Man sparks outrage over tipping amounts he was asked to pick during walk-in haircut

A man has sparked outrage after he revealed the high tip amounts he was asked to choose from while paying for his walk-in haircut.

In a Reddit post shared to a subreddit forum, “EndTipping,” the individual shared a screenshot of the tablet he was presented with, while asking “how much to tip for a walk-in haircut”. According to the picture of the device, the man paid $15 for the haircut and had three main tipping options to choose from.

The screen showed that he could either choose to tip 50 per cent, which was $7.50, 70 per cent, which was $10.50, or 90 per cent, which was $13.50. He could also choose to do a custom tip amount, or to not tip at all.

In the comments of the post, many people have shared their shocked reactions about how much the customer was recommended to tip. They also detailed how they would have reacted to seeing a tipping amount that high.

“That’s the most insane thing I’ve ever seen, I would do no tip just because of those options they gave and never return,” one wrote.

“I push no tip when I see unreasonable tip requests. That is shameful,” another added, while a third wrote: “If the options are 50 per cent, 70 per cent, or 90 per cent then the only answer is no tip.”

Other people shared their approaches for how much they tip their hairdressers – who they’ve been longtime fans of –  during their visits to the salon.

“I give $5 on $25 but that’s only because I’ve been going to the same lady for 20 years. Cost me $15 a year,” one wrote. “She always gives me a Christmas gift of similar value. So it’s not really a tip.”

“My barber charges $25 and I tip $10 every time. That man works, he’s detail oriented, he knows what I’m looking for, and I want him to be happy I’m in the shop,” another added.

Over the years, there’s been an ongoing debate about Americans’ tipping practices, as people have been prompted to leave tips in self-checkout lines at airports, grocery stores, stadiums, and cafes. Speaking to Real Simple, international etiquette expert Sharon Schweitzer recommended tipping at least 20 per cent to hairdressers at the salon.

In New York, it’s customary to leave between 15 and 20 per cent of the total bill before tax is included. Others insist on tipping 20 per cent, but some say that 18 per cent is the bare minimum. Meanwhile, food site Eater confidently stated that a 20 per cent tip should always be left – no matter where you are dining.

Diane Gottsman – a national etiquette expert, author, and founder of The Protocol School of Texas – previously toldThe Independent that “tipping 20 per cent is standard for restaurant servers”. She added that “delivery drivers should also receive 15 to 20 per cent when there is inclement weather and large orders to be delivered”.

Aside from the recent post about tipping during a haircut, people have previously had candid conversations about tipping culture. In January, a woman named Minna took to TikTok to vow that she will never be “pressured” into tipping on every little thing. “Tipping culture in 2024 - i will always pay well and tip well for service but i’m not getting peer pressured by a tablet anymore in situations that dont call for it,” her video’s caption read.

She noted that while she’s all for tipping 20 to 25 per cent for a service, “the tablet tipping culture had gotten out of control,” as she’s seen “20 per cent tip suggestions” when just going to a retail store to get a card. She explained that she’s also heard of tablets asking for tips even at “serve-yourself” yoghurt stores, but still didn’t think it made sense when there was no one physically helping to earn the tip.