How Much Would You Tip on a 37.00 Haircut?

[Mousemates]

$37 for a haircut seems a bit on the high side, but if that's the going rate in your neck of the woods...I'd start at 15% and work either up or down depending on the quality of the cut and service level of my stylist.

Your post did make me smile at how much money I have saved over the year from family haircuts...my wife (who was given pointers by my mom who was a cosmotologist before changing careers) cuts my hair these days. So lets say I get a cut every three weeks...which is roughly 17 cuts a year...at 37 dollars a pop comes out to 629 a year...been married 23 years...which comes out to over $14,000.

I never thought about it like this, but we have gone to disneyworld many times on what I saved on haircuts.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

I had a book on tipping a few years back and it said if the stylist owns the saloon, a tip is not expected but I wonder if that's still proper etiquitte....if the stylist takes a lot of time and you are pleased with your cut, I say tip 20%,

[NotaGeek]

I get my head buzzed every 2 weeks so I normally have a standing appointment if I have a regular stylist. Since I moved to Spokane I go to a beauty school that is right next to my apartment, and they charge $10, which is really inexpensive.

Barber shops in town charge $17-24 for a buzz cut, which I find ridiculous. I would gladly pay $15 for a buzz cut in a salon where I get a day of beauty, but I am the kind of guy that likes a scalp massage and deep conditioning. Barber shops aren't my style, so to speak.

That being said, I tip 100% at the beauty school because I feel bad that most of the cheap people that go there tip $1-2 for a style, no matter WHAT is done. Completely ridiculous since the students there don't get anything but the tips. I figure I can afford $20 and if that helps one of the students pay their rent that month, or go out and buy a couple of drinks, it's worth it.

In salons I always tip at least 20%, and always give a GOOD Holiday tip around Christmas. But, it's a service industry, so I rarely have to worry about "getting in" because hairstylist know who tips well and who doesn't -- so if my cut is $15 I don't feel bad paying $20 including tip if I am treated well.

[disneydeb]

Please remember stylists are usually paid on commision - usually only 60% of what the salon charges.

[Mousefever]

Except I'll change "near future" to "ever".

I would shave my head before that. Seriously.

Come on....That's cause you're a boy!

[Ian]

In salons I always tip at least 20%, and always give a GOOD Holiday tip around Christmas.

I'm glad you mentioned this, Michael, because I forgot to ... if you have a regular stylist that you use, a holiday tip is a must. I normally tip the woman who cuts my hair around $50 at holiday time.

Re: the price of haircuts ... I don't think $37 is expensive for a woman's cut at all. I know my wife spends about that for just a cut. I think her's are like $40 maybe? Not including tip.

Guy's cuts are different. I pay between $10 and $20 for mine, tops. I think women's cuts are generally more complicated ... I just tell my stylist, "Make it shorter." and it takes her all of 15 minutes from start to finish. Including shampoo!

[tinkerbell04]

Cuts and style for me run 45 dollars, but I usually get it cut with highlights so it runs about 130-140. I tip 25 bucks on top of that.

[conorsmom2000]

I have to agree with the 20% for a tip - as for the price of cuts, it might be relative to where you live. $40 is average around here for a cut - an upscale salon starts at $60 to $75. I have very complicated hair (i.e., abnormally thick and coarse) so I don't mind paying more when I know the stylist will take their time, give me a great cut and most importantly, thin it out!! I also know that working on my hair takes up more time than a regular appointment, so I tend to over tip a little. (I'm at least an hour in the chair, without color - with color, it's 2 hours!!) Color starts at $40 and highlights start at $90. I don't need to cut my hair often but I do need to color it every 5 to 6 weeks and it gets crazy expensive!

[Jeff G]

I have a friend who cut's & washes my hair at a discounted rate of $15 per visit. Because I know she is discounting it for me I tip her $5 with an occasional bigger tip. If I wasn't getting the discount then I would tip closer to 20%.

I go in every three weeks and the cut takes 20 minutes. I figure with her chair cut (I beleive she gets 50%) and tip I am treating her fairly for 1/2 hours work.

[garymacd]

$37 for a haircut?!?

I just paid $13 for mine. And being follicly challenged as I am, I tried to talk him down to charging by the hair!

[Tygger7]

I was chuckling reading the varying times it takes stylists to do cuts, color, etc. I admit, I have a "thing" about hair...for years, my husband had georgous, shoulder-lenght, curly/wavy hair. He kept it long for me, but finally had enough and cut it off about a year ago. I had hoped by telling him he HAD to go to this salon, he would be too cheap and say no. That didn't work.....so 90 minutes and $60 later ($45 plus $15 tip), his beautiful hair was gone. (And yes, I saved it.) The stylist did a great job, and did a really nice shag-type cut. (He wanted to shave his head, and I said absolutely not....his head is too lumpy.) Even getting a trim takes at least an hour.

Now for my & my daughter's hair...we both have shoulder lenght hair and it always takes 90 minutes for a cut & styling (60 for the cut, 30 for styling). Again, these 2 stylists REALLY take their time and cut & recut until it lays perfectly. For a multiple process color....that's pretty much an all day event. Mine took 3 hours (with a cut) and my daughter's took 5 hours (with a cut). Not complaining....I've just learned to never be in a hurry when I go there.

[MamaStyles]

20% for my stylist.(sometimes even more if she makes adjustments in her schedule to fit me in).......I know she 'rents' her chair from the salon owner so I try to help her out anyway I can.

__________________________________
There's a great, big, beautiful tomorrow
Shining at the end of ev'ry day

[LauraF]

Just goes to show you how much regionality plays a difference in pricing. It's always what the market will support. I pay $50 for a cut and wash outside of Boston at a good salon, and my sister pays about $80 for the same in NYC. One of my coworkers who lives in Framingham (a big city between me and Boston) pays $75.

As to the OP, I only tip my stylist at the holidays (or when he's gotten me in for a last-minute appointment) since he's the owner of the salon and I was always told you never tip the owner. Then I'll give him about $20 tip on a $50 cut.

[Jen0610]

From the midwest here. I go to a middle of the road salon, not the pricest, but not bargin basement either.

Wash, cut, dry and style - 28.00 and this was just raised from 25.00 at the beginning of Aug.
Add 2 color foil wrapped highlights to the above 4 items - out the door at 65.00.
Eyebrow wax - 5.00

I always tip 20% and round off to the nearest dollar.

Tony gets his hair cut in a High and Tight. Big League Barbers, sports themed all female barbers, was charging 15.00 for the cut. It's not real hard to cut his hair, so we finally went out and got clippers, so now his hair cuts are free. Two hair cuts and the clippers were paid for. I still won't try and cut Logans hair, though.

I know there are salons that charge more here in town, but I am just fine with where I go.

[merlinmagic4]

Such interesting and varied answers!!

That's funny that I was so impressed with 45 minutes but I guess I am used to the 12 minute Procuts cut!! I cannot actually imagine sitting in that chair for hours; I'd go nuts!

My hairdresser is the owner of the salon so I wonder if she gets many tips.......

I will be sure to tip well at Christmas this year!

Actually, after I posted this I got a bad haircut My bangs are way, way too short and it's just not a good length for me. Oh well, you win some, you lose some!

Oh, and Ian, for some reason I was thinking you didn't have any hair. Why is that? I've never met you in person?????????????

[MNNHFLTX]

I consider myself very lucky to have found the stylist that does my hair. She's an independent operator (she and two other stylists own a small salon and share expenses) and does a cut, color and style for $70. I tip her 20% and she still chastises me for tipping her too much, but she does a great job.

[Jasper]

Wow, I must spend a lot on my hair. I just had it done this week and it was over a hundred with tip. (colour as well though) I'm not sure that 37 would even get my cut done. (and I live in a town of 25,000)

Mind you she does a great job, the colours fantastic, and she knows which way my hair "grows" always asks if I want it changed marginally etc and you get a coffee, water etc while your there. Typically it takes 2.5 hours.

Yeah, but we also know how much you spend on shoes so that pretty much evens out how much you spend on either end of yourself

For what you pay to get your hair done I could afford to have someone around here do a full head replant of my missing hair!

[NotaGeek]

As to the OP, I only tip my stylist at the holidays (or when he's gotten me in for a last-minute appointment) since he's the owner of the salon and I was always told you never tip the owner. Then I'll give him about $20 tip on a $50 cut.

Wow. Never in my life have I EVER heard that ... and I am not sure why that would make a difference for a service industry job ... as the owner it would seem that most if not all of the cost of your cut would go to his overhead first ... and tips are about customer service, aren't they? Maybe I am off base.

[conorsmom2000]

Wow. Never in my life have I EVER heard that ... and I am not sure why that would make a difference for a service industry job ... as the owner it would seem that most if not all of the cost of your cut would go to his overhead first ... and tips are about customer service, aren't they? Maybe I am off base.

Actually, Michael, I've heard that and read that before. And my sister is a former hairdresser and I know that's how most customers were in the shop she worked in (many years ago!!) - if the owner cuts your hair, you are not expected to tip. But, that being said, I believe that's a very old school rule and not really followed much anymore. But, I guess the reasoning was that the owner was getting a larger slice of the profits so a tip wasn't necessary (I'm just assuming). But, I think times have changed some and I believe now a tip is appreciated. I know I would tip, if it was me. At the nail salon I go to, the owner has occassionaly done my nails and I do tip her.

[prprincess]

Wow, I must spend a lot on my hair. I just had it done this week and it was over a hundred with tip. (colour as well though) I'm not sure that 37 would even get my cut done. (and I live in a town of 25,000)

Mind you she does a great job, the colours fantastic, and she knows which way my hair "grows" always asks if I want it changed marginally etc and you get a coffee, water etc while your there. Typically it takes 2.5 hours.

No, I don't think that you do because it's the same for me. And honestly, I don't think it's that bad because I have a ton of friends who live in NYC and LA, and for what I pay for a wash, cut, double process highlights, and a blowdry, they pay for just a cut!!

And my stylist is the same way--I am doted on while I am there, and my appointments usually take anywhere from 2.5 to 3 hours. I also truly believe that you get what you pay for--my hair always looks fabulous!

But I do tip 20% regardless. Because of the service I get, I think she deserves it.