I recently got my hair cut, and that got me thinking about tipping. For the longest time, I was not aware that it was common practice to tip for a hair cut. Once I made the discovery, I of course felt bad for all the times in the past when I did not tip, but that is not to say I necessarily agree or even understand the protocol. I just don’t want to seem like a cheap bitch.
I understand and agree with the custom of tipping; a small gratuity in appreciation for services rendered. What boggles my mind are all the situations where one would be expected to tip. Let’s start with the basics; a restaurant. In a restaurant, you pay for the product, which is the food and drink you order, and tip the service you receive with the food. In addition, it’s common knowledge servers make very little in hourly salary; in New York state the minimum is $4.75. The rest of their income is supplemented by tips. This is very straightforward and I have no problem with this. It’s other areas that confuse me.
Let’s take getting a haircut as an example. When you get a haircut, you pay for the service of someone cutting and styling your hair for you. The more the haircut cost, the more one can reasonably expect professional and quality service. So, why do you have tip on a service you’re already paying for?
Another confusing area is with food delivery. Here in Buffalo, many places will tack on a $2.50 fee if you want food delivered. Again, why do I need to tip the driver when I’m already paying for the service of having the food delivered?