Paying At The Hair Salon Doesn’t Have To Be Rocket Science: Here’s Exactly How To Determine The Correct Tip For Your Hairdresser

Photo 140596026 © Anton Estrada - Dreamstime.com -  illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
Photo 140596026 © Anton Estrada - Dreamstime.com - illustrative purposes only, not the actual person

Have you had the same hairdresser for years?

Sometimes, when someone nails your cut and color every single time you visit their salon, you form a relationship with them and never want to lose them. However, you may lose their respect if you don’t tip them well.

If you weren’t aware, tipping your hairdresser when you visit a salon is proper etiquette as a client.

It’s a way to give your hairdresser the recognition they deserve for their hard work, and it also benefits you as a client, as when you tip well, they see how appreciative you are and will want to help you more often.

However, tipping at a hair salon can get tricky, as people don’t often clearly lay out just how much you should be tipping your hairdresser based on the services they do for you. Plus, sometimes there are several people in a salon who help you during your visit, like an assistant who washes your hair, a colorist, and a stylist.

So, if you’ve been insecure about how much you should be tipping at a hair salon and what you should do, don’t worry! Here are some tips on tipping at the hair salon.

A good rule of thumb is that if you had a good trip to the salon and had a satisfactory experience, you should tip 20% of your total bill. You want to tip based on the total cost of the services versus trying to worry about calculating a super exact tip for every person who touched your hair during your salon visit.

So let’s say you went to the hair salon for a blow-dry and haircut. An assistant washed your hair, and then your one go-to hairdresser took care of the rest. At the end of your visit, your bill was $60. You would give your hairdresser $12, which is 20% of your bill.

Then, it’s always courteous and appropriate to give the assistant who washed your hair $4-$5, as they put in the work too and often work off minimum wage, so they rely on tips.

Photo 140596026 © Anton Estrada – Dreamstime.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person

If you had more of an extensive trip to the salon and had not only an assistant wash your hair but also got work done by a colorist and then a stylist, here’s what to do. You still want to tip at least 20% of your services total and then divide the tip.

So, for instance, if you were at the salon and got a haircut, blow-dry, and color done with a $100 total, you take your 20% tip and split the $20 between the colorist and the stylist. Then, still tip the assistant a few bucks.

If you had a coupon for your salon visit or got a discount, you should still tip your hairdresser as if you were paying the full price of the services. Just because you got a discounted rate doesn’t mean the salon staff did any less work, so know the full cost of the services before getting them so you can give a decent tip.

Now, if you ever get confused during your salon and don’t know who to tip or can’t remember who worked on your hair, simply as the salon receptionist! They have tabs on everything and will be able to help you calculate your tip and make sure it goes to the right people.

Of course, if you went to the salon and your visit wasn’t great, like if your color was wrong or your cut was too short, you can adjust your tip. You should always go into a salon trip prepared to give a 20% tip, but if something goes wrong or you didn’t have a good experience, you can bring it down.

If your visit was more than amazing and you had an exceptional experience, feel free to work your way up!

As Phoebe Waller-Bridge says in her famous television series “Fleabag,” hair is ‘everything.’ When your hairdresser does a great job, it can make you feel confident, attractive, happy, and at the top of your game. So, don’t forget to show them your appreciation and give them the tip they deserve!

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