gratuity????

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#14

I have not had much luck in getting the readers of this forum to post why they tip when they tip, and what it means to them when they do.

I never saw this topic before, and i think it’s an excellent idea to talk about this.

Being new to this country, I had NO IDEA that you were supposed to tip most people here. I must have offended so many hair washing girls, masseuses, and who knows who else that expected a tip. I would have tipped had I known it was acceptable to do so, but it’s embarrassing to tip sometimes, so I actually prefer not to.

When I know that a tip is the norm like with waitresses, I don’t feel embarrassed tipping, but when I am not sure that it is and how much to give, I HATE to have to do it b/c it makes me feel as if I’m pretending to be superior to that person and handing them pittance… I don’t know, I just feel that way.

A whole 8 years after my arrival here I though that I new who to tip. But when I dated a body piercing guy for a few weeks I learned that I had been wrong. He told me that every service profession in the US can and perhaps should be tipped. I was shocked and embarrassed b/c I realized how many people I had send the wrong message to. I was very surprised to learn that people tip him for piercings… i would absolutely never thought to do that.

Anyway… as for my electrolysist, I would never try to tip him with cash b/c I would most definitely feel idiotic trying to hand him money. I really think that he is excellent and his skill and dedication to the profession as awe inspiring. So I feel moved by his contribution to my life and really want to not only tell him that but do nice little things for him.

I may not end up giving him a present per-se but I am going to take care a few things for him. I am planning on redesigning his office forms and putting them on a CD so that he can print fresh copies when he needs them. Currently he uses a horrific blackened form that he must have been re-copying for decades. Nothing on that form is legible. I also plan on making a simple web site for him b/c he is not out in the public eye at all (not that he can even handle more patients as it is, but you know… just to keep up with the times)

Things like that. I probably would buy him something too towards the end of our sessions. I’ll see what info I can get out of him. So far I’ve only had 3 hours with him and I know everything about his family, so it won’t be hard to figure out what to buy 

I am not sure that I answered your questions James, but let me know if I didn’t.

#15

this is the best public hair removal forum I have ever seen… so I sent money in to the website manager because she deserved the tip! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Right! Totally! this forum and the hairfact web site have saved me so much money, have prevented me from buying equipment form the wrong sellers and doing stupid things to myself… as soon as i saw her “feed my kitties” link, there was not even a second of doubt that i would give her money … and i NEVER do that. usually i feel like a sucker if i send moeny to somone i don’t know, but with this site, there was not doubts and no regret.

so i don’t know if that explains anything about the psychology of tipping but i think it’s pretty simple. you like someting and somone, you feel like giving them something.

#16

I personally NEVER accept a tip. I see myself as a professional offering a professional service. I also own my business and have no other employees. My compensation is seeing great results and hearing people tell me what a difference I’ve made in their life.

#17

hm. i’ve given this a bit of thought. i am one of those people who depends on tips to pay for my weekly groceries. i don’t like it, but i have little choice in the matter. my boss pays me half of what i’m worth, but makes up the difference with service charge and cash tips. it works, but i don’t like it.

i tip my electrologist because she works in a beauty salon-type of place where people also come for waxing, massages, facials, etc. those people tip, so i do as well. plus i like her. she makes me feel comfortable in what could otherwise be a really unpleasant situation. she always finishes the area she started, even if we’ve technically run out of time.

i never tip the people at the laser place because a) they charge way too much as is, and b) i don’t feel like they give a damn about the quality of service they provide. the treatments are fine, but beyond that, they don’t go out of their way to make me feel good about the whole thing.

someone mentioned piercers… i tip my piercer. i think he does a wonderful job. i have to fly halfway around the world to go to him, but it’s worth it.

r.c.

#18

Half way around the world??? WOW!!! there are really really good piercers here in the states too <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

well i didn’t tip mine but i dated him, so i guess that was a nicer “thanks” <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

#19

Ivelina:
I am not sure that I answered your questions James, but let me know if I didn’t.

Alan_Price
I personally NEVER accept a tip. I see myself as a professional offering a professional service. I also own my business and have no other employees. My compensation is seeing great results and hearing people tell me what a difference I’ve made in their life.

Yes, Ivelina, you answered the question well. The point of this thread is for people like Mr. Price to understand why anyone even wants to try to tip their electrologist. Earlier in this thread, I have already said that every electrologist is different on their stand on tips, and one will need to discuss this topic with that person before you make any assumptions. Should you want to tip someone like Mr. Price because you feel like Ivelina, this thread is designed so that one understands both how to open the discussion, and help electrologists like Mr. Price understand the reason people want to do it in the first place, and how they might feel if one simply refuses to accept any show of gratitude from one’s clients.

Most people are doing it out of Gratitude, not a belief that their practitioner is missing meals, doing menial work, or some other such potentially insulting idea.

And just for the record, I am not picking at Mr. Price here, he is just someone who has taken the time to express the view I spoke about earlier in this thread.

For more on the subject, see this other post string:
Tipping Post String

#20

Please let me re-phrase my position. I am always VERY grateful whenever somebody offers me a tip. I graciously decline and explain that I don’t accept tips. If someone chooses to bring me a gift at the holidays or any other time then I have no problem saying thank you and accepting it. My point is, if I am the owner of my establishment and I am already charging a fee for my service, I choose not to take more than is charged for that service. If someone is going to an electrologist who is working for someone else, then of course they can offer a cash tip. It is then up to that electrologist if they choose to accept.

#21

Half way around the world??? WOW!!! there are really really good piercers here in the states too <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

well i didn’t tip mine but i dated him, so i guess that was a nicer “thanks” <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

hehe. my piercer is in the states, but i live in the uk.

#22

I initially saw an electrolysist who worked for herself and this person I didn’t tip. Also, I didn’t see her for too long because I moved to another part of town. My present electrolysist works for a salon. She has a child in college. Another in high school. I know a lot about her after two years and she knows a lot about me. I used to do hour sessions and now I’ve graduated. I always tip her $4.00 and the charge is $21 for 15 mins. I know the tips make a huge difference for her and frankly I am grateful at the results I’ve gotten and continue to get from her.

#23

Thanks for weighing in. Those who see clients offering tips need to understand that you are not insulting your electrologist in the least when you offer a little something extra because you are GRATEFUL for the results you have received.

As “The Simple Life” TV show illustrates, Paris Hilton is more than willing to accept tips of any kind, for any reason, and it isn’t like she needs a dime.

I wish more people would post in here just why they want to tip, and how they came up with the amount they tipped.

Like I said, I just want people to understand.

#24

Well, this really makes me think…

I always tipped my electrologist because i though i should do that. I was paying $17 and leaving $3 tip. This was in an hair salon.

Now i just start seeing another in a spa and i really like her. I pay $16 and left $4 tip. Pretty good… i guess… Anyway, for now on i’m not gonna leave tip anymore, at least not all the time because this is already very expensive.

Thanks u all. This really helped me a lot! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

#25

Hi Tish,

As a practicing electrolysist, I really will not expect tips from my clientele, although I will gratefully accept them. As a lot of my clients are TS/TG I always figure that they are going through enough money with transition, where I really do not expect them to do this.

One exception to this would be if you are using a school’s clinic. If you get a student who does good work for you, tips are very much appreciated. As there are now very few schools left in the United States, most students have to get a temporary residence and spend a lot of money to go through the school. I know in my case it cost me (conservatively) $18.71/hour. Most of the cost being living expenses.

All the best,
Joanie [color:“blue”] [/color]

#26

Hi James,

As a client I generally do not tip, however I have been seeing my electrolygists for over a year now and she is a fantastic lady. My appointments are usually in the 12:00PM to 12:45PM time slot, if her schedule allows, I take her out to lunch or to Starbuck’s. I also gave her a gift certificate at Christmas and her birthday and a gratuity at the end of the clearing of an area. I’ve also made some jewelry for her (A hobby that I’ve done for years).

Why do I do this? Simple, I appreciate the quality and concern that her work exhibits. I have a couple of chronic skin conditions (non-contagious)and she has been able to do some extraordinary work for me. She has been staying in touch with my dermtologist, making this a well-coordinated team effort. She was also instrumental in helping me choose electrology as a career when I became disabled for my usual occupation about a year ago.

One other aspect that is important to me. Her practice is kept absolutely clean and she uses very thorough sanitation and sterilization with her instrumentation and equipment. She also uses disposable needles and varies he techniques to accomodate my tolerance level, giving me the best value for my money.

In short, I feel that it is important that I acknowlege her efforts on my behalf. A thank you is nice, but giving the little extras is a lot more definitive.

Joanie

#27

Oh great Ticia, now I will have your electrologist coming after me because “I convinced you to stop tipping” <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Thank you all for reviving this thread. People have seemed to be afraid to voice any opinion on this one.

As a full-time electrologist, I can offer a little piece of information that can help those who want to tip, but can’t afford to give the kind of tip they would like, or just want to really make an impression.

A busy electrolysis practitioner is stacked up with appointment after appointment, and still has what ever obligations to family and personal business. What often gets left out of the schedule is time to eat. Even the one’s who work at, or near home rarely have time to both cook AND eat. Gifting your practitioner with a healthy meal that can be eaten between appointments would help to buy back the health they have been losing through skipping meals (the number one way working people crash their metabolism, and work their way towards roundness) and insure that your practitioner lives long enough to finish your work. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

This means no McDonalds, and may mean you learn what healthy means, and some electrologists would not appreciate the offer anyway (like anything else, this is individual) but a home-made salad with Romaine, chicken and scrambled eggs costs less than the average tip, and would actually do for your practitioner something the practitioner may not have been finding a way to do for themselves… you know, like you could not remove your own hair.

Just a harebrained idea here. Discuss amongst yourselves.

#28

I tip on Holidays ,when I show up late or miss an appt.
If I miss an appt and I’m unable to give advanced notice my tip is 1/2 of the cost of my missed appt.
Some days I get a little extra time I tip then as well.

#29

I didn’t used to tip, now I do. I have used only one practitioner for laser hair removal and electrolysis. When I started out she was working with a dermatologist and I was only getting laser done at first. I figured, “it’s a medical office and there really is no need to tip.” For awhile I never gave it much thought. Then I started electrolysis to finish up lighter finer hairs and this was still in the dermatologist’s office. Still I never thought of tipping.

Then she started doing electrolysis on the side in a salon. It was easier to get appointments there and it was a little bit cheaper. I figured it was time to start tipping as it was probably common practice in that setting.

I finally asked about tipping. She said “You don’t have to do that!” But I persisted and asked, “is it common for your clients to tip? I had no idea and never thought of it in medical office.” She said, “some tip and some don’t.” She didn’t want to make me feel obligated. So here I am tipping.

She moved to a different doctor’s practice and she had to give up the salon appointments. I kept tipping.

She is now in private practice. I still keep tipping. I figure if I stopped tipping or reduced the tip she would think I was unhappy which is certainly not the case. So…I keep tipping. It’s worth it though because good electrologists and laser techs are very hard to come by in these parts of the country. And I am very happy with her work to say the least. It’s better to have one practitioner who can use both methods. It is easier to coordinate treatments. I have even had an impromptu electro session when a laser broke down.

One thing I learned is that doctors have a lot to learn in personnel management and keeping their employees happy. If I was the doctor I would have moved heaven and earth to keep my practitioner in my office. The first two doctors hardly do any hair removal now. All the previously happy clients followed my practitioner.

It would be nice if all electrologists would refuse tips, would save a lot of money LOL! But she is worth it so I keep tipping. Andrea does make a good point. Just about any time I need an appointment, I can get one. And I am first on the list when a new machine is being demo’d.

Hope this was helpful.

RJC2001

#30

I am not advocating tipping, nor discouraging it for that matter, but I hope you are joking when you say “I wish all practitioners would refuse to accept tips.” That would be like me saying, “I wish grandmothers would refuse to accept both a birthday and mother’s day present, when the two days come very close together, and sometimes on the same day.”

You are the person who decides to tip, you are the person who decides what you tip, and you should only be tipping if you are actually grateful enough to WANT to tip.

#31

I am not advocating tipping, nor discouraging it for that matter, but I hope you are joking when you say “I wish all practitioners would refuse to accept tips.” That would be like me saying, “I wish grandmothers would refuse to accept both a birthday and mother’s day present, when the two days come very close together, and sometimes on the same day.”

You are the person who decides to tip, you are the person who decides what you tip, and you should only be tipping if you are actually grateful enough to WANT to tip.

Yes, I was joking. I know I don’t have to tip, she tells me that. Electrologists are hard to come by here, not to mention good ones! And I am very grateful

RJC2001

#32

Good. And it is that time of year again. I just bought my Mom a present for her birthday, and now, I have a couple weeks and I have to buy my mother’s mother both a birthday and Mother’s day present (to say nothing of my mother’s mother’s day present) all in the same week.

But I am greatful. She is 89 going on 90, I am very greatful. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

#33

To be honest, James, my most basic reason for tipping in this or any situation would be to do whatever was considered polite and appropriate. And I know that in some jobs, tips are an important part of a person’s income and not to give a tip would be to “short” someone.

Also, I generally do enjoy giving tips because I feel appreciative. And when I am feeling more appreciative because the service was performed especially well or I have made “extra” requests, I will give more than I think is “standard” (e.g. 20-25% in a restaurant rather than just 15%).

Thank you for the info here. Given this information, I will be very comfortable asking my electrologist, (who owns her own business) whether she accepts tips when I pay, and if she accepts them, I will add one in to my payment. She charges a little under $60 per hour and so I would probably give a $10 tip.

I actually had one appointment with her already. She had donated a 1 hour electrolysis gift certificate to an auction to benefit the school my daughter attends and I bought it. It was my first experience with electrolysis and the results were AMAZING, so I’m planning on getting lots more done!

Thanks again!