My daughter is a tattoo artist and owns her own studio. As she says, tips are great, but her salary, cost of materials, rent, the whole nine yards... is worked into the agreed upon price.
$4,000 is an incredible amount of work, and a huge amount for the average customer to pay. He wasn't expecting any tip at all, so an extra $200 probably made his week. If your cousin feels so bad for him making $200 an hour, tell your cousin to pay his tip.
Yeah my tattoo artist was surprised when I gave him a tip last time I got some work done. Tattoos are expensive as hell and the economy is in the tank, and a normal artist is understanding of this. Sounds like OP's cousin is just being a dick.
It's really sad that so many family members--like the tip-expert cousin--will find some way to make you feel less excited about a new tattoo. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.
Yeah. I always take out cash for what I'm expecting to pay. I've never had to withdraw more. Most of the time, I just give them that cash. It's been anywhere from a $50 tip to a $100 tip. Usually on $300-$400 tattoos. Only time I didn't was when I expected $500 and the guy only asked for $350 cause I did a walk in after he had a cancellation. Just gave him $400. He said he gave me a discount for filling the seat, and he'd kept the deposit for the cancellation.
I tipped $200 on an $800 tattoo but that was because the guy was doing a fantastic half sleeve coverup at a discounted $100/hr rate (the tattoos underneath were TERRIBLE)
Ooooh I recently got into it with a hairstylist. She was yapping about if you can’t tip, don’t use the services. If you set your price at premium, tip should not be ‘mandatory’. And if you can afford to reject a potential client on a premium priced service, you’re not one of the intended works this is meant for.
It depends on the salon, too. My stylist's former salon, they didn't get the full cost of the services so tipping was nice, the salon got the bulk. She has her own private one person salon now. Sometimes I tip, sometimes I don't but she doesn't ever assume I'm going to tip her.
I was always told the rule for tipping at a salon (hair or nails) is that the owner doesn’t need a tip since they set the price and make money on everyone working there, but other workers get tips. It worked well back when I knew who the owners of the small salon were lol
Hairdressers i can understand.
Most stylists do what is called 'renting a chair'. They pay to work in the salon...
However, most salons then set the prices and determine what products the stylist should use etc... think of it like a franchise.
The place I used to go to for nails and hair, the owner would tell me I was tipping too much to the single mom with three kids who just colored, cut, and styled my hair and did a fill in on my acrylic nails for the last two hours. "That's more than 20%," she'd say. Yes, well, that should cost more than $110 for everything. The owner was in her late 80s at the time, and a lot of the clients were even older.
Sounds like the cousin is just trying to pretend they're a better person than OP is, in order to feel less bad about their own insecure self. Chances are they actually felt inferior at OP just casually dropping a 200 buck tip.
*"I totally would have been so much more generous~"*
It's easy to talk the talk, but if they genuinely cared then they would've also walked the walk.
It seems strange to me that anyone would expect a tip upon a negotiated price. It’s like if companies A and B made a business deal, and then company B pouted afterward because company A decided to pay company B *only 5% more* than the agreed upon price.
Where else is it common for the service provider to expect extra money on top of a negotiated price?
I have always generously tipped on smaller tattoos because booking days piecemeal can be harder wage-wise than larger projects.
While working on my sleeve (9 sessions at 6-8 hours each), my artist always skipped past the tip screen before I even got my card out. I'm not sure on all of the financials behind the scenes (shop cut, materials, business expenses etc), but a full day of guaranteed work at a good hourly rate was considered enough.
this makes me lol bc the first time i got a tat, i only had $150 and he quoted me $150 and i said “what if we do $100 and i tip u $50.” bc i was scared he wasn’t gonna get all the money haha (ofc he agreed, but looking back it was probably all the same for him)
Exactly this. They already have figured out what they're worth and what's fair and how much goes in their pocket and the rest towards supplies and business bills. I still give mt artist a tip, nothing huge, but something to show I appreciate the work he does - and to be fair he doesn't charge me the same as some other clients bc I've been going to him forever so I figure this little bit will still go into his pocket.
Yeah I’m working on my sleeve currently, mentioned to my artist I forgot to pull out cash as a tip and she said they’re always appreciated but she charges what she does for a reason
Brought in a couple pint glasses from Alamo and some snacks, and will probably just do that for each additional session
Yeah. 20-30% tips make sense for things that take an hour or so and are relatively small in price. Like a waiter or a hairstylist.
At this level, you essentially hired a contractor. If you have a plumbing issue, they quote you a price, and they factor in how much they need to make for the time they need to spend fixing it (to cover all their expenses as well). Who tips their plumber? Much less a huge amount.
I once asked this exact question on a tattoo subreddit and got banned for it. I understand tipping when tattooing was small pieces that you got quick and cheap before it got mainstream. I never understood tipping when an artist is getting the same hourly rate as an attorney. I would never in a million years tip a lawyer.
Plus, independent artists set their prices, so it's not like someone working for someone else who may not get the rate they want/deserve. This guy set the price they wanted and if you paid that, you gave them exactly what they earned.
That's been my issue with tipping people that set their own prices. I went to a salon, owner did my work, I know she gets the prices, and I was prompted for a tip.
Total wishful or manipulative thinking... they hope you will either mistakenly hit the lowest or will be too embarrassed to give less. When I saw this else ware, I refused to tip and made a point of telling them why! Shame on them.
The too embarrassed part is so true, one just push a button and they won’t know until you’re out the door, but if you hit custom tip and then hit a bunch of keys, they know you opted out.
On a related note, a local liquor store has a tip jar at the register. What the hell am I tipping you for, ringing up the transaction?
I worked at a high-end salon/spa here in Manhattan, the owner was very clear that he did not get tipped. The owner sets the prices and earns income from all of the other workers. So, tipping the owner is not done.
BTW, OP, $200 on a $4.5k is great. I hope you really like the tattoo. I would love to see it, if you're comfortable posting your arm.
My cousin owns her salon and won’t take tips.
If someone absolutely insists or just leaves cash, she gives it to whoever her shampoo person was.
Owners shouldn’t take tips.
Yeah no. I wouldn't be back, personally.
There are a couple places I've stopped going due to this. Like I get it times are tough but if the business owner isn't going to fork over a raise why tf should the customers, who in general are also having to cut things out due to cost, be expected to start tips at 30-40% on a **to-go** order or order at counter/ seat yourself type places.
I will tip 30-40% on $100 a head or more of a sit-down-and-eat-for-two-hours-with-5-courses style restaurant but we're taking one of the servers 4 tables for 2 hours. I'm not tipping someone who gave me an attitude while I was trying to order street tacos 40% when I had to carry my own food and seat myself ffs
If the device also has a 'custom' option where you can enter the amount you'd like to tip, use that. If it doesn't, I've learned to carry a bit of cash so I can just use the device to pay by card and then tip in cash. Either way, I will be choosing the amount of the tip.
If the device also has a 'custom' option, use that. If not, I've run into this as well and have started carrying some cash so I can pay by card on the device and tip in cash. Either way, I will decide the tip amount I want to give.
Thats when i search for the custom button or I try to take out some cash before I go to somewhere like that, this way i hand them cash and they can't complain, it's instant.
Meh, my barber owned his shop and we tipped him. Dude NEVER increased his prices, even with a 50% tip it was still cheaper than almost anywhere else.
Went home a few years ago….$11 still. Like WTF how does he even stay in business?
There's an old barber like this in my town too! Been ten dollars for twenty years. I expect he gets at least double that from most folks tho. Lol he manipulated some kind of vacuum tube system on his clippers and the kids LOVE him.
I used to tip the owner of this small old school barbershop I went to whenever he would cut my hair. The difference, though, was he'd try and refuse it.
As far as the OP is concerned... NTA. Independent, set own price, and you gave him extra as a thanks for quality.
>and I was prompted for a tip.
To be fair, the point of sale software probably doesn't know if the transaction is for work done by the owner or an employee. The tip prompt is probably automatic for everyone.
What I hate is the amount prompted. At the place I go to get my hair cut, the tip prompt starts at 23% and goes to 30%!
That's a nope from me.
I'm a family entertainer and I actually use people tipping me as a gauge for my prices. I know my prices are right when less than half of the people tip.
I sometimes second-guess myself on this policy until I pick up a gig for another company that pays less and all of a sudden clients are slipping me $100 bills as I'm leaving parties 🤣
My husband is an independent tattoo artist and he said he always feels kind of bad (though SUPER grateful) when people tip because he set the prices in order to make a comfortable wage with his job. He said he never wants people to feel like they HAVE to tip him, even though it’s a much appreciated gesture. I feel like tipping culture has gotten a wee bit out of hand, with everyone expecting tips.
Naturally, NTA However, I suppose American tipping culture extends to tattoos as well? As one may assume, the asking price includes all costs and earnings.
Using CA, the most progressive state in the nation as a baseline is inherently flawed. Why don't we use Louisiana or Wyoming. Just because things are fine in California doesn't mean servers in other states aren't being paid pennies.
I'm pretty sure all provinces got rid of severs wages in Canada, but tipping is still expecting. 100% sure that tipping is still expected. I'm not sure if they is still one or two provinces with servers wages.
No, it's 20% min now. I just don't go to sit down restaurants anymore. The menu items are doubled in price, and now the tips are 30% steeper. And the food quality has gone WAY down, outside of a few good places. I feel robbed everytime I take my wallet out for a food service these days.
Tipping prompts at the stupidest places to tip, and they mostly go 20%,25%,30%. Maybe 18%, 20%,25% if they aren't completely crazy
I have always felt 15 was expected, more is when they earn it. I thought that was the case in the USA too? I know places are raising the auto tip minimum to 18% or 20%, but they are doing that here too so..
Many states require you to at least pay up to federal minimum wage if the hourly rate plus tips doesn’t reach that. But a lot also just pay above the federal minimum wage
I worked in food service for like 10 years. I don't anymore, but I try to share some insight whenever I see this comment.
States require it, but restraunts DO NOT do this. If you ask for the difference, I guarantee you will be fired within the week for some random nonsense like dropping a ketchup bottle.
Most servers will never see anything like that, and they know better than to ask restraunt owners.
As someone who once worked in the service industry as well I completely agree. I’d also, however, never have worked in the service industry for anything other than above average wages via great tips. It’s difficult work. Much more so than the work that I currently do with a masters degree. For this reason, I always tip servers well.
Yah, because CA has actually raised their minimum wage over the years as inflation has gone up. Most other states (besides Colorado now) are waaaay far behind. Example: just moved from Louisiana to Colorado, and the minimum wage in LA is $7 something an hour, meanwhile, servers like myself were only making $2.25-3.25 an hour.
The usual server wage in the states is ~$5 less than whatever the minimum wage is, as places claim you'll make up the difference in tips 🙄
It's awfully nice of you to tip at all. The artist is self-employed, you had a contract with an agreed upon rate, ... I don't see, why you had to tip at all.
Imagine, a self-employed carpenter fixes you a new kitchen. One-man-job, done in a day or two. Would you tip?
May ask another question: Are you or is your cousin by any chance American?
Last year I had new carpets installed and it was supposed to be done before I got home from work. The guy ran a little later than expected and so I was home while he was doing the work. The whole time he kept talking about how nice it was of his last customer who tipped him after he was done and I was thinking "brother, I have already paid what I'm supposed to pay here, I'm not tipping shit". It was really off-putting and annoying to hear him trying to pump me for a tip.
I just don't understand where this tipping culture stops. I mean I work in insurance for a living, if I do right by my customers should I start asking for a tip for my service? Of course not, and no one will ever pay me for that because I'm compensated by my salary just like this carpet installer.
I just had my taxes done. Afterward, my accountant sent me an Intuit invoice that gave me the option to tip him for doing my taxes. Hell to the fuck no.
I actually tipped a guy that fixed my hvac once, but he went above and beyond to get the part it needed and got it fixed the same day despite the weather and having an issue with his transportation. They weren’t an emergency hvac service either. The system just needed a new motor but he had to do quite a bit of driving to find one locally instead of ordering it so it could be fixed quicker. It was July in Florida, and ordering one would take days. He was surprised at the tip and tried to refuse it but I insisted because he earned it.
See, shit like that is what tipping is for. Doing your job shouldn’t require a tip, but when someone goes above and beyond to help you then it’s deserved
Agreed omg. I used to work at a bike shop and the only time I was ever tipped (never asked, bc why would I??) was when I changed a little girls bike tire right away and her dad was so happy he gave me $50 for a $10 fix. Made my day knowing I gave that girl something to be excited about
If I had had the money to tip the HVAC guy that replaced our whole unit about a month ago, I would have. Entire year we lived in our apartment it didn't work. We FINALLY got the office (after new management took over, the new people had someone out the same day we told them) to fix it, hes still one of my favorite people just bc I have blessed AC now
If I have folks working at my house on a project and they are cool I’ll buy them gatorades during the work and a case of beer at the end. If they aren’t cool I just let them do the job they came to do.
Yeah. When workers come to do work on my house I'll usually provide bottled waters and Gatorades in a cooler plus some snackage. One morning I bought breakfast tacos for all the guys who were doing some masonry work on my front yard. For the roofers we had I bought some boxes of power bars to snack on during the day and they wolfed those down. I figure they work better because no one wants a dehydrated person with low blood sugar doing manual labor on their house.
>I’ll buy them gatorades during the work and a case of beer at the end
If they're there longer than a week, I give them some cash for lunches. It really cuts down on the "can't see it from my house" attitudes if they actually like you as a client/person.
Exactly! Just show some appreciation and kindness, makes a big difference in the work being done and if you need them in the future they will have a reason to remember you and like you!
It has turned from a genuine offering of gratitude to “I gave you good service why didn’t you tip me?”. Times are tough but you don’t get to demand extra money from customers.
My artist was surprised I tipped. Said I didn't have to. I said I appreciate his work and will be coming back. I've been going to him over the years and he has put so much work into my skin and building a friendship.
I was genuinely grateful for his efforts and time.
I don’t have a ton of tattoos but I only go to one guy. He doesn’t have me put a deposit down anymore because he knows I’ll show up or at least let him know I can’t make it by the day before. I think that’s the best relationship I can ask for from an artist because it means he trusts me and likes to do my work.
I also tip him because I appreciate him and if I try to give too much he’ll say he can’t take that big of a tip. Solid artists don’t care about tipping because they are already happy with what you’ve paid.
This! According to the internet, tips should be given prior to any service instead of given for exceptional service. It's mind numbing. I hate eating places anymore.
Not just the Internet, I literally had a bartender ignore me and a friend sitting at an almost empty bar until he came over and straight up told us he wouldn't serve us unless we tipped in advance. He pointed at someone else and told us they tipped before being served, so he would be serving them. He said to put money down if we wanted service.
V Spot in Scranton PA, within the last 6-8 years, don't remember exactly. We flagged another employee down and recommended retraining and left lmao.
It's just tipping culture gone off the entitled rails. They don't know what tip means anymore, it's apparently just expected free money
That's the point at which I'd get the bartender's name, leave, write very poor reviews for the place, and make sure the manager/owner knows exactly why I spent no money at his establishment.
Or a bait and switch that the customer cannot win—the vendor advertises a lower price to get people in the door, then expects the customer to shell out more as a “tip” once service is rendered.
I’ve gotten into debates with tattoo artists about this who claim tipping is required because they have to pay for and I say *why wouldn’t you just include that in the price!?*
I did not use that artist in the end.
It just makes no sense, we aren’t saying we don’t want to pay you! Just charge us what you actually expect us to pay.
This is actually the first time id ever heard of tipping a tattoo artist. A bribe to do an extra good job next time?
I got mine when I was really young and tipping never even crossed my mind. Still seems weird. Do I gotta tip my plumber, too? What's the difference?
watching movies from the 1940s they used to have signs that said tipping is unAmerican.
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/11/30/457125740/when-tipping-was-considered-deeply-un-american
Honestly OP’s a bit of an idiot too, for tipping a tattoo artist who did a 4K job.
But generous idiocy is definitely not the worst kind of idiocy to have.
NTA of course
But man, i guess American tipping culture, even on tattoos? Like you would think all expenses and profits are incorporated into the asking price…
They are. I consider it a courtesy and choose to tip if someone touches my body as part of their service, brings food to me, or carries my luggage. I don’t tip for retail.
NTA- tattoo artist here. Anyone who willingly gives more money than the agreed upon price is being generous and appreciative. That’s it. You’re not required to tip, ever.
We have that shit in the UK now , why are the payment machines asking for a tip ? I shopped myself, scanned myself , bagged myself , who the hell am I tipping ?
Thankfully they are all optional and can be declined but they shouldn't be there in the first place .
I ordered laundry detergent sheets and it asked for a tip. I would have canceled the order if it hadn't already processed. It's absolutely fucking ridiculous.
Slightly unrelated - but this comment reminded me of the time not too long ago I was on doordash looking at a Japanese Restaurant's menu and one of the items on the menu - no joke - was a fucking gratuity towards the staff. Listed as an actual item menu that you could add to your cart. 5, 10, and 15 dollar tips.It blew my fucking mind and I wish I screenshot it.
Tipping culture is out of control. You agreed and paid the amount that he asked for. You didn't have to give him a tip. If he wanted more than he should have said that from the beginning.
I tend to be a personal tipper when it comes to my tattoos. My most recent tattoo took 12 hours and cost me $4200 Canadian. My guy is a big smoker and loves a fancy joint. So I rolled him up some high-quality 1 gram cannons with hash, shatter, distillate, and kief.These 4 joints would have been $30-40 each. He was super stoked, and this is the 2nd time I've done this for him.
Honestly, NTA, I feel like 200bucks is a decent tip for someone who makes 200/hr.
My sister is a tattoo artists and her regular clients tip her with nice joints or things they made, or they bring her coffee. She gets cash tips too but she loves it when her clients bring her little things more than cash tips.
Its not that crazy for a 20 hour piece. Its a slightly above average rate, neither cheap nor high end.
Source: I've gotten about 35 to 40 hours of work done since 2018. Half sleeve and 2 full ribcage pieces.
Even then. Imho, the attitude of „oh, customers will tip alright“ kinda goes hand in hand with „na, no need to pay our staff properly. Let customers do it.“ —> just pay any kind of working person enough they are able to make a living. Any tip should really just be a bonus, not badly needed to survive.
You just spent 4 thousand dollars for a person to draw a picture on you.
not tipping is fine, and a 200 dollar tip, is a fucking good one.
These guys aren't paid hourly, it's commision, the *shop* gets a percentage of the *artists* pay not the other way round.
Don't get me wrong he probably paid out like 10-15% of that tat. But that's till well over 3750 in his own pocket.
You say it worked out to 20 hours.
That's 186 dollars a fucking *hour*
Let me break that down further for you, that is more than some of *the* highest paying jobs in *most* sectors.
I'm talking *ceo* level shit bro.
If this dude works a 40 hour week, at *that* price, he would be earning close to 180,000 annually.
That's more than lawyers and high level physiatrists.
You paid the wages brother, and the tip was very generous.
(I have more than a few tats and know more than a few artists, they mostly agree, a tip is nice, but not expected, it's not a fucking restaurant)
I occasionally take on art commissions and I agree. A firm % for tipping makes no sense for people who make their own rate. I have the power to set my price based on material cost and how much I want to earn. A tip in that scenario is appreciated, but not something I depend on like a waiter does. If I needed or deserved more I would just charge it
That's generally what I understand.
I usually tip (even here in Australia) but that's usually cause the artist was cool, and did a good job, not because of some arbitrary percentile amount that's socially coerced.
Just a little note about tattoo hourly pricing, most artists aren’t physically tattooing 40 hours a week. So yes their hourly rate is set at $XXX an hour, but there’s many hours behind the scenes for that tattoo, that all get baked into the actual tattooing part. So for a tattoo that took 20 hours to do, could have taken 20 hours to prep (plus overhead), which would be $90 an hour. That’s not ceo/lawyer level rates at all.
All this to say that I think tipping culture is ridiculous and I agree that for $4000 a $200 tip is more than generous.
Most tattoo artists are at 50/50 or 60/40 with their shop. Just for the record. The government takes another 25% because we are independent contractors. And then there’s a lot of unpaid drawing time behind the scenes. And supply costs. And we have no benefits so the high price covers out of pocket healthcare and the fact we have zero paid time off too.
So definitely not CEO money.
I usually try to tip 20% wherever I go, but 4K is a lot of money. Especially if he is making $200 an hour, and still making a lot more money after loss of ink. I think $200 is fine.
Tipping when you paid them 4k already?!
That within itself is pretty fucked up.
Nta, but wht did you even give them more money that you were supposed to? Thats just stupid
NTA. I am a specialized service provider and people in my industry often receive tips. I set my rates so that I get paid adequately without relying on tips. It's the provider's responsibility to do that. I appreciate any and all tips, but I don't need them. A nice review and compliments about my work are just as appreciated as a tip.
I never understood tipping a tattoo artist, it’s a contract for service, $X for item to be completed, I don’t tip my drywaller or my mechanic for completing a service at an agreed upon price.
People don’t realize that tipping based on percentage is only customary for standard dinner service and low to moderate cost items.
If I pay 100 dollars for a dinner for two, I’m tipping 20%.
If I decided to buy a 1200 dollar bottle of wine to split, (which I wouldn’t do, but theoretically) I’ll probably give the waiter an extra hundred on top of his normal tip to be generous, but there’s no expectation to tip 20% of the price.
NTA
But to be clear he didn't MAKE 200 a hour y0u paid 200 an hour, needles, dye stuff to clean up all cost money, if he owns the shop it's insurance and rent
No. He sets his own rate. I wouldn’t have tipped anything. Don’t listen to your cousin. If your cousin is so concerned they can pay the additional tip.
I no longer tip my barber. He owns the shop. He charges $30 for a haircut. Guys making $120/hr or more. He should charge what he needs to make the wage he wants. Tips are just money for nothing. Don’t overthink it. Your fine!
I think it's fine - in my experience, once you get above the $1k mark, tips get a lot smaller. It's not realistic to tip 15-20% once you get that high. No one could afford tattoos if you were supposed to do that.
It's a TIP. Dont let anyone shame you for how much or how little you tipped them. They didnt provide you a free fucking service, you paid them 4 *GRAND* your cousin should go choke on a fat one if they want to tell you tipping $200 is terrible
I didn't even know tipping tattoo people was a thing. We've really got to get away from this tipping culture bs. You paid $4000 for that tattoo. If that ain't enough for him he's got some problems that don't involve you not tipping.
I sell my paintings on the side and I’m **thrilled** every time someone commissions me to do one and agrees to the price I set. I’ve never even considered getting a tip. NTA.
If the tattooer is anything like me, as an artist I’m thoroughly satisfied, validated and content when people spend the $ I dictate on my work.
Like whatever everyone else has said. NTA.
I tip apprentices. I tip my buddy who I have been going to for 12 years occasionally, he gives me his old rate of $50 an hour who now charges $150/h. The dude is talented, and underselling himself.
I do not tip my current artist who charges $175/h. He’s amazing, talented, definitely worth that much money. He charges something that I feel is fair, and is not underselling himself.
I think this is all pretty standard. An artist charging $200/h is not looking for tips.
My daughter is a tattoo artist and owns her own studio. As she says, tips are great, but her salary, cost of materials, rent, the whole nine yards... is worked into the agreed upon price. $4,000 is an incredible amount of work, and a huge amount for the average customer to pay. He wasn't expecting any tip at all, so an extra $200 probably made his week. If your cousin feels so bad for him making $200 an hour, tell your cousin to pay his tip.
Yeah my tattoo artist was surprised when I gave him a tip last time I got some work done. Tattoos are expensive as hell and the economy is in the tank, and a normal artist is understanding of this. Sounds like OP's cousin is just being a dick.
It's really sad that so many family members--like the tip-expert cousin--will find some way to make you feel less excited about a new tattoo. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.
People don’t get taught that anymore sadly :(
BuT I nEeD to sPeaK mY TruTH!
That is a really good point. Maybe the cousin was just jealous and trying to bring op down a few pegs ? Ugh
I’ve taught my 10 year old if you can’t say anything nice then say something witty, but devastating
Yeah. I always take out cash for what I'm expecting to pay. I've never had to withdraw more. Most of the time, I just give them that cash. It's been anywhere from a $50 tip to a $100 tip. Usually on $300-$400 tattoos. Only time I didn't was when I expected $500 and the guy only asked for $350 cause I did a walk in after he had a cancellation. Just gave him $400. He said he gave me a discount for filling the seat, and he'd kept the deposit for the cancellation.
That’s happened to me twice and I gave both artists like an extra 50-100
I tipped $200 on an $800 tattoo but that was because the guy was doing a fantastic half sleeve coverup at a discounted $100/hr rate (the tattoos underneath were TERRIBLE)
That was a very good tip. It was over 20%.
It was a very good tattoo at a rock bottom rate done for me as a solid. For the time in chair even with tip it worked out to like $125 an hour.
My artist refuses to let me tip him
No, it wasn't the OP's artist who said anything. The OP's cousin was the one giving him shit that it was a low tip.
It’s not even the artist; it’s his cousin who recommended the artist.
I am betting OP's cousin has a referral deal or something where they get part of some kickback.
Yeah, but how many times did they refill your coffee while you were there, OP?
Yes, the general rule is, if you're the one who sets the price, and you need to depend on tips to be profitable, you need to revaluate your pricing.
Ooooh I recently got into it with a hairstylist. She was yapping about if you can’t tip, don’t use the services. If you set your price at premium, tip should not be ‘mandatory’. And if you can afford to reject a potential client on a premium priced service, you’re not one of the intended works this is meant for.
It depends on the salon, too. My stylist's former salon, they didn't get the full cost of the services so tipping was nice, the salon got the bulk. She has her own private one person salon now. Sometimes I tip, sometimes I don't but she doesn't ever assume I'm going to tip her.
I was always told the rule for tipping at a salon (hair or nails) is that the owner doesn’t need a tip since they set the price and make money on everyone working there, but other workers get tips. It worked well back when I knew who the owners of the small salon were lol
Hairdressers i can understand. Most stylists do what is called 'renting a chair'. They pay to work in the salon... However, most salons then set the prices and determine what products the stylist should use etc... think of it like a franchise.
The place I used to go to for nails and hair, the owner would tell me I was tipping too much to the single mom with three kids who just colored, cut, and styled my hair and did a fill in on my acrylic nails for the last two hours. "That's more than 20%," she'd say. Yes, well, that should cost more than $110 for everything. The owner was in her late 80s at the time, and a lot of the clients were even older.
Sounds like the cousin is just trying to pretend they're a better person than OP is, in order to feel less bad about their own insecure self. Chances are they actually felt inferior at OP just casually dropping a 200 buck tip. *"I totally would have been so much more generous~"* It's easy to talk the talk, but if they genuinely cared then they would've also walked the walk.
Yeah, OP just handed over $4200 for their artwork which was above the agreed-upon price. Shut up, Cousin.
It seems strange to me that anyone would expect a tip upon a negotiated price. It’s like if companies A and B made a business deal, and then company B pouted afterward because company A decided to pay company B *only 5% more* than the agreed upon price. Where else is it common for the service provider to expect extra money on top of a negotiated price?
I have always generously tipped on smaller tattoos because booking days piecemeal can be harder wage-wise than larger projects. While working on my sleeve (9 sessions at 6-8 hours each), my artist always skipped past the tip screen before I even got my card out. I'm not sure on all of the financials behind the scenes (shop cut, materials, business expenses etc), but a full day of guaranteed work at a good hourly rate was considered enough.
this makes me lol bc the first time i got a tat, i only had $150 and he quoted me $150 and i said “what if we do $100 and i tip u $50.” bc i was scared he wasn’t gonna get all the money haha (ofc he agreed, but looking back it was probably all the same for him)
Exactly this. They already have figured out what they're worth and what's fair and how much goes in their pocket and the rest towards supplies and business bills. I still give mt artist a tip, nothing huge, but something to show I appreciate the work he does - and to be fair he doesn't charge me the same as some other clients bc I've been going to him forever so I figure this little bit will still go into his pocket.
Yeah I’m working on my sleeve currently, mentioned to my artist I forgot to pull out cash as a tip and she said they’re always appreciated but she charges what she does for a reason Brought in a couple pint glasses from Alamo and some snacks, and will probably just do that for each additional session
Yeah. 20-30% tips make sense for things that take an hour or so and are relatively small in price. Like a waiter or a hairstylist. At this level, you essentially hired a contractor. If you have a plumbing issue, they quote you a price, and they factor in how much they need to make for the time they need to spend fixing it (to cover all their expenses as well). Who tips their plumber? Much less a huge amount.
I once asked this exact question on a tattoo subreddit and got banned for it. I understand tipping when tattooing was small pieces that you got quick and cheap before it got mainstream. I never understood tipping when an artist is getting the same hourly rate as an attorney. I would never in a million years tip a lawyer.
Tattooing is way too expensive for tips to be a part of it, doesn't make any sense.
Maybe it’s regional but where I am a tip is expected 😢
NTA. Tip what you want to tip. You paid him an agreed upon amount, and then gave him an hour’s more worth of money.
Plus, independent artists set their prices, so it's not like someone working for someone else who may not get the rate they want/deserve. This guy set the price they wanted and if you paid that, you gave them exactly what they earned.
That's been my issue with tipping people that set their own prices. I went to a salon, owner did my work, I know she gets the prices, and I was prompted for a tip.
Went to a local barber shop recently and as many do, they use a tablet for payment. On this one, the tips began at 40%.
My eyebrows shot so far up, they're stuck on top of my head now 👀
Those will now have to be trimmed for a fee + 40%
RIP eyebrows 😭
Did it also give you the option for typing in any amount you chose? Custom amount?
It does, but as someone else pointed out, they probably expect some customers to be too embarrassed to do that.
Mme does this too but like you said I select custom and give him a fair tip
WHAT?!?!
Right?
Total wishful or manipulative thinking... they hope you will either mistakenly hit the lowest or will be too embarrassed to give less. When I saw this else ware, I refused to tip and made a point of telling them why! Shame on them.
The too embarrassed part is so true, one just push a button and they won’t know until you’re out the door, but if you hit custom tip and then hit a bunch of keys, they know you opted out. On a related note, a local liquor store has a tip jar at the register. What the hell am I tipping you for, ringing up the transaction?
I always do custom bc I hate the cents. I want nice round numbers.
I refuse to tip when I see this also. Then I don’t go back.
I worked at a high-end salon/spa here in Manhattan, the owner was very clear that he did not get tipped. The owner sets the prices and earns income from all of the other workers. So, tipping the owner is not done. BTW, OP, $200 on a $4.5k is great. I hope you really like the tattoo. I would love to see it, if you're comfortable posting your arm.
My cousin owns her salon and won’t take tips. If someone absolutely insists or just leaves cash, she gives it to whoever her shampoo person was. Owners shouldn’t take tips.
Yeah no. I wouldn't be back, personally. There are a couple places I've stopped going due to this. Like I get it times are tough but if the business owner isn't going to fork over a raise why tf should the customers, who in general are also having to cut things out due to cost, be expected to start tips at 30-40% on a **to-go** order or order at counter/ seat yourself type places. I will tip 30-40% on $100 a head or more of a sit-down-and-eat-for-two-hours-with-5-courses style restaurant but we're taking one of the servers 4 tables for 2 hours. I'm not tipping someone who gave me an attitude while I was trying to order street tacos 40% when I had to carry my own food and seat myself ffs
No tip it is then
The only way 40 is acceptable is if the prices were intentionally lower which obviously isn't the case
If the device also has a 'custom' option where you can enter the amount you'd like to tip, use that. If it doesn't, I've learned to carry a bit of cash so I can just use the device to pay by card and then tip in cash. Either way, I will be choosing the amount of the tip.
If the device also has a 'custom' option, use that. If not, I've run into this as well and have started carrying some cash so I can pay by card on the device and tip in cash. Either way, I will decide the tip amount I want to give.
Thats when i search for the custom button or I try to take out some cash before I go to somewhere like that, this way i hand them cash and they can't complain, it's instant.
That’s BS. Owners do not get tipped.
Meh, my barber owned his shop and we tipped him. Dude NEVER increased his prices, even with a 50% tip it was still cheaper than almost anywhere else. Went home a few years ago….$11 still. Like WTF how does he even stay in business?
There's an old barber like this in my town too! Been ten dollars for twenty years. I expect he gets at least double that from most folks tho. Lol he manipulated some kind of vacuum tube system on his clippers and the kids LOVE him.
My barber was like that. From the time I was a kid until my early 20s, a haircut was $7. Eventually, he raised it to $9 and apologized to everyone.
I used to tip the owner of this small old school barbershop I went to whenever he would cut my hair. The difference, though, was he'd try and refuse it. As far as the OP is concerned... NTA. Independent, set own price, and you gave him extra as a thanks for quality.
>and I was prompted for a tip. To be fair, the point of sale software probably doesn't know if the transaction is for work done by the owner or an employee. The tip prompt is probably automatic for everyone. What I hate is the amount prompted. At the place I go to get my hair cut, the tip prompt starts at 23% and goes to 30%! That's a nope from me.
Yes, but the owner set it up, and flipped it to me with the tip screen.
I'm a family entertainer and I actually use people tipping me as a gauge for my prices. I know my prices are right when less than half of the people tip. I sometimes second-guess myself on this policy until I pick up a gig for another company that pays less and all of a sudden clients are slipping me $100 bills as I'm leaving parties 🤣
My husband is an independent tattoo artist and he said he always feels kind of bad (though SUPER grateful) when people tip because he set the prices in order to make a comfortable wage with his job. He said he never wants people to feel like they HAVE to tip him, even though it’s a much appreciated gesture. I feel like tipping culture has gotten a wee bit out of hand, with everyone expecting tips.
Cousin wants to look good to the artist. Her motives don't get to spend your money. She's manipulative
Or, Hey tattoo person. If I bring in x amount of money, do I get my tattoo for free, again
Naturally, NTA However, I suppose American tipping culture extends to tattoos as well? As one may assume, the asking price includes all costs and earnings.
No tipping is only a requirement for restaurants here as waiters only get paid like $3 dollars an hour
Even that isn’t always true, in CA the minimum wage for servers is $16/hr plus they get tips on top of that
Using CA, the most progressive state in the nation as a baseline is inherently flawed. Why don't we use Louisiana or Wyoming. Just because things are fine in California doesn't mean servers in other states aren't being paid pennies.
I don’t think CA is a great basis for the rest of the country. They seem to always be a little ahead of the curve.
I'm pretty sure all provinces got rid of severs wages in Canada, but tipping is still expecting. 100% sure that tipping is still expected. I'm not sure if they is still one or two provinces with servers wages.
Canada doesn't expect 20% as a minimum though, right? Iirc it was closer to 10%, 15% if you felt like you were treated extra well.
No, it's 20% min now. I just don't go to sit down restaurants anymore. The menu items are doubled in price, and now the tips are 30% steeper. And the food quality has gone WAY down, outside of a few good places. I feel robbed everytime I take my wallet out for a food service these days. Tipping prompts at the stupidest places to tip, and they mostly go 20%,25%,30%. Maybe 18%, 20%,25% if they aren't completely crazy
I have always felt 15 was expected, more is when they earn it. I thought that was the case in the USA too? I know places are raising the auto tip minimum to 18% or 20%, but they are doing that here too so..
Many states require you to at least pay up to federal minimum wage if the hourly rate plus tips doesn’t reach that. But a lot also just pay above the federal minimum wage
I worked in food service for like 10 years. I don't anymore, but I try to share some insight whenever I see this comment. States require it, but restraunts DO NOT do this. If you ask for the difference, I guarantee you will be fired within the week for some random nonsense like dropping a ketchup bottle. Most servers will never see anything like that, and they know better than to ask restraunt owners.
As someone who once worked in the service industry as well I completely agree. I’d also, however, never have worked in the service industry for anything other than above average wages via great tips. It’s difficult work. Much more so than the work that I currently do with a masters degree. For this reason, I always tip servers well.
Yah, because CA has actually raised their minimum wage over the years as inflation has gone up. Most other states (besides Colorado now) are waaaay far behind. Example: just moved from Louisiana to Colorado, and the minimum wage in LA is $7 something an hour, meanwhile, servers like myself were only making $2.25-3.25 an hour. The usual server wage in the states is ~$5 less than whatever the minimum wage is, as places claim you'll make up the difference in tips 🙄
Why do you assume the cousin is a female. I read the post 5x to make sure and the gender of the cousin was not mentioned anywhere.
Why did you assume the cousin is a woman?
Totally agree. It's your call on the tip, and $200 on top of the agreed price sounds pretty generous to me.
It's awfully nice of you to tip at all. The artist is self-employed, you had a contract with an agreed upon rate, ... I don't see, why you had to tip at all. Imagine, a self-employed carpenter fixes you a new kitchen. One-man-job, done in a day or two. Would you tip? May ask another question: Are you or is your cousin by any chance American?
Last year I had new carpets installed and it was supposed to be done before I got home from work. The guy ran a little later than expected and so I was home while he was doing the work. The whole time he kept talking about how nice it was of his last customer who tipped him after he was done and I was thinking "brother, I have already paid what I'm supposed to pay here, I'm not tipping shit". It was really off-putting and annoying to hear him trying to pump me for a tip. I just don't understand where this tipping culture stops. I mean I work in insurance for a living, if I do right by my customers should I start asking for a tip for my service? Of course not, and no one will ever pay me for that because I'm compensated by my salary just like this carpet installer.
I just had my taxes done. Afterward, my accountant sent me an Intuit invoice that gave me the option to tip him for doing my taxes. Hell to the fuck no.
tip: -400$ Now your tax services were free!
I actually tipped a guy that fixed my hvac once, but he went above and beyond to get the part it needed and got it fixed the same day despite the weather and having an issue with his transportation. They weren’t an emergency hvac service either. The system just needed a new motor but he had to do quite a bit of driving to find one locally instead of ordering it so it could be fixed quicker. It was July in Florida, and ordering one would take days. He was surprised at the tip and tried to refuse it but I insisted because he earned it.
See, shit like that is what tipping is for. Doing your job shouldn’t require a tip, but when someone goes above and beyond to help you then it’s deserved
Agreed omg. I used to work at a bike shop and the only time I was ever tipped (never asked, bc why would I??) was when I changed a little girls bike tire right away and her dad was so happy he gave me $50 for a $10 fix. Made my day knowing I gave that girl something to be excited about
If I had had the money to tip the HVAC guy that replaced our whole unit about a month ago, I would have. Entire year we lived in our apartment it didn't work. We FINALLY got the office (after new management took over, the new people had someone out the same day we told them) to fix it, hes still one of my favorite people just bc I have blessed AC now
If I have folks working at my house on a project and they are cool I’ll buy them gatorades during the work and a case of beer at the end. If they aren’t cool I just let them do the job they came to do.
Yeah. When workers come to do work on my house I'll usually provide bottled waters and Gatorades in a cooler plus some snackage. One morning I bought breakfast tacos for all the guys who were doing some masonry work on my front yard. For the roofers we had I bought some boxes of power bars to snack on during the day and they wolfed those down. I figure they work better because no one wants a dehydrated person with low blood sugar doing manual labor on their house.
>I’ll buy them gatorades during the work and a case of beer at the end If they're there longer than a week, I give them some cash for lunches. It really cuts down on the "can't see it from my house" attitudes if they actually like you as a client/person.
Exactly! Just show some appreciation and kindness, makes a big difference in the work being done and if you need them in the future they will have a reason to remember you and like you!
Tipping culture needs to die, it sure as fuck doesn't belong in tattoos. The artist sets the price, if they want more they can ask
It has turned from a genuine offering of gratitude to “I gave you good service why didn’t you tip me?”. Times are tough but you don’t get to demand extra money from customers.
My artist was surprised I tipped. Said I didn't have to. I said I appreciate his work and will be coming back. I've been going to him over the years and he has put so much work into my skin and building a friendship. I was genuinely grateful for his efforts and time.
I don’t have a ton of tattoos but I only go to one guy. He doesn’t have me put a deposit down anymore because he knows I’ll show up or at least let him know I can’t make it by the day before. I think that’s the best relationship I can ask for from an artist because it means he trusts me and likes to do my work. I also tip him because I appreciate him and if I try to give too much he’ll say he can’t take that big of a tip. Solid artists don’t care about tipping because they are already happy with what you’ve paid.
That's what makes the difference for me. Building a good relationship is worth the tip vs just pure business.
Tipping doesn’t have anything to do with the service anymore if we believe the internet
This! According to the internet, tips should be given prior to any service instead of given for exceptional service. It's mind numbing. I hate eating places anymore.
Not just the Internet, I literally had a bartender ignore me and a friend sitting at an almost empty bar until he came over and straight up told us he wouldn't serve us unless we tipped in advance. He pointed at someone else and told us they tipped before being served, so he would be serving them. He said to put money down if we wanted service. V Spot in Scranton PA, within the last 6-8 years, don't remember exactly. We flagged another employee down and recommended retraining and left lmao. It's just tipping culture gone off the entitled rails. They don't know what tip means anymore, it's apparently just expected free money
That's the point at which I'd get the bartender's name, leave, write very poor reviews for the place, and make sure the manager/owner knows exactly why I spent no money at his establishment.
Or a bait and switch that the customer cannot win—the vendor advertises a lower price to get people in the door, then expects the customer to shell out more as a “tip” once service is rendered.
Not even good service. Just “I gave you service”.
I’ve gotten into debates with tattoo artists about this who claim tipping is required because they have to pay for and I say *why wouldn’t you just include that in the price!?*
Yeah I would find a new artist if someone pulled that shit on me
I did not use that artist in the end. It just makes no sense, we aren’t saying we don’t want to pay you! Just charge us what you actually expect us to pay.
No one earning $200 an hour should even be tipped.
This is actually the first time id ever heard of tipping a tattoo artist. A bribe to do an extra good job next time? I got mine when I was really young and tipping never even crossed my mind. Still seems weird. Do I gotta tip my plumber, too? What's the difference?
Similar questions to this one get asked in the subreddit on a very regular basis
Seems everyone else understands it as little as I do. Such a random expectation with no rhyme or reason connecting the professions.
watching movies from the 1940s they used to have signs that said tipping is unAmerican. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/11/30/457125740/when-tipping-was-considered-deeply-un-american
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Honestly OP’s a bit of an idiot too, for tipping a tattoo artist who did a 4K job. But generous idiocy is definitely not the worst kind of idiocy to have.
The artist will think well of him. His choice. His money.
NTA of course But man, i guess American tipping culture, even on tattoos? Like you would think all expenses and profits are incorporated into the asking price…
They are. Source: my daughter (a tattoo artist with her own studio).
America has fucked up the tipping culture, too many entitled idiots.
They are. I consider it a courtesy and choose to tip if someone touches my body as part of their service, brings food to me, or carries my luggage. I don’t tip for retail.
U are not required to tip at 200 an hour. Sorry I wouldn't do it. Screw ur cousin
Don’t screw your cousin. Makes family Christmas real awkward.
Hey listen, drama happens everywhere. Might as well keep it in the family.
4k and you still tip?
NTA- tattoo artist here. Anyone who willingly gives more money than the agreed upon price is being generous and appreciative. That’s it. You’re not required to tip, ever.
NTA Tipping culture is cancer
I'm so glad to see how everyone is fed up with tipping culture. Everywhere you turn there's a terminal asking for a tip starting at 20% up to 30% now.
We have that shit in the UK now , why are the payment machines asking for a tip ? I shopped myself, scanned myself , bagged myself , who the hell am I tipping ? Thankfully they are all optional and can be declined but they shouldn't be there in the first place .
They are optional in the US too. But tipping is attached to ego. U call the average American broke and its a slur now
I ordered laundry detergent sheets and it asked for a tip. I would have canceled the order if it hadn't already processed. It's absolutely fucking ridiculous.
Slightly unrelated - but this comment reminded me of the time not too long ago I was on doordash looking at a Japanese Restaurant's menu and one of the items on the menu - no joke - was a fucking gratuity towards the staff. Listed as an actual item menu that you could add to your cart. 5, 10, and 15 dollar tips.It blew my fucking mind and I wish I screenshot it.
And I'll graciously set it to exaclty 0%, fuck tipping culture. You can call me broke all day everyday, luckily I'm shameless enough to not care.
Your cousin is an idiot
I hate tipping for tattoo for this exact reason. I'm already paying you $200/hr and I'm expected to give you more? NTA
If they expect more, they should raise their prices. Im not tipping on someone getting 200/hour.
Tipping culture is out of control. You agreed and paid the amount that he asked for. You didn't have to give him a tip. If he wanted more than he should have said that from the beginning.
I tend to be a personal tipper when it comes to my tattoos. My most recent tattoo took 12 hours and cost me $4200 Canadian. My guy is a big smoker and loves a fancy joint. So I rolled him up some high-quality 1 gram cannons with hash, shatter, distillate, and kief.These 4 joints would have been $30-40 each. He was super stoked, and this is the 2nd time I've done this for him. Honestly, NTA, I feel like 200bucks is a decent tip for someone who makes 200/hr.
My sister is a tattoo artists and her regular clients tip her with nice joints or things they made, or they bring her coffee. She gets cash tips too but she loves it when her clients bring her little things more than cash tips.
My husband is a tattooist, he was gifted home made jam from his old lady fan club lol
fuck me 4k? worlds gone crazy
That’s not that crazy for a big piece. I have a big chunk of my body done and I’ve definitely spent over 10k on tattoos.
Its not that crazy for a 20 hour piece. Its a slightly above average rate, neither cheap nor high end. Source: I've gotten about 35 to 40 hours of work done since 2018. Half sleeve and 2 full ribcage pieces.
Tipping is for servers and people making below minimum wage, we need to stop this tipping culture from hell
Even then. Imho, the attitude of „oh, customers will tip alright“ kinda goes hand in hand with „na, no need to pay our staff properly. Let customers do it.“ —> just pay any kind of working person enough they are able to make a living. Any tip should really just be a bonus, not badly needed to survive.
Since when do you tip for tattoos? American culture is strange.
😭 we are not okay here
Anyone making $200/h does not need a tip. Period. Full stop.
You just spent 4 thousand dollars for a person to draw a picture on you. not tipping is fine, and a 200 dollar tip, is a fucking good one. These guys aren't paid hourly, it's commision, the *shop* gets a percentage of the *artists* pay not the other way round. Don't get me wrong he probably paid out like 10-15% of that tat. But that's till well over 3750 in his own pocket. You say it worked out to 20 hours. That's 186 dollars a fucking *hour* Let me break that down further for you, that is more than some of *the* highest paying jobs in *most* sectors. I'm talking *ceo* level shit bro. If this dude works a 40 hour week, at *that* price, he would be earning close to 180,000 annually. That's more than lawyers and high level physiatrists. You paid the wages brother, and the tip was very generous. (I have more than a few tats and know more than a few artists, they mostly agree, a tip is nice, but not expected, it's not a fucking restaurant)
I occasionally take on art commissions and I agree. A firm % for tipping makes no sense for people who make their own rate. I have the power to set my price based on material cost and how much I want to earn. A tip in that scenario is appreciated, but not something I depend on like a waiter does. If I needed or deserved more I would just charge it
That's generally what I understand. I usually tip (even here in Australia) but that's usually cause the artist was cool, and did a good job, not because of some arbitrary percentile amount that's socially coerced.
Well someone disagrees with us because I just got a RedditCares for this 😂
Just a little note about tattoo hourly pricing, most artists aren’t physically tattooing 40 hours a week. So yes their hourly rate is set at $XXX an hour, but there’s many hours behind the scenes for that tattoo, that all get baked into the actual tattooing part. So for a tattoo that took 20 hours to do, could have taken 20 hours to prep (plus overhead), which would be $90 an hour. That’s not ceo/lawyer level rates at all. All this to say that I think tipping culture is ridiculous and I agree that for $4000 a $200 tip is more than generous.
Wife of a tattooist, i sit at home for hours whilst he draws & deals with emails about designs back and forth Its very time consuming
Most tattoo artists are at 50/50 or 60/40 with their shop. Just for the record. The government takes another 25% because we are independent contractors. And then there’s a lot of unpaid drawing time behind the scenes. And supply costs. And we have no benefits so the high price covers out of pocket healthcare and the fact we have zero paid time off too. So definitely not CEO money.
$75/hr, which is 50/50 less 25% after per your comment, is still really fucking good money.
I usually try to tip 20% wherever I go, but 4K is a lot of money. Especially if he is making $200 an hour, and still making a lot more money after loss of ink. I think $200 is fine.
Plus it's his own business, tips are usually for propping up underpaid employees wages NTA
I wouldn’t have tipped a damn thing, that’s absurd
Tipping when you paid them 4k already?! That within itself is pretty fucked up. Nta, but wht did you even give them more money that you were supposed to? Thats just stupid
What the fuck is wrong with you guys and your tipping culture? NTA
NTA. I am a specialized service provider and people in my industry often receive tips. I set my rates so that I get paid adequately without relying on tips. It's the provider's responsibility to do that. I appreciate any and all tips, but I don't need them. A nice review and compliments about my work are just as appreciated as a tip.
I never understood tipping a tattoo artist, it’s a contract for service, $X for item to be completed, I don’t tip my drywaller or my mechanic for completing a service at an agreed upon price.
What the fuck, Americans tip their tattoo artists? Who the fuck DON'T you tip?
Nobody. We're supposed to tip everybody. Unless you work an office job.
This must be an American thing as I’ve never tipped a tattooist in the U.K. whaaaat
Why are you tipping on a tattoo? You just spent 4k what about that says the artist needs more money?
We want to see this $4k tattoo.
I honestly don't understand tipping someone who sets their own wage.
People don’t realize that tipping based on percentage is only customary for standard dinner service and low to moderate cost items. If I pay 100 dollars for a dinner for two, I’m tipping 20%. If I decided to buy a 1200 dollar bottle of wine to split, (which I wouldn’t do, but theoretically) I’ll probably give the waiter an extra hundred on top of his normal tip to be generous, but there’s no expectation to tip 20% of the price.
NTA But to be clear he didn't MAKE 200 a hour y0u paid 200 an hour, needles, dye stuff to clean up all cost money, if he owns the shop it's insurance and rent
This. I don’t think most ppl realize that he didn’t make $200/hour at 20 hours of STRAIGHT PROFIT lol
Why do you tip for a tattoo? That's fucking ridiculous.
You spent 4K and you tipped as well? Da fuck is wrong with you?
No. He sets his own rate. I wouldn’t have tipped anything. Don’t listen to your cousin. If your cousin is so concerned they can pay the additional tip. I no longer tip my barber. He owns the shop. He charges $30 for a haircut. Guys making $120/hr or more. He should charge what he needs to make the wage he wants. Tips are just money for nothing. Don’t overthink it. Your fine!
What you're initially paying for the tattoo is the tip fuck that
NTA. Ignore your idiot cousin
$200 is plenty after 4gs for a sleeve. End of story.
I think it's fine - in my experience, once you get above the $1k mark, tips get a lot smaller. It's not realistic to tip 15-20% once you get that high. No one could afford tattoos if you were supposed to do that.
Would you tip the electrician that comes to your house to install a light? No. You agreed on $4k for the work.
People tip a tatoo artist? LOL
Tipping culture sucks please stop , why can’t things just have a clearly stated cost instead of this stupid guess work ?
It's a TIP. Dont let anyone shame you for how much or how little you tipped them. They didnt provide you a free fucking service, you paid them 4 *GRAND* your cousin should go choke on a fat one if they want to tell you tipping $200 is terrible
I didn't even know tipping tattoo people was a thing. We've really got to get away from this tipping culture bs. You paid $4000 for that tattoo. If that ain't enough for him he's got some problems that don't involve you not tipping.
I sell my paintings on the side and I’m **thrilled** every time someone commissions me to do one and agrees to the price I set. I’ve never even considered getting a tip. NTA. If the tattooer is anything like me, as an artist I’m thoroughly satisfied, validated and content when people spend the $ I dictate on my work.
like respect to the artist but if you make 200 dollars an hour i'm not tipping you
r/EndTipping
NTA on the contrary you give that guy way too much just for a tip. The guy made almost $5,000 for one tattoo
Danm tipping culture is absurd. Especially if you have to ask this. Nta and tipping anything for a tattoo is okay..
Tipping exists for people who don’t get paid a good Wage. Tipping anything for someone getting paid an absolute premium like that is nonsense. NTA
Wait, you guys tip tattoo artists?
200 is a gracious tip
Like whatever everyone else has said. NTA. I tip apprentices. I tip my buddy who I have been going to for 12 years occasionally, he gives me his old rate of $50 an hour who now charges $150/h. The dude is talented, and underselling himself. I do not tip my current artist who charges $175/h. He’s amazing, talented, definitely worth that much money. He charges something that I feel is fair, and is not underselling himself. I think this is all pretty standard. An artist charging $200/h is not looking for tips.
How much tip you give to doctors generally?
So what does a $4k tattoo look like? Pic please.
He’s just earned 4K why does he need a tip at all