Should You Tip for a Virtual Appointment?

As every headline has probably reminded you, we’re in some uncertain times. People are staying home, baking a lot of banana bread, and some of us are having really bad hair days. 

The good news is a lot of professionals are offering virtual services to help you look and feel your best — virtually. With a new brand of cyber service, it can be daunting to navigate the new etiquette that comes along with it. Do you wear pants? Should you bother with makeup? Is tipping still a thing?

The answers to those questions in order are: do you,  not necessarily, and a resounding YES! 

The normal protocol is to tip 20% for in-person haircuts. This percentage might increase if you get dye treatments or anything else that takes a lot of time and effort. Twenty percent is a pretty good standard to keep even for virtual appointments because your stylist is still putting an incredible amount of care into your coif and guiding you along the way.

Let’s Break it Down

As we’re all learning, our regular jobs can get even harder when we have to do them at home. The same thing is true for your hair professional. They’re likely used to working in a salon with assistants, state-of-the-art equipment, and good lighting. When they give a virtual consultation from home they don’t have access to these goodies and resources, making the same job a little more difficult.

With seemingly everything up in the air right now right now, there’s a palpable anxiety that we’re all feeling. On top of that, some professionals are furloughed or facing similar career uncertainty at this time. So think about it, your favorite professional is likely experiencing: 

• An unfamiliar working environments
• Community panic
• Potential career insecurity
• The challenge of mastering unfamiliar technology

And in the face of all this they still manage to be patient and kind when sharing their talent with you. Taking all of this into account when deciding how to tip after a virtual consultation, you might find yourself being a little more generous than usual. 

For more information on virtual haircuts check out our guide and book yours today.