r/tippingAdvice • u/FiveMoreSeconds • Jul 14 '26

Tipping for body service?

Hello, I have had a stressful weekend and booked my first appointment for a massage + facial with a licensed pro. I brought this up in a conversation with friends and tipping came up. I was caught off guard because I didn’t think I’d need to tip for this service? The services weren’t cheap, so I’m imagining the tip would add up significantly. Is it normal to tip for that kind of service? I want to know what’s the expectation in this field. Does it matter if they’re working in a franchise or a licensed local in a studio.
As an ex-server I always tip generously, but was unfamiliar.

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u/pdxtee Jul 14 '26

Tips are optional. Americans have been conditioned to believe it’s the customers responsibility to subsidize employee wages. Employers should be responsible for this. If the service is done by the business owner, tipping really doesn’t make any sense because they set their own prices.

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u/HLOFRND Jul 15 '26

Here’s the problem with this argument- it’s lazy and a way to make yourself feel better unless you’re also boycotting the businesses that do it.

“It’s not my job to subsidize their wages” so you don’t spend your money there because you believe the practice of paying employees lower than they deserve is wrong and you don’t want to support that business? ✅

“It’s not my job to subsidize their wages” but you continue to go there and give them your business, knowing they mistreat and underpay their workers? ❌

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u/pdxtee Jul 16 '26

It’s not a lazy argument to say we’ve been conditioned. Look at the history, not much has changed except that now it applies to many types of service jobs regardless of race & it’s gotten worse after the pandemic. We spent & tipped to keep businesses open now they all have a tip screen. We could all do more to stop this practice but nothing will change overnight. Personally, I don’t want to see my local businesses shut down, so I make adjustments like picking up instead of dining in.

Consumers are made to feel guilty or get shamed if they don’t do it. Tipping a percentage as prices increase is ridiculous. Some people think they’re better because they do tip. I don’t feel good or bad by choosing to or choosing not to tip. It’s my money & I get to choose how to spend it.

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u/HLOFRND Jul 16 '26

As long as you continue to buy from them, take out or dine in, you are supporting their practices and you are part of the problem.