Joined Aug 2007
The Mayor of Moleterd
Forum Thread
FORCED TIPPING - Do you get annoyed or mad if forced to tip a certain amount? NO OT.
June 23, 2011 at
09:56 AM
This question may have been asked previously, but if so, too bad, 
as I want to know what people think now about forced tipping. NO OT, please.
My GF and I both went to a small salon in the mall ( nothing fancy and not very upscale, just standard for a mall shop ) yesterday to get our hair trimmed. I called ahead to get the price for a "cut" ( male or female ) and did specify it was to be without styling or shampooing. The person I spoke to said the price was usually $17, but they were running a special this week only for $15 for a cut. I asked if we needed to book an appointment and she said no, that they accepted walk-ins, usually with a short wait, but we could if we wanted set an appointment. We chose to just go for the walk-in as we could go to the mall and watch for a time when the salon had fewer customers waiting. ( their front window is glass and you can clearly see the inside waiting area ).
Well, we went in and our cuts went well and quickly ( and both of us were served within 15 minutes of being seated ). We were done and ready to pay at the front desk within 20 minutes or less. No shampoo or styling nor any extra service was given. The girl just dampened my hair ( and I think K.C.'s hair was dampened by her hair dresser, too) with a spray bottle of water and then she cut it. We both have very curly ringlet sort of hair and we both just had it trimmed a couple inches, no special cut or style, just telling the girls to follow the same lines as it was cut previously. Mine is a blunt cut, hers is a little layered.
However, when we got to the desk to pay, I took out my wallet and $40 cash ( $15 for each cut and a $5 tip on each ) and the girl shook her head at me and said the two cuts came to $50!!!!
I told her I was told the price was usually $17, but a special was running for $15 each cut ( and there was a sign to that effect on the wall ) and she said "Right!" and just stared at me. So, I said "That would come to $30 for the two without the tip. If I tip $5 for each haircut, which would be more than a 30% tip, and fairly generous, then that would bring the price for two up to $40 total. She replied nastily "Sir, the tip is added in before you pay and we calculate it as $8 on a $17 cut and $10 on the special $15 cut!!" I pointed out to her that her calculation would be around a 60% tip, which was ridiculous. She just stood there and stared, so I just stared back. It became a long staring contest. Finally, my girlfriend took the $40 out of my hand ( what I was planning on paying ) and laid it on the counter and said, "Jon, now you've paid the correct price for the two haircuts and added a generous tip for each, now let's go. She can't force you to pay a gratuity that's unreasonable!!"
The girl at the desk turned to the phone and picked it up and looking at me, said "I can have mall security hold you until a police officer can come out, but you really don't want me to resort to that, do you??"
Finally, I just got annoyed and gave her the extra $10 and left, but I've been mad at myself ever since, feeling I let her walk all over me ( us ) and that I should have just refused to pay or raised a big stinkeroonie.
Was I being unreasonable or was she, and how do you feel about "forced tipping" ( tips being added in prior to calculating your total bill )??
as I want to know what people think now about forced tipping. NO OT, please. My GF and I both went to a small salon in the mall ( nothing fancy and not very upscale, just standard for a mall shop ) yesterday to get our hair trimmed. I called ahead to get the price for a "cut" ( male or female ) and did specify it was to be without styling or shampooing. The person I spoke to said the price was usually $17, but they were running a special this week only for $15 for a cut. I asked if we needed to book an appointment and she said no, that they accepted walk-ins, usually with a short wait, but we could if we wanted set an appointment. We chose to just go for the walk-in as we could go to the mall and watch for a time when the salon had fewer customers waiting. ( their front window is glass and you can clearly see the inside waiting area ).
Well, we went in and our cuts went well and quickly ( and both of us were served within 15 minutes of being seated ). We were done and ready to pay at the front desk within 20 minutes or less. No shampoo or styling nor any extra service was given. The girl just dampened my hair ( and I think K.C.'s hair was dampened by her hair dresser, too) with a spray bottle of water and then she cut it. We both have very curly ringlet sort of hair and we both just had it trimmed a couple inches, no special cut or style, just telling the girls to follow the same lines as it was cut previously. Mine is a blunt cut, hers is a little layered.
However, when we got to the desk to pay, I took out my wallet and $40 cash ( $15 for each cut and a $5 tip on each ) and the girl shook her head at me and said the two cuts came to $50!!!!
I told her I was told the price was usually $17, but a special was running for $15 each cut ( and there was a sign to that effect on the wall ) and she said "Right!" and just stared at me. So, I said "That would come to $30 for the two without the tip. If I tip $5 for each haircut, which would be more than a 30% tip, and fairly generous, then that would bring the price for two up to $40 total. She replied nastily "Sir, the tip is added in before you pay and we calculate it as $8 on a $17 cut and $10 on the special $15 cut!!" I pointed out to her that her calculation would be around a 60% tip, which was ridiculous. She just stood there and stared, so I just stared back. It became a long staring contest. Finally, my girlfriend took the $40 out of my hand ( what I was planning on paying ) and laid it on the counter and said, "Jon, now you've paid the correct price for the two haircuts and added a generous tip for each, now let's go. She can't force you to pay a gratuity that's unreasonable!!"
The girl at the desk turned to the phone and picked it up and looking at me, said "I can have mall security hold you until a police officer can come out, but you really don't want me to resort to that, do you??"
Finally, I just got annoyed and gave her the extra $10 and left, but I've been mad at myself ever since, feeling I let her walk all over me ( us ) and that I should have just refused to pay or raised a big stinkeroonie.
Was I being unreasonable or was she, and how do you feel about "forced tipping" ( tips being added in prior to calculating your total bill )??
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If you pay for the good/service I don't think there's anything they can do...
What could security do, as long as you paid the posted amount? I would have encouraged them to call security, actually.
Finally, I just got annoyed and gave her the extra $10 and left, but I've been mad at myself ever since, feeling I let her walk all over me ( us ) and that I should have just refused to pay or raised a big stinkeroonie.
I would have been like "oh really??? please call mall security!" then taken the $10 tip and walked out.
oh and then I would have gone to the cookie place and spent that $10 on cookies and waited to see if security came, and when they didnt I would walk by the shop and give the bitch the evil eye
Yea, you messed up... I would have at least asked for a detailed receipt...with her showing it was $15 for the cut and saw how they worded the rest of the fees...
Don't you have to have your fees listed somewhere??? And that HAS to be illegal to say "We are running a special, our price is normally $17 but it is now $15" and hide the fact there is an extra $2 fee because you are using the discounted $2 sale price???
Do you have any kind of receipt at all?
Don't you have to have your fees listed somewhere??? And that HAS to be illegal to say "We are running a special, our price is normally $17 but it is now $15" and hide the fact there is an extra $2 fee because you are using the discounted $2 sale price???
Do you have any kind of receipt at all?
Their regular prices were posted on the wall, but the sign doesn't say anything about a tip at all. The "Special" sign for the $15 cut was posted right next to the other sign and didn't mention the tip either.
I missed your question about our hair length. I have longish hair for a guy, just below my ears and chin, but not on my shoulders or anything now. and hers would be considered medium short, just about chin level. Both very curly. And yes, I usually pay $20 at my old place to get my hair cut, but the ( gay ) guy at another salon who always cut mine just perfectly moved out of town. My GF said she usually gets a friend to trim hers but that a standard price for hair cuts for women in an everyday type family salon ( not a boutique salon or anything ) was around $20 as well, maybe $25. Probably seems low to you but it's most likely because we live in a small town in SC. She did mention, though, that she had seen an ad recently for $10 hair cuts on special with coupon at one of the mall type chains ( Super Cuts or Quik Cuts, or whatever ).
I normally tip my stylist between $40 and $50 (20%), but my hair costs a lot.
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I think its the color that drives up the costs?
f that noise either way
It was a bigger deal for you because you were paying for two. Most people is just one so they may feel slightly slighted but $5 extra isn't enough to throw a fit.
Was I being unreasonable or was she, and how do you feel about "forced tipping" ( tips being added in prior to calculating your total bill )??
If you ever go back, make sure you check behind the counter for your ass and vagina.
Linky [nytimes.com]
Linky [nytimes.com]