I did such great work and they only tipped me xxx! What does that mean?
They didn't tip! What did I do wrong??
I only got a 10% tip! How cheap are they??
I work in a chiropractor's office and I hardly ever get tips! What can I do to get people to tip me??
Is it OK to put up a sign telling people they should tip? Is there a way to do that tastefully? [hint: no and no]
These are the kind of comments that come up all the time on massage therapy boards on the internet.
We need to quit obsessing about tips. In fact, we need to quit thinking about them altogether if we can. Being part of the "tipping culture" isn't doing us any favors.
I lived in Australia for a year. They don't tip. The price you see on a menu is what you actually pay (it already includes the tax as well).
You know what that means? No one sucking up to you for a better tip. No phony smiles for better tips. No false flattery. No one not-so-subtly trying to get you to finish up your dinner and leave so they can get another customer because they really make their money on tips.
I loved it.
We think of tips as "free money". We also think of them as validation. And we often think of them as mandatory. They are none of these things.
I've had so many clients ask me to explain how tipping "works" for massage therapists. They "know" they don't tip the owner but since I'm working out of my home, am I the owner? When I work in someone else's organization, they want to know if I'm a contractor or employee because they think that factors into tips. Should it be more like a hairdresser or more like a restaurant??
They genuinely care and are genuinely deeply concerned that they'll do it "wrong".
Why should they have to know any of this? I don't want to have these conversations!
Tips, sadly, have become a way for employers to throw the responsibility for part of your salary on the customer. It's not enough that customers pay for the service, they have to pay part of your salary on top of that! This has polluted a simple economic exchange -- I give you an hour of professional massage, you give me money -- and made it complicated.
If you must have tips to make ends meet, I have some thoughts:
* You aren't charging enough.
* You're not being paid enough.
* You are charging enough but you can't support yourself on a massage therapist's income
You know what happens in a culture where tipping is not the norm? Service providers and customers can approach each other as equals. There's no "bowing and scraping" (or painfully inauthentic grinning) to make sure you get a tip.
Do I accept tips? Yes, but I don't expect them. In fact, here's how I explain tipping in my newsletter:
I accept tips but I don't expect them. For therapists who also accept tips, there are times when tipping is well-received.
In salons and spas. In these settings, tips are common. Your massage therapist is only getting a portion of the fee you pay for the massage - sometimes as little as 25-40% -- and your tip is enormously appreciated.
When the massage therapist has gone out of his/her way for you. Did someone work hard to squeeze you into a tight schedule? Did they open early or stay open late? Did they climb four flights of steps -- with a massage table -- to get to your apartment? Did they go longer than the scheduled time to help you with a particular area? A tip is a good way to acknowledge their extra effort.
When your massage therapist has done stellar work. Did he/she help you get a muscle un-knotted that no one else could get un-knotted? Did their work get you to relax deeper than you've ever relaxed before? When the massage you received is just so much better than you had reason to expect, a tip is not necessary but it is an option.
How much should you tip? There's a lot of disagreement to this but I would suggest using restaurants as a guideline. Tip 10-15% for good service, 20% or more for really amazing service.
I don't expect tips.I don't turn them down either. In the end, the best "tip" you can give a massage therapist is repeat business and a good recommendation to your friends and family.
My advice to you is this: quit thinking about tips. They usually mean nothing beyond "I've been trained to give a tip". You can't really know what they "mean". You are wise not to count on them.
And, oh yeah, the IRS knows that tipping is common enough in our profession that they'll be looking for them on your tax return so you better be declaring them as income! (Yet another reason to say Death To Tipping!)
I concur! Tips are great but you can't expect them or work for them. But it does affect you when you get them a lot at one venue and not at another and I always have to reset my brain to neutral and not worry about it.
ReplyDeleteWhen a client asks me about tipping I simply reply with, "I never expect a tip, but they are appreciated if you feel so inclined to give me one. I would much rather you tell your friends about me." I then hand them my current promotional flier, or a few business cards. I really don't expect a tip and I see it as extra money on the side for a job well done.
ReplyDeleteLuisa: handing them a flier or biz card is an excellent way to really magnify the "rather you tell your friends about me". I'll have to remember that one!
ReplyDeleteI find that it encourages the referral to actually happen. Many times people say they will tell their friends, but if you don't give them a reason to tell them (such as the flier with current promotion), then they won't bring you up to anyone. Even if they have the best intentions.
DeleteI keep the fliers handy when they checkout after their appointment, just as a department store would, but instead of putting the information in their bag with their purchase, I give it to them in hand.