# Tipping hairdressers



## amanda_hd (Oct 16, 2004)

Hi Ladies

Just a quick question about tipping.  I have never tipped a hairdresser, i get my hair done every 8 weeks ish and always buy products - last week i spent £150 on half head highlights, cut and dry but i alternate between half and full head - so last time i spent £220.  The reason i ask is that the hair dresser and the colourist were very strange and were lingering when i was paying.  I never get to have the same person each time as i only have very small opportunities for having my hair done.  Last time was the first time i had juniors doing my hair - do junior staff usually get tipped?

I feel bad about going back as i may have offended.  what is the general consensus on tipping a hairdresser  

Thanks ladies

Amanda


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## ~ Chux ~ (Apr 8, 2003)

My mum always tips the hairdressers and I think it used to be the done thing, but not so much anymore. AFAIC they charge enough and I don't tip.

Chux xx


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## ~ S ~ (Oct 27, 2003)

I often wonder this as well   But, like you, I pay £115 each time I go so I really don't see why on earth I should tip on top. They also charge me £15 for giving my 4 year old a quick trim and £20 to cut my dh's. I'd also feel a bit awkward and embarrassed - what would you tip? I hate that too much/too little thing  

S x


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## beachgirl (Jun 7, 2007)

I really struggle with this as like you I spend a fortune at the haridressers and if I tipped 10% it'd cost me 10-15 pounds.  I also go to the spa once every 3 weeks but instead of tipping buy my therapist an xmas and birthday pressie.. so hard isn't it.


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## wouldloveababycat (Mar 21, 2004)

Blimey I thought £30 was expensive enough although I don't have colours .. I always tip them but if I was paying that much out not sure I could afford a tip too and don't think it should be 10% of the cost   

Cat x


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## Just a girl (Mar 6, 2008)

You guys pay how much to get your hair done  ??  although I am very lucky as my best friend is an amazing hairdresser so I only get charged mates rates  

Having got a couple of hairdressing friends, I know that when they were juniors they were on dismal wages so would really rely on tips and even when newly qualified it is quite shocking what wages they got.  But even now as senior staff (one owns her own salon) they really only get a couple of pounds and def no more then £5 tip from customers, BUT I wouldn't feel pressured into giving tips, you should only tip if your really happy and you want too.  

Amanda I would be more worried about paying £150 for juniors to do your hair, as if they are juniors then surely they are not qualified!


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## amanda_hd (Oct 16, 2004)

Thanks for the replies ladies 

Glad to know its not just me who worries about tipping hairdressers.

I go to the Nicky Clarke salon in Manchester just because its close to my office  the people who did my hair were qualified but they were at the bottom tier

http://www.nickyclarke.com/salons_manchester.asp Called style designer and the colour was done by just a designer.

The colour lady and stylist were clearly angling for tips and i felt pretty pressured when i was paying but just stuck to my guns and paid the price and went. think its time i look for a cheaper hairdresser closer to home. if anyone knows any let me know.

Amanda

/links


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## Happy Mummy (Sep 22, 2006)

I only tip the juniors doing shampoos , as they also rinse my tints ( dark root tint) it is hard to get rid of staining and they usually do a very good job that nobody else wants to do and are nice. Even if just a shampoo I tip if well done. A good shampoo is difficult to get this days , with a nice scalp massage.

Future Mummy


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## Suzie (Jan 22, 2004)

My colours and cut cost around £90 and I have them done every 8 weeks. I only tip at christmas !  and buy them chocs etc Might seem mean but £90 is enough to pay already 

xx


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## Happy Mummy (Sep 22, 2006)

I went once to Nicky Clarke in London. I had a senior stylist and it cost me an arm and a leg and it was not exceptional AND they charged me for my coffee ( could not believe it). Never went back. I think Nicky clarke is the only good/very good haircutter there but he is charging ridiculous prices. Since when can somebody charge £500 for a new haircut and £ 300 for retouching? Even if I could afford it, I would not go .

Future Mummy


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## Just a girl (Mar 6, 2008)

Sorry I misunderstood about the juniors!  Yeah I would def look for a cheaper one, your really paying for the name more then everything else - which is true with a lot of the bigger well known salons, my bf used to work for Toni and Guy and even she used to feel it was disgusting what they charged, she was a senior colour technician so clients were easily charged over £100, however I pay her £20 for full head highlights and cut, she is mobile now but Manchester would be a bit to far for her to come !

Find someone who's hair you really like and ask them where they had it done (just hope they don't say Nicky Clarke !)


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## wouldloveababycat (Mar 21, 2004)

OOh I would think of all the other things I could spend that money on  

Cat x


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## Suzie (Jan 22, 2004)

wouldloveababycat said:


> OOh I would think of all the other things I could spend that money on
> 
> Cat x


well I have too many shoes already


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## Wraakgodin (Jun 17, 2006)

Our hairdressers have a little box near the till, I put a couple of euros in it each time.

Sue


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## Lorna (Apr 8, 2004)

I pay 42 pounds to have my hair coloured and cut, and yes I do tip. My hairdresser does an excellent job.  I also tip the trainee, who rinses my hair as well.  I reckon, a pound is lot to a trainee.

I used to use a more senior stylist, but she left.  The more senior stylist used to charge a fortune, and only did an an OK job on my hair.  She also used to charge 26 pounds to cut both boys hair, and she didn't do a particularly good job either.  

My current stylist is the most junior member of staff, and she has done a fantastic job of my hair. I get compliments all the time.  As a trainee she cut the boys hair beautifully, and only charged 8 pounds.  I reckon, she deserved the 3 pound tip I gave her.

Lorna


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## DizziSquirrel (Feb 15, 2005)

I normally Just round the price up  so if its £32 I will give them £35 so long as 
I am happy other wise I pass them pound coin  and  I might  "say sorry its not more" 

I honestly would never pay a £100 for my hair to be done, the most Ive ever spent is about £60 

~Dizzi~


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## Fidget (Jan 27, 2005)

I always tip my hairdresser Usually £5 each for hairdresser and the junior who washes my hair and massages my head, unless its a really bad job......... then no worries about appearing mean because I would never go back!

I am also in the camp that pays a fortune for haircuts/colours/straightening


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## Siobhan1 (Jun 24, 2004)

I normally give a fiver to the stylist & ask her to give a couple of quid to the girl that washed my hair.

My sister used to be a Hairdresser & although they charge alot not much of that is seen by the stylists or juniors so I would feel mean not giving anything.

I don't tip them for cutting my DS's hair though as I think £10 is already a bit steep for running clippers over a toddler's head!


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## Bekie (Aug 23, 2004)

My DH would scalp me if i ever spent that much on my hair  I usually spend around £50 at the most depending what i have done.... i will tip if i'm happy with my cut though, because finding a good hairdresser is hard! Since moving i've had a couple of dodgy cuts trying to find my current hairdresser and now i wouldnt go anywhere else!!!

Bekie


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## professor waffle (Apr 23, 2005)

I'm in the no tipping camp as I have my hair done around every 5-6 weeks & it costs me £40.50 each time. The stylist is a senior one but rarely spends more than 20 minutes cutting & drying my hair as it's so fine so I feel that she's overpaid for the amount of time she spends on me, after all someone with thicker hair/longer hair would take twice as long! I always get the hard sell on products too which I hate, yes my hair always looks better when they've done it but I think it's more the skill of the person blw drying rather than the products which make it look glossy & full.

My Mum used to have a 'set' every week & used to tip the Saturday girl 50p & that was a good few years ago


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## poppy05 (Apr 10, 2006)

Hi girls

I am a hairdresser myself, and i wouldnt have the cheek to charge someone £220 to do their hair!  
When i worked in a salon i used to get very good tips, most people would leave £1-2 for just a cut, and usually a £5 if it was a colour or something.
I never expect tips, i would rather my clients come back to me each time, than leave a tip and never come again!
Also i think it is more important to tip the juniors, they work so so hard, and dont often get any thanks for all they do
if i had a client in who left me a good tip i would always ask my junior if they got a tip, and if they didn't then i would give them half of mine!
Us stylists usually wok on a commision basis, so we earn out of our clients no matter what, but the juniors have a set wage, which is usually awful, so i would far rather my clients tip them and not worry about me.
I now work from home, and dont really get tips now (the money all goes to me anyway) and i never think about it, and when someone does tip me, i feel really grateful.
But i know some stylists expect a tip, some of the people i used to work with used to go mad if they didnt get a tip!
just greedy if you ask me! x x


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## Ceri. (Sep 6, 2004)

OH...........MY...........GOD!!!!!!!!! 

Theres my dh wittering on about £45!  
I would cut my hair myself before paying that and NO way would they get a tip, well actually yes they would get a tip ..... "My tip is to cut your prices!!!" Gawd you've given me a headache thinking about it!!!! 
My hairs really really long and gets highlighted by my moby hairdresser he charges between £42-£45 and i dry it and straighten it myself (Yes i am sooooooooo tight!!!   )


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## turkish delight (Aug 24, 2008)

i go every 6-8 weeks and after years of being upset with different hairdressors i found this wonderful young lady she is only 19 but been at the hairdresses since 14 and she is great spot on everytime a real laugh and i also tip her have always tipped even when i have been uphappy tip to have my eyebrows waxed tip taxi, tip waiters, tip hubby was not too impressed when we went to mexico for 10 days i spent £400 just tipping     

however sorry forgot to say my hair is around £80 every 6-8 weeks i only tip £3 and £1 to the junior if she washes my hair not 10%


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## poppy05 (Apr 10, 2006)

Turkish delight
i too spent a fortune on tipping in mexico!!


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## wouldloveababycat (Mar 21, 2004)

OMG TD £400     You mad un ..bet they are hoping you go back every year  

Cat x


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## dancingqueen (Jan 12, 2006)

dh was going crazy with tipping in mexico, i kept telling him to put the money away lol

I only tip £1 mostly never more than £2 if im generous, i only get cut and style at the mo but when i used to get highlights it could cost 60 or 70 quid, its getting so expensive im not dying my hair again till it starts going grey.They only get the £1 if im happy lol if i dont like the cut or my experience at the haidressers i dont leave anything


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## turkish delight (Aug 24, 2008)

wouldloveababycat said:


> OMG TD £400   You mad un ..bet they are hoping you go back every year
> 
> Cat x


i think i was getting confussed with the Currency  must have gave someone nealry £50   that wont happen again  oh well it was our honeymoon but Dh still brings it up


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## wouldloveababycat (Mar 21, 2004)

As I was washing my hair this morning ...I thought I tend to give the tip as I pay would that be split between the washer and the cutter ? I never notice if they put it into a pot to share..what is the general practice in hairdressers?

Cat x


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## poppy05 (Apr 10, 2006)

if you give the tip to the stylist, then the junior prob wont get any of it! 
juniors usually have their own tip pot. x x


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## wouldloveababycat (Mar 21, 2004)

Awww feel really bad now   cos the juniors often do a very nice hair massage when they wash it ..will take change next time and split it for them ..thanks for telling me that  

Cat x


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## poppy05 (Apr 10, 2006)

no worries hun
like i said before i used to shre mine if the juniors hadnt got anything
but not many stylists do that


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## wouldloveababycat (Mar 21, 2004)

Awww thats cos you were nice hunny


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