Let's get controversial!
You may have noticed that my business does not accept tips. Tipping is riddled with issues and its easier, for me, if its not even an option, and I'll dive into that another time. The vast majority of massage therapists still accept tips, how do you navigate that? What is considered normal? Fair? Or, expected? Let's break it down.
When visiting a massage spa/franchise, you only tip the massage therapist, not the receptionist, owner, or other staff. The therapist receives 100% of your tip, regardless of other service issues.
When tipping a massage therapist, consider how they treat you: their greeting, communication, and attentiveness. Watch out for rudeness, lateness, laziness, or uncleanliness. Ensure they focus on your requests, avoid areas if needed, and apply the right pressure. An average tip is $15-$20/hr. Remember, the therapist only gets a fraction of the massage cost, so tipping is crucial.
So why do we tip then? Full-time for a massage therapist is about 32 hours a week max. Most massage therapists can safely work 16-24 hours a week without harming their bodies. Let's do some math...Let's say, on average, your massage therapist is working 24 hours/week, making $20/hr. That's $480/week. And let's assume that in order to work without injury, they're only working 6 hours maximum a day, while still being at work for 8 hours. That drops the $20/hr down to $15/hr for their time and massage hours. So, now we're at 32 hours a week, $15/hr. Not exactly a livable salary. That's where the tipping comes into play. If you tip $15/hr, they can safely say that they're making an additional $11.25/hr ($15 x 24 hours = $360. $360/32 hours = $11.25). So, now they're making $26.25/hr and their take-home pay is closer to $630/week. $2500/month before taxes still isn't much. That's why your tips are so important!
Tipping Schedule:
1 hour $15-$25
1.5 hours $25-$40
2 hours $40-$80
Tipping someone who owns their own business is equally important. Massage business owners price their services to be competitive with spas, franchises, and other massage therapists, all of whom accept tips. In these circumstances, tips are generally expected. It's just worked this way for so long; that's just how it is. Tipping your massage therapist is extremely important for keeping their doors open. Moreover, if you're buying a Groupon from a single massage therapy business, they're getting even less money because they have to reduce their prices, and Groupon takes a chunk of the money before the massage therapist even sees a dime.
Another important point to remember: gratuities are not covered by gift certificates or Groupons. When gifting a massage, it's recommended to include an additional $20 for the tip. Otherwise, you're essentially gifting a massage along with an unexpected bill.
I, however, do not accept tips. My massage prices are based on competitive rates with an average tip of $15/hr built in. I will deep dive into this later.
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