At my last hair salon appointment they recently changed to "gratuity-free" but it cost $60 for the cheapest haircut, and $300/hr for dye jobs and the stylist absolutely just ran up the clock while I was there. And then she still gave me guff when I didn't tip.
I decided to try bleaching and dyeing my hair myself for the first time after that experience and I'm honestly much happier with the result. I was at the salon for 8 hours and paid $2500 whereas at home it took maybe 2 hours and cost around $60. And I still have product leftover for touchups. It's also held much better and the color is far more vibrant. I am all about paying people for services I can't or won't do myself but that particular stylist/salon really went for my wallet.
I’ve been bleaching and toning my hair at home for like 2 decades or so but once in a while as a little treat I’ll go to a teaching school and get it dyed by a student. Usually runs under a hundred. Mixed bag results wise, sometimes they nail it and it’s absolutely amazing, sometimes I’d have been better off doing it myself.
I like going to the salon as a treat for myself but I haven't been since the fiasco. Haha
I'll still get my cuts done by someone else and happily pay and if I want a more complex dye job I'll consider going to a salon again but I had to scrape my jaw off the floor last time. She told me her rate at the consult but she DRASTICALLY underestimated the time it would take. Or, as I'm prone to believe on occasion, she decided to drag it out for one reason or another. Because I was sitting in the chair with dye on my head for way longer than was needed. And the dye pretty quickly fell out too. 🫠
You straight up got scammed. No one’s hair should ever take 8 hours and cost $2500. The person who does my girls hair does an excellent job with very vibrant colors and she only charges $300 for it. $2500 is an absolute scam.
Her rate is $300/hr for vivid colors and I also got a cut that was $60. The hourly rate is higher than some in my area (near Seattle, WA, USA) but I figured it was because it was gratuity-free so they sorta built the tip in. My usual stylist has a much smaller operation and charged $200/hr for vivids (she was out for wrist surgery) so I tried to measure against that pricing. She initially said 3-4 hours in the consultation, 5 hours max. That was pricier than usual for me but she was highly reviewed and recommended. I later found out she was going through a divorce so I'm pretty sure she was just trying to squeeze some extra money out of me. I was exhausted and frustrated by the end of the appointment so I just paid and went home.
That’s why you befriend a hairstylist. She cuts my hair for free at my house or wherever and I just give her like $50 cause she deserves it. But I don’t dye my hair so Idk about that one lol
Speaking from the perspective of an independent stylist here. There’s a lot happening in the background at salons. A lot of that money goes to product, rent, continued education, license renewal, etc. the chances that your stylist is taking home even half of that $60 is low. Not to mention, we don’t get PTO or sick leave like most people. We have to constantly have a cushion in case we get sick or want to take a vacation. Not saying they should have given you trouble for not tipping at a gratuity-free salon, but just putting my two cents out there.
People act like stylists are just chomping at the bit to take allll your money, but you can absolutely find a meat grinder run of the mill salon that will give you a mediocre haircut with no shampoo or style for $20. Go to that place if upset about the prices. There is always a reason why places charge what they charge. Period.
So they should charge more then, to cover the costs? Y’all set your prices. That’s not our issue as customers if you don’t set your prices high enough to cover everything in the background. Also, just because people don’t find sense in your comment doesn’t make them bots lmao there’s a reason you’re getting downvoted, girl
My entire point is that not everybody has the freedom to set their own prices. Most stylists working at a bigger salon work commission and a percentage of their service price goes to the owner. THAT is why they expect and accept tips. I myself am an independent stylist who sets their own prices and DOESN’T accept tips. Not everybody is so lucky.
Redditors like to think they’re experts on everything because they live in an echo chamber. I’m providing a very real perspective as somebody who is experienced in the industry.
Ok sure, so what if this stylist at this salon is working commission and has 0 control over how much to charge? On top of the owner taking a percentage of each service.
I do not accept tips, and charge accordingly because I’m an independent stylist with over 10 years behind the chair under my belt. I agree with you, but not everybody is in that position.
Thank you for your perspective. I'm not trying to paint all stylists with a broad brush here- this was just my experience about another side of "tipping culture" with one salon. I'm an independent artist and I know a lot about operational and material costs and such so I totally get it. However, there are absolutely tattoo artists and stylists that set an hourly rate that more than compensates for their costs but still expect a tip on top of that. She was also doing haircuts and styling while I was "processing" (sitting with dye- not bleach on my head for 3 hours) and everyone tipped her. My personally experience was predatory and that's why I commented.
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u/Erin_Derrick_Art 6h ago
At my last hair salon appointment they recently changed to "gratuity-free" but it cost $60 for the cheapest haircut, and $300/hr for dye jobs and the stylist absolutely just ran up the clock while I was there. And then she still gave me guff when I didn't tip.