Another Q about tipping (pricey services in a non-med env)
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skin Care and Makeup Forum

Sat Jun 15, 2013 6:41 pm

Okay, so...I feel like I'm rehashing old threads here, but I can't find an answer to my exact question. I recently had a very expensive service performed in a spa. It was NOT, however, a medical spa and there is no medical staff on hand, as far as I know. This was a $600 collagen skin rejuvenation treatment that lasted just under an hour and a half. Upon leaving, I notice the front desk had a very conspicuously posted chart regarding what different gratuity percentage levels would equate to based upon the cost of the service. Meaning a standard 20% tip for what I had performed would be $120.

Umm....that's a LOT of money.

I took it upon myself to undercut their "suggested" gratuity amount by quite a bit and gave $40, which seems absolutely more than fair for 75-minutes of - essentially - micro needling.

So, despite the fact that their convenient tip chart was more than a little tacky, what IS the guideline when tipping for extremely expensive services in a non-medical environment? Was my $40 completely out of line? Honestly, I'd love to go back for more of these, but with it being cost-prohibitive to begin with, taking on an additional $120 each time just wouldn't be a possibility. But I'd rather not do it than be perceived as cheap and unappreciative and deal with an unhappy esthetician.

free skin care · Sun Jun 16, 2013 7:12 am

I bet that sign is just to remind people to tip their esthetician.

I used to work in a day spa and now in a med-spa. My tips are now horrible. Very few people tip on laser hair removal, and the "big" services like the Dermapen (I am guessing this is what you had done), I haven't been tipped on yet.

I have noticed that when people get fillers ($500-$900), they leave $20-$40 for the gal doing the injections. And that makes her happy. I don't think anyone has left 20%!

$20, $40, $80 - all of those would be very nice and much better than ZERO!

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