How much should I tip my hair stylist?

As a salon owner, this is a subject that frequently comes up with new clients. With close to 30 years in the business, I will do my best to share my perspective on this topic, from several points of view.

• Tipping the stylist who’s a salon employee: Many salons employ hairdressers who are paid an hourly fee, or a percentage of their services. For these stylists, a cash tip of 10%-20% would be ideal, provided the salon doesn’t have a policy against this.

• Tipping the stylist who’s a Booth Renter or Independant Contractor: With the advent of boutique salons over the last 15-20 years, many salon owners have chosen to go the route of renting out their chairs, or stations, to other hairdressers. This is a win-win for both the salon owner and the stylist. Since the stylist is basically an independant entity, he or she usually is responsible for scheduling their own appointments, supplying their own styling products, haircolor, cutting tools etc. This stylist also has the ability to set their own hours, testing the waters of added responsibility, which may be beneficial if they have dreams of opening their own salon. Therefore, while this type of stylist keeps a larger piece of the pie, they also have higher expenses. As a booth renter for 15 years, I was always grateful for the additional gratuities, which ranged from 10%-20%.

• Tipping the Salon Owner of Booth Renters: Tipping the salon owner in years past was always considered taboo, and sometimes even offensive. While this rule has relaxed greatly over recent years, most new clients at my salon will ask if I accept tips. I let them know that they’re welcome to if they’d like to, but that it’s not required. Some of my clients tip, and some don’t, it’s a personal choice. While the salon owner of booth renters has more freedom from the responsibilities of managing and caring for employees, they also receive a much smaller piece of the pie. For my clients who do choose to tip, they generally tip in the range of 10%-20%.

• Tipping the Salon Owner of Employees: While this is personally a grey area for myself, I would assume that most salon owners under the age of 40 would not be offended by tipping, however, to be on the safe side, feel comfortable to pose the question to either the salon receptionist or the owner him/herself.

• Every time that you schedule your follow up appointment 4-6 weeks out, you’re voting with your hard earned dollars, and that in itself is a compliment to your stylist.

• A gratuity is an added bonus for a job well done, and is never mandatory.

• And for the client who spends hours driving to another town, or flying across country to see their stylist, extra kudos to you. Time is becoming more and more of a precious commodity for all of us, and that commitment speaks volume to your styilst and your choice in caring for yourself.