I agree. My first clinic was a plastic surgeon’s office which was very formal, and the person at the front counter was not the person that did my treatment. My technician would walk me out and then leave, and the front desk person would tell me the price. Their visa/debit machine never prompted to add a tip, and it would have been very weird to hand the receptionist a $10 and say give it to the tech. It’s way too classy I find to do that.
My second clinic was basically a small little store front in a mall. My main clinic I go to as mentioned is a laser and waxing studio. The only time it mentions tip is if I pay with debit, the machine prompts if I want to add a tip. I give $5 or $10 usually but that’s also only because their pricing is so low and they always go above and beyond (ie I’ll pay something low like $80 for full face and neck and then she’ll go even lower and zap the odd hair on my chest and so on so I give a bit extra.
My current clinic is a laser and teeth whitening place which is also very high end and nice inside and the person at the desk is also not the technician. It’s too awkward somewhere like this to tip as well I find. I only do at the other place because it’s very small, and my technician is the owner who does everything and tells me the price, takes my money etc.
Put it this way, pay with debit or credit card. If the slip has a spot to write a tip, then you can assume they may be used to getting one and you can add a little if you feel you should. If it doesn’t ask for it (the way a restaurant or delivery driver would, then it shouldn’t be expected.) I feel that when a clinic is setting up their payment system, if they have to specifically request from the implementation person to have it prompt to add a tip, then they most likely are expecting one or at least hoping for one. The default would be to have no tip so they’re the ones requesting the machine asks for it.
