to tip or not to tip the barber

[Guest Chaney]

I was once working on the estate of a man who had passed away and his surviving spouse, while I was at her house, gave me a beautiful leather jacket her husband had bought ages ago but never wore. (I rode a motorcycle at the time and the jacket was perfect for that.)

Anyone else ever get a gift from a grateful client? (Would this count as a tip?)

Edited September 10, 2004 by Chaney

[jazzypaul]

My trio once played a hawaiian themed wedding, and for the entrance of the bride and groom, we broke into the theme from Hawaii 5-O. That was good for a $500 tip.

[Harold_Z]

I've been going to the same guy for about 30 years. He's kind of become a friend. He owns the shop and for years I didn't tip. The guys ahead of me ALL started tipping him....under my breath I'm swearing and calling them jerkoffs - but eventually I was shamed into it. AHHHH ....he's a good guy...he puts out a couple bottles of booze at Christmas and we can help ourselves. He likes a little taste now and then so the past few years the bottles have been out until mid-July. I'm going tomorrow and they may still be there. It's Saturday morning then...a little hair of the dog.

He charges $13.00 and I've been giving him $15.00. He got me a gig once with another of his customers who was a musician. (BTW I used to run into Lou Mecca at this shop regularly. We would catch up with each other).

He probably makes more at this shop than I do (cash business) - I know he drives a nicer car. He's getting old and has bad sciatica and is having trouble standing up. He takes breaks because his legs hurt and the waiting time is getting to be a drag. About 2 haircuts ago I went to another barber because he was so crowded everytime I attempted to get a haircut. When I came in the shop it was like a Seinfeld routine...." HEYYY...where were you...you went to another barber????".

Edited September 10, 2004 by Harold_Z

[rachel]

J Larsen?

[Jazzmoose]

That's just mean, Rachel!

[rachel]

That's just mean, Rachel! 

Watch it.... I can google me up a picture of a moose with a big ol' head of hair if I'm pushed....

[Jazzmoose]

All right, everyone just back off and leave her alone!!!

[J Larsen]

J Larsen?

My hair is SO much thicker than that! (And I don't wear glasses - 20/15 vision.)

[mikeweil]

My barber co-owns his shop and has neat little slots for the tip money on the bar, so you can decide anonymnously how much you give to whom. But as he does the washing and all himself most of the time, I tip him.

[Claude]

Even the simplest haircut costs 15 Euro here (= $18). I usually give a $2 tip.

[BruceH]

The cheapest haircut you can find around here is $15. I tip 3-5 dollars, depending on how long it's been since my last haircut. ($10 haircuts...what a concept.)

[rachel]

J Larsen?

My hair is SO much thicker than that! (And I don't wear glasses - 20/15 vision.)

Funny..... when I look at this picture I don't think, "hmmm.... well, I've seen thicker hair but ewwwwwwww he wears glasses!"

[maren]

neat little slots for the tip money on the bar, so you can decide anonymnously how much you give to whom.

This is how they do it at the salon I go to.

You guys have it so easy (except for J. Larsen)!

I've followed one woman around to different salons for 12 years -- she's getting very high-priced but she's incredibly sweet and I totally trust her -- plus she gives me a "longtime client" discount -- but she's kind of stratospheric -- so even with the discount it's at least $100 (a woman would be paying Vidal Sassoon $250 or $300 EASY, these days). So I fold $20 into a little envelope for Lisa, plus $5 for whoever washed my hair, plus $1 for the coat check woman... If Lisa has someone else blow-dry, I give that person $5 and Lisa gets $15...

This is a major reason I wear my hair long! Don't need to return too frequently!

[Guest Chaney]

neat little slots for the tip money on the bar, so you can decide anonymnously how much you give to whom.

This is how they do it at the salon I go to.

You guys have it so easy (except for J. Larsen)!

(...)

Do men (except for J. 'Big Hair' Larson) have it so easy or do women make it unnecesarily difficult for themselves?

[RainyDay]

Miss Manners says it's okay to tip the owner 10% so I do.

[J Larsen]

I've followed one woman around to different salons for 12 years -- she's getting very high-priced but she's incredibly sweet and I totally trust her -- plus she gives me a "longtime client" discount -- but she's kind of stratospheric -- so even with the discount it's at least $100 (a woman would be paying Vidal Sassoon $250 or $300 EASY, these days). So I fold $20 into a little envelope for Lisa, plus $5 for whoever washed my hair, plus $1 for the coat check woman... If Lisa has someone else blow-dry, I give that person $5 and Lisa gets $15...

Having shopped around in the recent past, the cheapest haircut that you can get at the Vidal Sasoon on 5th ave it $100. For a master stylist it starts at $150-$200, plus whatever special thing you're getting done.

I really don't mind paying what I pay. Thanks to my recent work/school arangement I can afford it, and I don't mind shelling out for services if they're done well. Plus I was *really* tired of having not had hair longer than a half inch for so long.

One thing that surprises me a little is how many men I see at the place I go. I'd say its close to being a 50/50 mix. Of course, I am in Manhattan...

[Jim Alfredson]

If my wife's haircuts cost $100 I think I would flip.

Then again, I probably spend that much per month on CDs....

Ok, not anymore... but I used to.

[maren]

If my wife's haircuts cost $100 I think I would flip.

Then again, I probably spend that much per month on CDs....

Ok, not anymore... but I used to.

I remember on a long-ago thread guessing it was pretty much a wash between men's CD/car/hobby expenses and women's "appearance" (clothes/shoes/hair etc) budgets. But since I've been the sole breadwinner for many years (college-student son has had part-time jobs over the past 6 years)... well, I get this $100+ haircut once a year MAX, and do the interim upkeep trimming myself... works out better than "Supercuts" every 3 months...

[Big Wheel]

Yeah, that's one thing that's easy to forget--many women get their hair cut a lot less frequently than men, so much so that the costs can sometimes even up. My girlfriend trusts very few people to cut her hair and the result is that she hasn't cut it in at least a year. I think the only place in the States she'll get it cut is some shop in NYC where it costs around $200.

Edited September 12, 2004 by Big Wheel

[JohnJ]

Nice to live in Japan where tipping is non-existant. I pay around $17 for a haircut which is not too bad in Tokyo. Surprisingly enough, it is easy to find a $10 barber in central Tokyo, although the time limit is 10 minutes.

[chris olivarez]

Last haircut I paid 12 and tipped the barber/owner 4. Next time I'll bump it up at least a buck. He's got one of these barber shops which reminds me of the kind that I used to go to when I was a kid. He's a good guy and he does good work.

[ghost of miles]

$3 for a $10 cut, but it's been a long time since I had a $10 cut. I've been hanging out with those fancy-pants "stylists"... barbershop culture is a really interesting phenomenon, and, to a large extent, a dying one, I think. At least it is out here.

[chris olivarez]

Not here. Not yet. Fortunately.

[Soulstation1]

i have some barber clippers and i think i'm gonna shave all my hair off

[Jazz Kat]

I just shave my head. If it bothers you that much, invest 20 bucks in a razer and shave your head for, free!!!! Works every time for me.