I was talking with my friend's mother this morning about piercing and tattoo parlors and tips/etiquette. I am friends with a local piercer (Has done most of my friends piercings) and for Christmas me and 2 of my other friends are going together to get the piercings we want. All our first other than ears. I go to him for advice on ear stretching and always leave a 10-15$ tip for help, he never makes me pay anything (I've blown out my ear twice and once he had to put it back in, nasty business)
I am paying for the whole thing, and between the 3 of us it will be 4 piercings, so 100$. I was thinking of leaving a 40$ tip, but my friend thinks thats to much, and I feel I'm not paying him enough. Hes a great piercer and cheap too.
Also, the mother I was talking to is the one of the family that is getting me :) We just decided to talk about less upsetting things this morning.
But, what do you feel is an appropriate tip for 4 piercings? Any other etiquette I or my friends should know?
If I am paying, I tip. I feel like most everyone has a story they cannot tell and that sometimes a dollar makes the difference. Having a best friend that is an immigrant taught me that.
If you are paying for it - then it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks..
you like his work - you show him in your tip!!!
I think $40 on $100 is fine for a piercer... I wouldn't go any less. I usually tip my tattoo guy $60 on every $100 because he cuts me and my husband such great deals (and he just split from his baby mama and I know he could use the extra cash to do fun stuff with his son). He helps me, I help him, that's the way it goes. Again, I wouldn't tip any less than $40.
Wow, this is interesting.. Ive never thought about tips being much more than a standard 15% at the most like in a restaurant. Never having had anything else besides my ears done, years ago, at my hair dressers shop. I probably paid $5 for it, and might not have even left a tip. So 40-50% is normal for piercings? That sure seems like a lot, but I guess you know way more about it than I do. I never dreamed it would be that high. T. S, do you tip well in other places too or is it just tattoos and piercings that this is standard for? Just curious.
if you normally leave a 10-15 dollar tip for 1 piercing, 40 seems right to me. Especially at Christmas, I tend to over tip then. But I've never gotten a piercing except for ears, and that was a long time ago, so I don't know for sure.
$100 for 4 piercings seems really low, so I think you're getting a great deal for $140. Especially if he does a great job.
If he is your friend then anything goes, really. If he is so helpful and always is there when you need advice $40 is fair and pretty decent.
If he is buying his jewelery bulk, which I'm sure he is. And depending on what equipment he uses for piercing then he is already making a good deal on the $100.
I'd suggest you tell your friends that since you are paying they could offer up some tip money and give that to him as well. If they ask tell them $10-$20 per piercing is normal. Well, depending on whats getting pierced!
