Taking the Awkwardness Out of Tipping

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Tipping is an area where clients can have a big impact on what we as nail techs take home at the end of the day.

As we are all well aware, nothing feels better than making extra money to top off our income through the tips we receive, and for some of us, it is an important part of our total earnings- although it really shouldn’t be (more on this later).

Recently, I had a discussion with a fellow tech about gratuity. She felt so awkward about tips that she often found herself telling her clients to not worry about tipping her at all. She did this because she was humbled and grateful for their business, but this also ended up leaving her feeling underappreciated and frustrated with the lack of extra income she knew she could be making. She wanted her clients to be happy and she wanted them to show their appreciation by adding gratuity to their tabs. This is the normal expectation for most provider/consumer relationships, right? So, what is the disconnect? If a nail tech is providing great service and the client is happy with said service, then why is tipping not automatic and easy?

Money- although an integral part of our civilization for eons- has always been awkward.

Money is generally considered in may cultures to be vulgar. Most of us learn at a young age that money is a very private topic. When asking for a formal sum, we write it down on a piece of paper and pass it over to our counterpart. As a child, you might have been reprimanded for asking how much something cost someone, especially if it was a gift. When you have any doubt you can’t afford something, it makes it even more awkward to bring up the price. Money can also often be the source of contention, conflict and stress in people’s lives. Friendships, partnerships and even marriages end over money.

So, when it comes to receiving gratuity at the end of an appointment, you can see how paramount it is that the process is easy, smooth and discreet.

Luckily, this can be achieved in many ways.

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Gratuity Envelopes

One way in particular that seems to be exceptionally well received and successful is by using gratuity envelopes. As I mentioned before, money is often considered vulgar- dirty even. To hand over money to someone blatantly is not viewed well in many cultures. Using an envelope for this can solve a lot of problems. First, it makes the transaction discreet. The client can select the amount they wish to give and can place it in the envelope without any stress of the recipient scrutinizing the amount. Many of my own clients will actually keep some of our envelopes in their purses or take one with them when they use the restroom so that they can organize their tips privately. I even began putting gratuity envelopes in the bathroom in a cute container for this very reason. All you need to do is provide some areas throughout your salon or work area where your clients can grab envelopes easily, without being noticed or having to ask. Secondly, gratuity envelopes eliminate any vulgarity or awkwardness that may be found in monetary exchange. It makes the transaction polite, proper and clean. Lastly, in a salon environment, sealing tips in envelopes keeps other technicians from being able to scrutinize how much each other earns in tips. Coworkers comparing how much each other receives can be detrimental to the salon work environment. By having gratuity kept private, it eliminates unnecessary negative competition or comparison.

POS System

If you use a POS (point of sale) system, then you will also want to make tipping an easy part of this checkout process. For example, at my salon the receipts have the tip automatically calculated and printed at the bottom of each copy. Having the tip percentage precalculated for the client makes it effortless for them to add it to their total and sign away. Systems like Square or Clover, where clients checkout directly on a mobile device, are also excellent. With just the touch of a button, the client can select the percentage they would like to add and seamlessly continue on with the rest of their checkout. Making gratuity a one-click decision that only the client can see is a very successful process. Just make sure that you don’t stare at them while they are making their selection! Place your checkout device in an area where the client can maintain their privacy.

Signage (friendly reminders)

Does your business service a lot of foreign visitors? If so, it is a very good idea to post some signage throughout your salon or work space that gently reminds these guests that gratuity is not included in their service total. Throughout Europe and in many other countries, it is extremely common for gratuity and taxes to already be included in their menu prices. So, of course when traveling, people often forget that things are done differently in different places. A gentle reminder is often all it takes for those traveling to partake in the gratuity process as well. Make cute signage and post it in key areas. Again, oddly enough, bathrooms make a great place to leave these notices. You can also place a sign on the wall directly behind you so that clients can clearly see it during their service. If you’re not sure what to write, search some cute sayings online. You can find ideas for this on sites like Pinterest. There are lots of rhymes, quotes and other endearing ways you can get this message across without sounding abrupt or rude.

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Now, to touch on what I said earlier about tips being a part of your income… This is another area where gratuity can get really awkward and uncomfortable. As service providers, we must remember what a tip really is and what it is for. By definition, gratuity is a sum given voluntarily and beyond obligation for a performed service. Gratuity is not automatic nor is it guaranteed. Tips are a means to show a service provider that their work was exceptional. It’s important to remove the pressure surrounding the gratuity, that you may or may not receive. One simple way to do this is to put effort into making sure your menu prices provide you with all the money you need to cover your expenses as well as paying yourself for your service and time.

When you make what you need simply by charging your menu prices, the stress is removed and tips become frosting on the cake!

All these tactics aside, when it comes to gratuity, it is vital to be self-aware. You must take everything into consideration. Are you providing an exceptional service and experience for your clientele? Be honest with yourself in answering this. If you’re not getting tipped even after considering all of these tactics I’ve discussed here, then re-assess your work to make sure that you’re wowing your clients with each visit. It takes consistent excellent service and ambience to encourage your clients to tip.