Advice on When To Tip for Service

To Tip or Not To Tip - Three Motivations For Tipping

Advice Seeker: Dear April,

I am so confused by the idea of tipping. Who are you supposed to tip and how much? I never tip my hairstylist because I figure she sets prices that include service. However, my friend just said she tips her hairstylist 20% every time she goes! I love my hairstylist and don't want her to think I don't appreciate her or love how she does my hair, but I didn't realize I was supposed to tip. Can you help me understand?

Sincerely,

Tell Me About Tipping

April Masini's advice:

Dear Tell Me About Tipping,

The trend in tipping is that more people are tipped than ever before. Why? Because there are more people in our lives. We're much more interactive than ever before.

We have tech support guys, hair stylists, hair colorists, nutritionists, accupuncturists, yoga teachers, kids' doctors, kids' piano teachers, kids' Little League coaches, and more.

Many people tip doormen, the people who wash our hair at the stylist, and the people who bring our online grocery orders into our house, each time they perform the service, or once a year at Christmas, in which the tip takes the form of a gift that is $100 or something like that.