Woman refuses to tip for $350, 7-hour hair appointment: ‘The worst type of client’
Her tip for hair service etiquette? Don’t give one at all.
In the latest kerfuffle over US “tipflation,” a content creator named Justice has revealed that she did not give a gratuity to her hairstylist after getting her locks braided.
The Chicago-based woman argued that forking over $350 for the 7-hour service was already enough.
“A lot of people say tipping is how you say ‘thank you,’ but to me, saying ‘Thank you’ is how you say ‘Thank you,'” Justice said in a TikTok video that has garnered 5.5 million views.
The appointment took place at the stylist’s home, with Justice noting she had to arrive with washed and blow dried hair, get cash from an ATM, and commute there.
“She didn’t have to commute, she’s not paying any extra overhead because she works from home, I think that’s a really good price,” Justice explained. “How many people are making $40?”
While she emphasized that this was “most comfortable braiding experience,” she didn’t feel the need to tip — but was racked with “anxiety,” as it was the first time she had not tipped for a hair service.
Many viewers agreed with her logic, calling tipping culture “crazy,” while others argued that not tipping for over 7 hours of service is rude and “tacky.”
Some haters even warned Justice that she’ll be lucky if she gets to book with the stylist again.
“If she was the best you’ve ever had I def would’ve left at least $20 or something,” one person said.
“No shade ,but I could NEVER [not tip]! If I know my hair’s gonna be expensive I’m already factoring in my 20%,” another agreed. “They are doing a skill that is required to do what they’re doing and knowing I could never do it!”
“Man, not tipping on your fast food or Starbucks is fine but this? 7.5 HOURS? I would never not tip,” commented someone else.
However, other disagreed — and many stylists in the comments even advised other hairdressers to bump up their service prices to accommodate for someone not tipping.
“I purposely set my prices for what I need to live and tell everyone tipping is not necessary. The best tip is just to come back, tell your friends,” wrote one viewer.
“Absolutely right. People who braid, do makeup definitely charge their worth. Tipping culture in the US is crazy sometimes,” another user added.
“Unpopular opinion, you don’t HAVE to tip hairdressers/ beauty industry. They make their prices, we pay,” said someone else.
Collin Martin, a Florida-based hair stylist and educator, told HuffPost that while he appreciates tips, he doesn’t expect them. If he did, he’d be “screwed,” he said.
“To base even a portion of my income on the emotional response of another human being is… do I even have to finish the sentence?” he told the outlet, adding that he charges his “worth” so he never has to “bank on” extra tips.
San Diego stylist and extension specialist Hamuidah Anderson, however, called Justice “the worst type of client.” If Justice was a client of Anderson’s, she would be blocked.
“She doesn’t respect people in the beauty industry, but I bet she would at a restaurant when the bill is $400,” Anderson told HuffPost. “Seven hours is a long time to work on someone’s hair.”
But hair services aren’t the only thing Justice is refusing to tip on. Calling tipping “out of control,” the Chicago resident has previously dished that she wouldn’t shell out extra cash for walk-up or self-serve food establishments or drive throughs. In the previous video, her thorough list also included beauty services and those who need a special or medical license to perform a service, such as Botox.