Tipping in department stores ?

Flippyfloppy

I just want to start by saying that I love leaving a good tip. Whenever I get a good cut, tan or any kind of treatment in a salon or a hotel spa I leave a nice tip.

I've recently started getting some treatments in a department store with a salon inside. The other day I got a good few treatments , one was an amazing special offer, and the two girls both done a great job. One of the girls is the best at what she does! I would lose my life if she left!

Anyway I had no cash for a tip and they didn't do cash back. I would have felt silly leaving a tip , I think because of the department store setting. The first day I ever went I did leave a tip and it was a bit awkward, but that day I felt awkward for not!!

What does everyone else do?

Tiddlypeeps

I don't think you should ever feel awkward not leaving a tip in Ireland. The price quoted is how much it costs, so any amount paid over that is purely on the basis of what you can afford/are comfortable paying vs how happy you were with the service. It's not like the US where tipping is pretty much compulsory unless you received terrible service, and it's actually needed by the staff to make up a living wage.

That said tho I have no idea why it would make a difference if the service was provided in a department store or a salon.

Penny Dreadful

I tip in a restaurant if I am happy with the food and/ or service. If the service if poor or shabby I don't tip.

I rarely tip in the hairdressers - occasionally if I've had a wash and blow dry I'll leave €2 but never when I have my highlights done. It costs a fortune anyway and I'm not adding extra cost onto that for myself.

When I get my wax done or nails I pay by card and don't tip then either. The price is the price.

Sorry to muscle in, but Ireland does not tip.

Tips must be a bonus for really going over and beyond the service asked for, otherwise we run the risk of tips being expected of us, and worse, managers trying to con staff by saying "yeah it's low, but look at the tips you get!"

Tipping is not the norm. Tipping must *never* become the norm.

Penny Dreadful

Deleted User wrote: »

Sorry to muscle in, but Ireland does not tip.

Tips must be a bonus for really going over and beyond the service asked for, otherwise we run the risk of tips being expected of us, and worse, managers trying to con staff by saying "yeah it's low, but look at the tips you get!"

Tipping is not the norm. Tipping must *never* become the norm.[/QUOTE]

It can be dangerous when it does become the norm.

A few years ago in NYC I ate in a diner style restaurant where the food was dreadful and the service was worse again. I complained about the food and was left waiting an absolute age to get my meal replaced and when I did it was stone cold.
Anyway in the end I paid the bill - only the bill for the good and got up to leave. On my way out the waitress stopped me demanding her tip and insisted that I was not paying my bill in full.
I pointed out the food was bad, I had complained about it and the service offered all evening and nothing was done about that so there was no way on earth she was getting a tip from me. The manager got involved and basically told me I had to tip othewise she wouldn't get paid her full wage that night.
I just said that it wasn't my problem and maybe the experience would show her how important it is to be nice to the customers - I accepted that the food was not her responsibility but his and that should be sorted out too, but the manner in which she dealt with my complaints and her general service was really very poor and not worthy of a tip.
It was quite scarey really but I am glad I stood my ground on that one.

Tasden

I always tip hairdressers/beauty therapists. Would feel awkward not giving them a tip when they have provided a service. I tip in restaurants and if I'm in a fast food type place that has a tip bowl at the counter I'd put some coins in.

If the service was bad I obviously wouldn't though.

mmg0305

I hate tipping with a passion! It's not about the money, it's the concept. Just tell me how much I have to pay. Don't make me guess and then get grumpy when my guess is not what you were hoping.

Penny Dreadful

Tasden wrote: »

I always tip hairdressers/beauty therapists. Would feel awkward not giving them a tip when they have provided a service. I tip in restaurants and if I'm in a fast food type place that has a tip bowl at the counter I'd put some coins in.

If the service was bad I obviously wouldn't though.

You are paying for the service though I get my higlights done and a full head costs me €140 which is a lot of money. The woman who does them owns the salon and is pretty well off based on the things she tells me she does with her family which is great for them. Why would I pay her extra on top of that €140? That is the price they set out for the service, I agree to pay that price by presenting myself- how does it make sense for me to feel awkward by not overpaying?

daithi84

No way should a tipping culture start here. For one everyone gets paid a wage unlike the states where they survive on tips. The only place i leave a tip if i go to a restaurant in a large enough group. Each leave around €1/€2 each but only if we are happy with the service.

Tasden

Penny Dreadful wrote: »

You are paying for the service though I get my higlights done and a full head costs me €140 which is a lot of money. The woman who does them owns the salon and is pretty well off based on the things she tells me she does with her family which is great for them. Why would I pay her extra on top of that €140? That is the price they set out for the service, I agree to pay that price by presenting myself- how does it make sense for me to feel awkward by not overpaying?

Well if you don't feel that a tip is required based on that fact then you shouldn't feel awkward not giving a tip.

I feel that a tip should be given on top of the price charged so I would feel.awkward not giving one.

Its whatever you feel

Flippyfloppy

Thanks for all the replies ladies. I have to say I feel better hearing some of your reasoning behind not tipping! I'm just kind of used to tipping I guess. When service in a restaurant is bad I never leave a tip, and hate when people I'm with insist on it. But for some reason, whenever I'm in a salon type place, unless the service has been horrendous, I tip. Even if I'm short on money, and tell myself before that I won't tip, I compulsively end up doing it!! Must figure out how to stop!!

The service I got the other day was great though, I felt the therapist did go above and beyond what was expected. So I just felt bad about being unable to tip, and I know she doesn't get all the profits by any means as it's an English owned company.

To the poster who asked why it feels strange tipping in the dept store, I guess because it's a quite 'high brow' type place, and they take you whatever cosmetic till that is free for payment, where there's other customers and clothes sales staff standing around and stuff...it just feels non salony I guess!!

Penny Dreadful

Tasden wrote: »

Well if you don't feel that a tip is required based on that fact then you shouldn't feel awkward not giving a tip.

I feel that a tip should be given on top of the price charged so I would feel.awkward not giving one.

Its whatever you feel

I'm not criticising you for tipping - its your choice. I'm trying to understand why you feel the need to pay more than the price charged, thats all.

Tasden

Penny Dreadful wrote: »

I'm not criticising you for tipping - its your choice. I'm trying to understand why you feel the need to pay more than the price charged, thats all.

I didn't think you were criticising

The price charged isn't what the woman giving the service takes home, if she's nice and does the job well I'll give her money I know will go to her (or at least be shared among the workers doing the job) just as a thank you.

Especially with waxing, its hardly a nice job for her to be doing so I give her a tip as a thank you to her for doing it as opposed to paying for the actual procedure listed at whatever price.

Its hard to put into words It just feels right to me to give one but if it didn't then I wouldn't feel pressured into giving one if that makes sense

bnagrrl

Penny Dreadful - my sister and I had a similar experience in the States where a waitress actually ran down the street after us demanding her tip despite the really crappy service, bad food etc etc

I would only tip at a salon etc around Christmas time - I tend to see the same girl all the time at the brow bar, she always does a fantastic job and I don't know what I'd do without her so at Christmas I will tip a bit extra.

I wouldn't tip at the hairdressers as I don't go that often, would see a different person each time and I've never really been wowed by the service. I mean it's good and they cut my hair but I've never had a haircut that I'm like this is exactly what I asked for