Hair Stylist Holiday Gift Ideas
Wondering what to give your hair stylist for Christmas?
I imagine lots of you are out in cyberspace searching for just the “right gift” for those on your Christmas list, driving yourself crazy. So, I thought that sharing with you the types of gifts that I and my co-stylists received over the years, might help you in being able to narrow down just what gift is appropriate for your stylist.
“it’s not the gift, it’s the thought that counts.”
First and foremost, you’ve heard this before, but as a recipient of gifts from my clients, “it’s not the gift, it’s the thought that counts.” IT’S SO TRUE.
If you can live by this rule, it WILL make your life easier.
These are the top gifts given to stylists;
- $$$ — Clearly this is the gift given most often . . . and always highly appreciated. How much? Maybe double the normal . . . but, read below for another way to do it.
- Food —Chocolate, Nuts, Cheeses, Dipping Oils, Teas
- Cordials — Wine or a favorite cordial i.e.: Baileys Irish Cream, Grand Marnier, B&B etc.
- Christmas plant — poinsettia, mix of greens
- Scented candles
Tipping - It is a personal matter and your stylist knows and understands this completely. The true meaning of the “tip” is that you are acknowledging good service. (The biggest tip you can give is to become a loyal client.) That being said, I tip 20% for good service in the salon as well as restaurants. Having worked as both a hairstylists and a waitress in my life, I know that is an appropriate tip for me for service well done. If you can’t afford 20% and still want to give something, than give what you can, not everyone tips 20% and people in service industries understand this.
Christmas tipping - It follows the above, do what is appropriate for you . . . but here is a good story of another way to do it; My home salon, the one I worked at the longest, was an upscale shop in downtown St. Paul and we had mostly a business clientele. The owner of the shop was highly regarded in the business world and had the clientele to prove it, top business people in the Twin Cities. We were a full service salon, before it became vogue, (70’s) including a shoe shiner and manicurist who would perform these services while you were having your hair styled.
The owner didn’t want tips and would discourage his clients from doing so. But, he expressed one Christmas to me, how classy he thought this particular client handled tipping. He was one of a number of clients who came in regularly, every two weeks, for his hair style, shoe shine and manicure. At his appointment during the Christmas season, he gave each person, stylist, shoe shine man and manicurist, money that amounted to a 20% tip for the entire year. As you can imagine, it was a memorable and thoughtful gift to receive. (The client was my hubby, Gary – though we weren’t an item at that time.) I can tell you first hand, that is, my feelings as well as my associates and acquaintances in the business, it’s not the gift, or how much it cost but the thought.
All of these things are mostly appreciated because of the THOUGHT. Your client has taken extra time to acknowledge your good work and your friendship and that is the gift that counts.
Got a question, war story or comment about this topic? Click on the "Leave Your Comments" link at the very bottom of this article. Some of my best ideas for future articles come from reading reader comments. I'd love to hear from you!
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