Susan's Place Transgender Resources

What's the etiquette for hair removal techs?  Tip or no tip?  And if tipping, what's a good amount?

I'm anticipating a fairly long relationship with him or her, so I want to make sure I start off right.

Quote from: Brenda E on August 02, 2014, 06:13:52 PM
What's the etiquette for hair removal techs?  Tip or no tip?  And if tipping, what's a good amount?

I'm anticipating a fairly long relationship with him or her, so I want to make sure I start off right.

Yes i did, was still in that male mode and always tipped those in the service industry.

Now i might if i felt they gave me more of a service then what i paid for.

Can't say sorry, we don't have a tipping system in Australia.  My tech already charges enough (ie. to cover a proper wage).

Dwight Schrute (from The Office) said it best. " Why tip someone for a job I'm capable of doing myself? I can deliver food. I can drive a taxi. I can ...and do cut my own hair. I did, however, tip my urologist. Because I am unable to pulverize my own kidney stones."

I've always been in Tip Mode, for nearly everything. Hotel van drivers, maids, servers, the girls at Manchu Wok, hairdressers.. I more or less came out to my reg. haircut girl, asking her for help, since my first hair coloring and style, in February.. I tipped her close to 30% the first time! and somewhere around 20% after that.. She treats me very nicely, and is supportive.. Told her that I wanted a particular fem style (bob cut) pointed to a pic on the wall, saying, that's what I really want.. and she's kept me from making cut mistakes since.. Kept me on track.. So I tip her well, and she takes care of me..
Now that's for hair.. I would do the same for laser,or electrol tech too, if they care for me, I care for them..

well since my doc is also my laser technician no otherwise I would. I might tip for my last few sessions though, since shes been doing a great job.

So tipping it is (in the US).

What sort of percentage?  Mine is kinda tricky because it's a coupon for six beard treatments that cost me $299.  So about $50 per session - a tip of $15 each visit?

Hell no. I go to a Dermatologist, he makes enough money off me already!!

I do send him business though...so that's better IMO

Well, the accepted practice, is you tip on the original amount..  But most times, I've seen people being really cheap.. A family, or group that has like a 20% coupon would tip on the lesser amount sometimes shorting $10 or more..  I do a standard 20% which is what it's supposed to be but many do 10-15%

I do tip my electrologist.  But since I buy large blocks of time all at once I tip on the front end when I pay for it.  I tip on the original amount before discount, but since she charges $100/hr "sticker price" I only tip ten percent. 

Idk if I'm being cheap or not, I hope not, but that's how I do it.  :)

I never actually thought about it until earlier today and wham, this thread pops up! I was wondering the same thing. Idk tho, it seems kinda unnecessary, they are making like $50 or more for like 15 minutes of work.

No, I don't tip. In my country tipping is almost only done with professions which base salary is very low and is expected to be compensated by tips. Here in Czech it's mostly waiters for example.

So I haven't thought about tipping the nurse who does my laser sessions as her salary of nurse on a clinic of aesthetic medicine is surely high enough. And so is the price for the laser session which would be roughly 200 USD after conversion.

Oh dear, this had made me incredibly nervous that I've been breaching etiquette now. For some reason, I'd never considered tipping because the laser clinic I attend is a highly formal and clinical environment so I simply assumed that the wage made by the trained nurse in question would be sufficiently above the minimum wage threshold to become a living wage. I tend to tip people in positions that do not meet the requirements of a UK living wage, such hair stylists or waiters, and have absolutely no clue how to figure out whether UK laser technicians fall into that. Darn it. In honesty, I doubt I could afford to tip much at present anyway given I'm a student on temporary medical leave.

I say no (but might be open to it a bit later). I view it as a medical procedure.

Some other thoughts here:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4540306_tipping-laser-hair-removal.html

Interesting.  It does seem to be a procedure that lies somewhere in the gray area between medical and cosmetic, halfway between going to the dentist and having a haircut.

I'll keep an eye out for any posted signs telling me that tipping is not expected, or that a gratuity is not included.

First appointment coming up soon.  I'll report back.

Actually I just noted you are on a coupon, $50/session is cheapo, maybe a tip might help oil the cogs in your relationship with the technician.

But I'm paying 4X that amount and getting my hands and nips done...

I don't, but i go to a dermatologist where nurses do the treatment.  Almost being a nurse myself, I think it would have been really awkward if any of my patients during school tried to tip me.  I definitely wouldn't have taken it, would have felt wrong.  I could see how a laser center might be different though.

My laser hair removal cost 4k for four visits plus taxes.

So no at over 1k a visit he got no tips

Quote from: Myarkstir on August 03, 2014, 08:27:04 AM
My laser hair removal cost 4k for four visits plus taxes.

Wow, that's pricey!  For $4,000, I'd expect them to use lightsabers or something.

Why should I tip someone who runs a laser over my face for 10-15 minutes and then charges me thousands of dollars for the whole process?  I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but they're getting plenty from me.  Its not that I don't appreciate the service, but handing over more money when they're charging that much is bonkers.

Update - I paid 15%.  Felt kinda guilted into it; when the credit card was swiped, I had the "option" of adding a tip.  It came to a gratuity of a little over $30 on a six-treatment package, so not the end of the world, and the tech who performed the first treatment was extremely patient with me and certainly earned the money.

On a related subject: my god, that laser f**king stings a million times worse than I ever expected it to!

^^ Heh Heh Heh. ;D

The mustache area hurts the most, even on the 2nd treatment it's just as bad as the first.

Die beard die!!!!