If you have ever gone to a hair salon for needed attention to your hair and then didn’t know what amount of money should be added onto the basic charges as a gratuity, don’t feel alone! For whatever reason, this simple act of tipping seems to be largely misunderstood and/or not correctly applied to the hard-working members of the hair salon industry. This article will try to provide answers to some of the most common questions about gratuities in the hair care business.

Bribe vs. Satisfaction?

As a customer of a hair salon, it's customary to leave a gratuity to your stylist. Unlike the basic payment for services, giving a tip is voluntary and the amount discretionary. Giving a tip is one way of saying ‘thank-you’ to your hairstylist for their service, just in monetary terms. This compensation is not meant to be a bribe to allow you to return to this person; it is meant as a means to indicate your level of satisfaction with the services provided.

How much?

The most common question customers ask is how much to give as a gratuity. The actual amount varies since it is a percentage of the total amount paid for services rendered. Typically, the tip should be about 10%-15% of how much your services cost. You can go higher or lower within that range dependent upon how satisfied you are with the end result.

If your hairstylist did more than what would normally be expected of them, you can certainly calculate an amount over the 15% guide. Also, many customers elect to give a much more generous amount during the holiday season as a ‘gift’ to their beautician.

Who Do I Tip in a Hair Salon?

A tip is only intended for the individual who gave you the basic service. Although it is true that

some salons have assistants who perform some portion of the overall services, it is still more common to leave one gratuity to the person who provided the most service. Many times, that person has an agreement to ‘share’ the total tip with certain other workers in the salon. It is also most common to have a central person/receptionist who handles the payment and provides a receipt. You can always ask that person what the policy is for that particular hair salon in order to help you calculate the amount of tip to leave. That allows you to include it all in one check or credit card payment rather than having to provide separate payments for each individual service provided.

Some people feel that if the owner of the salon provides the service, a gratuity is neither accepted nor anticipated. In my experience, however, the salon owner works hard if not harder than many of the individual hairstylists and is certainly entitled to a gratuity as well. Let each circumstance determine how you handle this situation. If the person refuses the tip, simple express your thanks for the services rendered and don’t insist otherwise.

Satisfied or Dissatisfied?

If you are happy with the services provided, then all of the above information will apply as indicated. On the other hand, are you unsure what to do if you not satisfied with the services? What is correct here? Each case is going to be different; however, there are some basic common sense principles that apply to these circumstances.

A minor dissatisfaction probably still leaves you with some sort of responsibility to leave a tip; it just means that you can decide anywhere from the 10% to the 15% area as to the amount you wish to leave. On the other hand, if you are extremely dissatisfied with your end result, you probably need to ask to speak with the salon manager or owner. Discuss your problems with that person and hopefully it can be resolved in some fashion before you leave.

The error in leaving without talking to anyone and without leaving a tip is that this act does not relay your exact problems about the service you received. Face it, people cannot mind read as to whether you had a problem with your services or are just a ‘tightwad’ with your money! It will help everyone by speaking with someone in authority about your specific dissatisfaction. That way, the person in authority can either refund your money or offer to have another hairstylist work with you to achieve a better result, maybe even before you leave the salon.

Under most normal circumstances, tipping is definitely a great way to build-up your relationship with the salon staff. It is the one way you can thank them for their services and motivate them to keep up the great work!