Liz Asks: How do you tip in salons?
This was actually a Reader Question that I decided to turn into a question for everybody instead. Why? Because many of us aren't sure about the standard tipping rate in the beauty industry, or that there is such a thing to begin with. The best way to find out is to ask everyone and hopefully find a general guide for best practices in tipping in salons.
The tipping culture here in the Philippines is a bit weird. It's not like in Western countries where service personnel expect and even often demand a 10-20% tip, or in Japan where giving a tip is considered an insult. Here, there seem to be tiers in giving tips, depending on how swanky a place is. We tip very minimally in say, neighborhood salons, but tip more in high-end places. But it's unusual to tip the salon owner as we feel he or she might be insulted, or worse, that we didn't give enough.
Should we give tips, even though there is a service charge included in the price or even if the personnel already receive a salary?
In my opinion, giving a tip is a way for me to say thank you to the person I just spent an hour or two of my life with. If I had a pleasant time and loved the results then yes a tip is definitely in order! It's me simply acknowledging that I felt she gave extra effort in helping me.
I give the girl who lasers me P200 every time; it's not a big percentage considering the actual price of the service, but it's what I feel is right to give. So vague right? But to me P200 seems reasonable. I leave P50-100 bucks to people who shampoo, blow dry, or give me manicures and facials. This depends on how high-end the salon is and how happy I am with the service. If I'm not happy, I tip a grand total of zero.
I give a bit more to the hairstylist, but NOT if he owns the place or if I'm with a doctor in an aesthetic center.
I might sound like a stingy miserly person to you now, but I asked a few friends and this seems to be the standard among them. Told you, the tipping culture is weird here. We don't follow the 10-20% rule. We give what people seem to expect depending on the level of service, location, and target market.
It's your turn! How do you tip in salons?
