haircut - (minus) two bits
went to milio's sunday to get a haircut. shockingly, it's a fine haircut.
let me backtrack - i'm a big fan of milio's, in general. it's a place i generally support in chicago that cuts hair well - and moreover, is a liberal, proactive establishment that has punky workers and supports the pride parade, stuff like that.
on sunday, i walked out without tipping. i have never done this anywhere. i was fumed. i went to a dude who proceeded to sit me down, not talk, then leave me in the chair while he washed out someone else's color. he came back to me, didn't wash his paws, then continued cutting. the other girl complained about the dodgy color job he did, so he left me mid-haircut without saying a word and went and REDID HER COLOR.
at the end, when he came back to finish the cut, i looked what i imagine to be the equivalent of a wet cat. i was mad. he noticed and began yammering about me being pretty or something. i fake hated him and his suck up.
what just happened? should i feel guilty for not tipping?
i've never done anything like that. what is the etiquette here?
posted by tara d. @ 1:35 AM
8 Comments:
I don't think you should feel guilty. Ideally, you should have said something to the guy or to the receptionist about abandoning you there, but I wouldn't have had the nerve to myself.
I walked out of a restaurant without tipping once and it haunted me for weeks, but the waiter was a complete douchebag who sat in the corner smoking for like a half hour (literally!) while we waited for service. So in extreme cases I think it's definitely ok. Sometimes it's the best way to get a message across.
same. i said something moderately pass-aggr that was like, "do you double book much?"/"does this happen a lot?", inferring the service was awful; but, i don't even want to give the impression that he was "double-booked", because i would've just felt sorry for him. it was his attitude plus the complete disinterest in social mores.
i think it bugs me so much because i've certainly been on the other side of things. i've served coffee, waited tables, high-fived when i didn't want to high-five. i get it. this wasn't this dude's first time.
on the way out, the receptionist/cashier asked me if i wanted to leave a tip on my card, and i said - 'you know, no. in fact, do you have a comment card i could use?' - and she said she didn't. i haven't written them yet but that was the plan while in the chair of Z.
thank you megski!
more insights...?
eff that guy. don't feel guilty. I waitressed for years and therefore tend to tip exorbiantly, but if someone gives me what I deem terrible service, I don't feel bad giving them a terrible tip. And hairdressers at least make a salary, unlike waitstaff (here in MA they get paid $2.63 an hour, or a big fat nothing after taxes). That being said, though, I've never not left a tip at a restaurant. On a couple of occasions where I felt like I was being ignored, I just got up and left (it was before I had ordered anything). But I suppose that isn't an option in the middle of a hiarcut.
what an awful experience. maybe try Great Head over on Belmont just west of Broadway. It was the first time I really felt there was a conversation about the haircut or at least a clear plan of attack before he started cutting my hair.
but don't feel guilty about not tipping that jago.
jon - i used to live above great head. it ruled, because i'd be like, come over for great head. there's great head underneath me, i'm where people come for GREAT HEAD, etc. still sort of fun. who calls a shop that?!
anyway, eileen, same - i know. what was i supposed to do, leave? ... i even thought about asking someone to finish it, which would have been weird, i guess.
come over for great head.
Take it from me... a hairstylist. There's nothing wrong with not tipping in this situation. It's not like it's owed to us. A tip is just that, a tip, a bonus. It's not like waiting tables where you only make $2.15 an hour. The very least this guy made (depending on how the salon is set up) is 50% of what you paid.
It probably would've been best to have mentioned something to him or the manager. Obviously you tried to leave a comment card and couldn't, so you had the right idea. Communication is always the best policy.
I've double booked before and it has to be done cautiously. You have to balance things, like with waiting tables (which I've also done). The least he could've done was apoligize for the inconvenience or told you he was running behind. Being flat out rude and not talking to you is unexceptable and does not deserve a tip.
Also, next time call me. Get your hairs cut in my home, nice and relaxed, no rudeness and no double booking.
Mo
I can't relate to any of this, because, (1) I go to a barber (every two weeks, like clockwork), and (2) said barber owns the barber shop. You never tip the owner.
However, tipping generally gives me difficulty due to my longstanding feud with math.
In conclusion, wet cats are underrated.
I once had horrible service getting my hair done; person was 90 minutes late starting the appointment, and I sat fuming passive-agressively unable to say anything. I didn't tip. I never said anything, and instead just stopped going to her. It bothers me, though, that I didn't say something, because I think the person deserves to know what happened, but I was too much of a wimp. I'm working on that.
Of course, I switched salons eventually, and so did that particular stylist, so I keep running into her.
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