What do you get your salon person for xmas?

[gracie1]

I go pretty faithfully every two weeks to get my eyebrows waxed. What do you think is an appropriate christmas gift?
Do you think a nice box of chocolates is appropriate? A candle set? Both?

Thanks!

 

[mdrob214]

I double my usual tip.

 

[sksjasams]

I give my regular tip and add $10 on to my last haircut before Christmas.

 

[lovetheduck]

Cash.

 

[disneyfreakk]

this year I am giving all of my beauty ladies a yankee candle plus the cost of my usual treatments.

 

[wendypooh]

I agree, double your usual tip - I personally don't think you need to give an extra "gift" too.

 

[scboyd]

What happened to just wishing them a Merry Christmas? I personally don't see the purpose of "gifting" to people that provide a service to me. If they are not close personal friends then why give them gifts? Its just another example of the commercialization of christmas.

 

[sksjasams]

What happened to just wishing them a Merry Christmas? I personally don't see the purpose of "gifting" to people that provide a service to me. If they are not close personal friends then why give them gifts? Its just another example of the commercialization of christmas.

I guess it depends on your relationship with that person. The same woman has been cutting my hair every 8 weeks for the last 20 years. We are not close personal friends, but I want to let her know I appreciate her. It's a token of appreciation gift.

 

[luvmylittleboy2003]

This just happened to me today...this was my 2nd time going to her and I honestly just didn't think about Christmas and getting her something...once there we started talking about Christmas and shopping, etc...then it dawned on me..I should have gotten her a little something.
She passed out a tiny bottle of cuticle oil and a small bottle of hemp lotion. I felt horrible for not thinking of getting her something. I thought about mailing her a $10 gift card, but, my husband said he would just let it go since it was only my 2nd time. Not sure what I will do yet.

 

[scboyd]

We are not close personal friends, but I want to let her know I appreciate her. It's a token of appreciation gift.

That is sort of my point... Isn't your loyalty to her business enough? I'm not trying to be a scrooge here, i love giving gifts but I really don't understand the gifting to individuals that provide a service that you pay for. Do you give your mail delivery person a gift? The oil change person at your local garage? The gas meter reader? Shouldn't it really be the other way around? She should be giving you a gift because she values or appreciates you as a client that has seen your business for 20 years.

I'm not trying to start an argument, I'm honestly trying to understand why people feel the need to give christmas presents to service people.

 

[S. C.]

I tip well all year!

 

[disneyfanintn]

My mom is a hair dresser. She gets way too many knick knacks, candles, socks etc that she never uses. I would say money even if it is $5 would be better than the knick knacks.

 

[MsStinkerBelle]

I tip very well all year so I don't tip extra at Christmas. The best gift you can give is repeat business and referrals.

 

[mjbaby]

I double my tip and enclose it in a seasonal card for my last cut and color before Christmas.

As for the "why" of it, I suppose you can put it down to tradition. It's not unusual to extend gifts to employees and vendors and I was raised with the notion of small token payments made as holiday bonuses to all of my family's service providers. When I was a teen, many of the families for which I babysat did the same for me - it wasn't unusual to be given envelopes with double or triple my usual fee at this time of year.

Maybe it depends upon whether or not a region or family does Boxing Day sort of things?

 

[maggiew]

I just got my hair cut today. I gave her an extra big tip.

Maggie

 

[hulagirl87]

I used to work at the front desk of a salon. At holiday time customers would usually just leave extra money in the tip envelope for their service provider. Very few would bring in actual "gifts", but if they did, it would be a bottle of wine, or a gift card to a restaurant or Starbucks.

 

[jaminmd]

What happened to just wishing them a Merry Christmas? I personally don't see the purpose of "gifting" to people that provide a service to me. If they are not close personal friends then why give them gifts? Its just another example of the commercialization of christmas.

I'm with you. I don't buy gifts for my siblings for Christmas so I certainly don't tip those with whom I have a professional relationship. I tip her very well throughout the year and bring her plenty of business.

 

[mrspaha]

Although my trips to the beauty salon are just for haircuts every few months (and I have been going to the same lady for the past few years), I too don't see the need for an extra gift at Xmas. Maybe I am somewhat of a scrouge, but I do think some people get carried away on this tipping and gifting at Christmas. You pay for the service when you go, and you tip each time you go, and if you really like the job this person does, then you tip well each time. This is their job, and this is what they get paid for when they do it. And I do understand that "tipping" is expected because their base pay is usually very minimal.

As far as the mailman (or more correctly, the letter carrier), I truly don't understand why so many people give them tips. They're doing their job. And actually I think they get very well paid, and have outstanding benefits, so why should I tip them for doing their job?

Someone I tip during the year is the garbageman. I do this when we have a larger than average pickup--like if we clean out the garage and have a lot of stuff. But I watch for him, and give him some extra bucks when he comes.
These are guys I think that are really underappreciated.