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
in
Question
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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It will cost me an arm and a leg as they charge for the use of the equipment and the four men, but at least nobody would park on it, although I plan on fencing in the whole lot, anyway, with ironwork so it will fit the house design and look pretty.
As for the girl at the salon in my OP, already found out she is not the owner of the shop but just works there. I also know ( by my GF doing some snooping ) the name of the person who is registered with the county for the business license and is listed as "owner". It is not a corporation, by the way, just a single ownership small business. Plan on sending the owner a politely worded letter this coming week about what happened as to the forced tip and the questionable amount ( as well as the receptionist's crappy attitude ). Not going to give my home address but my lawyer said to put the return address ( for my own safety ) as his office and send it to the owner at her home, not to the business so the girl there will not have access to the mail. He said if the owner did not reply with 15 days, that he would follow up with a letter of his own. My GF is busy right now doing some research as to laws ( state or Federal or local ) pertaining to tipping and whether or not there is a limit on the percentage if allowed for an auto gratuity ( maybe something similar to the usury laws as to interest allowed on mortgages or loans, etc.). I know this isn't the same, but I'm hoping there is a maximum allowed or a law that says the customer/client cannot be forced to pay a gratuity at all.
It will cost me an arm and a leg as they charge for the use of the equipment and the four men, but at least nobody would park on it, although I plan on fencing in the whole lot, anyway, with ironwork so it will fit the house design and look pretty.
As for the girl at the salon in my OP, already found out she is not the owner of the shop but just works there. I also know ( by my GF doing some snooping ) the name of the person who is registered with the county for the business license and is listed as "owner". It is not a corporation, by the way, just a single ownership small business. Plan on sending the owner a politely worded letter this coming week about what happened as to the forced tip and the questionable amount ( as well as the receptionist's crappy attitude ). Not going to give my home address but my lawyer said to put the return address ( for my own safety ) as his office and send it to the owner at her home, not to the business so the girl there will not have access to the mail. He said if the owner did not reply with 15 days, that he would follow up with a letter of his own. My GF is busy right now doing some research as to laws ( state or Federal or local ) pertaining to tipping and whether or not there is a limit on the percentage if allowed for an auto gratuity ( maybe something similar to the usury laws as to interest allowed on mortgages or loans, etc.). I know this isn't the same, but I'm hoping there is a maximum allowed or a law that says the customer/client cannot be forced to pay a gratuity at all.
If you keep having trouble, start recording your incidents with the local law enforcement. Then file a big fat lawsuit in your state's court system for Constitutional violation(s) (unequal protection). You have just as much right to enjoy your property free as trespassers of anyone else. Of course, get real legal counsel first, since the Equal Protection Clause has a long and shifting history in our court system.
Secondly, regarding the illegal parking on the OP's property, I don't understand how there isn't any recourse. According to the OP, then anyone can just park on your lawn or property and the cops can't do anything about it?!?!? If it's your own private lot, just have the tow trucks tow the cars. I don't believe that all of tow truck companies that the OP supposedly called refused to do so. They're in the business to tow ppl's cars. So, they should be happy to do so for any reason. Certainly, trespassing on someone else's property and parking on it would qualify to be towed!
I'm thinking that the OP must be trolling. Because, this all seems unreal to me.
I'm thinking that the OP must be trolling. Because, this all seems unreal to me.
It's hard to believe anybody could be as big of a doormat as the OP claims to be unless he was married to the person wiping their feet.
It's hard to believe anybody could be as big of a doormat as the OP claims to be unless he was married to the person wiping their feet.
I can somewhat believe (but still have reservations) that the police may not do anything with all the state budget cuts nowadays on the police depts nationwide. However, the part that the OP called 3 tow truck companies and all refused to tow the cars is unbelievable. From what I've seen, they would be there in a heartbeat to tow away all those cars.
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It will cost me an arm and a leg as they charge for the use of the equipment and the four men, but at least nobody would park on it, although I plan on fencing in the whole lot, anyway, with ironwork so it will fit the house design and look pretty.
As for the girl at the salon in my OP, already found out she is not the owner of the shop but just works there. I also know ( by my GF doing some snooping ) the name of the person who is registered with the county for the business license and is listed as "owner". It is not a corporation, by the way, just a single ownership small business. Plan on sending the owner a politely worded letter this coming week about what happened as to the forced tip and the questionable amount ( as well as the receptionist's crappy attitude ). Not going to give my home address but my lawyer said to put the return address ( for my own safety ) as his office and send it to the owner at her home, not to the business so the girl there will not have access to the mail. He said if the owner did not reply with 15 days, that he would follow up with a letter of his own. My GF is busy right now doing some research as to laws ( state or Federal or local ) pertaining to tipping and whether or not there is a limit on the percentage if allowed for an auto gratuity ( maybe something similar to the usury laws as to interest allowed on mortgages or loans, etc.). I know this isn't the same, but I'm hoping there is a maximum allowed or a law that says the customer/client cannot be forced to pay a gratuity at all.
Good, now find out where the girl in the salon lives, and have the demolition company dump all the removed parking lot pavement and trash in her yard, then don't worry about it.
After all, none of the in-bred cops in your town will do a thing about it if she calls them, that's certainly obvious.
Do you have a neighbor kid without a job for the summer? Go to a Lowes and buy the shinny green vest (This) [lowes.com] and a big orange Flag with a sign that says $10 parking. Tell him he can keep whatever he gets.
Plus, tell him to bring over his baseball bat...for any one of the jackasses that tries to just run him over and park there anyway, and the baseball bat "accidentally" gets thrown threw the windshield while playing a game of baseball on your private property
Oooo another thought... just start taking their valve stems out after they park for the day!
I like this idea!
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Or send your GF after them all if she wears the big boy pants