To tip, or not to tip? that is the question...

I always tip my hairdresser over ten percent and a quid sometimes to the young woman who shampoos my hair.

I do it because I would feel embarrassed if I didn't. Ditto restaurants and taxis.

Yes Goose exactly the same and I despise myself. My children don't tip anybody so maybe it's a generation thing which will die out.

I used to tip taxi drivers, but as it went on my expenses it didn't matter!

I don't tip my hairdresser, we have become friends and it doesn't seem appropriate somehow.

Unless times have changed, I don't think hairdressers are well paid. Without tips they would struggle. Of course life would be better if everyone earned a decent wage and didn't expect tips, it is an awkward situation.
When I was a child I did a newspaper round in a posh area of North Oxford and didn't get a single tip. My brother delivered in a run-down council estate and received a gift from most households. It is usually those who have little who are generous at Christmas.
I am soon off to my village Post Office to give them the cookies I have made for them. They are so obliging and helpful with my numerous ebay deliveries. They say I am helping to keep them in business!

I usually tip my hairdresser around 10%, unless the hairdresser actually owns the salon I'm not sure they are on a good salary. In restaurants if there is a service charge added to the bill, I don't tip, if the waiter/waitress hasn't been very good, I don't tip. Taxi drivers I tip if they have been helpful (putting bags into car etc.). The ones that just sit there and wait until I have done it myself can go whistle!

I don't feel embarrassed after all, nobody ever felt they had to give me a tip when I was working!

I don't tip unless I've had exceptional service.

I always tip my hairdresser about 10% and restaurants (depending on the service) beauticians, etc.

None of these earn huge amounts and often rely on tips to supplement their earnings. I can remember as a student being thrilled when I earned a good tip and how much it helped stretch put my merge grant.

Barrow I am with you with regard to the owner of the Salon,I can't understand why when I go for trim it will cost £25.00 if done by the owner (chief Stylist) or £15.00 if done by the 2nd stylist its not as though they have to style my hair only ever has 1/2ins taken off the length a cut straight across as it is very long so no problem getting it right first time.I never tip the owner but always tip the other girl and the shampoo girl.
I never tip taxi drivers and don't tip in restaurants if it shows service charge on the bill,do you know you can legally ask for the service charge to be removed from a bill if the management did not make you aware it was included in their billing procedure one lady I know had it removed by a restaurant near here to the amusement of other diners.

My hairdresser is a friend, and the owner of the salon, so I don't tip her but, as she comes round for supper quite often, it would feel very odd if I did - maybe I'd find a tip under her plate when we cleared up after a meal. I tip the shampooer a couple of pounds.

At Christmas I tip the postlady who will sign for deliveries if we are not here and I tip the paper boy and girl. I tip the window cleaner if her turns up near Christmas (strangely he usually does!) and buy my wonderful cleaner a present. I DO NOT tip the rubbish collectors but might if they put the flipping wheelie bins back where they found them!!!

I always tip in restaurants but some of my girlfriends don't which makes it difficult and confusing.

I'm glad this has come up. How much do you tip the paper boy/ girl ? I have them delivered Sat + Sun.

My daughter teaches hairdressing and also has a small home salon so she can work at home for 2 days a week. She has a sign on her salon wall, which she encourages others to adopt in their salons. 'Please do not tip me. I charge a realistic amount and want you to come back with your friends.' It has created lots of discussion, especially amongst other salon owners who have increased their less well paid staff's wages, instead of relying on tips to bump their wages up. Customers say they prefer to pay the stated amount, and like the openness about what hairdressers get paid.

I assume paperboys/girls are on a very small wage and I have no qualms about tipping them - after all, it's only once a year. I put a fiver in an envelope and give it to the newsagent to give to the delivery girl. I was told that all tips received are divided between all the young deliverers. I'm happy about that

Also the bin men refuse operatives, the milk man, the window cleaner, get £5 at Christmas .... who have I forgotten?

I used to tip the bin men when they actually had to heft heavy bins from the end of one's drive to the road, but not now that all they have to do is wheel it from the side of the pavement (where I've had to heft it myself!) and hook it on the back of the van!
We do tip the postman, because he's very helpful and obliging and knows where to hide our parcels.

Goose your hairdresser will not be paid anything like £70 per hour. She'll probably be on the minimum wage and the rest will cover overheads like business rates, lease of the premises, water, heating and lighting, materials, complying with health and safety requirements, staff training, and last but by no means least, the salon owner's cut for the investment they make in, and overall responsibility they take, for running the business.
It is an expectation that the minimum wage is supplemented with tips, and one that I have no problem with.
My hair is very fine and looks awful if it's not cut well - I don't begrudge a penny of what I pay my hairdresser, including the tip

Jodi We also include Pete the postie. Get lots of merry hoots in return.

I always tip my hairdresser around 10%. She is an excellent cutter and I really hate changing hairdressers so I hope she never leaves. She is a single mum with a lovely daughter. I have no idea how much she earns but it's my way of showing thanks for a job well done.

I don't tip the postman because he's a miserable s*d who is always complaining about the weight of the post, the length of peoples' driveways and the weather. Why he doesn't give up the job and let someone else more cheerful do it I'll never know, so no tip from me but the bin men always get something, usually £10 tucked inside a card selotaped to the top of the bin. They're friendly and tidy and I want to keep it that way!

tipping is a mine field I kinda resent it is restaurants unless very good service, often you get a series of people not looking after you very well.

My hairdresser is lovely she goes to so much trouble and is very reasonable indeed so I always tip her but only £2 for cut/colour and £1 for blo dry just a gesture of appreciation but I always buy her a xmas gift.

I do not grudge that at all as she is excellent, even comes to my house on Saturdays to give me blo dry!!

I am lucky with her but she just got married and at 34 wants patter of tiny feet watch this space!!

she is good cutter and also cuts my OH hair. hope she will still fit us in somehow!!

My hairdresser has little money boxes with each stylists name on so you can give a tip but no one will know how much. I like this idea as a lot of her customers are older and presumably some cannot afford very much. I always tip her even though she is the owner as she charges so little and makes a good job of cutting my hair.

I don't tip the postmen because there are so many of them! No regular one.

I don't tip the bin men since I met one socially and heard how much he was earning and I don't think their job is very hard now that they just have to pick up bags which we have put out on the pavement.

In restaurants it rather depends on the service I have recieved. I have even tipped when there is a service charge if it has been an exceptional meal and I always tip with cash. If you put it on the credit card you cannot be sure the staff get it, it could go to the management!

I tip our postman because he is regular and is always bright and cheery and early.. do tip 10% to waitresses if they are cheerful if they are a misery then I don't. Give the window cleaner a bottle of wine usually or chocs..

I would tip my,postman if he ever managed to get the mail to the right houses!
It causes a lot of agro with him next door!

I have always tipped in cash in restaurants, but I'd like the kitchen staff (underpaid and hard worked except, perhaps, for the head chef) to share in it so I think that in future I will add it to the bill.

But anno how do you know if you add to the bill that it won't just go to the management? Some years ago now we were in Prague and the head waiter, obviously embarrassed, asked us if we planned to tip and when we said we did he explained that none of the staff got anything if it was added to the credit card. I also think I remember something about it being perfectly legal for the management to keep it all.

The GM of a hotel we stay at said that staff are paid differently if they are in tipping jobs and non-tipping jobs so it may be that the waiters need the money.

I've never worked in catering so don't have any direct knowledge of how it is done.