How much do you tip when getting massages? (Chicago: buy, minimum wage)

[lincolnparker]

Ok. I want to get everyone's take on tipping for massages. The place I go to has standard rates ($100 for 1 hr session, for instance) that very few people pay since it has all kinds of specials such as ($400 for 5 sessions or $750 for 10 sessions all the time, and buy one get one free occasionally). I recently took advantage of the buy one get one free offer, so the actual cost of an one hr massage is really $50. Would a $10 tip be too little?

I have heard ppl say that you should tip based on the standard rate. Does that mean I should tip $20? What about ppl who pay $80 per hr because of the $400 for 5 special? or $70 per hr because of the 10 session special?

Also my massage therapist always gives me a 55 minute massage instead of an hr. Like last time I went in at 2 pm for an hr long massage, but she promptly stopped at 2: 55pm. Is this standard practice?

[softdev]

First, who says the standard rate is 20%? I've heard that argument in NYC before, but not in Chicago.

For dinner I tip 15% of the bill, excluding the tax of course. In my father's day the standard was 10%. I don't understand why it's now "20%" given that dining (and massage) tips are by their definition indexed to a base price which goes up with inflation.

For massages, my wife's nails, etc., we usually tip 10%. These people are not paid below minimum wage so there is no reason to tip at the same rate.

As far as your question about specials - if it's standard practice to get a discount then the face value is meaningless. I could say my massages are $10,000, but I like you so I'll give you a $9,950 discount, would you really tip based off of $10,000?

[coldwine]

I do 25% for massages, because someone just touched you for an hour.

Also, they're paid very poorly. Tips are how masseuses make money.

[Avengerfire]

Well for me it depends on how good how good a job she does,how good looking the woman is, how large her boobs are and/or how much cleavage she shows, and whether or not I get a "happy ending."


So it drifts between 15% to 100% for me.

[coldwine]

Originally Posted by softdev

First, who says the standard rate is 20%? I've heard that argument in NYC before, but not in Chicago.

For dinner I tip 15% of the bill, excluding the tax of course. In my father's day the standard was 10%. I don't understand why it's now "20%" given that dining (and massage) tips are by their definition indexed to a base price which goes up with inflation.

For massages, my wife's nails, etc., we usually tip 10%. These people are not paid below minimum wage so there is no reason to tip at the same rate.

As far as your question about specials - if it's standard practice to get a discount then the face value is meaningless. I could say my massages are $10,000, but I like you so I'll give you a $9,950 discount, would you really tip based off of $10,000?

This is so unbelievably tacky. You tip 20% because it's the proper thing to do.

If you can't tip like an adult, don't go out to eat.

[lincolnparker]

so $25 is a proper tip for an hr massage in this case?

Originally Posted by coldwine

I do 25% for massages, because someone just touched you for an hour.

Also, they're paid very poorly. Tips are how masseuses make money.

[Avengerfire]

^I think $25 is acceptable ^

[lincolnparker]

for real?

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Well for me it depends on how good how good a job she does,how good looking the woman is, how large her boobs are and/or how much cleavage she shows, and whether or not I get a "happy ending."


So it drifts between 15% to 100% for me.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by lincolnparker

for real?

Yeah just like haircuts.

If my stylist is showing cleavage and rubs me the right way the tip is higher as long as the haircut is acceptable.

This has been going on since the beginning of time.

[coldwine]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Yeah just like haircuts.

If my stylist is showing cleavage and rubs me the right way the tip is higher as long as the haircut is acceptable.

This has been going on since the beginning of time.

And this, ladies, is how we weed out the bad ones.

$25 for a $100 massage is perfectly acceptable.

Although I'd like to point out that most places only charge $60/hr for a massage. $400 is pretty high.