Thread: Tipping question

If you go to a sole-proprietor barber, do you tip the guy? I thought I've heard that a sole-proprietor or the owner of a shop isn't to be tipped because tipping is "reserved" for staff, not owners. What do others do?

Thanks,
Rob

I always tip. Never known a sole proprietor to turn down free money.

I also vote for tipping.

I usually tip my barbers. One is an employee at one shop, the other owns & cuts at a different shop.

Until 3 years ago, I had been going to the same barber for about 15 years. During that time he only charged $6. I always left a $2 tip.

Rick

The cheapest cut I can find in the Seattle area (and yes, I am somewhat new to the area) has been $14. Boo me all you want, but I do not tip, especially because the haircut they give is not even worth 14 bucks. The clippers they have don't cut as close as good barber clippers. The last one I went to, after the stylist (they don't deserve the term barbers there) thought she was done, I pointed at the Wahl peanut she had and told her I wanted her to use that to get the sides & back down to the skin. She told me it was for sideburns only. That wench sure didn't get a tip.

I probably just need to make friends with a local cop or two and ask where they get their hair cut, but it's frustrating...I have the easiest haircut in the world to do. You don't even need scissors. If I get it from someone who's good, it takes 10-15 minutes.

My old barber in Spokane, who would actually straight razor up my sideburns and the nape of my neck and charged $7 a cut, I always gave her a $10. Here, cuts are 3 bucks, and I always pay with a 5. Maybe I'm used to old-time prices or something, but in my mind if you want me to shell out almost 20 with a tip included for something I get done every week, you'd better actually be GOOD at it.

Now, to get this fully on-topic, just cause the guy owns the place doesn't mean he gave you any worse service than staff, right? What is a tip for? In my mind it's your way of personally paying someone for a good job, a sort of "bonus" on top of their wage, to compensate for good service. It is not supposed to be a damn-the-man-here's-a-dollar kind of thing. So I'd tip either way.

I pay seventeen for a haircut and always leave a twenty weather I get it cut by the owner or the second chair. On a side note they shavette my neck and sideburns and include tonic or aftershave They will also do a full face shavewith hot towel treatment, same shavette but its the same price as the haircut

Geeze Tomlin I could do a better job than that on your haircut and I've only been trained to do dogs (was a pet groomer for a couple of years). Do you want one length all over or a flattop.

I have a great barber who is a sole proprietor and I enjoy tipping for good service.

Sgt T
If you were a little farter north I could give you some great spots to get a hair cut but doubt you will want to drive that far for a hair cut.

I always tip some, even if it isn't that great who knows I may be in a hurry and have to go back to the person and who wants a pissed off barber with sharp things in their hand, and a little more if they do a good job.

Yeah, if I wanted to go that far for a haircut, I'm afraid I'd either stop at Everett naval station or just head down to Ft Lewis by Tacoma. Kind of a drive

More likely, I suspect I'll just go back to cutting it all off every Sunday. I only grow hair when I'm deployed, much to my wife's dismay