For the women.....Hair questions!

[alicia-w]

My shampoo is a combo with conditioner in it by The Naked Bee. Has a great orange scent too. about $5 or 6 for a tube. And it's a TSA-friendly size with all the travelling we do.

The color I use is the new Revlon Colorist. It has a glaze too and that helps the shine a lot.

[Miss Mary]

More hair questions....will this topic ever die? LOL!

Just what is the standard/customary/generous tip amount for a wash, cut and blowdry? I always thought 20%, with extra at xmas is plenty.

My wash, cut and blowdries are $35. I add a $7 tip.

The salon I am currently at offers drinks, extra services such as hanging up your coat, etc. Each time I'm finished getting a haircut, my hairdresser personally walks me out to the front desk. I am told the amount owed, asked if I want to make another appt. at that time, etc. I pay the $35 but my hairdresser is standing right there, staring at me every single time. I hand her the $7, she mutters a thank you and smiles. Walking away. Once I asked the receptionist what most customers do - do they hand the stylist the tip or do they add to their credit card bill. Either one is fine she said. Well, then why does my stylist stand there with that blank look, expecting something?!!! Maybe I should hand her my wallet.....j/k.

Each and every time I am left wondering, is $7 enough? Why do they intimidate customers like this? Previous salons I've been at do not do this! I have never had a stylist personally escourt you out to the front desk until this one.

Yesterday my stylist personally got my coat and then held it open for me, helping me on with it!

I think I need a less hoity toity salon....he he

So tell me S2K female friends, am I tipping enough? Or am I cheap?

At xmas I doubled her tip and rounded up one dollar, making it $15, plus I gave her 1 lb. of xmas cookies from a well known bakery, which probably cost me $8, on top of the $15 I gave her!!!

Finally, I still say all of these expectation and unclear signals, are what prompts many to tip less. Not more. Not that I am in that category (my mom is for one, she tips $1 at a restaurant, no matter how high the bill is!).

Thanks in advance.

M.

[angelwing]

The most I ever tipped was $5! I guess I get that from my mom dragging me to salons when I was little. If it's just a cut, I'll round it up to the next 5 ($13 for cut, $2 tip, etc)When I got my hair frosted I gave $5, I'll never give more than that, the forsting & cut cost me $55!!!! That's WAY too much money

[CajunMama]

I tip around 15%. I know she's making a decent salary at the salon. Sometimes i can't figure out why we need to tip some people. Heck, i don't get tipped when i do a job for someone

[Miss Mary]

angelwing and CM - hey thanks for replying. I thought my usual 20% was plenty. I won't go above that. I've been tipping 20% for over 10 years now. But I've never had such personal service before! For a stylist to walk you out to the front desk, assist you on with your coat, with that expectant look on her face, well, it's all VERY intimidating!!! I just keep smiling, while I say thank you, etc. Handing her the tip. This time they all looked at me funny so I asked if my fee was still $35, oh yes they all quickly agreed, 5 headnods (other stylists were at the front desk then), so I really, really wanted to say - why all this pressure? LOL All I can is the salon owner must make this personal walk to the front door SOP. Sigh......sometimes I want to just be at a normal hairsalon but then I don't want a normal cut! The dilemma.....LOL

I'm sticking with $7.00!

Mary

[CajunMama]

I forgot to add that my stylist does all that but after walking me up to the front counter she moves on to her next customer. The front desk has envelopes for each stylist that they put their tips in so there's no pressure on me of her standing there.

[Miss Mary]

Envelopes! I miss that. 2 salons ago, they had them. It was nice b/c you could discreetly add your tip and you were done.

This new place I go to, ugh..... but I'm hanging in there. For now.

[JenBayles]

Mary - your tip amount is more than generous, so no worries on that score. The stylists at the salon I go to also escort the customer to the register and hand over the ticket to the counter chick to ring up, say Goodbye, and go to their next client. I usually try to remember to have the tip amount somewhere accessible so that I can tip the stylist at her station rather than at the register. It's nobody else's business what I choose to tip my stylist, so I go the discrete route, and she seems to appreciate it. I've never encountered "the look" from any stylist in the 15 years I've used this salon - and it's a very popular and successful one at that. Maybe the owners learned that lesson long ago and pass it on their staff - dunno.

[pojo]

I've going to the same stylist for years...I give her a $20 per visit... that includes the tip.

Its hard to find a good stylist wherever I travel to.

[Lindaloo]

The salon I go to is like family. I can call Sandra anytime and she will tell me to come on in. I have been going there since 1987. She knows my hair well. lol. I always tip her well because she NEVER charges me for the clarifier or conditioning.

[Miss Mary]

Linda - that's so nice when you have that sort of relationship with your stylist. I would also tip generously under those circumstances. In mine however, I hoped I was tippiing generously and turns out by the general concensus here, I am. So I won't be intimidated by those looks. I will be strong next time! And thanks Jen, for the suggestion of tipping at the chair. Long ago I did that, but I got spoiled by that envelope option. Even the last salon had them (they were optional).

I guess I'm just not used to such personal attention!

One of my coworkers is a hairdresser by trade. Used to own a salon but now wants to work school day hours and have that ideal schedule since she has 9 yr old twins. She's said she'll cut anyone's hair at work, just call her. Somehow though I don't want to start that arrangement either. I'm sure she'd be reasonable and good. It's just this - I am picky (read thru these pages!). I'd feel obligated to continue going to her, even if I didn't like how she cut it.

I prefer a casual relationship like I have. I just don't want that pressure!

I almost always walk to my car, doing the math in my head! Making sure I did tip enough. I do tip well (restaurants too). That's one of my pet peeves - people who don't tip. I just take offense to being made to feel cheap when you know you're not! That's probably what's irking me the most - the attitude at this new salon.

Thanks everyone.

[JenBayles]

Cheap tippers just burn my biscuits! For many years, some girlfriends and I have met quarterly at a restaurant to catch up on our gossip. One woman in particular insists that 10% is acceptable and always finds a reason to cut that amount. Here we've taken up a server's table for 5 or 6 hours - about their entire shift, and she wants to stiff the poor guy or gal working it? I figure if we're going to keep that table from turning over all night, we're looking at 25% at the very least. Maybe that's just me?

[breeze]

Well, 15% is considered appropriate. I have given more, when the stylist really outdid themself!
Anything over 15% is up to your satisfaction, happiness, and extra funds!

~Annette~

[JenBayles]

I was very spoiled for three years as far as hair care went. Our next door neighbor was a stylist, and once a month she held a neighborhood hair cut day for anyone who wanted to come over, and charged $10 a head. Of course, you didn't get the shampoo and blow-dry treatment, but she did a fabulous job. She was the one who got me into the same salon I've used for so many years, and I really miss her friendship - and her work!

[Pburgh]

Mary, your tip of 20% is good. I tip 20%. It's funny cause when my kids were teenager and we went out for dinner they always said I tipped too much!!! My daughter was a waitress in college and she came to me and said "Mom, I was wrong. You really are a GREAT tipper!!" She realized the value of those tips.

[JenBayles]

This thread reminds me of why I finally decided to forego a stylish "do" and just let my hair grow out long. Can't remember the last time I even got out my blow dryer, and the hot curlers are long gone. Hooray! I usually end up cutting the bangs myself these days, have Dave tend to the back, and see the stylist every 4 months to fix the mistakes we've made. I got so sick and tired of having to blow-dry and curl every morning, and now that I'm not constantly fighting with my hair trying to get it to do something it was never meant to do, life is so much easier - and cheaper! Having waist-length hair really isn't a problem for me - just braid it or pin it up if I'm hot, or leave it down when I'm cold.

[petal*pusher]

Had to take a quick peek in here...my white hair is to my waist...I've worn it up on the very top of my head in a puffy twisted bun for over 30 years! If I ever cut it, no one will recognize me! Several years ago I went to one of the popular places and the owner said if she were me, she'd leave it alone and keep wearing it up like this. I trim the front when needed and am just now realizing the $$$ I've saved over the years!!

When I have students with blue...purple...or red hair, I understand their desire to have hair different than everyone else, I think that's my thoughts too! Several years ago, there was a lady a few years older than me getting gas right next to me. Her beautiful PURPLE hair made me think about how much fun it'd be to do that! After telling my daughter about it, she knew exactly who I was talking about.......this lady was a cancer survivor. (Hmmmm.....maybe in a few years I'll have a blue bun!)

About the tipping.....this is a whole different occupation,....... I sure do not mind leaving good tips for a waitress, but it does make me wonder why those little "tip" cups are by the window at the "fancy coffee" drive in windows! I'm sure employees there are getting normal pay!.................p

[Stephanie]

I'm charged $30 for a cut and blow dry and tip $5. I've been going to my hairdresser for about 20 years. I'll hunt him down if he ever leaves! LOL!

I also use Catwalk Strong Mousse to style my hair. It's really curly when it's short so I just leave it natural with the mousse's help. Catwalk gives it a slightly "wet" look to it, but it feels soft and looks natural.

[JenBayles]

petal - Isn't it something when you add up the cost savings from just keeping your hair long? LOL! I've also found my hair is so much healthier now that I'm not constantly blow-drying and curling and putting a bunch of "stuff" on it. The few times I see my stylist, she always comments on the great condition of my hair, but still says, "People like you put people like me out of business!" :-D

Steph - I wish I had naturally curly hair! I probably would have kept it short in that case. But no... I had to get the "in-between" hair - not curly, not straight, but enough body to where I could never maintain any shorter style I tried without a huge battle. So, I gave in. The hair won!

[Lindaloo]

I'm charged $30 for a cut and blow dry and tip $5. I've been going to my hairdresser for about 20 years. I'll hunt him down if he ever leaves! LOL!

I also use Catwalk Strong Mousse to style my hair. It's really curly when it's short so I just leave it natural with the mousse's help. Catwalk gives it a slightly "wet" look to it, but it feels soft and looks natural.

Same here about the hunting, Steph. She has been my confidant for a very long time. She knows all my secrets. What is funny is, my daughter has been going to her since she was 8. She went through a change your hair color kick and the last time she failed to tell Sandra she had been on the swim team all summer. Well, she did not remove the chlorine and it messed my daughters hair up. So now, Sandra calls me when Mary-Kate tries to go behind my back to get something done to her hair. It is quite comical.

Your hair style sounds so simple and ready to go. If women would perform the proper maintenance on their hair by going to the salon to have buildup removed, their hair would stay healthy even using styling products. The most damaging to the hair is from flat irons and blow drying. It is always good to deep condition your hair once a month. Some women look good with short hair. I am one of those who don't BUT I can put my hair up in a clip and make my bangs whispy and it looks good. Having long hair at my age makes me look like a hillbilly. So, I keep it cut shoulder length now.