Evening star., 1939-09-27
The Correct
Scale for
Tipping
Usual Ten Per Cent
Not Good in All
Beauty Salons
By PATRICIA LINDSAY.

Tipping Is a sordid subject, to say
the least, but, like the poor, it will
always be with us, so we might just
as we'll be informed as to how to
tip and when and how much.
Many women who go to a beauty
salon for the first time have no idea
what amount to tip for service. Tip
ping varies according to the type of
establishment, and whether or not
you live in small town or big CITY,
The scale of prices charged for
your beauty treatments usually gov
erns the rate of tipping. For in
stance, in the cheaper beauty par
lors, where you get three items for
81 or for $125, 10 cents for each
service is sufficient. That is, you
give 10 cents to the girl who mani
cures you, the girl who shampoos
your hair and the girl who sets your
hair. However, if you ask for very
intricate setting and it takes the
girl longer to do your hair, you
should give her an extra or 10
cents.
In the next price group-the salons
where you pay straight so cents
per item, or three for $1.75-you
should tip Is cents for each individ-
ual service. Where prices range
around so cents for q shampoo, 81
for wave and so or IS cents for a
manicure you should give a girl SO
cents at least, If she gives you all
three.
In the higher-priced salons your
tips are naturally greater. The girl
who shampoos your hair should get
Is cents, the operator who sets your
hair usually gets Is cents or more
and the manicurist from Is to Is
cents. I know this adds considerably
to your beauty bill, but that is your
penalty for getting supposedly bet
ter work and patronizing salon
with prestige. I might even say you
have no right to go to the leading
salons If you are not prepared to
tip according to custom. Most of
the operators must depend partly
on the tips they get. They are hired
for a nominal fiat salary, usually,
plus a percentage of the amount they
bring in and what tips they get. Un-
fortunate as it is, you will soon dis
cover that you are not getting the
attention you desire If you do not
tip as you should.
We all hope to see the day when
a few enterprising salons will request
their patrons not to tip. The prices
charged for the work will be sum-
cient to pay the wages of their en-
ployes. That is as it should be, but
there are few such firms in existence
today.
Permanent waves demand tips
ranging from IS cents for the less
expensive ones to 81 for the higher
priced waves. You must also take
into consideration other operators
who help your operator give you the
wave. In the higher-class salons
you are lucky If you get out without
tipping your main operator, girl
who shampoos your hair for the
wave, a uniformed maid who hovers
about looking after your comfort.
Then, too, an operator may be able
to give you a very satisfying perma-
nent and not be capable Of setting
your hair as you like it. That calls
for an additional tip for the one who
sets your hair. An expensive busi-
ness, but women consider it worth
while.
Facials of the simpler sort, Is
cents. Hour facials which include
your back, more. A complete body
massage, so cents. The usual 10
per cent simply dosent hold true in
beauty establishment, so be pre-
pared!