[fx32s]

Why should you tip the hair stylists though. Isn't the service exactly what you pay for in the first place (same as taxi/uber)?

For food I can kind of understand of since they decouple serving and preparation + ingredients.

Note that I am not American and am new to tipping. Just curious

[laken]

Those are amusing examples, as taxi drivers are traditionally tipped, though not as much anymore. For taxi drivers and hair stylists, it's a bit of a different scale.

Taxis/Ubers, I usually just add a couple bucks to the fare, or just pay with a slightly larger bill on purpose, and have them keep the change (if a $17 fare, give a $20). Similarly, bellhops at hotels are a similar role of giving a couple dollars instead of a percentage once they've brought your bag to your room (as there is no exchange of money during the entire process). Valet drivers are another example.

Hairstylists should be tipped because their payment structure is different. They aren't usually employed by the place you get your hair cut at, rather they lease a chair from the location. They are forced to use the prices displayed, and they get a small cut of that. You then tip them additionally depending on how well of a cut they did. I personally usually do (with a $15 haircut as an example) a $5-6 tip for a good cut, and $3-4 if it's just OK.

[mikeash]

It's really just a matter of whether it's customary, which is only loosely related to whether it actually makes any sense.

Your taxi driver gets most if not all of your fare, but it's still expected to tip them. A grocery store cashier gets none of your payment directly, but you don't tip them. Don't try to make sense of it, just do what others do.

[ghaff]

Then there are a fair number of cases where reasonable people disagree. Maid at hotel, others at hotels/parking attendants/etc., Uber/Lyft, the subject of this article, limo driver, bartender (in a bar or at an event), and so forth. You can tip in all those situations but I'd argue it's not the strong expectation that tipping at a sit-down restaurant is.

[behringer]

If you don't tip your bartender you won't get drinks very long!

[behringer]

Oh no I don't think we should be tipping anybody, but these are the industries that abuse their employees.

Hair stylists, taxis, sit-down restaurants, they all usually need tips. You don't tip the stylist though if it's the owner as of course they would just set their price.