rent for the space and what they make is theirs to keep, customers often* don't tip because they're not supplementing anyone's income.

*I say "generally" and "often" because this is not a hard-and-fast absolute.

My former mother-in-law (my first marriage) was a hairdresser and owned her own salon. She wouldn't accept tips from her customers, and told them it was because she already made money on everyone who came through the door. My niece will soon be opening her own salon. She is in the process of renovating and decorating the space (she bought a building). She is not a hairdresser or a nail technician. She's a savy businesswoman. She will have estheticians, hairdressers, nail technician, etc., and will rent space to them.

lindsey, how is what you described in the second paragraph different from the first? Aren't these the same thing? I thought "renting the chair" means paying a percentage of the revenue to the shop's owner.

joyfulguy -

"Hi desertsteph,

Just wondering ... do you and sis both have the mental and visual acuity, plus the necessary agility, to provide such care to one another's feet, should you so choose?"

that crossed my mind a few yrs back, but one of us would probably lose a toe doing that. her vision is worse than mine - I've watched her squint at her cell phone while she pokes at it. I don't want her near my toes with a sharp object. and my right hand tends to shake when I try to do fine work with a small tool plus I have 3 trigger fingers on that hand. so we are safer going to the pedi place and pay them to do it. probably cheaper too if you account for copays at the urgent center!

for my rough heels I use a large file made for that job - and lotion. I probably just picked that 'sander' tool up at Walmart but it's something like this found on Amazon.

I appreciate your story, desertsteph!

There was a guy who ran a repair shop in a village where I lived 50 years ago, mainly dealing with small engines, whose hands and fingers quivered so much that he had to hold one hand with the other to keep it in line.

I find that my fingers (and hands, a bit) have started taking the quivering habit, recently ... so am careful to get the (large) scissors in the place that I'm comfortable with, before I squeeze ... and when the scissors are seated beside a firm place, like the tip of my toe, the risk of unwanted shifting is reduced pretty well to near zero.

I'm thankful that, nearing 91, though I've been dealing with a few health issues, they haven't restricted me much and I'm still able to do pretty well what I could in earlier years (if I can remember what they were!).

Maybe a good idea to keep anything but a clipper out of your sister's hands!

Good wishes to you both as you get on with your lives.

ole joyful

Lindsey made a point which I've often wondered/agonized over.......how much to tip the owner when they provide the service. Again, people I know would never tip an owner.

My hair stylist used to work out of her home, but I still gave her a tip as she did the service. Now she rents a chair in a salon and of course still gets a tip.

The pedicure was done by the owner of the salon, husband and wife team, with family and employees working for them.

Again, she provided the service so I tipped. I calculated it last night and it was 15% which is fair. They also offer a 10% discount if paying by cash. That's me, a cash payer.

Tipping on food is always done before taxes. I'm not going to tip on the tax. Our GST (tax) is 13% so that gives me an idea what to tip. I look at the tax and add more.

"I'm thankful that, nearing 91, though I've been dealing with a few health issues, they haven't restricted me much and I'm still able to do pretty well what I could in earlier years (if I can remember what they were!)."

you are very blessed indeed, keep on going! I remember the things I used to be able to do but can't do anymore - and that is frustrating!

elmer wrote, "lindsey, how is what you described in the second paragraph different from the first? Aren't these the same thing? I thought "renting the chair" means paying a percentage of the revenue to the shop's owner."

No, it's not the same thing. Years ago, a hairdresser or nail technician simply paid a percentage (typically 40%) of their earnings to the salon owner. If a hairdresser did $3,200 worth of business in a month, s/he would pay $1,280 to the salon owner, and the remainder ($1,920) was what was kept by the hairdresser. In modern times, the stylist/technican rents space for a set amount, say, $600 a month. If the monthly business is the same ($3,200), the stylist/technician now gets to keep $2,600. The amount of rent remains the same no matter how much business the stylist/technician does.

Don't get distracted by the terms, it's the same basic arrangement. The shop provides the facility, the worker pays for use of the space. Whether the amount to be paid is a fixed amount or a percentage of production, the relationship between the two is the same.

I think you've said you worked in a government job so you might not be familiar with private sector practices. In retail rental agreements, something called "percentage rent" is very common. A lease agreement (the words lease and rent are pretty interchangeable) may provide for a fixed or stair-stepped over time rent amount per month. Or the amount payable may be a percentage of revenue. Or both, a fixed amount and then an overage at a certain percent of revenue in excess of X. All are the same basic relationship, that was what I was suggesting and, as I often do, not expressing clearly. This is the same thing as the shop itself may be subject to, just on a smaller scale.

"Hate how someone else has to kneel before me to do one."

My feeling, too. Can't do it. Same with massages unless rx'd for PT.

elmer, I sincerely wish that you would never, ever, respond to anything I post.

"I think you've said you worked in a government job ..." You know damn good and well that I worked for the State of California. "... so you might not be familiar with private sector practices." I have also worked in the private sector. In fact, my time working in the private sector was less than a year's difference than my time working for the government.

I'm not "distracted by terms" and it is not "the same basic arrangement." Paying a percentage of a monthly intake is quite a bit different than paying a set amount of rent each month. You claim to be a CPA. If you are, indeed, somewhat good at mathematics, you ought to be able to figure out that paying 40% of an intake of $3,520 in one month means that "you" would be paying out $1,408. But, if you had a set monthly rent of $600, "you" would only be paying out $600 per month. If you cannot see the difference between $1,408 and $600, well, your former clients may be in trouble with the IRS and California Franchise Tax Board.

Paying a percentage of monthly intake means that you never know how much you can count on having to pay each month. Paying a flat monthly rental rate means that you always know in advance how much you are going to have to pay for renting the space you use.

If you think it's the same thing, they why wasn't your mortgage payment based on a percentage of your household total income each month? As you and your wife would get raises at work, your mortgage payment would increase correspondingly. No, you had a set mortgage amount each month, and when your household would get an increase in income, you had extra income to spend or save.

Don't be disappointed that I don't take notes or pay that close attention to whatever snippets of the real world people share about themselves over time. Not for you or anyone else, so that's why my comment was tentative.

Many expenses of a business or a person providing services can be described as variable and uncertain in amount - the food a restaurant purchases every month to serve is a good example, utilities, payroll for part-timers who fill in when it's busy, and on and on. The rent a restaurant in a shopping center pays every month (fixed and percentage rent components as I described are very common) would be called semi-variable.

Your misunderstanding what I said and the silly words to later try to "elaborate" suggest clearly that what I described is unfamiliar and new to you. No problem, you learned something. That doesn't dispute or make these common, vanilla commercial practices disappear. Lots of people work in private sector jobs without needing to know or work with the financial and commercial practices that business may be involved with and perhaps that was true for you.

Do you sometimes get involved in promoting lost causes, Lindsey?

Sometimes folks have tried to muzzle, Elmer .... with little success, I think.

Granted, you weren't trying for a general muzzle - just, please don't get involved with discussing any of my contributions in future.

It seems to me this is a forum for general discussion, with provision for controversial or abusive submissions to be deleted if complaints to the managers are sustained.

Dad , with whom I didn't live after age 18, used to say, "He who is convinced against his will ... is of the same opinion still"!

How often have you convinced Elmer of the validity of your claim ... or he you of his? Or was much common ground achieved as a result of the discussion?

Sometimes we can disagree ... without being disagreeable - would one consider it worthwhile to be respectful/diplomatic?

I've beenbeen having trouble with autocorrect today - it just does its own thing ... and all I can do is ... juggle!

ole

ETA: joyful ... I forgot that if I don't hit "space" after writing a letter or a word ... it'll likely disappear ... s("space" "backspace")o hit "space", then "backspace")

The "joyful" ("space" "backspace") should stay, this time.

"Your misunderstanding what I said and the silly words to later try to "elaborate" suggest clearly that what I described is unfamiliar and new to you. No problem, you learned something. ... Lots of people work in private sector jobs without needing to know or work with the financial and commercial practices that business may be involved with and perhaps that was true for you."

Nope. I completely and fully understand variable and semi-variable, as well as fixed.

The point I was trying to make, which apparently flew right over your head, is that there is, indeed, a difference between paying a percentage of sales to the suite owner as opposed to paying fixed rent to the suite owner. If I am paying a percentage of my intake each month, it doesn't matter how many hours I work or how much money I bring in, because the ratio remains the same. As long as my portion of that ratio is enough to cover my monthly expenses (home mortgage, utilities, car payment, groceries, etc.), I can work as much or as little as I desire. If I am paying a fixed rental amount each month to the suite owner, it can definitely affect me more. If my monthly rent is $600 but I only work enough to bring in $120, I still have to pay the suite owner $600. This will adversely affect all of my other financial responsibilities. I'm sorry that you can't see that difference.

For the record, whether you retain this info or not - our home is owned free and clear, as is my car, and my husband's car. We do pay for utilities each month, and food.

elmer wrote, "lindsey, how is what you described in the second paragraph different from the first? Aren't these the same thing? I thought "renting the chair" means paying a percentage of the revenue to the shop's owner."

I then explained how these are NOT the same thing. Paying a percentage of gross receipts -- which varies monthly -- is NOT the same as paying a fixed amount of monthly rent.

Then elmer said, "Don't get distracted by the terms, it's the same basic arrangement. The shop provides the facility, the worker pays for use of the space. Whether the amount to be paid is a fixed amount or a percentage of production, the relationship between the two is the same."

While I fully understand that there is an owner-tenant relationship in both scenarios, elmer cannot seem to realize that there is a difference between the tenant paying a variable amount each month to the owner and the tenant paying a fixed amount each month to the owner.

And he face palms! Sheesh.

Anyone here in a mood for putting palms together, thinking that this performance deserves applauapplause?

o j

LOL Guess I started reading this on a day that Elmer had another fight

with his wife. Poor Elmer...the females of the world are just awful, aren't they?

But, you obviously look for forums with lots of women.

Don't feel too badly, I think the term MCP was invented for you.

OP: have the pedicurist put your sandals on before they paint/polish your nails, that way you are not slipping your sandals on with wet toes.

i stay under the dryer for about 10-15 mins before i leave and no smudges :)

i tip $4-5 for a $20 pedicure, depending if i like the service, which mostly means the massaging part - my favorite!

my salon does not get on their knees, they are on small wheeled stools.

Ever notice how virtually every thread Elmer comments on deteriorates rapidly after his comments into an "I am right because I am Elmer and obviously know more than any of the rest of you misinformed plebeians" repetition despite whatever usually valid comments anyone else may have?

OJG is right. He is an arguer - he likes the debate regardless if he is right or wrong and he likes to flaunt his belief of superiority however unrealistic it may be. You will never convince him of the validity of your opinions, so best to just ignore him.

I would say he is misogynistic but he seems to jump on the guys just as often as the gals....there are just more females that post so they get the brunt of his verbal hammer.

sprtphntc, I've never seen technicians being on their knees. Mine certainly aren't......like yours, they're on wheeled stools and my feet are put on a cushioned support where they're easy to work on. One foot is soaking on bubbling water and the other is being tended to.

It was the type of sandal, obviously, the kind with piece over top, and my pinkies are hidden. I'll buy flip flops specifically for this purpose.

"Hate how someone else has to kneel before me to do one."

That's ridiculous, IMO. First of all, any salons/spa I've been to have pedicure chairs that are elevated, or recline (much like a lazy boy) so your feet are in the air. The esthetician then just sits on a stool near your feet. Second, they are doing your pedicure or massage because they made a career choice to do so. Why would I feel guilty about that?

The spa I go to offers various pedicures - express, classic, signature, etc. The classic and signature include a foot and leg massage. My husband and I go together regularly, during the summer especially. He obviously doesn't get polish but he loves the leg massage so they give him some extra time with that while I'm having my polish done.