I'm going to the spa today. What is an appropriate tip?

you tip when you pay for the treatment. some spas offer you an envelope for each separate service provider, but I think this is being worked. Tip 20 % on the full amount at the end, and let the manageress work it out as far as who gets what. With the envelope system, I have walked out of spas having paid $200 or more, for just a mani/ pedi and facial.

you know what ir seems like today is your day – i would say base the tip off your satisfaction – now if everytime you turn around it seems like you shold be tipping – then i would say that your tipping too much – im sure the price of your awesome day should cover some gratuities

I tacked on 20% to my entire bill (in cash) at the end of my day spa experience in Park Slope about a year and a half ago. I’d gotten a full-body deep tissue massage, a facial, a mani-pedi and a full-body sea salt scrub with hot oil treatment. But that’s because everyone had done a wonderful job.

::sigh:: Does anyone have a spare $350 they could lend me?

I admit, it’s so awkward because usually you have none of your belongings on you (because you’re in a robe) so you can’t tip individuals. But, I’m pretty positive they realize this and it’s not expected.

I would tip 20% for each individual procedure. If this was paid for with a gift certificate from someone else, then I’d do 20% on the total bill.
Like a previous person said, they do usually have envelopes for each individual though.

As for the towel/drink people, unless they have some sort of tip jar somewhere..there’s really no way to tip them. I wouldn’t worry about it. My guess is they get a tip from the workers somehow.

I’ve never been, but enjoy! Let us know how nice it was.

Is it just me, or does anyone else think the custom of “required tipping” is redonkulous?

Am I not paying for the service? Why does the cost of the service not cover the person performing the service? Am I paying rent on the room I’m occupying? ‘Cause I can get a room for a whole week for $300, forget the hour or two I’m spending getting pampered.

This goes for waiters, hairdressers, and bellhops, too. Why on earth is the salary of these people dependent on whether I’m carrying cash? Do they not work for a company? Should the company not pay their own damned employees?

I understand tipping if someone really goes above and beyond the call of duty, but tacking 20% or more onto the already pricey whatever just because it’s expected you do so is absurd.

^^^Hear hear. But I still tip.

^^ So do I, but I’m not happy about it.

Because some people believe when a service is provided for you, you tip the person for their time and effort. It’s common courtesy, and is not the fault of the employee that that’s how the service world works.

10–20% depending on your level of satisfaction. They often have separate envelopes for each person who serviced you.
edit:I wrote this before reading everyone else’s posts. Sorry for the repeats, although I think I’m the only one who doesn’t feel obliged to give 20% minimum.

I’m back. All I have to say is aaahhh…

@seek. Work for a year in a service position and then you get to have an opinion.

@tinyfaery I’m envious!

@Seek_Kolinahr The bad habit of tipping started when some greedy people decided they wanted to be treated better than everybody else, and tipping worked. Then employers realized they didn’t have to pay taxes or benefits on the tips, and it took off from there. Until we can get rid of the practice completely, we must go along.

When I was little, we used to tip the grocery store bag boy (they were always boys then) because he didn’t get any other money, they earned tips only. When minimum wage became the norm, we were told to stop tipping them, but I still do.

@breedmitch , @casheroo

—I am on the side of the employees, here. I want to know why the company I’m giving $75 bucks to for a massage isn’t paying the employee enough out of that money to offer a decent salary without my adding another 20%?

I don’t know how the massage world works, but since you mentioned waiters in your “rant” I’ll address that.
The profit margin in the independently owned food establishment industry is very low. If, as an owner, I paid my servers, say, $10/hour, I would have to raise the prices of your meal by far more than the extra 20% you’re adding as tip.

@breedmitch

I frequently visit independently owned food restaurants. I often tip very well in those places, because I receive excellent service. The wait staff knows my son’s name and the fact that I don’t like ice in my water. I’m very much cool with tipping exceptional service.

I am not cool with chain restaurants (Olive Garden?) charging $20 for a plate of overboiled pasta with cheap sauce, then only paying the wait staff $3 an hour and forcing me to supplement the rest of their income.

There’s no incentive for the employee to do their job, especially nowadays when those places pool their credit-card tips.

You shouldn’t be eating at places like the Olive Garden…

@Seek_Kolinahr That’s a staff decision, the employees all have to agree upon the pooling of tips..which can be beneficial in the long run for them.