Tipping is a contentious topic. Who to tip and how much to tip is a hot question in every corner of the service industry, and nail salons are no different. Nail salon tipping is obviously not mandatory—otherwise, it would be included in the price of your service as an added charge—but social mores dictate that it’s the right thing to do if you received adequate-or-better treatment and were happy with the job your nail tech did. Knowing how much to tip your nail tech is tricky, and it helps to have some consensus on the matter.
Should You Tip in the First Place?
Unlike a restaurant server, nail techs don’t make the majority of their money off tipping. Usually, the price of your nail service is the price that your nail tech wants to make on the job, with no expectation of extra. Still, the pressure exists on the client side. Doing nails is a skilled beauty service, and the custom is to tip when a beauty professional gives you a service. If you have a regular nail tech that you see, giving even a modest tip from time to time is an incentive for your tech to keep giving you the nails that get you compliments, as well as prioritizing you as a client.
How Much Should I Tip?
Unlike in the restaurant industry, where the tip is generally dependent on a percentage of the bill, nail tech tipping is often a matter of a flat dollar amount. You might give your nail tech an extra five- or ten dollars, perhaps going higher if you get a truly time-consuming and laborious service like complicated nail art. Of course, if you have the resources, tipping a percentage on par with what you’d pay at a restaurant is a nice thing to do.
Do I Tip Every Time?
Another way to approach nail tech tipping is to only tip on special occasions or when the service is above-and-beyond. Some customers take the tactic of only tipping on holidays or when a job more elaborate than the usual service is asked for. Generally, these “once in a while” tips are more generous than when you tip every single time. There is also the fact that some people don’t make a habit of carrying cash, and tipping in cash is a nice thing to do — plus, some establishments don’t have the option for tipping on card integrated in their POS systems. In these instances, maybe you don’t tip, but you make up for it with a slightly heftier tip next time. This way of tipping obviously works best when you are a regular client of one nail tech, as opposed to when you see someone different every time you are in the salon.
The Philosophy Behind Nail Salon Tipping
Tipping your nail tech is more an issue of showing appreciation for a good job than for supplementing their income, which is the thought behind tipping in a restaurant. Tips may not be required, but tips are a really nice thing for your nail tech. Again, you can show your appreciation with even a few extra dollars to demonstrate that you love their work and appreciate the extra mile that they go to make sure you look great.
When it comes to tipping in the nail salon and how much to tip your nail tech, there aren’t really concrete answers. The best course of action is to keep in mind that, while your nail tech’s income doesn’t rely on tips like that of a server, tips are the socially-acceptable way of showing appreciation and respect for your tech’s time and skill. Even if you can only afford to slip your technician a little bit extra on top of the fee for the service, you’ll be going a long way to demonstrate that you are pleased with the job they did.