This is a great question that has been recently brought to my attention anonymously via this blog. Should our clients tip or not tip, and if so how much?
When I first started Urban Waxx, as some of you know, I set up shop by myself in the ActivSpace building. The credit card machine that I had did not have a line to accept tips. Clients would ask me about tipping and I would politely inform them that as the owner, I did not expect to be tipped, and that their continued patronage was more than enough. However, when I moved to the larger space and hired other employees, I realized that I needed to add a tip line in case their clients wanted to leave a gratuity. But now that leaves some clients a little befuddled. They wonder if I am accepting tips, what they should tip, if they have to leave tip at all….and then the whole thing gets weird.
So, here are my thoughts on leaving gratuity in a salon. For me, as the owner, I never expect tips. Ever. In fact, even when I was an employee at other salons, I never expected tips. I feel that clients come in and pay good money for a service, and that should be enough. And normally, the policy is if you own a business, you should not be taking tips.
Now, if a client feels like they want to leave a tip as a thank you for some of the other waxers, then they should feel free to do so. But again, if they don’t want to, then that is 100% fine as well. Tipping is not part of the service. Tipping is never expected. EVER! It is appreciated greatly, but you will never receive a better or worse service because you decide to leave or not leave a little something extra.
People also wonder how much they should leave. I tend to think of it as if you were at a restaurant. Maybe leave 15-20%. But again, it is totally at the client’s discretion.
I have worked, on some level, for tips my entire life. Before I became an Esthetician, I worked in all facets of the restaurant business. I was a server, a bartender, a cocktail waitress…well you get the point. Working for gratuity has taught me to grateful if someone decides to tip you, and to understand if someone decides not to tip you. That is their prerogative. That’s just the way it is. And in this country, I think that tipping has become an expected practice. It’s a little annoying. Everywhere we look there are tip jars set up asking us for tips. It gets old. When did tipping become expected everywhere?
So, here are my closing thoughts on leaving gratuity at Urban Waxx. As the owner, I never expect my clients to tip me. And as far as the other waxers that I work with, if a client wants to tip them then they appreciate it, but again, it is never expected. Tipping is a gift, not a part of our daily pay.
I hope this clears up any confusion or awkwardness about a potentially awkward situation. And remember, you can always ask the wonderful gals at the front desk. They are always here to answer any questions that you may have. And believe me, we have heard it all!
Hellllloooo there toots. Love your blog – it’s hilarious and informative. So, I have a question for ya. Ingrown hairs… What’s a gal to do? Different waxing ladies tell me different things, but so far, none of their ideas have worked. I’m hesitant to even try a Brazilian wax because of my tendency to get ingrowns. Halp!
Love ya, Suz
I think it is absurd you don't expect to be tipped! It one of the perks in our job industry. Maybe the owner of a shop should not be tipped, but your employees most certainly should. They are expected to give 50% of their service price so they deserve 20% tip.
Wow, thank you for your feedback. I think you may have misunderstood my blog. We DO accept tips but we don't demand them from our clients. It isn't about the tips at Urban Waxx. It's about receiving an excellent service. All of the Estheticians that work here are very fairly compensated and they certainly don't obsess over whether or not a particular client tips them. It is really a non-issue. I think it's absurd that our industry has become so entitled. We are in the service industry, and we should focus on giving great service, not hustling our clients.