Do you always feel like you are not tipping your barber enough for those incomparable cuts, or do you feel like you are giving too much? If so, you are not alone. Many people are always asking: How much should you tip a barber? This article seeks to offer you a complete guide on when and how much to tip your barber.
Should You Tip Your Barber?
Since you get a fresh cut almost every week, it’s good to reward your barber for giving you those unmatched cuts and keeping your hair looking fashionable. But why should you tip your barber? Does it mean tipping your barber will get you better services?
The truth is that tipping your barber is a sign of respect. Therefore, it’s not mandatory. It’s also important to note that a tip is not a salary. Therefore, you are supposed to pay your barber according to the total amount of your cut on top of the tip.
The main reason why you should tip your barber is to show them that you like their services and appreciate the effort they put in to always give you fresh cuts. But you should know that most barbers have what is commonly referred to as “customary tip”, which is a tradition by barbershops to leave two percent of your bill in tips.
Barbers offer this two percent because they don’t get anything from customers who leave two percent or less of their bill in tips.
Therefore, even though it’s not mandatory to tip a barber, you should make a habit of giving your barber a tip, whether they own the barbershop or they are just employed because it motivates them. On average, your tip should be 20 percent of the total amount.
This practice helps your barber to offer better services and gives them a better commission. It also keeps you in the barber’s mind for your next haircut.
When Should You Tip Your Barber?
Since you give your barber a tip as a reward for their good job, it goes without saying that the best time to tip your barber is when you are happy with their service. If they manage to give you a clean shave without pissing you off, it’s a perfect opportunity to appreciate their job by giving them a tip.
The outcome of your haircut determines your mood; therefore, if you are pleased with the results, go beyond the customary 2 percent tip.
It is also good to tip your barber during the holiday season as a way of saying “thank you” for great service throughout the year. For instance, if you normally give a 20 percent tip before the holiday, you should make it 30 or 40 percent during the holiday so that your barber can feel the difference.
In this season, you can include a small gift in your tip to reflect your barber’s interests, especially if you have a personal relationship with them.
Another important point to note is that sometimes you can tip your barber more and other times less. For instance, you should give your barber a bigger tip if they listen to your needs carefully, portray a lovely attitude, and take enough time to give you a pleasant groom.
But if they don’t listen to you, rush through the haircut, or have an untidy space, they should receive less gratuity.
You should also tip less if your barber talks on the phone while cutting your hair because that’s rude and can lead to serious injuries. Of course, a bad haircut should automatically lead to a lower tip because it shows the barber doesn’t take his or her work seriously.
If your barber treats you with contempt or doesn’t seem to know what they are doing, you should look for someone else to cut your hair.
Whom Should You Tip When You Visit the Barber?
Sometimes it’s not clear whom you should tip when you visit a barbershop for a haircut, especially if the barber is just an employee. In the past, it was considered inappropriate to tip a barber who owns the barbershop. But nowadays it’s normal to tip them.
Although most barbershop owners who cut hair say they don’t expect to be given tips, they always appreciate it when you reward them for their good service. But if the barber is an employee at the shop, your tip should be above the customary 2 percent because anything less than two percent goes to the owner or is divided among all employees at the shop.
Apart from the barber and the owner of the barbershop, there are several other people at the shop that you should consider tipping, including the shampoo person and the receptionist.
These people also play an important role in ensuring you get the kind of haircut you want. Although you may assume that the 20 percent tip you give to your barber will be shared among all employees, sometimes that’s not what happens.
That’s why it’s always good to tip everyone separately if the shop’s policy allows it. For instance, you can give at least $4 to $5 to the shampoo person, receptionist, and any other member of staff at the barbershop apart from the barber.
How Much Should You Tip Your Barber?
The size of the tip you give to your barber depends on the type and quality of service you receive from them. But generally, your tip for the barber should range between 15 and 20 percent of the total bill. However, you can offer more for exceptional service or less for inadequate service.
As mentioned above, tipping your barber is a simple way of saying “nice job”, therefore tip them more if they go above and beyond to give you an exceptional service. If you don’t like their work, you don’t have to tip them, but if they seem to understand what you desire and do everything possible to deliver it, you should tip them as much as you can.