Massage Gratuity

[JD]

Having just returned from Vegas where you're expected to tip every Tom Dick and Harry that even smiles at you, I have also been questioning the double-standard of who gets tips and who doesn't.

It's a funny world we live in.

I'm just glad I'm back in my Canadian world where the only people we tip are waitresses, bartenders, cabbies, and hairdressers. And apparently masseuses.

[Slava]

This article is fantastic. It goes through the plague that has bcome tipping. I don't think that I'm cheap...but after reading this and agreeing with almost all of it maybe I am!

I usually don't care for Andrew Coyne too much; this article was a watershed moment in my appreciation for his writing though!

http://www.macleans.ca/culture/lifes..._110870_110870

[SportsJunky]

You should probably tip the same amount that you do for your prostate massages Aeneas.

[zukes]

Wow, my massage therapist doesn't solicit tips. I know thigns are different here in Ontario than there with the costs of things. Out of curiousity, what does an hour massage cost there? It is regulated here by the government and it's $68 for an hour.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Slava

This article is fantastic. It goes through the plague that has bcome tipping. I don't think that I'm cheap...but after reading this and agreeing with almost all of it maybe I am!

I usually don't care for Andrew Coyne too much; this article was a watershed moment in my appreciation for his writing though!

http://www.macleans.ca/culture/lifes..._110870_110870

Thank you. I was trying to find that article too.

As a short order cook, I always resented how the waitresses were making small fortunes (tax free), while we slaved in the hot kitchen for minimum wage.

[taco.vidal]

A registered massage therapist is a medical professional. The massage therapist normally see works in a sports clinic that also has chiros and physios on staff.

Do you tip your chiro or physio after you see them? If they give you great service and take away your back pain or ease your muscle injury, do you tip them?

Ive never run into a clinic that even gives you the option of a gratuity when you are paying by credit card or debit. And i would feel weird leaving cash on the massage table after the massage.

A massage at a spa is a bit more difficult since it seems to be more expected to tip at the spa especially for the other services available at the spa. Some spas now offer doctors on staff and other professionals such as nutrionists or dieticians. Id again ask, do you tip them after you see them?

[MuffinChucker]

No idea if I'm right or not, but if it's at a Spa I'd tip 15% if it's at a Chiro/Clinic I don't tip. My rational is I tip the girl that cuts my hair, but I don't tip my Doctor or Physio.

[Locke]

How about this, I ordered Chinese food that I was going to pick up on my way home from work.

I called in.
I ordered the food.
I'm paying for it.
I'm picking it up.

Tip them? They should tip me.

[habernac]

$70 an hour and they want tips as well? Sorry, not from this guy.

[Aeneas]

Originally Posted by taco.vidal

A registered massage therapist is a medical professional. The massage therapist normally see works in a sports clinic that also has chiros and physios on staff.

Do you tip your chiro or physio after you see them? If they give you great service and take away your back pain or ease your muscle injury, do you tip them?

Ive never run into a clinic that even gives you the option of a gratuity when you are paying by credit card or debit. And i would feel weird leaving cash on the massage table after the massage.

A massage at a spa is a bit more difficult since it seems to be more expected to tip at the spa especially for the other services available at the spa. Some spas now offer doctors on staff and other professionals such as nutrionists or dieticians. Id again ask, do you tip them after you see them?

No to physio or chiro. I dont think I've tipped the massage girl at chiro, but I did at a spa.
As to the second bolded part, I think the CP slopitch team could tell you I've never seen either of those!

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Aeneas

No to physio or chiro. I dont think I've tipped the massage girl at chiro, but I did at a spa.
As to the second bolded part, I think the CP slopitch team could tell you I've never seen either of those!

This is true. We had a waitress who was a nutritionist once. It wasnt pretty. She would wince after bringing every beer and round of wings.

[Aeneas]

Originally Posted by Locke

This is true. We had a waitress who was a nutritionist once. It wasnt pretty. She would wince after bringing every beer and round of wings.

Well, At Pete's Peanuts pub, I order my potato skins without sour cream. And I usually only have two beers...

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Aeneas

Well, At Pete's Peanuts pub, I order my potato skins without sour cream. And I usually only have two beers...

Whoah, whoah, whoah. Who is twisting the truth now big man?

Just because you order the sour cream on the side doesnt mean 'no' sour cream, and those two beers (usually supplemented with a complement of peanuts) are biggie sized...

You dont tell your wife where you go on Sunday nights either do you?

BTW, dont forget Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels for this weekend.

[Dr_Hook]

My girlfriend is a Massage Therapist and apparantly common practice is you don't have to tip if it is at a chiro clinic etc. but tip what you feel is right if at a spa. I didn't know you were supposed to tip either. Tips are not mandatory though, but most people tip in the 15-20% range, probably like most things at the spa.

Also, the therapists do not make $70 an hour, they usually get 40-60% depending on experience, while the spa/clinic gets the rest.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Dr_Hook

My girlfriend is a Massage Therapist and apparantly common practice is you don't have to tip if it is at a chiro clinic etc. but tip what you feel is right if at a spa. I didn't know you were supposed to tip either. Tips are not mandatory though, but most people tip in the 15-20% range, probably like most things at the spa.

Also, the therapists do not make $70 an hour, they usually get 40-60% depending on experience, while the spa/clinic gets the rest.

This seems reasonable, but I should point out that 40-60% of $70 is a pretty damn good hourly wage. Even taking the low end of 40% thats still $28/hour.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by Locke

This seems reasonable, but I should point out that 40-60% of $70 is a pretty damn good hourly wage. Even taking the low end of 40% thats still $28/hour.

exactly. They don't need any more from me. It's expensive enough that I can barely afford to get a massage once a month.

[Dr_Hook]

I'm not saying it isn't a good wage, but if they give a good massage I see no problem in tipping, there are a lot of bad massage therapists out there. Especially since a lot of people in this city have massages covered or partially covered by benefits.

It is a tough job though, try doing massage for 5 or even 8 hours straight, I can't even massage for 10 minutes without my arms getting tired. To me if they give a good massage, they get a tip.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Locke

This seems reasonable, but I should point out that 40-60% of $70 is a pretty damn good hourly wage. Even taking the low end of 40% thats still $28/hour.

And I agree as well. For me tipping has always been about giving the poor schuck making minimum wage a decent bump. So the instead of the restaurant charging more for the meal; part of the server's wage is based on performance. If they do the bare minimum, they only get paid the minimum. Do more and get paid more.

I also tip my barber, but for the same reason a small business owner pays protection money to Vinny and Knuckles- not because I want to, but as a thank you for not messing up my life.

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by Locke

This seems reasonable, but I should point out that 40-60% of $70 is a pretty damn good hourly wage. Even taking the low end of 40% thats still $28/hour.

Nobody ever tips their lawyer either. That's lame. I would really like to have 40-60% of all the fees my clients pay me.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by fredr123

Nobody ever tips their lawyer either. That's lame. I would really like to have 40-60% of all the fees my clients pay me.

I get the odd bottle of wine.

One lawyer I worked with in Vancouver was given a Mazzerati by her client, after winning a really big trial.