Black Etiquette
I've got a question for ya (and unlike Mary J., I don't already know the answer)!
Do you tip your loctician for services rendered?
Given the complaints that some folks have about the costs of establishing and maintaining sisterlocks, people may not want to think about something like tipping. Also, as Black hairdressers, braiders, and stylists may work from home, perhaps the customs around tipping are distinct (I have seen women bring baked goods as payment for a braid job, and I know braiders who offer their services in exchange for babysitting. These kinds of practices make up the 'richness' of Black community and 'value' of Black social networks).
I have also had the experience of being criticized by a hairdresser because I never tipped her (I thought the 300 bucks for the braids was enough). Once I had a hairdresser take an additional 20 from my wad of cash; she felt she was teaching me about the importance of tipping. This woman was a famous Manhattan hairdresser to celebrities (the most well-known, contemporary, Black female songstresses you can think of... yes even that one). She came 3 hours late to our consultation, and 1.5 hours late to our appointment. She gave me a gorgeous weave (I know that sounds crazy), was incredibly talented, and really needed cash...
I also used to get my hair weaved in London, and hairdressers in the shop there also expected to be tipped.
Getting back to the locks: Given my own experiences, I do give my loctician what is probably better regarded as a 'gratuity,' in that it is just a little extra on top of what she charges. It is rarely exactly the same amount, and she has never commented on it at all.
So I'd like to know: do you leave a tip or not? If not, why not, and if so, how do you determine the amount?
posted by Helga @ 1:20 PM
13 Comments:
hi helga,
i just wanted to weigh in and give my 2 cents worth...
as a loctician, i don't expect to be tipped, but it's nice. tips shouldn't be used to make up for difficulty of the hair or client, it should be used to show appreciation for services rendered.
for those hair stylists who demand tips or expect to be tipped every time, i say check your price list and make sure that you are charging what you expect to be paid for your services. often, people charge less than they should hoping that people will bump up the amt. with a tip. this is not always the case.
eventhough black women have a commitment to their hair like no other, it often means scraping together enough $$ to get your hair "did".
and on the flip side of it all, i can understand why some people might not tip on top of a $300 tab or even a $60 hair service. shoot, that's a lotta money! i am also a parent, so i understand that it may be difficult enough just to get together the money to do something for yourself without feeling like you're depriving your child, let alone adding a lil extra gravy on top!
do i expect a tip? no.
am i grateful to receive one? yes.
but for me, it's more about a verbal gratuity, my customers appreciating the time that i take with their hair and caring for it. i've had people tip me a dollar and apologize for not being able to do more, those are the things that mean the most to me because they are acknowledging that my services are appreciated. sometimes people won't tip for 2 or 3 visits and then they might drop a $20 tip to play catch up. besides who cares about a tip one time if your customers are loyal and every 6 weeks they see you faithfully. sometimes it's better to appreciate what you have than to worry about getting more.
Hmmm, a very good question and kind of tough to answer. I did tip my loctitian after the installation.I gave her an extra $20. She was gracious in receiving. I don't tip regularly though. Should we regularly tip? I think so, especially if the loctician has done a good and thorough job.
I like to tip. I feel like I am going to this particular consultant because she provides good services. In that, I try to give a tip or gratuity. I know many times I go to her she has blessed me and I have blessed her in ways.
Like the last time I was there, I was hungry and she had a frozen dinner in the freezer. She offered it to me and I kindly accepted. I just think those are random acts of kindness and I feel pressed to provide those same random acts.
Naadii salaam: Thanks for your comments, it's great to have the perspective of a loctician and I like the idea of offering different forms of 'gratuity' (compliments, loyalty from clients, and tips).
From Aya's and Dstdiva's comments it seems that most people do feel the importance of offering some sort of gesture to let their loctician know how much they value her service.
See, this is what I mean by 'Black etiquette'!
I tip my consultant, not always the same amount. It isn't much, but it shows my appreciation of her speed and time.
I tip when I can. I did not tip my consultant who installed because I spent my money on the initial set for my 12"-15" hair and for the flight to Boston to see her.Geesh!
I tipped the lady who last retightened because she took me on the weekend short notice. Good Post!
Your daughter is too cute!
Hi, Helga--I've enjoyed reading through your blog this morning. )(I've been working through too tight curl issues, too). I'm glad you brought up the tipping issue. I've only been to my locktitian once (for install) and I was too tired by the time we were done to think much about it. But, I guess I will be tipping after upcoming appointments. PAYLAR
Naturally Sophia: Thanx, my daughter is still amazed by seeing herself on the blog!
I used to go to a braider who was very unprofessional. She double-booked, would sometimes start my hair and then stop to work on someone else, or would have someone else work on my hair for a while while she went to the store or something - all of this in an actual rented retail storefront, NOT out of her home.
And she was foreign. She and the other braiders in the shop always spoke to each other in their native language - I won't call out their nationality.
If I were in a foreign country I would still speak english - that's not my point. I mean, they NEVER talked to the customers.
You don't have to make small talk with me for 6 hours. I can read a book, but to not talk to me at all in that time???
And you know what? I never told her that I did know some of her language and I COULD tell when they were talking about me or other customers. IT wasn't just the paranoia of ignorance!
Why did I go back? Her braids and twists were THE BOMB! The best I could get w/o driving 3 hours in any direction.
She charged $275 PLUS I had to buy my own hair!
I never tipped her. I figured the almost $50/hr she was making was enough. And when I showed up and had to wait around an hour or two while she was doing other things, I was losing money. I could have been working!
My SL consultant is awesome. She retightens my hair in less than 2 hours and charges less than $50! Less than $50 - every 5 weeks. After paying a minimum of $50 every two weeks on my hair for as long as I can remember - not counting special services like hair coloring or extensions - that is such a savings, I have to tip her well.
I'm sort of broke right now, but I appreciate her professionalism -even tho' she works out of HER home (it's quite a safe neighborhood) - her good company: we have GREAT conversations, and her speed and competence, so I tip her anywhere from $5 to $15 - whatever I can afford that week.
To tip or not to tip...what a question!
Since I've been Sisterlocked and reading the blogs...I'm now tipping. I tip when she doesn't complain that I've taken down a few locks b'cuz they aren't working, or I had such a great time hanging out with her for 3-4 hours...Or, she gave me a great appointment time b'cuz I'm moving up the ranks in prime-time appointment slots, or she shared her food with me...Or, the Coconut Cream Chocolate Crust cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory would look nicer in a tip to my consultant than sitting on my hips (Did I really write that?)God knows, I love that cheesecake flavor! Black Etiquette Gone Wrong...lol
I tip MOST of the time but it is not the always the same amount. My consultant raised her prices an extra 5 bucks an hour. I still tip but I don't feel obligated since her price was already kind of steep I figured she built in her tip when she went up $$.
Nice post
blackrussian: Aren't you happy that the days of long hours and long dollars spent in the braider's chair are gone?
lexus prefect: You are soooo funny! I really had no idea what people's attitudes about tipping were either, so I am learning too. It seems that most people feel the same way. Now cheesecake, that is the best idea I've heard so far, and it actually DEFINES Black etiquette ;-)
tra: I hear ya, five dollars more per hour, that adds up to a much higher cost for each visit. I would give her the tip to gradually increase her prices rather than to hit her customers with such a fee hike!
Best.
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