FORCED TIPPING - Do you get annoyed or mad if forced to tip a certain amount? NO OT.

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 )??