standard tip for hairdressers?

[Mondia]

Is it a certain percentage of the bill? Thanks.

[irvine]

It is not compulsory to give tips to hair dresser here in Singapore. But surely, if you're very happy with the service, you could.

I suppose 5-10% of the total bill is fine. At least that's what I do.

[Strong Eagle]

Not required in Singapore but I always tip the lady that cuts my hair. You don't get rich doing this and she is a nice person and gives a good cut, plus a great scalp massage/shampoo. I tip her $4 on a $22 cut... less than half a beer for me... some help for her.

Besides... have you ever thought about this? For about $500 to $750 a year over what you might give as "standard" you will be remembered by many as a generous person, and always recognized when you come back. I know a person who would deduct sales tax before computing the 'required' tip. Never made sense to me. I've been blessed... easy and fun to give a few bux away.

[BodyBlitz]

In Singapore we don't practice tipping.

So its entirely up to you on how much you appreciate the service, $10 is extremely generous already.

[sundaymorningstaple]

In Singapore we don't practice tipping.

So its entirely up to you on how much you appreciate the service, $10 is extremely generous already.

You need to change that to "IN Singapore, Singaporeans are too cheap to tip but expect top of the line service" Most visitors & western expats do tip, that's why they get better service and are usually fawned over while the locals are treated like crap. It's what they deserve.

[ksl]

In Singapore we don't practice tipping.

So its entirely up to you on how much you appreciate the service, $10 is extremely generous already.

You need to change that to "IN Singapore, Singaporeans are too cheap to tip but expect top of the line service" Most visitors & western expats do tip, that's why they get better service and are usually fawned over while the locals are treated like crap. It's what they deserve.

I always drop a two$ tip on a 10$ cut, when compared to prices in Europe, its very cheap. In DK a cut is around 50$, to 75$

[BodyBlitz]

I don't think its about being too cheap, its just not within the Asian culture to practice tipping.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Then you have never worked in the service industry for the pittance that they pay here . It's so bad here that's why they have a "service" charge. If the government understands the need, and the government are Asians then apparently you better stick to lifting "dumb"bells. It's also funny that when Singers go to places like the US & UK that they DO tip so it's definitely not the culture. It's just locals just look down on the service industries (it's also why Singapore has to import Malaysians & Filippino(a)s to work here. Bout time you see your fellow countrymen in the cold hard light of day.

[ksl]

I don't think its about being too cheap, its just not within the Asian culture to practice tipping.

Don't get me wrong, i would never tip for the sake of tipping, not at all, even if it was a policy!

A tip is left, if it is deserved by the worker, by giving me exceptional satisfaction, I do it also with polite taxi's, if a person spoils my day, he can get stuffed, and that's saying it politely.

You reap what you sow, and if you are in the service industry and charge very little, and give a very satisfying service, it will be acknowledged and recommended. Although if i went to a hair salon and paid double the price for a mediocre cut, what do you think, no tip.

I'm quite fussy with my hair dresser and more than once i have come home dissatisfied, and had to use the clipper machine myself, because he couldn't see the fault. So it's great to have a good hair dresser, one can appreciate.

The service industry you have to cater for your customers every whim, they are always right, even if they are a pain in the backside, you must please them, that way, they tell their friends how good you are.

It may be true that Asians are slow to show their appreciations, but good manners have to be planted in people for them to grow, it takes generations, but it gradually changes, the perception of cultures, when children grow up, with good manners, especially eating at the table, being respectful, polite, and knowing the difference between people that try to please, and people that try not to please.

The fundamentals of business wants and needs are to be satisfied!

[road.not.taken]

TIt's so bad here that's why they have a "service" charge.

Which by the way, is not a tip and not given to the workers. It goes toward their uniforms and other work related expenses. If you want to leave a tip for good service you have to leave something over the 10% service charge. I tip everywhere I go, paltry amounts for bad service more for great service. It's my culture to tip, so I do it.

[BodyBlitz]

Service standards has nothing got to do with tipping etc..
Go to Taiwan/China and there are certain places where service is top notch, without even tipping or saying a thank you afterwards.

Services need not incentives to make them do it with pride.

[ksl]

Service standards has nothing got to do with tipping etc..
Go to Taiwan/China and there are certain places where service is top notch, without even tipping or saying a thank you afterwards.

Services need not incentives to make them do it with pride.

You are right, it should come natural, but in Singapore it doesn't So they can't have much pride I guess, so it's better to encourage them to keep up the good, work, you know like a carrot in front of the donkey, motivation, not easy here.

The Taiwanese are very much in tune, with service, and politeness, and there is also a minimum wage by law!

The maids for example earn 16000 TWD, so you can see how far behind Singapore is, if you exploit your own work force, it kicks back at you, even the Singaporean employers themselves don't care in many circumstance, because cheap labour is available, and even then they try to screw them, literally 100's and 100's of foreign workers, don't get paid.

Taiwan & China yes, I'm glad you recognise the difference in service, although some have to be trained, and guided, Singapore the same, although if they are screwed on wages and training, they are not going to have much pride, does the boss care?

What do you think! Greed may come first, without looking into the future, here today gone tomorrow the bossman thinks.

So give$ for bad service lah! There are of course some places here, that are good and others should learn from them, if they want business to improve.

[rattlesnake]

Tipping really is an american thing that has been copied across the world. Yes, they do it in UK, Australia etc but it never used to be that way. I say resist the urge and let the laws of economics rule. Not that I am cheap, but once it starts to become culture it is added to the bill. You then get crap service and are paying a tip for it. If you want to tip, give it to the disabled bloke at the MRT selling tissues.

[Melasony]

in singapore, there's no such thing as " tipping " when it comes to most local's point of view since they consider it already charged in the bill.

however usually i try to give a $5 or $10 to my hair dresser if she does a good job.
sometimes you've to be in the service industry to know how shitty your pay gets to serve people.
people complain about bad service but lets be frank, human nature is that if they're not encouraged or appreciated then they wouldn't give a shit about how good they're serving you.
so tipping to me is a form of encouragement for what they do and hopefully overtime singapore's standard would increase.

[earthfriendly]

In Singapore we don't practice tipping.

So its entirely up to you on how much you appreciate the service, $10 is extremely generous already.

You need to change that to "IN Singapore, Singaporeans are too cheap to tip but expect top of the line service" Most visitors & western expats do tip, that's why they get better service and are usually fawned over while the locals are treated like crap. It's what they deserve.

I think that's exactly what the govt wanted to prevent. They wanted buisnesses to offer same level of good services to every client, not just clients who tipped. They used to run a campaign discouraging tipping. And I bought into that. When Mr. EF tipped the bell boy, I told him no. But nowadays when I am back in SG, I would tip cab drivers and hotel staff. Especially cab drivers after learning about their plight, high fixed overhead and struggling to make ends meet. I don't tip in restaurants though. But may leave the extra change at the hawker center. It is nice to get a little tip and appreciation for your hard work. If it makes their day and I can afford it, why not? But then there's also a part of me that find the practice unpalateable. Service stuff will only be nice to you because of a tip. Makes the relationship feels cold.

Countries like Japan, Korea, china, hong kong and taiwan do not have tipping culture. I believe India does. Twice in SG my tip was refused. Once by a cab driver and another time by the japanese hairdresser, who politely declined. MM Lee narrated an incident where the waiter came running after him to return the tip he left in the restaurant. In China. But that was before the open door policy though.

The chinese immigrants from Asia would tip in USA as they understood it is part of American culture. But the chinese tourists (not travelling with a tour guide) may not if nobody has explained it to them.

Though tipping can help to improve the level of service, countries like Japan and Taiwan offer excellent customer service without it. I think it also boils down to social attitude. Whether a country value good service.