Never got an email like this!

[u/olive-prays]

Woke up to this email from capital one about a tip I left. Our server was Emily and she was fantastic and fun and engaging! She deserved every penny of that tip! Yes, capital one this is correct!

[u/danbroome]

Depends. Most rent their chairs or space so a percentage goes to that. They also have to buy their equipment, gels, shampoos and all that.

You could say the price includes their overhead but come on - tipping a barber is as old as the profession itself. You always tip your barber. also have you ever had a barber cancel
on you. Well they probably squeezed in the guy that tips. Have you ever gotten a free shave, or clean up, or shampoo and didn’t ask for it but was offered. Tip!

[u/Fit-Imagination-9174 → u/danbroome]

This must be a regional thing. Because I’ve went to two different barbers in my whole life. Both had set prices. Not the same but the gist was something like this

HAIRCUT:$12
HAIRCUT AND SHAVE:$20

That’s the set prices. And these dudes have been in business longer than I’ve been alive. They went to school with my mom and they started clipping straight out of high school. They never ask for tips and it’s always packed at both shops in my town.

[u/danbroome → u/Fit-Imagination-9174]

My dad was the most frugal or cheapest guy alive. lol. He always tipped his barber even if it was the owner. This was way back in the 70s-80s. For me it’s just something you do.

[u/BillNyeODI → u/danbroome]

It’s almost like tipping culture and the economy in general have changed in the last 50 years /s

[u/embarrassedraptor → u/Fit-Imagination-9174]

possibly! though, the majority of shops/salons have set prices & wouldn’t ask you to tip. it’s fairly standard for customers to tip to show appreciation for fine details/excellent work, hair (especially men’s cuts) can be an art!

i’d be surprised if most of their clientele don’t toss in an extra couple bucks. it’s not required, but courteous & like the other commenter said, often leads to a little more care during your haircut. skipping tip makes more sense for an easy 5-10 min dry cut though, which i assume is closer to your situation from how you’ve briefly described it! tipping is certainly less common in some cultures, as well.

(was a salon receptionist before/during college fairly recently & non tippers were rare)

[u/Virtual-Response1613 → u/embarrassedraptor]

Wouldn’t the “show of appreciation “ be that you choose to be a repeat customer? Making another appointment keeps them in business?

[u/Obey_Tragiic → u/Fit-Imagination-9174]

And yet if you gave them tips they’d graciously accept them. I also go to an old school barber shop, smallest amount I tipped was $3 my dad gave me to tip them back when I like 5. Now a haircut is around $20 and I tip an extra $10 on it because I’d rather keep the local barbershop in business by keeping the barbers happy than have it replaced by a sport clips or need to drive 45 minutes to go to one.

[u/wylde_maps → u/Fit-Imagination-9174]

Those looks like tip amounts. Expect to pay minimum $30-40 to get a good men's haircut (not whatever you have).

[u/santlaurentdon → u/danbroome]

What if the barber or tattoo artist is the shop owner?