Tipping - How much should you expect?

I'm interested to find out how much other estheticians are tipped for their services. What percent do you think you should get from clients? What do you actually get? Also, do you work as an employee, independent contractor, or a salon/spa owner who employs/contracts others? And, what kind of environment do you work in (i.e. seasonal resort, boutique studio, fitness spa, downtown salon, suburb, income level of area)?

Tags: Tips, esthetician, jobs, tipping

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Permalink Reply by Natalie on May 14, 2013 at 4:32pm

Norm I get is 15%- that being said sometimes more, sometimes less. I leave gratuity envelopes in treatment room and at front desk- I agree with Shelly in saying use towards next treatment if owner!

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Permalink Reply by coldsalineplexus on May 14, 2013 at 8:45pm

I am a business owner and employ other estheticians and service providers.

My reception staff are trained to prompt, "would you like to leave gratuity on the card?" with everyone's clients EXCEPT mine. I still graciously accept the tips (or my receptionists graciously accept on my behalf) that do come my way, however I would say maybe 30-40% of my clients tip, as opposed to 80-90% of my employees' clients. Down from about 60% of my clients before I bumped my own treatment prices higher than my employees (in order to funnel more business in their direction).

I feel that this is all quite right with the world! Those of my personal clientele who can afford or want to be generous do, and others stay silent at the register and don't worry about it. I do think it's important that my employees' clients are politely prompted, since we do paperless receipts and there is nothing to sign to leave a tip, and since I do figure that tip income when I am calculating treatment prices and commission percentages.

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Permalink Reply by Relax & Rejuvenate on May 15, 2013 at 8:34am

Our therapists are in urban hotel spas and get tipped 18-20% on average

They are all employees, and we do not deduct any credit card processing charges on charged tips.

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Permalink Reply by Kathleen Neves on May 15, 2013 at 10:24am

Great topic! This is a question I get asked by my blog readers all the time. Since I don't work in the treatment room, I've always had a hard time asking.

When I worked at SFIEC (a beauty school in San Francisco), clients would ask all the time if the students could accept tips for their services. The policy was always open for clients to tip the students. The only stipulation was that they could only receive cash tips. We were unable to accept tips on credit cards because they were students, not employees. Most clients completely understood that and took advantage of the ATM machine we had convenietly located in the lobby of the building.

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Permalink Reply by Miss D on May 15, 2013 at 10:53am

I never expect a tip. My clients range from zero tip to half the price of a service. I am just happy to service my clients (85% are still with me since I started my career 15 yrs. ago) and still make enough money to pay my bills and live comfortably! I will say...being in this business has taught me to be an exceptional "tipper" when I receive GREAT service from this industry and other service industries!